Panthers Score 200th Win In UNI-Dome History, Beating SIU 49-28

Saturday, November 21

Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

7-4 , 5-3

Southern Illinois

3-8 , 2-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Southern Illinois

UNI

Panthers Score 200th Win In UNI-Dome History, Beating SIU 49-28

11/21/2015 8:30:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Box Score in PDF

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa football program picked up its 200^th win in the UNI-Dome on Saturday night, topping the Southern Illinois Salukis, 49-28. UNI improved to 7-4 overall and 5-3 in league play.

Aaron Bailey led the Panthers, going 14-20-0 for 181 yards and two touchdowns, adding 131 yards on the ground and three rushing scores. Tyvis Smith finished with a game and career-high 166 rushing yards, including a 51-yard touchdown to start the game.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers were led by junior Brett McMakin, who had nine tackles, including one for loss of yards. Karter Schult finished with six tackles, one sack, two TFL and a key forced fumble that led to UNI's third touchdown of the game.

The Panthers opened scoring in the first quarter when Smith broke free to the outside for a 51-yard rushing touchdown to give UNI a 7-0 lead at the 5:39 mark. It was his second-longest rushing play this season, ending a four-play, 87 yard drive that burned up 1:30 off the clock.

Michael Malloy doubled UNI's score just minutes later, scoring on a 49-yard pass from Bailey to put UNI up 14-0. The play ended a 65-yard drive that consisted of three plays that took 1:22 off the clock.
Southern Illinois was able to cut UNI's lead to 14-7 in the second quarter when Mark Iannotti connected with Billy Reed for an eight-yard passing play to the end zone. The touchdown wrapped up an eight-play, 72 yard drive that took 3:02 off the clock.

Bailey answered with a touchdown of his own with 4:48 left in the second quarter, punching in a four-yard rushing score to tie the school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season with 15. The score was set up by a monstrous hit on the Southern Illinois quarterback by Schult, forcing the fumble and giving UNI the ball on the SIU four-yard-line.

UNI added to its score with a magnificent punt return from senior Makinton Dorleant, taking it to the house for 90 yards with 1:59 left to play in the second quarter. UNI's defensive stand against the Salukis offensive drive included two tackles for loss by Schult and D'Shawn Dexter to force the punt.

The Salukis were able to slip in a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half when Iannotti found Daquan Isom open for a four-yard passing score to cut UNI's lead to 28-14. The play finished a six-play, 75 yard drive that took 1:34 off the clock.

SIU struck first in the second half, cutting UNI's lead to just seven points a minute into the third quarter. Isom quickly found a hole in the UNI defense and score a 61-yard rushing touchdown with 13:55 left in the quarter, ending a three-play, 75 yard drive, making the score 28-21.

UNI kept pressing on offense, scoring at the 9:56 mark in the third quarter to give them a 35-21 lead. Bailey's 21-yard pass to sophomore Daurice Fountain put an end to a 10-play, 91 yard drive that lasted 3:59.

The second half shootout continued with a touchdown from the Salukis just seconds later on a 71-yard rushing touchdown from Isom, making it 35-28 in favor of the Panthers. The touchdown was the only play of the drive, burning up 17 seconds off the clock.

Bailey scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, spinning into the end zone to give UNI a 42-28 advantage with 3:43 on the clock in the third quarter. It ended a three-play, 36 yard drive after a 23-yard punt return from Dorleant to land UNI on the SIU 36-yard-line to start their drive.

The junior quarterback wasn't done yet, turning in his third touchdown of the game and the second of the half with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter, racking up 55 yards in UNI's 89-yard scoring drive. The two-yard rushing touchdown put UNI up 49-28, ending a 14-play, 89-yard drive that took 7:33 off the clock.

The Salukis drove all the way to the UNI four-yard-line, but an impressive defensive stand from the Panthers shutdown the SIU offense, allowing the UNI offense to run down the remaining time to secure the 49-28 victory.

The NCAA Division I Football Championship bracket will be announced tomorrow at 10 a.m. on ESPNU.

Post-Game Notes vs. Southern Illinois

Captains against Southern Illinois: Isaac Ales, Tim Kilfoy, Deiondre' Hall and Braden Lehman.
Tyvis Smith holds the top-two longest rushing scores by a running back this season. He scored a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter against Southern Illinois and a career-long 56-yarder against Missouri State (11/14).
With his two rushing touchdowns against Southern Illinois, Aaron Bailey set a new school record for rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback with 17. Tirrell Rennie held the previous record of 15 during the 2010 season. It also ties the MVFC record for rushing TDs by a quarterback with DeAndre Smith of Missouri State (1990). He has scored 11 rushing touchdowns in three weeks, leading all of Division I football.
Makinton Dorleant's 90-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter was the first punt return for a score since Johnny Gray ran one back for 67 yards against Indiana State in 2007. The longest punt return in school history is 93 yards by Joe Fuller against Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1984.
Tyvis Smith broke the 100-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive week, finishing with a career-high 166 against Southern Illinois.
UNI has now had two 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games, with both Tyvis Smith and Aaron Bailey reaching the feat. Bailey racked up 21 carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns while Smith finished with 23 carries for 166 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers finished the game with 313 rushing yards, marking the third game in a row they have had 200-plus and the second game in a row they have rushed for over 300 yards on the ground.
UNI is 200-51-1 all-time inside the UNI-Dome.