University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
4-0
Drake
3-1
UNI Runs to 45-7 Victory Over Drake
9/22/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
DES MOINES,
Tailbacks Corey Lewis and Darian Williams proved to be an elusive double-threat in the Panther backfield, combining for 188 yards rushing on 26 carries and a touchdown. Williams scored UNI's third touchdown of the afternoon and needed just six carries to pile up 80 yards. Lewis carried 20 times for 108 yards and tallied four receptions for 78 yards to lead UNI in both rushing and receiving for the second week in a row.
Quarterback Eric Sanders completed 11-14 attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown and rushed eight times for 30 yards and a touchdown. Johnny Gray caught Sanders' touchdown pass on an 11-yard toss in the second quarter. Gray caught three balls for 42 yards and a score.
Sanders put the game's first points on the board with a two-yard touchdown lunge late in the first quarter. The senior scored on an option rush to punctuate UNI's 13-play, 73 yard march that ate nearly seven minutes of the opening quarter.
Araf Evans doubled UNI's lead just two minutes later when he ripped the ball from Travis Hardgraves' hands and sprinted 35 yards to paydirt. Nate Rausa's kick gave UNI a 14-0 advantage with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.
Interceptions on consecutive plays- the first by UNI's Darrell Lloyd, the second by Drake's Andy Green- put the Bulldogs on their own two-yard-line to start the second quarter. The Panther defense stuffed Drake's attack to force a punt and give the UNI offense the ball near midfield. Sanders and Co. needed just six plays to find the endzone and extend the lead to 21-0. Williams capped UNI's 6-play, 63-yard scoring drive with a 21-yard touchdown dash; his second score of the season.
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After an interception by Johnny Gray for an 11-yard touchdown strike to put the score at 28-0 with three minutes left in the first half.
Drake orchestrated a scoring drive of its own, crossing the goal line with just over two minutes remaining to cut the UNI lead to 21 points. The Panthers downed the ball to kill the rest of the clock and went into the locker room with a 28-7 lead.
Rausa made good on a 22-yard field goal, his first field goal of the season, after UNI spent nearly five minutes on an 11-play, 62-yard scoring drive.
Derrick Law took a handoff from the Drake one-yard-line for a touchdown, UNI's fifth of the day. The rush ended a 7-play 84-yard drive that gave the Panthers a 38-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Patrick Grace took over for Sanders in the fourth quarter and notched his first career rushing touchdown, an 8-yard touchdown run that put UNI up 45-7 in the fourth. The Panthers kneeled on their final few plays to kill the clock and end the game with a 45-7 victory.
UNI moves to 4-0 for the first time since 1999. Drake falls to 3-1 on the season.
The Panthers travel to
Team Stats
UNI 7, DU 0
UNI - Sanders, Eric 2 yd run (Rausa, Nate kick), 13 plays, 73 yards, TOP 6:55
UNI 14, DU 0
UNI - Evans, Araf 35 yd fumble recovery (Rausa, Nate kick)
UNI 21, DU 0
UNI - Williams,Darian 21 yd run (Rausa, Nate kick), 6 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:39
UNI 28, DU 0
UNI - Gray, Johnny 11 yd pass from Sanders, Eric (Rausa, Nate kick) 2 plays, 11 yards, TOP 0:48
UNI 28, DU 7
DU - Brower, Z 15 yd pass from Ingle, C (Rees, L kick) 8 plays, 67 yards, TOP 2:16
UNI 31, DU 7
UNI - Rausa, Nate 22 yd field goal 11 plays, 62 yards, TOP 4:34
UNI 38, DU 7
UNI - Law, Derrick 1 yd run (Rausa, Nate kick), 7 plays, 84 yards, TOP 2:44
UNI 45, DU 7
UNI - Grace, Pat 8 yd run (Rausa, Nate kick), 6 plays, 55 yards, TOP 1:33