UNI Football Falls to UC Davis in FCS Playoffs

Saturday, December 1

Davis, Calif.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

7-6

UC Davis

10-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Northern Iowa

UC Davis

UNI Football Falls to UC Davis in FCS Playoffs

12/1/2018 11:23:00 PM | Football

Box Score

DAVIS, Calif. – The UNI football team rallied from a 23-6 deficit to cut the lead to 23-16 in the fourth quarter, but failed to get into the end zone on the final drive and fell to six-seed UC Davis on the road in the second round of the FCS Playoffs Saturday.

The Panthers had opportunities to score, including a pair of turnovers in UC Davis territory and two missed field goals, but in the end, the Aggies outlasted the clock and got stops.

UNI took an early lead with a field goal on its first drive. Davis answered with a field goal of its own, before UNI again took a 6-3 lead with 4:16 left in the first. The Aggies answered with a touchdown pass to go ahead 10-6 and never trailed again.

Davis led 13-6 at the half and hit a field goal and scored a touchdown in the third quarter to take the 23-6 lead, but the Panthers answered with a one-yard touchdown from Trevor Allen with 6:00 to play in the third quarter. The Panthers again got on the board in the fourth with a 45-yard field goal from Austin Errthum with 14:09 to play.

The Panthers drove to the Davis 35-yard line, but a pass attempt on fourth down was broken up with less than three minutes to play and the Aggies held on for the win.

Eli Dunne was 22-40 for 273 yards and a pair of interceptions. Marcus Weymiller, Trevor Allen and Tyler Hoosman combined for 121 yards on the ground while nine Panthers caught passes led by Allen with five. Terrell Carey caught two passes for a team-high 56 yards.

UNI's Duncan Ferch and Austin Evans both tallied interceptions on the day with returns into Davis territory, but the Panther's failed to score on both opportunities.

UC Davis' Keelan Doss caught 9 catches for 137 yards, but was effectively shut down in the second half, catching just one ball for nine yards after the break.

The high-powered Aggie offense was held well below its season scoring average and their third-lowest total of the season.

UNI ends the season with a 7-6 record after its fourth trip to the FCS Playoffs in five seasons. UC Davis advances to play Eastern Washington in the FCS Quarterfinals.

NOTES

Duncan Ferch returned his interceptions 63 yards for a season total return yards of 186 yards. The mark is the most in a single season in school history.
The interception was his fifth of the season which led all Panthers this season.
Marcus Weymiller ended his senior campaign with 965 yards rushing on the season, his career high total and the most of any Panther this season.
Entering the game, UC Davis' Jake Meier had thrown just six interceptions all season. The Panthers forced him to throw two in the third quarter.
The Panthers picked up three sacks on Meier, tied for the most allowed this season by the Aggies.
This Panther senior class made its third trip to the playoffs and third trip to the second round. The deepest run in the last four years was a quarterfinal trip in the 2015 season.
UNI is now 24-20 in the FCS playoffs and head coach Mark Farley is 15-11 in the postseason.