UNI football rolls past Utah Tech at home, 41-14

Saturday, October 15

Cedar Falls, Iowa

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

3-4 , 2-2

Utah Tech

1-5 , 0-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Utah Tech

UNI

UNI football rolls past Utah Tech at home, 41-14

10/15/2022 8:38:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats Photo Gallery

Panther offense dominates Trailblazers with career games from Day, Schnee

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI football struck quickly on offense and never looked back as the Panthers roared past the Utah Tech Trailblazers, 41-14 on Saturday afternoon inside the UNI-Dome. The Panthers improve to 3-4 on the season following their final non-conference game of the 2022 season.

Quarterback Theo Day notched a career day with a career-best four touchdowns, including three in the air with 308 passing yards. Dom Williams led the Panther running attack with 92 yards on the ground with a touchdown, while Sam Schnee recorded a career-high 143 receiving yards with one touchdown reception. Sergio Morancy and Desmond Hutson also found the end zone on big plays for the Panthers in the commanding victory. On the defensive side of the ball, Spencer Cuvelier led with 8 total tackles and one sack, as Woo Governor notched 7 tackles. Korby Sander recorded one sack in the win, as Benny Sapp III and Edwin Dearman each recorded an interception.

HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI drove down the field on its opening possession in just five plays as Day found Morancy on a wide open 44-yard passing score to give the Panthers an early lead. Cook extended UNI's early advantage with a 42-yard field goal for a 10-0 Panther lead on their third, first quarter possession.

Sapp gave the UNI defense a quick spark in the early second quarter with his third interception of the season, setting up a 9-yard rushing touchdown by Williams. The Panther defense struck again as Dearman recorded his first career, helping set up a chip shot field goal from 19 yards from Cook to give the Panthers a 20-0 lead with just under 10 minutes to go in the opening half.

After allowing an 11-play scoring drive to Utah Tech, UNI responded with back-to-back touchdown drives to close the second quarter, with Day finding Hutson on a 32-yard scoring play, and later Schnee on a quick, single play strike, giving the Panthers a 34-7 lead into the halftime break.

UNI's lone score of the second half came on its opening possession of the third quarter with Day capping a nine play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard keeper to the goal line. Utah Tech would score one fourth quarter touchdown on a Boone Abbott pass to Rickie Johnson, but the Panther defense would shut the Trailblazer out for the remainder of the game.

PANTHER NOTES

Saturday marked the first meeting all-time between UNI and Utah Tech.
Matthew Cook passed Brian Wingert (2003-06) for 3rd in career field goals made in school history with 61. Cook also broke a tie with Wingert and Mack Hoambrecker (2000-02) for 3rd in career field goal attempts at UNI (77).
Theo Day's 308 passing yards against Utah Tech are the 2nd most in a single game in his career. Day previously threw for a career-high 334 yards earlier this season at North Dakota.
Utah Tech entered Saturday's matchup off its bye week, the 4th time this season the Panthers have played an opponent following its week off.

UP NEXT
The Panthers wrap up their four-game homestand next Saturday, Oct. 22 hosting the Missouri State Bears in MVFC play on Family Weekend and Staff and Faculty Appreciation Day. Fans are encouraged to wear purple. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT in the UNI-Dome. The game can be watched live on ESPN+, with the radio broadcast also available via the Panther Sports Radio Network.