Panthers Persevere, Top Bison, 42-27

Saturday, October 10

Fargo, ND

3:07 PM

University of Northern Iowa

5-1 , 3-0

North Dakota State

1-5 , 0-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
UNI	7	14	0	21	42
North Dakota State	0	10	3	14	27

Panthers Persevere, Top Bison, 42-27

10/10/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: UNI Athletics Communications

Final Stats

FARGO, N.D. - The No. 3-ranked University of Northern Iowa football team persevered according to head coach Mark Farley and scored a 42-27 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory over the North Dakota State University Bison in the Fargodome.

UNI quarterback Pat Grace passed for three scores, wide receiver D.J. Hord nabbed six catches for a career-high 105 receiving yards, Derrick Law rushed for 122 yards and the Panthers scored on a blocked punt in the victory. UNI improves to 5-1 on the year and 3-0 in MVFC play. NDSU drops to 1-5 overall and 0-3 in league play. NDSU committed 14 penalties for 151 yards, while the Panthers also committed 13 penalties for 121 yards.

To open the game, NDSU marched from its own 20-yard line to the Panther 26-yard line before safety Jamar Thompson intercepted a passed that had been tipped at the line by defensive tackle Chuck Kinney. It was Thompson's first interception of the season and gave the ball to the Panthers at the 21-yard line.

"I have to give props to Chuck because he made the initial play and I just happened to be in the right spot," Thompson said. "We knew the game was going to be on our shoulders and we'd have to make plays to help us win. Our secondary had to step up and we did that and made plays to win."

After Thompson's interception, quarterback Pat Grace directed an 8-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by a D.J. Hord and 21 yards to Derrick Law.

NDSU drove the ball deep into Panther territory on its second possession of the game and had 1st and 10 at the UNI 12-yard line before penalties and a missed 35-yard field goal by Shawn Bibeau ended the scoring threat.

The Bison broke into the scoring column on a blocked punt return for a touchdown when Warren Holloway blocked a Kyle Bernard punt and NDSU's Daniel Eaves scooped up the ball and returned it 20 yards for the score at the 13:29 mark of the second quarter. The touchdown by the Bison was the first points allowed by the Panthers in the second quarter this season.

UNI returned the favor on the Bison's next possession as linebacker Tre'Darrius Canady returned it 10 yards for a touchdown at the 10:01 mark of the second quarter. It was the third blocked punt of Smith's career and Canady's first career touchdown.

"The perseverance of our team was big today," UNI head coach Mark Farley said. "NDSU blocked a punt for a touchdown, but then we turned around and blocked a punt for a touchdown. We were able to persevere and counter with a block of our own - that was huge."

Derrick Law career-best 68-yard run got the Panthers out of the shadow of their own end zone and deep into Bison territory. Grace then hooked up with Hord for a 23-yard touchdown pass at the 4:05 mark of the second quarter. The Panther touchdown gave the visitors a 21-7 advantage after the 5-play, 87-yard drive.

NDSU trimmed the UNI lead to 21-10 on a 19-yard field goal from Bibeau with 17 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The three-pointer capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 3:48.

"I thought that was a key play in the ballgame," Farley said. "They had the long drive before the half and had first and goal at the one but we stopped them and held them to a field goal."

The Bison pulled to within one score, at 21-13, on a 35-yard field goal by Bibeau with 2:12 left in the third quarter. NDSU sacked Grace and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Bison on the Panthers' next possession. However, NDSU's Bibeau was wide right on a 45-yard field goal attempt that could have pulled the Bison closer.

The Panthers regained momentum in the contest with a 3-play, 77-yard drive that saw Grace hook up with Maurice Turner on a 40-yard touchdown pass. Turner caught the ball on the far sideline and then tight-roped down the white stripe for the score. NDSU's Pat Paschall, who became the first running back this season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Panthers, scored from six yards out with 9:14 remaining to cut into the Panther lead, 28-20.

This seesaw affair swung back in the Panthers' favor when Grace hit Schuylar Oordt for a 16-yard touchdown pass on a crucial 3rd-and-13 from the 16-yard line with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter.

UNI's L.J. Fort intercepted a Mertens' pass with just over four minutes to go and returned it 65 yards to thwart a Bison rally.

Law then rambled 34 yards to the 1-yard line to set up the Panthers' final score of the game - a one-yard plunge by Law over the Bison defensive line. Law's score came at the 2:52 mark of the fourth quarter and gave UNI a 42-20 lead.

NDSU added a final score in the game's final minute on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Mertens to Titus Mack. The score capped a 10-play, 77-yard drive and came with only 29 seconds left in the contest.

The Panthers will be back in action at home next Saturday in their annual Homecoming game against the Southern Illinois University Salukis. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. in the UNI-Dome.

NOTES:
D.J. Hord recorded his first 100-plus yard receiving game as a Panther ... NDSU tallied 517 total yards, while UNI totaled 390 in the game ... UNI's Elijah Hodge and Terrell McBride tied for the team-high in tackles with 12 each ... UNI defensive end and Buck Buchanan Award candidate James Ruffin recorded a pair of sacks and had three tackles-for-loss to tie the school record for all-time tackles-for-loss with 37 ... Ruffin is tied with Matt Mitchell on the Panthers' all-time TFL list.