Panthers Come Up Short in 45-38 Overtime Loss at Southern Illinois

Saturday, October 9

Carbondale, IL

2:00 PM

University of Northern Iowa

2-3 , 2-1

Southern Illinois

3-3 , 2-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UNI

Southern Illinois

Panthers Come Up Short in 45-38 Overtime Loss at Southern Illinois

10/9/2010 8:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: UNI Athletics Communications

Oct. 9, 2010

Final Stats

CARBONDALE, Ill. - After trailing by 17 at the break, the University of Northern Iowa football team scored 24 straight points to take a seven-point lead over Southern Illinois in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers could not hold on for the win in a 45-38 overtime loss Saturday afternoon at Saluki Field. Three first-half turnovers by UNI (2-3, 2-1 MVFC) helped SIU (3-3, 2-1 MFVC) build a 31-14 lead at the break, but the Panthers responded with the first 24 points of the second half, taking a 38-31 lead with 4:36 to play. The Salukis scored a touchdown with 1:11 left in regulation to force overtime. After connecting for a touchdown in overtime, SIU held the Panthers scoreless on their possession to seal the 45-38 win. Schuylar Oordt and Montari Leonard each tallied a receiving touchdown for UNI. L.J. Fort finished with six tackles, two for losses, and an interception. Jamar Thompson led the Panthers with 11 tackles. SIU quarterback Chris Dieker finished 20-of-27 for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He also finished with a rushing touchdown. Midway through the first quarter, Rennie completed a pass to Schuylar Oordt at the UNI 36. He fumbled as he was hit, and Jayson DiManche scooped it up and returned it to the UNI eight to give SIU first-and-goal. L.J. Fort recorded tackles for loss on first and second downs. UNI held the Salukis on third and goal from the 12, and SIU settled for a 22-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Panthers went in front 7-3 on their ensuing possession, capping a five-play, 74-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Zach Davis to Montari Leonard. SIU answered just 1:09 later. SIU quarterback Paul McIntosh hit Jeff Evans with a 57-yard pass to the UNI nine. Varmah Sonie stripped the ball, but it rolled into the endzone where Evans recovered it for a Saluki touchdown, putting SIU in front 10-7. UNI was forced to punt on its next possession, and the Panthers downed Kyle Bernard's punt at the UNI four. Facing third and four from their own 20, Evans took a Dieker pass 52 yards to the UNI 28. Two plays later, McIntosh rushed up the middle for 20 yards and an SIU touchdown, giving the Salukis a 17-7 advantage. Davis was intercepted at the Panther 36 on UNI's next drive, and Luke Thuston brought the pick back for a touchdown, extending the Saluki's lead to 24-7 with 9:48 left in the first half. The Panthers drove 65 yards, 58 of them on the ground, over the next 2:38 for a score. Anderson ended the drive with a 19-yard scamper around the left side for the touchdown. Hallgren's PAT cut the Panther deficit to 24-14 with 7:03 left in the second quarter. The Panther defense forced SIU to punt, and UNI took over on its own four yard line. Facing first and 10 from the UNI 28, Davis threw to the left sideline but was intercepted at the UNI 47. The Salukis used three plays to drive for the touchdown and extend their lead to 31-14 with 19 seconds left. SIU attempted a squib kick on the kickoff, but it hit John Landau at the 50 and he fell on it at the SIU 48. The Salukis were flagged for a personal foul, giving UNI the ball at the Saluki 33 with 18 seconds on the clock. Davis's two pass attempts fell incomplete, and Hallgren came on to attempt a 51-yard field goal. It sailed wide left, sending the Panthers into the break trailing 31-14. The Panthers drove 69 yards on the opening drive of the second half, converting two third downs in their own territory to keep the drive going. On first-and-20 from the SIU 46, Rennie ran around the left side for the score, bringing the score to 31-21 with 11:34 left in the third. The UNI defense forced a three-and-out, and Jamar Thompson recovered it at the Saluki 14 to start the Panther drive in the red zone. Rennie's pass on first down fell incomplete. Anderson rushed for two yards, and Rennie ran for seven to bring up fourth and one at the SIU five. Strathman powered up the middle for two yards, giving UNI first and goal at the three. Rennie was dropped for a loss of five, setting up second and goal from the eight. Rennie found Oordt open in the endzone on the next play, bringing the score to 31-28 with 7:13 left in the third quarter. After forcing another SIU punt, UNI took over on its own 13. Facing third and seven from the UNI 16, Rennie connected with Herring on a 30-yard pass to bring the ball to the Panther 46. On second-and-seven, Robert Spann intercepted a pass from Rennie, ending the Panther drive and giving SIU the ball at midfield. After an eight-yard run on first down, the Panther defense held the Salukis for no gain on second down and just one yard on third, setting up fourth-and-one at the UNI 36. The defense stopped Shariff Harris for no gain, giving the Panthers the ball on downs. A 13-yard run from Matt Strathman rushed up the middle to take the ball to the SIU nine, and on second-and-two he took the ball down to the SIU three for a first down. An SIU penalty cut the distance to the goal in half, and Rennie punched it in for a score to give UNI a 35-31 lead with 9:55 to play. Southern Illinois converted a fourth-and-one play from the UNI 29, but L.J. Fort came up with an interception on the next play to give the Panthers the ball at the SIU 22 with 8:13 remaining. A 15-yard penalty and a sack pushed the Panthers back to the 26, and UNI had to settle for a 44-yard field goal from Billy Hallgren, extending its lead to 38-31 with 4:36 left. SIU strung together an 11-play, 72-yard drive over the next 3:30, scoring on a three-yard run by Dieker to tie the game with 1:11 on the clock. UNI was able to get a first down but nothing more as time expired to send the game into overtime. The Salukis had possession first in the overtime period, and they used three plays to get the ball inside the Panthers 10. UNI forced third-and-three at the seven, but Dieker found Evans in the back of the endzone for the go-ahead score. Rennie's pass to Josh Collins fell incomplete on UNI's first play of the overtime period. Rennie was sacked for a loss of three yards to give UNI third and 13 from the 28. A pass from Rennie to Terrell Sinkfield came up incomplete, setting up fourth-and-13. A delay of game penalty pushed UNI back five more yards, putting the Panthers at the 33-yard line facing fourth-and-18. Rennie threw to Leonard in the corner of the endzone, but the pass was incomplete. The Panthers outgained SIU, 463-414, but UNI committed four turnovers to SIU's one. UNI gained 325 yards on the ground, a season high for the Panthers. UNI returns to action on Oct. 16 when it plays in its final non-conference game of the season at South Dakota.