University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
3-0
South Dakota State
0-3
Lewis, Sanders Lead UNI to 31-17 Win South Dakota State
9/15/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 15, 2007
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Junior running back Corey Lewis rushed for 125 yards, caught 10 passes for 164 receiving yards and scored three rushing touchdowns in leading the the University of Northern Iowa football team to a 31-17 victory over South Dakota State University on Saturday at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
Senior quarterback Eric Sanders was not too shabby himself as tallied a streak of 19 consecutive pass completions and passed for 330 yards, while rushing for another score.
UNI came out firing and scored on the opening drive of the game when junior Lewis (St. Paul, Neb.) scored from seven yards out at the 11:14 mark of the first quarter. On the drive Lewis had a key third-down conversion on a pass reception from senior quarterback Sanders (Oelwein, Iowa) and a 22-yard run.
However, SDSU wasted little time answering back on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Berry to JaRon Harris to knot the game at 7-7 with 10:30 left in the first quarter.
The Jacks then took advantage of the first turnover of the game, a Sanders interception by SDSU's Tyler Koch. The Jacks moved 40 yards in nine plays and capped the drive with a two-yard run by Cory Koenig.
UNI was able to pull within a point of the home squad on a five-yard touchdown run from Lewis at the 5:13 mark of the second quarter. Lewis' second score of the game capped a 12-play 70-yard drive that consumed 4:49 of the clock. However, senior tackle Brandon Keith (McAlester, Okla.) was flagged for a false start on the extra point and on the ensuing attempt from five yards back the center snap from junior Adam Falk (Lodi, Wis.) went over holder Ben Schmidt's head and the point after failed.
The Panthers wasted a pair of scoring opportunities in the second quarter on blocked field goals. Redshirt freshman Billy Hallgren (Coal Valley, Ill.) had field goals blocked from 40 and 32 yards, including the final play of the half. The missed scoring chances allowed SDSU to hold a 14-13 halftime advantage.
The Panthers put together a pair of scoring drives in the third quarter to take a 24-14 lead. Lewis added his third score of the game on a two-yard run, and Sanders hooked up with junior receiver Victor Williams (Clewiston, Fla.) on the two-point conversion. The Panthers then turned a bad situation into another score with a 91-yard drive. SDSU pinned the Panthers at their own five-yard line but a 60-yard pass from Sanders to Lewis set up a 21-yard field goal from Hallgren to give UNI a 10-point cushion at 24-14.
Sanders added a bootleg touchdown run of his own to give UNI a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
With the victory, UNI improved to 3-0 on the season, while South Dakota State fell to 0-3. The Panthers travel to face the Drake University Bulldogs next Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast state-wide on Mediacom's Connections channel.
Team Stats
UNI 7, SDSU 0
UNI - Lewis, Corey 7 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:46
UNI 7, SDSU 7
SDSU - JaRon Harris 57 yd pass from Ryan Berry (Parker Douglass kick) 2 plays, 70 yards, TOP 0:38
UNI 7, SDSU 14
SDSU - Cory Koenig 2 yd run (Parker Douglass kick), 9 plays, 40 yards, TOP 4:55
UNI 13, SDSU 14
UNI - Lewis, Corey 5 yd run (TEAM rushfailed), 12 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:49
UNI 21, SDSU 14
UNI - Lewis, Corey 2 yd run (Williams,Victor pass), 11 plays, 74 yards, TOP 5:08
UNI 24, SDSU 14
UNI - Hallgren, Billy 21 yd field goal 6 plays, 91 yards, TOP 1:38
UNI 31, SDSU 14
UNI - Sanders, Eric 11 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 4 plays, 72 yards, TOP 1:21
UNI 31, SDSU 17
SDSU - Parker Douglass 37 yd field goal 4 plays, -2 yards, TOP 1:28