UNI Looks To Bounce Back Against No. 7 South Dakota State

UNI GAME NOTES

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – A focused and determined Panther squad will travel to Brookings, S.D., on Saturday as Northern Iowa (2-3, 1-1 MVFC) searches for a bounce back game against No. 7 South Dakota State (4-1, 1-1 MVFC).

Kickoff between the Panthers and Jackrabbits is slated for 2 p.m. CT. The game will mark the 50th meeting between the two football programs.

HOW TO TUNE IN
The game against South Dakota State will be televised on ESPN3. Fans can also listen in on 1540 KXEL or www.UNIPanthers.com as Gary Rima and Scott Petersen call the action.

LIVE STATS
Live stats for Saturday's game will be made available via the SDSU athletics website (www.GoJacks.com). Fans and media can visit @UNIFootball on Twitter for links to the feed.

TICKETS
Fans can purchase season and single-game tickets to UNI football home games through UNITIX. Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.UNITIX.uni.edu.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE JACKRABBITS

South Dakota State defeated UNI in the last meeting, with the Jackrabbits taking a 45-24 decision at the UNI-Dome.
The Jackrabbit win came on Senior Day for the Panthers, as SDSU improved to 8-3 on the season while ending UNI's 2016 slate with a 5-6 mark.
SDSU scored 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter to close out the 45-24 win.

SERIES WITH SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Saturday will be the 50th meeting between UNI and SDSU, with the Panthers owning a slight 29-20 advantage. SDSU has won three out of the last four meetings, but the Panthers did take the last game in Brookings, 10-7 (2015).
The two teams played almost yearly from 1935-1979, before reviving the series in 2006.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS

South Dakota State is currently 4-1 on the season, with wins over Duquesne, Montana State, Drake and Southern Illinois.
Youngstown State is the Jackrabbits' lone blemish on their record, with SDSU falling 19-7 on the road on Sept. 30.
In its four wins this season, SDSU has scored an average of 45.5 points per game while only giving up 16.0 points per win.

UNI AGAINST THE MVFC

The Panthers are 154-61 against the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with UNI going 83-39 during the Farley era.

NO OCTOBER SURPRISE FOR FARLEY

Over his 17 seasons at UNI, head coach Mark Farley has amassed a 41-28 record for the month of October since 2001.
Farley has gone undefeated during October three times (2003, 2007, 2008) while going winless only once during the month (2013).
This season, the Panthers are currently 0-1 during October after the loss to Western Illinois on Oct. 7.

CLUTCH CATS

This season, the Panthers have been extremely efficient in the red zone with UNI scoring on 12 out of 13 attempts. UNI ranks 10th currently in the FCS for red zone offense.
South Dakota State is also deadly in the red zone, ranking 7th in the nation after scoring 21 times on 24 trips.

TIGHT ENDS ON DISPLAY

This season, UNI has relied heavily on the tight end position in the passing game. The Panther tight ends have caught four touchdowns and have combined for 302 yards receiving. Leading the way for UNI is Elias Nissen, who owns four scores this season with 116 yards.
South Dakota State tight end, Skylar Cavanaugh, earned MVFC Newcomer of the Week honors this past week after catching four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown against Southern Illinois.

PANTHER DEFENSE VERSUS THE RUN

Last season, the UNI defense held opponents to 164.1 yards per game to rank 16th in the FCS.
The Panthers rank 82nd in the country this season, allowing 177.6 yards on the ground per game.
This season, South Dakota State's rushing attack has gained 203.6 yards per game, to rank 25th in the nation.

PANTHERS AGAINST THE PASS

The Panther defense has allowed a total of 265.6 yards passing per game this season, to rank 106th overall in the FCS.
UNI has given up 12 passing touchdowns this season, with four coming against Cal Poly.
This week's opponent - South Dakota State - has gained 240.0 yards through the air per game this season. That total is 35th overall in the FCS.

NISSEN'S STELLAR SEASON

The last two games for Elias Nissen have been nothing short of amazing, with the junior tight end hauling in four touchdowns.
The junior had zero for his career before catching one against SIU, and his three against WIU rank as the most for any Panther tight end in a single game.
The four touchdowns in a season for Nissen are the most by any Panther tight end since Schuylar Oordt caught five in 2009.

FARLEY IS A TACKLING MACHINE

This season, senior Jared Farley has racked up the tackles as the linebacker averages 12.0 total stops per game.
The total for Farley is tied for fourth in the FCS and second in the MVFC.
Western Illinois' Brett Taylor holds first place in the country, with 14.2 tackles per game this season.

FOUNTAIN ON A MISSION

Senior Daurice Fountain has put up monster numbers in his final season at UNI. The 6-foot-1 receiver has hauled in four touchdowns this season, with 452 yards receiving.
Fountain has three 100-yard games this year and five for his career. The three-straight 100-yard receiving games for Fountain are the most for any Panther wideout since Eddie Berlin turned in six-straight 100-yard games in 2000.
The senior has 107 catches as a Panther and 15 total touchdowns during his stellar UNI career.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on the UNI football program, follow the Panthers on Twitter at "@UNIFootball" and on Facebook at "UNI Football."

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