Panthers Open MVFC Slate At Southern Illinois

UNI GAME NOTES

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – After a week off, the Panthers return to the gridiron this Saturday as No. 20 Northern Iowa (1-2) travels to Southern Illinois (2-1) to kickoff the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule.

"Southern Illinois played very well last weekend against Memphis," head coach Mark Farley said. "That was really the best test to gauge where they're at as a football team. They had a chance to win that game late, which shows the strength of their team."

Kickoff between the Panthers and Salukis is slated for 6 p.m. CT.

HOW TO TUNE IN
The game against Southern Illinois 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 Southern Illinois athletics website (www.SIUSalukis.com). Fans and media can visit @UNIFootball on Twitter for links to the feed.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE SALUKIS

UNI and Southern Illinois last faced off in 2016, with the Panthers coming away with a 42-21 win at home. The last time UNI traveled to SUU was in 2014, earning a 40-21 victory.
Aaron Bailey dominated the Salukis in 2016, throwing for three scores and rushing for another. Bailey had 186 yards passing and 98 yards on the ground.
The win in 2016 was UNI's second of the season.

SERIES WITH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

UNI and Southern Illinois have faced off 34 times on the gridiron, with the Panthers owning a 18-16 advantage. The two squads have held serve at home, with UNI leading, 14-4, in Cedar Falls and SIU leading, 12-4, in Carbondale.
UNI is seeking its fourth-straight win over SIU, which would be the second-highest total for the Panthers in the series (Six wins from 1992-97).

SCOUTING THE SALUKIS

Southern Illinois is currently 2-1 on the season, with wins over Mississippi Valley and Southeast Missouri. SIU outscored the two squads 90-20.
The Salukis' lone loss this season came against FBS foe Memphis. SIU led the Tigers at halftime (21-17) before losing 44-31.
The Salukis are led by QB Sam Straub, who has thrown for 10 scores and 687 yards so far this season.

PANTHERS IN MVFC OPENERS

UNI is 21-11 in Missouri Valley Football Conference openers since the league started in 1985.
The Panthers are also 10-6 in conference openers under the direction of Mark Farley.
The Panthers had lost four-straight MVFC openers, before last season's win over SIU.

UNI AGAINST THE MVFC

UNI currently holds a 154-60 overall record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and 82-38 under head coach Mark Farley. Farley's 82 league wins are the most by a head coach in the league's storied history.

STREAK OF FORCING TURNOVER UP TO 12-STRAIGHT GAMES

The Panther defense continued its success in producing turnovers on Saturday, as the UNI D posted its 12th-consecutive game forcing at least one turnover.
The streak dates back to last season's game against Eastern Washington.
The Panther defense earned a turnover in 10 of 11 games last season, with the contest against Montana being the only game without forcing a turnover.

PUNT BATTLE IN CARBONDALE

Saturday's game in Carbondale will feature two the nation's best punters, as UNI's Sam Kuhter and SIU's Lane Reazin face off.
Reazin leads the nation with a 47.8 average this season, while Kuhter is in striking distance with an average of 45.3 yards per punt to rank sixth overall.
The two squads are also among the nation's best for net punting as well, with SIU ranking first with a 43.9 average and UNI ranking fourth with a 41.8 clip.

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 98th in the country this season, allowing nearly 200 yards on the ground per game.
This season, Southern Illinois' rushing attack has gained 162.3 yards per game, to rank 48th in the nation.

PANTHERS AGAINST THE PASS

The Panther defense has allowed a total of 250.7-yards passing per game this season, to rank 82nd overall in the FCS.
UNI has given up seven passing touchdowns this season, with four coming against Cal Poly.
This week's opponent - Southern Illinois - has gained 244.0-yards through the air per game this season. That total is tied for 40th overall in the FCS.

FARLEY IS A TACKLING MACHINE

This season, senior Jared Farley has racked up the tackles as the linebacker averages 12.3 total stops per game.
The total for Farley ranks second in the FCS and tops the MVFC.
Colgate's T.J. Holl holds first place in the country, with 13.0 tackles per game this season.

THAT'S A BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN

Last time out, defensive end Seth Thomas snagged a pass out of the air near the line of scrimmage and took it back for six points.
The interception and score were career firsts for Thomas, while the touchdown for Panther linemen was the first of the season.
Overall, the UNI defense has scored twice this season. That total ranks third in the FCS and first in the MVFC.

UNI MOVES UP TO 20 IN COACHES POLL

After a bye week, the Panthers jumped up four spots in the coaches poll this week to No. 20 overall.
UNI was not ranked in this week's edition of the STATS FCS Poll.

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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