University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
4-1 , 2-0
Indiana State (Family Weekend)
0-6 , 0-3
Panthers Dominate Indiana State, 62-7
10/3/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football
For more highlights and postgame interviews visit UNI Athletics on YouTube
The University of Northern Iowa football team took care of business and put the Indiana State Sycamores away early in a 62-7 victory Saturday. The Panthers dominated throughout, posting 571 yards of total offense and holding the Sycamores to 102 yards. UNI racked up 406 yards rushing in the game.
UNI's defense continued its stingy ways by holding Indiana State to only five first downs and 102 yards. The Panthers also had two takeaways - a Quentin Scott fumble recovery in the first quarter and an interception return for a touchdown by James Conley in the fourth quarter. UNI held the Sycamores to one third down conversion in 11 opportunities.
Junior running back Matt Strathman highlighted the Panthers' ground attack, impressing UNI fans with his determined and powerful running style. Strathman broke tackles, carried defenders and showed breakaway speed on his way to 133 yards on 16 carries. He added a 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to score his first points as a Panther.
Senior quarterback Pat Grace completed only seven passes on nine attempts in the first half, but those completions went for 157 yards and three touchdowns. Grace only saw action in the first half as sophomores Zach Davis and Caleb Walter led the offensive attack after halftime with the Panthers leading 42-0. Derrick Law racked up 78 yards on 12 carries and two scores in action limited to the first half as well.
Schuylar Oordt led the Panthers in receiving with two catches for 60 yards, as both receptions went for touchdowns. D.P. Eyman added two catches for 57 yards and D.J. Hord grabbed two passes for 38 yards.
UNI opened the scoring early in the first quarter when Grace connected with Oordt on a deep pass down the middle for a 30 yard touchdown. Quentin Scott had his second takeaway in as many games when he recovered an ISU fumble at the 35 yard line. Three minutes later, Grace found tight end Ryan Mahaffey in the left flat from two yards out to put the Panthers up 21-0 with 4:16 remaining in the first quarter.
Indiana State placekicker Braulio Martinez missed a 35-yard field goal attempt on the first play of the second quarter, and UNI went on to add three more scores before halftime. Grace found Oordt in the middle of the Sycamore secondary again from 30 yards out to extend the lead to 28-0. Derrick Law found the endzone twice, scampering through the right side from four yards out and adding a two-yard touchdown run with 2:45 remaining in the half.
The Panther offense outgained Indiana State 341-83 in the first half and UNI scored a touchdown on each of its six possessions, leading 42-0 at the half.
UNI added a 34-yard field goal by Max Martin on its first possession of the third quarter. Indiana State got its only score of the game on a one-yard run by defensive lineman Rod Hardy with 4:06 left in the third quarter. Martin added another field goal in the fourth quarter, this time from 22 yards, and the Panthers rounded out their scoring with Strathman's 49-yard run and Conley's 19-yard interception return off a pass deflected by J.J. Swain to put the final margin at 62-7.
UNI improves to 4-1 on the season and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Panthers will head to Fargo, N.D., for a matchup with the North Dakota State Bison on Saturday, Oct. 10. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. in the Fargodome.
Notes: UNI's 406 rushing yards marked the first time the Panthers rushed for more than 400 yards since they posted 404 yards against Indiana State on Nov. 10, 2007...The Panthers scored more than 60 points for the second time this season...14,860 fans were in attendance to hear the announcement that Russell and Connie Wasendorf pledged $2 million to the University of Northern Iowa Panther athletics program, the largest unrestricted outright gift to the UNI athletic department in its 100-plus year history.
Team Stats
INS 0, UNI 7
UNI - Oordt, Schuylar 30 yd pass from Grace, Pat (Hallgren, Billy kick) 4 plays, 53 yards, TOP 2:03
INS 0, UNI 14
UNI - Anderson,Carlos 1 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 4 plays, 38 yards, TOP 1:22
INS 0, UNI 21
UNI - Mahaffey, Ryan 2 yd pass from Grace, Pat (Hallgren, Billy kick) 7 plays, 35 yards, TOP 3:00
INS 0, UNI 28
UNI - Oordt, Schuylar 30 yd pass from Grace, Pat (Hallgren, Billy kick) 7 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:00
INS 0, UNI 35
UNI - Law, Derrick 4 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 5 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:26
INS 0, UNI 42
UNI - Law, Derrick 2 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 8 plays, 30 yards, TOP 4:59
INS 0, UNI 45
UNI - Martin, Max 34 yd field goal 10 plays, 47 yards, TOP 5:34
INS 7, UNI 45
INS - Hardy, Rod 1 yd run (Martinez, Braul kick), 4 plays, 11 yards, TOP 1:49
INS 7, UNI 48
UNI - Martin, Max 22 yd field goal 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 5:27
INS 7, UNI 55
UNI - Strathman, Matt 49 yd run (Martin, Max kick), 7 plays, 83 yards, TOP 4:02
INS 7, UNI 62
UNI - Conley, James 19 yd interception (Martin, Max kick)
