University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Saturday, October 17
Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
4 p.m.
University of Northern Iowa
vs
Western Illinois
UNI Set For Homecoming Against Western Illinois
10/12/2015 3:30:00 PM | Football
Game Notes in PDF Format
Game 6 vs. Western Illinois
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
TV: Panther Sports Network (CFU Ch. 15/HD415; KCRG Ch. 9.2; WHO Ch. 13 D-2; KMEG Ch. 14 D-2; KGCW Ch. 26, Comcast SportsNet Chicago)/ESPN3
Radio: 1540 KXEL, TuneIn.com
The Basics: The University of Northern Iowa football program returns to the UNI-Dome after a three-game road swing to take on the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks for Homecoming.
About Western Illinois: Western Illinois enters the game against UNI undefeated in league play with wins against Southern Illinois (W, 37-36) and South Dakota (W, 40-21) and holds an overall record of 3-2. The Fighting Leathernecks are receiving votes in both polls, holding one of the
toughest schedules in the FCS this season.
Panther Quick Hits:
• UNI enters the week ranked No. 12 in the STATS and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches top-25 polls.
• Senior Deiondre' Hall has been named to the 2015 STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
• The Panthers have 75 wins over top-25 opponents and 18 over top-10 opponents since 2001.
• UNI made its 17th FCS playoff appearance in 2014, defeating Stephen F. Austin in the first round.
• Head Coach Mark Farley is in his 15th season at the helm with an overall record of 122-59 and 73-33 in conference play, making him the all-time coaching wins leader in the MVFC.
• The 2015 season marks the 40th year in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers are 197-50-1 all-time inside the historic facility.
• Finished the year in the top-25 in 11 of the last 14 seasons after ending 2014 ranked No. 10 in both polls.
• Has had 41 first-team All-MVFC selections since 2007, the most in the league.
Tickets: Fans looking to buy UNI football season tickets can call 319-273-4TIX (4849) or visit www.UNITIX.uni.edu.
How to Tune in: Fans can tune into The Panther Sports Network (1540 KXEL-Flagship) with Gary Rima and Scott Peterson calling the action or to TuneIn.com. The game will also be aired live on Panther Sports Network (CFU Ch. 15/HD415; KCRG Ch. 9.2; WHO Ch. 13 D-2; KMEG Ch. 14 D-2; KGCW Ch. 26, Comcast SportsNet Chicago) and ESPN3.
Follow the Panthers Online: UNI fans can get all their Panther news and notes on UNIPanthers.com. Fans can also follow UNI on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/UNIAthletics and Twitter at @UNIAthletics. The UNI Football program also has individual accounts on Facebook (UNI Football) and on Twitter (@UNIFootball/@CoachMarkFarley).
The Series: UNI is currently 30-13 all-time against Western Illinois with the series dating back to 1967. The Panthers are 11-3 against the Fighting Leathernecks in the Mark Farley era, including three straight wins against WIU in the UNI-Dome.
Last Time against the Fighting Leathernecks: The Panthers defeated Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill. on Oct. 25, 2014, 27-13. David Johnson racked up 146 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns, breaking the school record for career touchdowns. Brion Carnes also threw for a career-high 239 yards.
Homecoming: Since 1920, UNI has recorded a mark of 63-25-7 in Homecoming games. The Panthers have won 22 of their last 27 Homecoming contests in the UNI-Dome.
Good Company: Deiondre' Hall joins 24 other defensive student-athletes that have been named to the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Award Watch List and is one of four athletes representing the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
40 Great Years: The 2015 season marks the 40th year of the UNI-Dome. With the Panthers currently holding a 197-50-1 record inside the UNI-Dome, just four shy of the 200-win mark, it is safe to say that tradition has thrived in the building that was constructed in 1976. UNI has gone undefeated at home in a season eight times since 1990, including four seasons under the direction of Mark Farley. The Panthers are also 78-14 in home Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
Conference Play: UNI currently holds a 145-55 overall record in the MVFC and 73-33 record during the Farley era. Farley's 73 league wins is the most by a head coach in Missouri Valley Football Conference history.
Week 5 Awards: Brett McMakin was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season for his performance against North Dakota State (10/10) and also earned STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He racked up a game-high 13 tackles, forced two fumbles and came away with a key interception during an NDSU redzone attack.
Finding a Weakness: Heading into the weekend of Oct. 10, North Dakota State was ranked No. 1 in the FCS in rushing defense, had only allowed a total of 163 yards on the ground through four games and was only allowing an average of 40 yards rushing per game. Against the Bison, UNI racked up a season-high 277 rushing yards, averaging 7.3 yards per rush. The Panthers scored three rushing touchdowns (Malloy, 1-yd TD, Miller, 7-yd TD, Bailey (83-yd TD) with NDSU only allowing two rushing touchdowns prior to Saturday's game.
Moving Up: Sawyer Kollmorgen is now fifth all-time at UNI in passing touchdowns after his 67-yard passing touchdown to Daurice Fountain against NDSU (10/10). He now has 49 total passing touchdowns in his career.
Mistakes Happen: North Dakota State was one of five schools heading into last weekend that hadn't thrown an interception. In UNI's game against the NDSU Bison (10/10), the Panthers forced quarterback Carson Wentz to throw two interception after going for 143 consecutive passing attempts untouched. Tim Kilfoy (returned 60 yards to set up touchdown) and Brett McMakin (interception on UNI 9-yard-line to stop redzone attack) both notched turnovers against North Dakota State.
Explosive Plays: Sawyer Kollmorgen's 67-yard pass to Daurice Fountain in the first quarter against North Dakota State (10/10) was the longest passing play of the season and his second-longest career pass. He threw a 70-yard pass against Iowa in 2014.
High Rankings: The Panthers have seven players ranked in the top-25 in the FCS in their individual statistics through three games this season.
Losing Yardage: UNI racked up 12 tackles for loss against the Redbirds, tying for third all-time at UNI (12 vs. North Dakota State, 2013). Isaac Ales finished the game against Illinois State with three, giving him 31.0 in his career to rank him fifth all-time as a Panther.
Five For Five: Karter Schult scored a career-high 10 tackles against Illinois State, including a staggering five tackles for a loss of 18 yards. His 5.0 TFL was just 0.5 shy of tying the school record for tackles for loss in a game. John Hermann holds the record at 5.5 against Northern Arizona in 2005.
Week 3 Awards: UNI secured both the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week selections for the second consecutive week. Aaron Bailey was named Newcomer of the Week while Brett McMakin earned defensive honors for their performances against Cal Poly (9/19).
He's Got the Smart: Senior defensive lineman Isaac Ales was named a semifinalist for the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award is given to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the country. He is one of 135 student-athletes still in the running for the award.
UNI William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalists
Back To Back: UNI posted back-to-back wins against non-conference top-25 teams for the first time since the 2008 playoffs (Maine, New Hampshire). UNI won its home opener against No. 7 Eastern Washington (9/12) and then defeated No. 17 Cal Poly (9/19) on the road.
Red Zone Running: Running back Savon Huggins scored his first rushing touchdown of the season against Cal Poly (9/19), putting UNI up 7-0 early in the first quarter. It was his second of the season, notching a receiving score against Iowa State (9/5).
Timing is Key: All three of UNI's first three scoring drives against Cal Poly (9/19) were exactly seven plays long each, all under three minutes of total possession time. With the Panthers' new no-huddle offense in full force, UNI hasn't had a scoring possession over 4:00.
Receiving Praise: Daurice Fountain finished the game against Cal Poly (9/19) with a career-high 123 receiving yards on eight catches. The last time UNI had a 100-yard receiver in a game prior to Cal Poly was Oct. 19, 2013 when Chad Owens had 107 yards through the air.
High Totals: Three Panther defenders posted career-highs in tackles in the win against Cal Poly (9/19) as Jared Farley and D'Shawn Dexter tallied 13 and 12 tackles respectively while Brett McMakin finished with a game-high 15 tackles.
UNI in Non-Conference: UNI has the most victories among league members over top-25 non-conference opponents with 33 since 1985.
Top-10 Wins: UNI has 18 wins over top-10 ranked teams since 2001, including five in the last two seasons. Illinois State is one of three teams on UNI's schedule this season ranked in the top-10 in both the STATS and FCS Coaches polls.
UNI vs. Top-10 Ranked Teams Since 2001
2001 UNI vs. #2 Youngstown St. (Sept. 29) W, 30-11
2001 UNI vs. #6 Western Ky. (Nov. 10) W, 24-23
2001 UNI vs. #3 Eastern Illinois (Dec. 1) W, 49-43
2003 UNI vs. #7 Western Illinois (Oct. 25) W, 38-30
2003 UNI vs. #2 Southern Illinois (Nov. 15) W, 43-40
2005 UNI vs. #6 Western Ky. (Nov. 5) W, 23-20
2005 UNI vs. #4 Southern Illinois (Nov. 12) W, 25-24
2005 UNI vs. #1 New Hampshire (Dec. 3) W, 24-21
2005 UNI vs. #5 Texas State (Dec. 9) W, 40-37
2006 UNI vs. #5 Youngstown State (Oct. 21) W, 31-23
2006 UNI vs. #6 Illinois State (Nov. 18) W, 38-27
2007 UNI vs. #6 Southern Illinois (Oct. 13) W, 30-24
2008 UNI vs. #10 New Hampshire (Dec. 6) W, 36-34
2013 UNI vs. #9 McNeese State (Sept. 28) W, 41-6
2013 UNI vs. #9 Youngstown State (Nov. 9) W, 22-20
2014 UNI vs. #6 Illinois State (Nov. 1) W, 42-28
2014 UNI vs. #1 N. Dakota State (Nov. 8) W, 23-3
2015 UNI vs. #7 Eastern Washington (Sept. 12) W, 38-35
Numbers Speak: UNI is 87-7 in the Mark Farley era (2001-present) when holding the opposition to 20 points or less. The Panthers are 78-6 in the Farley years when scoring 30 or more points in a game. UNI had won 15 consecutive games when holding the opposition to 20 points or less prior to the game against Illinois State in 2013.
Week 2 Awards: Senior Deiondre' Hall was named the College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week and the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Eastern Washington (9/12). Junior quarterback Aaron Bailey was also selected as the MVFC Newcomer of the Week.
Dual Threat: Aaron Bailey finished the game with 134 rushing yards against Eastern Washington (9/12). The last time UNI had a 100-yard rushing quarterback performance prior to Eastern Washington was on Nov. 19, 2011 when Tirrell Rennie rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries in UNI's win over Illinois State.
Dynamic Duo: Aaron Bailey (134 rushing yards) and Darrian Miller (112 rushing yards) combined for 246 of UNI's 266 rushing yards against the Eagles (9/12). The last time UNI had two 100+ yard rushers in a game was on Sept. 24, 2011 against Western Illinois (David Johnson and Tirrell Rennie)
Two for Seven: Michael Malloy and Logan Cunningham both scored their first-career touchdowns against the Eagles (9/12), two of five touchdowns scored in the high scoring game.
Helping Hand: Deiondre' Hall tied the school record for interception returns for touchdowns against Eastern Washington (9/12) with his pick-six in the fourth quarter. He now has three total in his career, tying former safety Ray Mitchell (2013-14).
Top Wins: The Panthers currently have 75 wins over top-25 ranked opponents. In the past two seasons, five of those 75 victories were against top-10 ranked foes with wins over No. 9 McNeese State (9/28/13), No. 9 Youngstown State (11/9/13), No. 6 Illinois State (11/1/14, No. 1 North Dakota State (11/8/14) and No. 7 Eastern Washington (9/12/15)
Starting Right: UNI saw six players on offense (Aaron Bailey, Daurice Fountain, Tyvis Smith, Jacob Appleman, Bryce Sweeney, Chris Schleuger) and three on defense (Jordan Webb, De'Angelo Jennings,Adam Reth) notch their first career starts against Iowa State (Sept. 5).
Dual Threat: Aaron Bailey made his starting debut for the Panthers against Iowa State (Sept. 5), finishing the game with 114 passing yards and 85 yards on the ground. The junior, a transfer from Illionis, effectivly found holes in the Cyclone defense, leading the team in rushing yards and carries (22).
Back At It: Senior wide receiver Rod Hall played in his first football game since 2011 when the Panthers faced off against Iowa State (Sept. 5). For the past four years, Hall has been the starting point guard for the Clemson Tigers, but with one last year of eligibility left, he decided to go back to the gridiron for one last season of football.
High Rank: Since 1985, UNI has been the only MVFC teams ranked in a pre-season or regular-season poll every season. The Panthers finished last season 9-5 overall and ranked No. 10 in both the Coaches and Sports Network poll.
Key Numbers: Out of UNI's 11 opponents this season, five finished the 2014 season ranked in the top-25 with five more receiving votes. Eight of UNI's 10 FCS opponents this season are also either ranked in the polls or receiving votes.
Familiar Numbers: Panther fans will get to see a familiar number running on the defensive side of the ball this fall, with Jared Farley making the switch from 35 to 46. With the newest number change, Jared is now the third member of the Farley family to wear the coveted 46.
Winning Tradition: Mark Farley currently holds an overall record of 122-59 at the helm, just seven wins shy of tying Stan Sheriff's, UNI's all-time winningest coach record of 129-101-4.
UNI Football is Family: Family has always been important to the Panthers and this year's roster shows the bond between father and son and siblings. There are currently five student-athletes that have followed in their father's footsteps to become a Panther and four sets of siblings on the 2015 roster.
Game 6 vs. Western Illinois
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
TV: Panther Sports Network (CFU Ch. 15/HD415; KCRG Ch. 9.2; WHO Ch. 13 D-2; KMEG Ch. 14 D-2; KGCW Ch. 26, Comcast SportsNet Chicago)/ESPN3
Radio: 1540 KXEL, TuneIn.com
The Basics: The University of Northern Iowa football program returns to the UNI-Dome after a three-game road swing to take on the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks for Homecoming.
About Western Illinois: Western Illinois enters the game against UNI undefeated in league play with wins against Southern Illinois (W, 37-36) and South Dakota (W, 40-21) and holds an overall record of 3-2. The Fighting Leathernecks are receiving votes in both polls, holding one of the
toughest schedules in the FCS this season.
Panther Quick Hits:
• UNI enters the week ranked No. 12 in the STATS and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches top-25 polls.
• Senior Deiondre' Hall has been named to the 2015 STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
• The Panthers have 75 wins over top-25 opponents and 18 over top-10 opponents since 2001.
• UNI made its 17th FCS playoff appearance in 2014, defeating Stephen F. Austin in the first round.
• Head Coach Mark Farley is in his 15th season at the helm with an overall record of 122-59 and 73-33 in conference play, making him the all-time coaching wins leader in the MVFC.
• The 2015 season marks the 40th year in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers are 197-50-1 all-time inside the historic facility.
• Finished the year in the top-25 in 11 of the last 14 seasons after ending 2014 ranked No. 10 in both polls.
• Has had 41 first-team All-MVFC selections since 2007, the most in the league.
Tickets: Fans looking to buy UNI football season tickets can call 319-273-4TIX (4849) or visit www.UNITIX.uni.edu.
How to Tune in: Fans can tune into The Panther Sports Network (1540 KXEL-Flagship) with Gary Rima and Scott Peterson calling the action or to TuneIn.com. The game will also be aired live on Panther Sports Network (CFU Ch. 15/HD415; KCRG Ch. 9.2; WHO Ch. 13 D-2; KMEG Ch. 14 D-2; KGCW Ch. 26, Comcast SportsNet Chicago) and ESPN3.
Follow the Panthers Online: UNI fans can get all their Panther news and notes on UNIPanthers.com. Fans can also follow UNI on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/UNIAthletics and Twitter at @UNIAthletics. The UNI Football program also has individual accounts on Facebook (UNI Football) and on Twitter (@UNIFootball/@CoachMarkFarley).
The Series: UNI is currently 30-13 all-time against Western Illinois with the series dating back to 1967. The Panthers are 11-3 against the Fighting Leathernecks in the Mark Farley era, including three straight wins against WIU in the UNI-Dome.
Last Time against the Fighting Leathernecks: The Panthers defeated Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill. on Oct. 25, 2014, 27-13. David Johnson racked up 146 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns, breaking the school record for career touchdowns. Brion Carnes also threw for a career-high 239 yards.
Homecoming: Since 1920, UNI has recorded a mark of 63-25-7 in Homecoming games. The Panthers have won 22 of their last 27 Homecoming contests in the UNI-Dome.
Good Company: Deiondre' Hall joins 24 other defensive student-athletes that have been named to the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Award Watch List and is one of four athletes representing the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
40 Great Years: The 2015 season marks the 40th year of the UNI-Dome. With the Panthers currently holding a 197-50-1 record inside the UNI-Dome, just four shy of the 200-win mark, it is safe to say that tradition has thrived in the building that was constructed in 1976. UNI has gone undefeated at home in a season eight times since 1990, including four seasons under the direction of Mark Farley. The Panthers are also 78-14 in home Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
Conference Play: UNI currently holds a 145-55 overall record in the MVFC and 73-33 record during the Farley era. Farley's 73 league wins is the most by a head coach in Missouri Valley Football Conference history.
Week 5 Awards: Brett McMakin was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season for his performance against North Dakota State (10/10) and also earned STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He racked up a game-high 13 tackles, forced two fumbles and came away with a key interception during an NDSU redzone attack.
Finding a Weakness: Heading into the weekend of Oct. 10, North Dakota State was ranked No. 1 in the FCS in rushing defense, had only allowed a total of 163 yards on the ground through four games and was only allowing an average of 40 yards rushing per game. Against the Bison, UNI racked up a season-high 277 rushing yards, averaging 7.3 yards per rush. The Panthers scored three rushing touchdowns (Malloy, 1-yd TD, Miller, 7-yd TD, Bailey (83-yd TD) with NDSU only allowing two rushing touchdowns prior to Saturday's game.
Moving Up: Sawyer Kollmorgen is now fifth all-time at UNI in passing touchdowns after his 67-yard passing touchdown to Daurice Fountain against NDSU (10/10). He now has 49 total passing touchdowns in his career.
Mistakes Happen: North Dakota State was one of five schools heading into last weekend that hadn't thrown an interception. In UNI's game against the NDSU Bison (10/10), the Panthers forced quarterback Carson Wentz to throw two interception after going for 143 consecutive passing attempts untouched. Tim Kilfoy (returned 60 yards to set up touchdown) and Brett McMakin (interception on UNI 9-yard-line to stop redzone attack) both notched turnovers against North Dakota State.
Explosive Plays: Sawyer Kollmorgen's 67-yard pass to Daurice Fountain in the first quarter against North Dakota State (10/10) was the longest passing play of the season and his second-longest career pass. He threw a 70-yard pass against Iowa in 2014.
High Rankings: The Panthers have seven players ranked in the top-25 in the FCS in their individual statistics through three games this season.
| Player | Stat | FCS Rank |
| Deiondre' Hall | Forced Fumbles | 13 |
| Isaac Ales | Forced Fumbles | 13 |
| Brett McMakin | Forced Fumbles | 13 |
| Aaron Bailey | Passing Yds per Completion | 19 |
| Sam Kuhter | Punting | 13 |
| Isaac Ales | Sacks | 13 |
| Karter Schult | Sacks | 22 |
| Brett McMakin | Solo Tackles | 5 |
| Jared Farley | Solo Tackles | 9 |
| Brett McMakin | Tackles for Loss | 6 |
| Karter Schult | Tackles for Loss | 9 |
| Isaac Ales | Tackles for Loss | 17 |
Losing Yardage: UNI racked up 12 tackles for loss against the Redbirds, tying for third all-time at UNI (12 vs. North Dakota State, 2013). Isaac Ales finished the game against Illinois State with three, giving him 31.0 in his career to rank him fifth all-time as a Panther.
Five For Five: Karter Schult scored a career-high 10 tackles against Illinois State, including a staggering five tackles for a loss of 18 yards. His 5.0 TFL was just 0.5 shy of tying the school record for tackles for loss in a game. John Hermann holds the record at 5.5 against Northern Arizona in 2005.
Week 3 Awards: UNI secured both the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week selections for the second consecutive week. Aaron Bailey was named Newcomer of the Week while Brett McMakin earned defensive honors for their performances against Cal Poly (9/19).
He's Got the Smart: Senior defensive lineman Isaac Ales was named a semifinalist for the 2015 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award is given to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the country. He is one of 135 student-athletes still in the running for the award.
UNI William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalists
| James Lindgren | 2006 |
| Chad Rinehart | 2007 |
| Josh Mahoney | 2009 |
| Ben Boothby | 2011 |
| Kyle Bernard | 2012 |
| David Johnson | 2014 |
Back To Back: UNI posted back-to-back wins against non-conference top-25 teams for the first time since the 2008 playoffs (Maine, New Hampshire). UNI won its home opener against No. 7 Eastern Washington (9/12) and then defeated No. 17 Cal Poly (9/19) on the road.
Red Zone Running: Running back Savon Huggins scored his first rushing touchdown of the season against Cal Poly (9/19), putting UNI up 7-0 early in the first quarter. It was his second of the season, notching a receiving score against Iowa State (9/5).
Timing is Key: All three of UNI's first three scoring drives against Cal Poly (9/19) were exactly seven plays long each, all under three minutes of total possession time. With the Panthers' new no-huddle offense in full force, UNI hasn't had a scoring possession over 4:00.
Receiving Praise: Daurice Fountain finished the game against Cal Poly (9/19) with a career-high 123 receiving yards on eight catches. The last time UNI had a 100-yard receiver in a game prior to Cal Poly was Oct. 19, 2013 when Chad Owens had 107 yards through the air.
High Totals: Three Panther defenders posted career-highs in tackles in the win against Cal Poly (9/19) as Jared Farley and D'Shawn Dexter tallied 13 and 12 tackles respectively while Brett McMakin finished with a game-high 15 tackles.
UNI in Non-Conference: UNI has the most victories among league members over top-25 non-conference opponents with 33 since 1985.
Top-10 Wins: UNI has 18 wins over top-10 ranked teams since 2001, including five in the last two seasons. Illinois State is one of three teams on UNI's schedule this season ranked in the top-10 in both the STATS and FCS Coaches polls.
UNI vs. Top-10 Ranked Teams Since 2001
2001 UNI vs. #2 Youngstown St. (Sept. 29) W, 30-11
2001 UNI vs. #6 Western Ky. (Nov. 10) W, 24-23
2001 UNI vs. #3 Eastern Illinois (Dec. 1) W, 49-43
2003 UNI vs. #7 Western Illinois (Oct. 25) W, 38-30
2003 UNI vs. #2 Southern Illinois (Nov. 15) W, 43-40
2005 UNI vs. #6 Western Ky. (Nov. 5) W, 23-20
2005 UNI vs. #4 Southern Illinois (Nov. 12) W, 25-24
2005 UNI vs. #1 New Hampshire (Dec. 3) W, 24-21
2005 UNI vs. #5 Texas State (Dec. 9) W, 40-37
2006 UNI vs. #5 Youngstown State (Oct. 21) W, 31-23
2006 UNI vs. #6 Illinois State (Nov. 18) W, 38-27
2007 UNI vs. #6 Southern Illinois (Oct. 13) W, 30-24
2008 UNI vs. #10 New Hampshire (Dec. 6) W, 36-34
2013 UNI vs. #9 McNeese State (Sept. 28) W, 41-6
2013 UNI vs. #9 Youngstown State (Nov. 9) W, 22-20
2014 UNI vs. #6 Illinois State (Nov. 1) W, 42-28
2014 UNI vs. #1 N. Dakota State (Nov. 8) W, 23-3
2015 UNI vs. #7 Eastern Washington (Sept. 12) W, 38-35
Numbers Speak: UNI is 87-7 in the Mark Farley era (2001-present) when holding the opposition to 20 points or less. The Panthers are 78-6 in the Farley years when scoring 30 or more points in a game. UNI had won 15 consecutive games when holding the opposition to 20 points or less prior to the game against Illinois State in 2013.
Week 2 Awards: Senior Deiondre' Hall was named the College Sports Madness National Defensive Player of the Week and the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Eastern Washington (9/12). Junior quarterback Aaron Bailey was also selected as the MVFC Newcomer of the Week.
Dual Threat: Aaron Bailey finished the game with 134 rushing yards against Eastern Washington (9/12). The last time UNI had a 100-yard rushing quarterback performance prior to Eastern Washington was on Nov. 19, 2011 when Tirrell Rennie rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries in UNI's win over Illinois State.
Dynamic Duo: Aaron Bailey (134 rushing yards) and Darrian Miller (112 rushing yards) combined for 246 of UNI's 266 rushing yards against the Eagles (9/12). The last time UNI had two 100+ yard rushers in a game was on Sept. 24, 2011 against Western Illinois (David Johnson and Tirrell Rennie)
Two for Seven: Michael Malloy and Logan Cunningham both scored their first-career touchdowns against the Eagles (9/12), two of five touchdowns scored in the high scoring game.
Helping Hand: Deiondre' Hall tied the school record for interception returns for touchdowns against Eastern Washington (9/12) with his pick-six in the fourth quarter. He now has three total in his career, tying former safety Ray Mitchell (2013-14).
Top Wins: The Panthers currently have 75 wins over top-25 ranked opponents. In the past two seasons, five of those 75 victories were against top-10 ranked foes with wins over No. 9 McNeese State (9/28/13), No. 9 Youngstown State (11/9/13), No. 6 Illinois State (11/1/14, No. 1 North Dakota State (11/8/14) and No. 7 Eastern Washington (9/12/15)
Starting Right: UNI saw six players on offense (Aaron Bailey, Daurice Fountain, Tyvis Smith, Jacob Appleman, Bryce Sweeney, Chris Schleuger) and three on defense (Jordan Webb, De'Angelo Jennings,Adam Reth) notch their first career starts against Iowa State (Sept. 5).
Dual Threat: Aaron Bailey made his starting debut for the Panthers against Iowa State (Sept. 5), finishing the game with 114 passing yards and 85 yards on the ground. The junior, a transfer from Illionis, effectivly found holes in the Cyclone defense, leading the team in rushing yards and carries (22).
Back At It: Senior wide receiver Rod Hall played in his first football game since 2011 when the Panthers faced off against Iowa State (Sept. 5). For the past four years, Hall has been the starting point guard for the Clemson Tigers, but with one last year of eligibility left, he decided to go back to the gridiron for one last season of football.
High Rank: Since 1985, UNI has been the only MVFC teams ranked in a pre-season or regular-season poll every season. The Panthers finished last season 9-5 overall and ranked No. 10 in both the Coaches and Sports Network poll.
Key Numbers: Out of UNI's 11 opponents this season, five finished the 2014 season ranked in the top-25 with five more receiving votes. Eight of UNI's 10 FCS opponents this season are also either ranked in the polls or receiving votes.
| Team | Stats/Coaches Poll |
| North Dakota State | 2/2 |
| Illinois State | 4/4 |
| South Dakota State | 7/7 |
| Eastern Washington | 8/8 |
| Indiana State | 21/RV |
| Western Illinois | RV/RV |
| Cal Poly | RV/RV |
| Southern Illinois | RV/None |
Familiar Numbers: Panther fans will get to see a familiar number running on the defensive side of the ball this fall, with Jared Farley making the switch from 35 to 46. With the newest number change, Jared is now the third member of the Farley family to wear the coveted 46.
Winning Tradition: Mark Farley currently holds an overall record of 122-59 at the helm, just seven wins shy of tying Stan Sheriff's, UNI's all-time winningest coach record of 129-101-4.
UNI Football is Family: Family has always been important to the Panthers and this year's roster shows the bond between father and son and siblings. There are currently five student-athletes that have followed in their father's footsteps to become a Panther and four sets of siblings on the 2015 roster.
| Father | Years at UNI | Son (Current Athletes) |
| Mark Farley | 1982-86 | Jared Farley (LB, So.) |
| Andre Allen | 1991-94 | A.J. Allen (LB, R-Fr.) |
| Trevor Allen (RB, Fr.) | ||
| Willie Beamon | 1989-92 | Willie Beamon (DB, R-Fr.) |
| John Hill | 1984-87 | Barkley Hill (LB, Jr.) |
| Older Brother | Younger Brother | |
| A.J. Allen (So.) | Trevor Allen (Fr.) | |
| Dalton Ferch (Jr.) | Duncan Ferch (R-Fr.) | |
| Xavier James (So.) | Jaylin James (Fr.) | |
| Justin Putney (Jr.) | Tyler Putney (R-Fr.) |
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/ FootballTodd Stepsis Press Conference - May 4th, 2026. (AUDIO ONLY)
Tuesday, May 05
PST: Todd Stepsis - May 1, 2026 (Part 1 of 3)
Friday, May 01
PST: Todd Stepsis - May 1, 2026 (Part 2 of 3)
Friday, May 01
PST: Todd Stepsis - May 1, 2026 (Part 3 of 3)
Friday, May 01