University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
3-1 , 1-0
Missouri State
2-2 , 0-1
UNI Knocks Off Missouri State, 35-7
9/26/2009 8:00:00 AM | Football
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The No. 3-ranked University of Northern Iowa football team can get quite defensive and Saturday showed why as the Panthers came within seven seconds of a shutout and posted a 35-7 victory over the Missouri State Bears.
UNI improved to 3-1 on the year and 1-0 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. Missouri State fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in league play. UNI had scored 124 straight points following a first-quarter touchdown from South Dakota on Sept. 12 before the Bears scored with seven seconds left in the game.
The Panthers got on the board first against the Bears on a three-yard touchdown run by Pat Grace and went untouched around the left end into the endzone. The score capped a 13-play, 83-yard drive that consumed 5:53 off the clock and gave UNI a 7-0 lead with 3:50 left in the first quarter.
Grace helped extend the lead to 14-0 on an 11-yard run with 6:17 left in the second quarter. UNI moved it to a 21-point margin on a 27-yard passing strike from Grace to D.P. Eyman with 1:59 left in the first half.
The Panthers' dominating defensive effort in the first half limited the Bears to minus-nine yards rushing. Missouri State tallied only 42 total yards on 26 offensive players in the first half. While the Panther offense was racking up 259 yards and 15 first downs, the Bears managed only five first downs in the first 30 minutes of action.
UNI pushed the advantage to 35-0 in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Carlos Anderson and a 26-yard touchdown pass from Grace to Eyman.
With 7.2 seconds left in the game, the Bears broke through and scored a touchdown on a Cody Kirby to Clay Harbor on a five-yard passing play.
The Panthers will be back in action at home next Saturday against the Indiana State Sycamores as a part of Family Weekend on the UNI campus. Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. in the UNI-Dome.
NOTES:
Prior to today's game, Missouri State's last score against the UNI defense came Nov. 3, 2007, when Cody Kirby scored a four-yard touchdown run with 32 seconds left in the second quarter ... UNI went on to win the 2007 game, 38-17 ... The Panthers shutout the Bears last season in the UNI-Dome, 42-0.
Team Stats
UNI 7, MSU 0
UNI - Herring, Jarred 3 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 13 plays, 83 yards, TOP 5:53
UNI 14, MSU 0
UNI - Grace, Pat 11 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 6 plays, 50 yards, TOP 3:28
UNI 21, MSU 0
UNI - Eyman, D.P. 27 yd pass from Grace, Pat (Hallgren, Billy kick) 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:16
UNI 28, MSU 0
UNI - Anderson,Carlos 1 yd run (Hallgren, Billy kick), 3 plays, 10 yards, TOP 1:12
UNI 35, MSU 0
UNI - Eyman, D.P. 26 yd pass from Grace, Pat (Hallgren, Billy kick) 9 plays, 89 yards, TOP 3:53
UNI 35, MSU 7
MSU - Harbor,Clay 5 yd pass from Kirby,Cody (Hottelman,Matt kick) 16 plays, 80 yards, TOP 5:14
