UNI football topples #6 South Dakota State, 26-17
10/23/2021 6:06:00 PM | Football
The No. 20 Panthers improve to 4-3 overall, 2-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Jackrabbits slip to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in MVFC.
Matthew Cook notched his longest career field goal, with a 55-yard score. It tops his first collegiate kick as a freshman against Iowa State in 2019, which was 50 yards. He finished the day with four field goals, two over 50 yards. He had four field goals on the day, with two over 50 yards.
Isaiah Weston continues to be a big-play receiver for the Panthers. He leads the nation in yards per catch. Today, he led UNI in receiving yards. He amassed 125 yards on four catches.
Vance McShane was the leading rusher for UNI with 56 yards.
Alfonso Lambert was in on 10 tackles for the Panthers, with four of those being solo tackles. Korby Sander, Bryce Flater and Caden Houghtelling each got one sack. Flater's sack resulted in the loss of 14 yards, and Houghtelling set SDSU back nine yards.
Sander forced an SDSU fumble in the Jackrabbits' opening drive. Flater recovered the ball on the SDSU's 25, setting up UNI's first touchdown. UNI has 18 forced turnovers on the season, which leads the league and ranks second in the FCS to Campbell's 20 takeaways. UNI's 10 fumble recoveries leads the MVFC and ranks third nationally. The Panthers rank eighth nationally in turnover margin.
Today's attendance of 16,889 was the fourth largest in history of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. It is just the second largest in Hobo Day history.
1Q: UNI's Korby Sander forced an SDSU fumble in the Jackrabbits' opening drive. Bryce Flater recovered the ball on the SDSU's 25, setting up UNI's first touchdown. The Panthers scored off a one-yard rush from Bradrick Shaw. Cook's extra point was good to put UNI up, 7-0. SDSU would respond with a 12-yard passing touchdown to tie it up 7-7. Cook closed out the first half with a field goal from 55 yards to put UNI up, 10-7.
2Q: SDSU tied up the team score with a 34-yard field goal early in the second (13.21 left), 10-10. Theo Day completed a 40-yard pass to Isaiah Weston in the end zone. UNI went up 17-10, and capped the first half with a 27-yard field goal from Cook to go up, 20-10.
3Q: Cook adds another 46-yard field goal to the Panther tally to put UNI up 23-10.
4Q: SDSU ended its scoring drought with a nine-yard rushing touchdown to kick off the fourth quarter, but continued to trail 23-17. A 41-yard toss from Day to Weston set the Panther offense on SDSU's 35-yard line and resulted in a 51-yard field goal to put UNI up 26-17.
NEXT UP
UNI will host No. 4 Southern Illinois (6-1 / 4-0 MVFC) at 4 p.m. Oct. 30. The Salukis are coming off a bye week. UNI is 20-17 against SIU. UNI has won four of the last five matchups. However, the Salukis edged out the Panthers 17-16 in the last meeting, March 13, 2021.
The game will be a Blackout Game, so fans are urged to wear black. In addition to being broadcast on Panther Sports Radio Network, fans unable to make it to the UNI-Dome can tune into ESPN+
Team Stats

UNI 7, SDS 0
UNI - Shaw,Bradrick 1 yd run (Cook,Matthew kick), 6 plays, 14 yards, TOP 03:03

UNI 7, SDS 7
SDS - Janke,Jadon 12 yd pass from Oladokun,Chris (Frahm,Cole kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 03:13

UNI 10, SDS 7
UNI - Cook,Matthew 55 yd field goal 11 plays, 54 yards, TOP 05:38

UNI 10, SDS 10
SDS - Frahm,Cole 34 yd field goal 5 plays, 58 yards, TOP 01:44

UNI 17, SDS 10
UNI - Weston,Isaiah 40 yd pass from Day,Theo (Cook,Matthew kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:33

UNI 20, SDS 10
UNI - Cook,Matthew 27 yd field goal 10 plays, 37 yards, TOP 05:01

UNI 23, SDS 10
UNI - Cook,Matthew 46 yd field goal 6 plays, 39 yards, TOP 02:24

UNI 23, SDS 17
SDS - Strong,Pierre 9 yd run (Frahm,Cole kick), 4 plays, 40 yards, TOP 00:53

UNI 26, SDS 17
UNI - Cook,Matthew 51 yd field goal 6 plays, 41 yards, TOP 02:13