UNI football: Panthers outlast Eagles on Family Weekend

Saturday, September 13

Cedar Falls, Iowa

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

2-1 , 0-0

Eastern Washington

0-3 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Eastern Wash.

UNI

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

UNI football: Panthers outlast Eagles on Family Weekend

9/13/2025 8:27:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats

The UNI Panther football team moved to 2-1 after a 17-14 victory over Eastern Washington.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — UNI football matched up against Eastern Washington on Family Weekend inside the UNI-Dome. After opening the matchup 17-0, the Eagles recorded two touchdowns to cut the deficit to three points and lined up for the game-tying field goal. A wide right kick handed UNI its second victory of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UNI got on the board fast with a 79-yard touchdown reception by Tysen Kershaw on UNI's first play of the contest. The UNI defense stood the test and forced punts on all five of Eastern Washington's first-half drives. UNI tacked on three more points with its final drive of the first half off the foot of Max Bartachek with a 28-yard field goal. The three-minute drive saw a pair of 20+-yard receptions including a 21-yarder to Tysen Kershaw and a 24-yarder to Ayden Price to set up the kick.

A punt by both teams opened the second half of play before the Panthers got on the board on a 63-yard flea-flicker from Matthew Schecklman to Ayden Price for UNI's second touchdown of the contest. Bartachek knocked in the PAT to give UNI a 17-0 lead.

Both defenses forced punts on the succeeding drives before a promising UNI drive resulted in a sack fumble at its own 37 yard line. The Eagles capitalized on the mistake and scored their first points of the matchup on a 15-yard quarterback run. The Eagles blocked a punt on their next defensive drive which led to their second scoring drive of the evening, capped off by a 40-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Nate Bell.

A turnover on downs by the Panthers with 2:23 left in the contest gave Eastern Washington the ball at their own 17 yard line with no time outs down three points. The Eagles drove down the field and lined up for the game-winning kick. The field goal was wide right as the Panthers came away with a gritty victory.

Matthew Schecklman finished the evening with 359 passing yards and two touchdowns on 23 completions. Tysen Kershaw led the receiving room with 143 yards on six receptions. Ayden Price finished with 135 yards, also on six receptions. Harrison Bey-Buie put up 86 yards on 26 attempts. On the defensive side of the ball, Ryan Crandall and Tucker Langenberg each recorded nine total tackles. Owen Ostroski finished with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The Panthers advance to 2-1 on the season and 7-2 all-time against the Eastern Washington Eagles. UNI is a perfect 7-0 against EWU in Cedar Falls.
Tysen Kershaw's 79-yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career. He finished with 143 yards, also a career-high.
The Panthers scored on their opening play for the first time since Dom Williams scored on a nine-yard rush against Missouri State in 2022.
The Panthers finished with two receivers over 100 receiving yards (Tysen Kershaw 143 / Ayden Price 135). The last time UNI had a 100-yard receiver was Sergio Morancy in 2024 against Indiana State (119). The last time the Cats had a pair of receivers with 100+ yards was in 2019 against Southern Utah (Deion McShane 110 / Isaiah Weston 105).
Matthew Schecklman finished with 359 passing yards, a career-high and his first time with over 300 passing yards. The last time a UNI QB has thrown for over 300 yards was in 2023 against North Dakota State when Theo Day passed for 342 yards.

UP NEXT

The Panthers wrap up the non-conference portion of the regular season on Saturday, September 20 at Utah Tech. Kickoff between the Cats and the Trailblazers is set for 7 p.m. CT at Greater Zion Stadium in St. George, Utah. The matchup will be available on ESPN+ and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.

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.