University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Panthers Upset By Missouri State
10/8/2005 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 8, 2005
SPRINGFIELD, MO - Disaster struck the University of Northern Iowa for the second straight season when the Panthers lost starting quarterback Eric Sanders to a high ankle sprain with 14:37 left in the second quarter of their game this afternoon against Missouri State in Springfield, MO.
UNI, ranked seventh in 1-AA by The Sports Network, went on to lose the game 24-21. MSU, now 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Gateway Football Conference, had taken second-ranked Southern Illinois into overtime last week in Carbondale only to fall short. UNI now falls to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the league, also.
It was déjà vu for the UNI Panthers. Sanders, the nation's passing efficiency leader, took over in the fourth game last year when four-year starting quarterback Tom Petrie went down to a season-ending injury. Sanders entered today's game 9-2 as the Panthers' starter and had completed five-of-seven passes for 31 yards when he was injured. His status now is described as week-to-week. Redshirt freshman Nick Nelson relieved Sanders for a series until it was determined whether the latter would be able to return to action. Scottsdale Community College transfer Dexter Hill then was pulled out of his hoped-for redshirt year and completed the game, finishing with 12-of-19 passing with one interception for 186 yards and one touchdown.
Hill orchestrated UNI's comeback. The first quarter was scoreless and UNI trailed 14-0 at the half. Hill drove the Panthers to the MSU 12-yard line with 14.7 seconds left following a 78-yard kickoff return to the MSU 22 by Jamie Goodwin, but Hill was sacked for an 11-yard loss from the four to end the quarter.
UNI finally got on the scoreboard with 11:25 left in the third quarter on an 11-yard run by senior David Horne. The Panthers tied the game at 14 with 33.2 seconds left on senior Terrance Freeney's 65-yard TD reception from Hill. With 13:46 left in the game, Hill was intercepted at the MSU 26. The Bears then took the lead for good on a 35-yard field goal with 6:30 remaining in the game on a drive that consumed over seven minutes and 49 yards on 14 plays. The game went out of reach with 2:53 left when MSU scored on a four-yard run.
UNI didn't give up, however, with Horne scoring on a two-yard run with 1:14 left.
"We initially weren't good enough offensively," UNI head coach Kevin Stensrud (knee) a few plays later.
"I'm proud of our offense and I'm proud of our defense with the way they came back without their two leaders. Hill's a good quarterback. We put Nick in just until we found out about Eric. He tried and Eric wanted to play so bad."
The Panthers ended up gaining 295 yards, including just 78 rushing, while giving up 353 yards, 204 passing. MSU had the ball almost 13 minutes longer. Freeney gained 62 yards rushing on 12 carries and caught three passes for 71 yards, including the 65-yard TD reception. Brett Koebcke recorded nine solo and nine assisted tackles and got UNI's first interception of the year.
The Panthers now return home to host Indiana State next Saturday for Homecoming. It'll be the first home game since Sept. 8. "It'll be good to get back home," Farley said. "We've been gone for five weeks. It's important people get behind Dexter Hill. This was a very disappointing loss."
