UNI Improves to 2-0 with 45-14 win over Drake

Saturday, September 7

Cedar Falls, Iowa

4:00 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

2-0

Drake (Family Weekend)

0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Drake

UNI

UNI Improves to 2-0 with 45-14 win over Drake

9/7/2013 1:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: UNI Athletics Communications

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa football team improved its record to 2-0 today in front of 15,960 fans, defeating the Drake Bulldogs, 45-14.

Sawyer Kollmorgen finished the game 11-14 for 121 yards and two touchdowns. David Johnson notched another 100+ yard rushing game, finishing with 143 yards and a touchdown. In the air attack, Kevin Vereen Jr. finished with 87 yards, five receptions and his first career touchdown.

Drake's Andy Rice fumbled the ball with 12:29 left in the first quarter, putting the Panthers on the board after Jake Farley returned the fumble for a 20-yard touchdown return. Tyler Sievertsen knocked in the PAT to give UNI a 7-0 lead.

The Bulldogs were able to hold UNI to a field goal with 5:00 left in the first quarter. Sievertsen knocked a 23-yarder through the uprights to put the Panthers up 10-0.

UNI quickly regained the ball after forcing Drake to a three-and-out. Drake punter Cam Bohnert fumbled the ball on the snap and sophomore Tim Kilfoy recovered the fumble to give the Panthers the ball on Drake's 28-yard-line.

Phil Wright scored his first touchdown of the season with 1:37 left in the quarter when Kollmorgen found him in the end zone for an 8-yard reception, giving UNI a 17-0 lead. The drive took 1:42 off the clock for five plays and 28 yards.

With 12:09 left in the half, Kevin Vereen Jr. linked up with Kollmorgen for a 36-yard reception to put the Panthers in the red zone. Seconds later, the two were in sync again, giving Vereen his first touchdown of the season on a 17-yard pass, making the score 24-0.

Brion Carnes scored the Panthers' fourth touchdown of the half with 7:28 left in the second quarter on a one-yard rush to give UNI a 31-0 lead. The drive took 2:07 off the clock for five plays and 44 yards to give the junior his first touchdown as a Panther.

Kollmorgen finished the half 6-9 for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson notched 78 yards on the ground and Vereen led the Panthers in the air with 53-yards and a touchdown.

Drake scored its first points of the game with 11:44 left in the third quarter off a screen pass from Rice to Gary Scott for a seven-yard reception. The drive took 3:16 off the clock using seven plays and covering 65 yards, making the score 31-7.

Johnson scored his fifth touchdown of the season with 11:32 left in the quarter after putting the moves on the Drake defense, breaking free for a 65-yard rushing touchdown. The 65-yard rush broke the 100-rushing yard mark for the junior, with the drive taking just 12 seconds off the clock for one play to give UNI a 38-7 lead.

Drake jumped on the scoreboard again with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter when Mike Ratelle intercepted a pass from Carnes, returning it for a 37-yard touchdown. The third quarter ended with the Panthers on top, 38-14.

In his first appearance for the Panthers, Tyvis Smith scored his first career touchdown on a 30-yard rush with 3:52 left in the game to put the Panthers up 45-14. The drive took up eight plays and 50 yards, burning 4:27 off the clock.

Smith's touchdown would be the last score of the game, giving UNI a 45-14 win over the Bulldogs.

Post-Game notes vs. Drake
Jake Farley, Brion Carnes and Tyvis Smith scored their first career touchdowns against Drake.
David Johnson has now scored in 11 consecutive games dating back to Sept. 15, 2012 against Iowa. He has also rushed for 100+ yards in eight consecutive games and rushed for 100+ 10 times in his career. Johnson finished with 143 yards and one touchdown against Drake.
Jake Farley finished with 10+ tackles for the second game in a row. He notched 12 against Iowa State and 12 against Drake.
UNI has scored four or more touchdowns in both games this season. The Panthers finished with four against Iowa State and six against Drake.
UNI has already tied their number of sacks from the 2012 season with the 12 they have accumulated against Drake and Iowa State. The Panthers notched six against Iowa State and six against Drake. UNI finished the 2012 season with 11 sacks. This is the second game in a row that the Panthers have notched eight or more tackles for loss with nine against Iowa State and nine against Drake.
UNI has never opened the season against two teams from Iowa in the Mark Farley era. The last time the Panthers opened the season with two wins was in 2007 when UNI defeated Minnesota State, Mankato (8/30/07) and Iowa State (9/8/07).