UNI football: Panthers drop matchup at no. 2-ranked South Dakota State

Saturday, October 11

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

2-4 , 0-2

South Dakota State

6-0 , 2-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UNI

South Dakota St.

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

UNI football: Panthers drop matchup at no. 2-ranked South Dakota State

10/11/2025 5:42:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats

UNI Panther football dropped a 31-3 matchup against SDSU in front of a sellout at Dana J. Dykhouse.

BROOKINGS, South Dakota — UNI football traveled to South Dakota State for its first road contest of the 2025 MVFC slate. The Panthers and the no. 2-ranked Jackrabbits of South Dakota State battled on SDSU's homecoming in front of a sold-out Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The Panthers held the Jackrabbits early, but ran out of steam down the stretch and dropped a 31-3 matchup in Brookings, South Dakota.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UNI football opened the contest on offense for the first time this season after the Jackrabbits elected to defer. The Panthers opening possession was quick and resulted in a punt as the Cats put their perfect opening-drive defense streak to the test against the no. 2-ranked team in the nation. The Jackrabbits drove down the field and got to the UNI 16 yard line before a crucial tackle for loss from Owen Ostroski and Kolben Miller followed by an 11-yard sack by Ryan Crandall forced a 41-yard field goal. The kick was no good as UNI continued to be perfect on defending the opening possession.

The offense kept searching to find their offensive rhythm as they turned the ball over on the very first play of their next offensive possession which resulted in a short-field touchdown by the Jackrabbits on a two-yard touchdown rush by quarterback Chase Mason.

UNI's offense looked to be clicking on the Panthers' third drive of the day which included a 31-yard reception by Tysen Kershaw on third down to get UNI in field goal range. A kick by Max Bartachek would have put UNI on the board, but was blocked by SDSU. The Panther defense stood tall and forced a punt in response.

The Panthers got on the board with a 30-yard field goal from Bartachek to cut the deficit to 3-7 before allowing another two-yard rushing touchdown by SDSU's quarterback Mason. With short time left, the Panthers started driving down the field in hopes of adding points heading into the break, but were stymied by a fumble at the SDSU 47 yard line. The Jackrabbits drove down the field, but back-to-back sacks pushed them back to the edge of field goal range into a stiff wind which resulted in a 45-yard field goal landing short of the uprights to end the half.

Out of the break, the Panther defense forced three straight punts and a turnover on downs by the Jackrabbits. The first punt of the half by SDSU was blocked by Braden McShane and recovered at the 12 yard line of the Jackrabbits. A promising starting field position was squandered when a trick play saw Aidan Dunne throw a pick in the back of the endzone on the first play to give the ball back to South Dakota State.

On SDSU's fifth offensive possession of the half, quarterback Chase Mason found tight end Greyton Gannon for the 22-yard touchdown to take a 21-3 lead late in the third quarter after the PAT. Another touchdown and a field goal gave South Dakota State a 31-3 victory in the end.

Matthew Schecklman finished with 12 completions for 125 yards. Tysen Kershaw led the receiving core with two receptions for 48 yards. Bill Jackson finished with 10 carries for 29 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Kolben Miller, Tucker Langenberg, and Ryan Crandall recorded 10 total tackles. Miller added a sack and 2.5 TFLs while Crandall added a sack and Langenberg tallied a half sack.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The Panthers drop to 2-4 on the season and 0-2 in MVFC play after the 31-3 loss.
Through six games this season, the Panther defense has not allowed a point on the opening drive of the contest.
Braden McShane blocked the first punt of his career in the third quarter while Evan Freeney recovered the blocked kick in his first collegiate appearance.

UP NEXT

The Cats head home to take on South Dakota on October 18 inside the UNI-Dome. The matchup will be aired on MVFC TV and ESPN+ as well as on the Panther Sports Radio Network. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT.

UNI football action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Football), X (@UNIFootball) and on Instagram (@unipantherfootball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.