Panthers Top Redbirds on Senior Night, 38-27

Saturday, November 18

UNI-Dome

4:35 PM

University of Northern Iowa

7-4 , 5-2

Illinois State (Camp Day)

8-3 , 5-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Illinois State

UNI

Panthers Top Redbirds on Senior Night, 38-27

11/18/2006 7:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: UNI Athletics Communications

Nov. 18, 2006

Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery

PANTHERS TOP REDBIRDS ON SENIOR NIGHT 38-27

Cedar Falls, Iowa-- Seniors Dre Dokes and Dave Schratz led an opportunistic defensive effort to help the University of Norther Iowa football team streak past sixth-ranked Illinois State to the tune of 38-27 on senior night. The Panther defense forced four turnovers while the offense tallied its highest point total in over a month.

Quarterback Eric Sanders (Oelwein, Iowa, Oelwein) sparked the UNI offense with a 43-yard scamper to the ISU 37 on the unit's second series. Corey Lewis (St. Paul, Neb./St. Paul) scored the game's first touchdown six plays later with a one-yard lunge into the end zone. Brian Wingert's (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) kick capped off a seven-play, 80-yard scoring drive, and put UNI up 7-0 early in the first quarter.

The Redbirds replied with an 80-yard scoring drive of their own and tied the game with a four-yard touchdown run by Pierre Rembert.

After a fumbled fair catch gave the Panthers new life at the ISU 34, Sanders found Victor Williams (Clewiston, Fla/Louisburg) in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown strike. Wingert's kick gave the Panthers a 14-7 advantage as the first quarter came to a close.

On the opening play of the second quarter, Schratz picked off an errant Luke Drone pass to set up the UNI offense near midfield. After receiving a pitch-back from Sanders, Williams found Johnny Gray (Deerfield Beach, Fla. Deerfield Beach) 57 yards downfield for the score. The extra point put UNI ahead 21-7.

Both teams traded unsuccessful drives before Sanders connected with Darian Williams (East Moline, Ill./ICCC) on a 45-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 28-7.

The Redbirds answered with a methodic 10-play, 81-yard scoring drive that burned the remainder of the second quarter. The extra point was blocked, putting the score at 28-13 UNI at the half.

ISU opened the second half with a 57-yard scoring drive to cut the UNI lead to eight. The third quarter ended with the score 28-20.

A one-yard touchdown dive by Sanders gave the Panthers a 15-point cushion, but ISU answered with a 31-yard touchdown reception from Drone to Rembert to keep the game in reach, Wingert split the uprights with a 21-yard field goal on the ensuing Panther possession to give UNI a 38-27 advantage late in the fourth period. A late Dokes interception preserved the lead and the Panthers left the field with a 38-27 victory,

"We did things on defense and we did things on offense," head coach Mark Farley said. "Everything that could have happened did happen. Everything came together."

Sanders threw just nine passes in the contest, completing six of them for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Williams was 1-1 with a 57-yard touchdown.

"I didn't know Victor could throw like that," Sanders said. "That was a huge play."

The rushing game told the story for the UNI offense. The Panthers netted 258 yards on 41 attempts, including a 16 carry, 113 yard effort by Lewis. Darian Williams finished the night with 91 yards on 12 carries, while Sanders tallied 32 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts.

"That was a solid effort by our line tonight," Farley said. "When you run the football like that, good things happen."

Schratz tallied nine tackles and an interception to pace the defense. Dokes provided a pivotal interception late in the fourth quarter in addition to four tackles. The pick was his seventh of the season, 18^th of his career. Chris Parsons (Moore, Okla./Moore) tallied five tackles and an interception.

"We thought we were better off having Rembert beating us than their wide receivers," Farley said. "We thought we could bend in the box so long as we didn't give up the big passes. We made some big interceptions."

The Panthers finish the regular season 7-4 overall, 5-2 in the Gateway Football Conference, earning second place honors.