University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Saturday, December 5
Portland, Ore.
9 p.m.
University of Northern Iowa
at
Portland State
Photo by: Mike Dunlop
Panthers Set To Battle The Vikings Saturday
11/30/2015 3:36:00 PM | Football
COMPLETE RELEASE IN PDF FORMAT
2015 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs - Second Round
Game 13 at Portland State
Time: 9 p.m. CT
Place: Portland, Ore. (Providence Park)
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 1540 KXEL, TuneIn.com
The Basics: The University of Northern Iowa football program will travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Portland State Vikings, Sat., Dec. 5 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The game will kick off at 9 p.m. CT.
About Portland State: Portland State enters the game against the Panthers 9-2 overall after finished second in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings earned the No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs, earning a first-round BYE. Portland State is ranked 12th in the FCS in scoring offense this year, averaging 35.8 points per game with quarterback Alex Kuresa ranked No. 4 in the nation in passing yards per completion.
Panther Quick Hits:
• UNI enters the week ranked No. 15 in the STATS and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches top-25 polls.
• Junior Aaron Bailey and senior Deiondre' Hall were given top honors by the MVFC this season, earning Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
• The Panthers have 78 wins over top-25 opponents and 19 over top-10 opponents since 2001.
• UNI is in its 18th FCS playoff appearance.
• Head Coach Mark Farley is in his 15th season at the helm with an overall record of 128-60 and 78-34 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 201-51-1 all-time inside the historic facility. UNI's 200th win in the UNI-Dome came in the regular season finale against Southern Illinois.
• 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 46 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 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).
Join us at Pepper's: UNI will host a weekly press luncheon at Pepper's in Cedar Falls on Mondays at noon. All of the in-season head coaches will address the media with a weekly recap/preview of their team and then will be open to questions. All media and fans are welcome to attend.
The Series: UNI and Portland State will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday. The Panthers are 2-0 this season against Big Sky Conference opponents, picking up back-to-back wins over Eastern Washington and Cal Poly. It was the first time since 2008 that UNI has posted back-to-back wins against non-conference top-25 teams.
Mr. November: UNI head coach Mark Farley is known for his winning prowess in the month of November. Since taking over as head coach in 2001, Farley has posted a mark of 47-8 in the month of November, including 12 straight.
Consecutive November Wins
11/9/13   vs. Youngstown State   W, 22-20
11/16/13   at Missouri State   W, 17-10
11/23/13   vs. Western Illinois   W, 28-13
11/1/14   vs. Illinois State   W, 42-28
11/8/14   vs. North Dakota State   W, 23-3
11/15/14   at Southern Illinois   W, 40-21
11/22/14   vs. Missouri State   W, 38-24
11/29/14   vs. Stephen F. Austin   W, 44-10
11/7/15   vs. Indiana State   W, 59-13
11/14/15   at Missouri State   W, 41-0
11/21/15   vs. Southern Illinois   W, 49-28
11/28/15   vs. Eastern Illinois   W, 53-17
Quality Schedule: UNI has played against seven top-25 teams so far this season, gaining a 6-2 record against them. UNI's only two losses against top-25 ranked teams this season were against No. 4 Illinois State (Oct. 3) and No. 2 North Dakota State (Oct. 10).
UNI against Top-25 (2015)
9/12   vs. #7 Eastern Washington   W, 38-35
9/19   at #17 Cal Poly   W, 34-20
10/3   at #4 Illinois State   L, 21-13
10/10   at #2 North Dakota State   L, 31-28
10/24   at #6 South Dakota State   W, 10-7
11/7   vs. #23 Indiana State   W, 59-13
11/28   vs. #24 Eastern Illinois   W, 53-17
Rushing Records: Junior quarterback and MVFC Newcomer of the Year, Aaron Bailey, is now second all-time in Missouri Valley Football Conference history in rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (1,101). He trails former UNI quarterback Tirrell Rennie, who rushed for 1,291 in 2010.
On the Board: UNI has scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games, including their 53 against Eastern Illinois (11/28). The last time UNI had four straight games with 40-plus points was in 2004 when UNI won its final four games of the season.
Scoring Defense: UNI has returned four interceptions for touchdowns this season, tying the school record for pick-sixes in a season. The previous record was four, set in 2014 and 1989. Junior Ray Buchanan turned in UNI's fourth of the season against Eastern Illinois (11/28), returning it 70 yards to the house for his first-career touchdown.
Doubling Up: Heading into the last three games, Tyvis Smith had 358 rushing yards through the first nine games of the season. He has now had 100-or-more yards on the ground in three consecutive games, totaling 456 yards, doubling his previous total. He now has 814 this season, ranking him second on the team.
Smith's 100-yard Rushing Performances (2015)
11/14 at Missouri State   16 carries   143 yds   1 TD
11/21 vs. Southern Illinois   23 carries   166 yds   1 TD
11/28 vs. Eastern Illinois   24 carries   147 yds   1 TD
Improvement on the Field: The Panthers finished the game against Eastern Illinois (11/28) with 323 yards on the ground, marking the fourth consecutive game with 200 or more rushing yards and the fifth time out of the last six games that UNI has reached the mark. UNI is averaging 279.5 yards on the ground through the last six games.
200-Plus Team Rushing Performances
Eastern Washington   266 yards
at Cal Poly   204 yards
at North Dakota State   277 yards
at South Dakota State   223 yards
Indiana State   216 yards
at Missouri State   439 yards
Southern Illinois   313 yards
Eastern Illinois   323 yards
High Scoring: UNI has reached the 50-point mark in two of the last four games, putting up 53 against Eastern Illinois (11/28) and 59 against Indiana State (11/7). The last time UNI had scored 50 or more points was in 2014 when they defeated Tennessee Tech, 50-7. UNI's 59-13 win was also the most points scored in a conference game for the Panthers since a 62-7 victory over Indiana State in 2009.
Numbers Speak: UNI is 92-7 in the Mark Farley era (2001-present) when holding the opposition to 20 points or less. The Panthers are 82-6 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.
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2015 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs - Second Round
Game 13 at Portland State
Time: 9 p.m. CT
Place: Portland, Ore. (Providence Park)
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 1540 KXEL, TuneIn.com
The Basics: The University of Northern Iowa football program will travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Portland State Vikings, Sat., Dec. 5 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. The game will kick off at 9 p.m. CT.
About Portland State: Portland State enters the game against the Panthers 9-2 overall after finished second in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings earned the No. 6 seed in the FCS Playoffs, earning a first-round BYE. Portland State is ranked 12th in the FCS in scoring offense this year, averaging 35.8 points per game with quarterback Alex Kuresa ranked No. 4 in the nation in passing yards per completion.
Panther Quick Hits:
• UNI enters the week ranked No. 15 in the STATS and No. 14 in the FCS Coaches top-25 polls.
• Junior Aaron Bailey and senior Deiondre' Hall were given top honors by the MVFC this season, earning Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
• The Panthers have 78 wins over top-25 opponents and 19 over top-10 opponents since 2001.
• UNI is in its 18th FCS playoff appearance.
• Head Coach Mark Farley is in his 15th season at the helm with an overall record of 128-60 and 78-34 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 201-51-1 all-time inside the historic facility. UNI's 200th win in the UNI-Dome came in the regular season finale against Southern Illinois.
• 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 46 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 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).
Join us at Pepper's: UNI will host a weekly press luncheon at Pepper's in Cedar Falls on Mondays at noon. All of the in-season head coaches will address the media with a weekly recap/preview of their team and then will be open to questions. All media and fans are welcome to attend.
The Series: UNI and Portland State will be meeting for the first time in program history on Saturday. The Panthers are 2-0 this season against Big Sky Conference opponents, picking up back-to-back wins over Eastern Washington and Cal Poly. It was the first time since 2008 that UNI has posted back-to-back wins against non-conference top-25 teams.
Mr. November: UNI head coach Mark Farley is known for his winning prowess in the month of November. Since taking over as head coach in 2001, Farley has posted a mark of 47-8 in the month of November, including 12 straight.
Consecutive November Wins
11/9/13   vs. Youngstown State   W, 22-20
11/16/13   at Missouri State   W, 17-10
11/23/13   vs. Western Illinois   W, 28-13
11/1/14   vs. Illinois State   W, 42-28
11/8/14   vs. North Dakota State   W, 23-3
11/15/14   at Southern Illinois   W, 40-21
11/22/14   vs. Missouri State   W, 38-24
11/29/14   vs. Stephen F. Austin   W, 44-10
11/7/15   vs. Indiana State   W, 59-13
11/14/15   at Missouri State   W, 41-0
11/21/15   vs. Southern Illinois   W, 49-28
11/28/15   vs. Eastern Illinois   W, 53-17
Quality Schedule: UNI has played against seven top-25 teams so far this season, gaining a 6-2 record against them. UNI's only two losses against top-25 ranked teams this season were against No. 4 Illinois State (Oct. 3) and No. 2 North Dakota State (Oct. 10).
UNI against Top-25 (2015)
9/12   vs. #7 Eastern Washington   W, 38-35
9/19   at #17 Cal Poly   W, 34-20
10/3   at #4 Illinois State   L, 21-13
10/10   at #2 North Dakota State   L, 31-28
10/24   at #6 South Dakota State   W, 10-7
11/7   vs. #23 Indiana State   W, 59-13
11/28   vs. #24 Eastern Illinois   W, 53-17
Rushing Records: Junior quarterback and MVFC Newcomer of the Year, Aaron Bailey, is now second all-time in Missouri Valley Football Conference history in rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (1,101). He trails former UNI quarterback Tirrell Rennie, who rushed for 1,291 in 2010.
On the Board: UNI has scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games, including their 53 against Eastern Illinois (11/28). The last time UNI had four straight games with 40-plus points was in 2004 when UNI won its final four games of the season.
Scoring Defense: UNI has returned four interceptions for touchdowns this season, tying the school record for pick-sixes in a season. The previous record was four, set in 2014 and 1989. Junior Ray Buchanan turned in UNI's fourth of the season against Eastern Illinois (11/28), returning it 70 yards to the house for his first-career touchdown.
Doubling Up: Heading into the last three games, Tyvis Smith had 358 rushing yards through the first nine games of the season. He has now had 100-or-more yards on the ground in three consecutive games, totaling 456 yards, doubling his previous total. He now has 814 this season, ranking him second on the team.
Smith's 100-yard Rushing Performances (2015)
11/14 at Missouri State   16 carries   143 yds   1 TD
11/21 vs. Southern Illinois   23 carries   166 yds   1 TD
11/28 vs. Eastern Illinois   24 carries   147 yds   1 TD
Improvement on the Field: The Panthers finished the game against Eastern Illinois (11/28) with 323 yards on the ground, marking the fourth consecutive game with 200 or more rushing yards and the fifth time out of the last six games that UNI has reached the mark. UNI is averaging 279.5 yards on the ground through the last six games.
200-Plus Team Rushing Performances
Eastern Washington   266 yards
at Cal Poly   204 yards
at North Dakota State   277 yards
at South Dakota State   223 yards
Indiana State   216 yards
at Missouri State   439 yards
Southern Illinois   313 yards
Eastern Illinois   323 yards
High Scoring: UNI has reached the 50-point mark in two of the last four games, putting up 53 against Eastern Illinois (11/28) and 59 against Indiana State (11/7). The last time UNI had scored 50 or more points was in 2014 when they defeated Tennessee Tech, 50-7. UNI's 59-13 win was also the most points scored in a conference game for the Panthers since a 62-7 victory over Indiana State in 2009.
Numbers Speak: UNI is 92-7 in the Mark Farley era (2001-present) when holding the opposition to 20 points or less. The Panthers are 82-6 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.
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