University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI football: Vanderslice earns first career honor as MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week
10/31/2022 4:05:00 PM | Football
Redshirt senior becomes third different Panther to earn the award this season.
ST. LOUIS --- For a third consecutive week UNI has earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference's (MVFC) Offensive Lineman of the Week award as Matthew Vanderslice picked up the weekly honor from the league on Monday afternoon. The selection, the first of Vanderslice's career, marks the fourth time this season a Panther has earned top lineman recognition following Erik Sorenson (Sept. 13 and Oct. 24) and Justin Peine (Oct. 18).
Vanderslice anchored an offensive unit line that helped Panther offense playmakers flourish in the first half and secure a 37-36 victory at No. 20 Southern Illinois last Saturday in Carbondale. Thanks to Vanderslice and his blocking up front, quarterback Theo Day set a career-high with five passing touchdowns to four different receivers, the most by a UNI passer since 1999.
Despite allowing three second half sacks, the Panthers racked up 461 yards of total offense, including 330 passing yards from Day and 142 combined rushing yards from Vance McShane and Dom Williams. UNI has notched over 400 yards of offense in all but two games this season, and leads the MVFC in total offense with 438.1 yards per game.
Vanderslice has played in all nine of UNI's games this season after seeing action in only four games in the fall of 2021. He was selected as a recipient of the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award last season, as well as the MVFC Honor Roll.
The 6-8, 318-pound redshirt senior hails from Olathe, Kansas. He is the son of Rick and Bev Vanderslice, and has two brothers, Jake and Zach.
Vanderslice and the Panthers return to action on Nov. 5 as UNI hosts No. 1 South Dakota State at 4 p.m. CT inside the UNI-Dome. Tickets are available for purchase online at UNIpanthers.com/tickets.
Vanderslice anchored an offensive unit line that helped Panther offense playmakers flourish in the first half and secure a 37-36 victory at No. 20 Southern Illinois last Saturday in Carbondale. Thanks to Vanderslice and his blocking up front, quarterback Theo Day set a career-high with five passing touchdowns to four different receivers, the most by a UNI passer since 1999.
Despite allowing three second half sacks, the Panthers racked up 461 yards of total offense, including 330 passing yards from Day and 142 combined rushing yards from Vance McShane and Dom Williams. UNI has notched over 400 yards of offense in all but two games this season, and leads the MVFC in total offense with 438.1 yards per game.
Vanderslice has played in all nine of UNI's games this season after seeing action in only four games in the fall of 2021. He was selected as a recipient of the MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award last season, as well as the MVFC Honor Roll.
The 6-8, 318-pound redshirt senior hails from Olathe, Kansas. He is the son of Rick and Bev Vanderslice, and has two brothers, Jake and Zach.
Vanderslice and the Panthers return to action on Nov. 5 as UNI hosts No. 1 South Dakota State at 4 p.m. CT inside the UNI-Dome. Tickets are available for purchase online at UNIpanthers.com/tickets.
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