UNI football: Panthers upset No. 4 North Dakota on Homecoming

Saturday, October 10

Cedar Falls, Iowa

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

3-2 , 2-0

North Dakota

5-2 , 2-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
North Dakota	7	3	0	7	17
UNI	17	7	0	0	24

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

UNI football: Panthers upset No. 4 North Dakota on Homecoming

10/10/2026 8:22:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Results

The Panther football team took down the fourth-ranked Fighting Hawks, 24-17.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Panther defense and special teams put the team on their back as the Cats hosted the fourth-ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Two special teams scores and the defense standing tall in the most important times lifted UNI over UND in the Panthers' second-straight top-five victory inside the UNI-Dome.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Panthers scored first, in what would become a turbulent first quarter. Max Bartachek got the Cats on the board with a 39-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead on the first drive of the game. North Dakota answered with a touchdown on an eight-yard run before things got interesting inside the UNI-Dome.

The Panthers punted the ball away after a three-and-out before forcing the UND offense to punt from their own 47-yard line. Andrew Price bullied his way to the ball and blocked the punt. After a bounce on the turf, the ball jumped right back into his hands and the linebacker returned the block for 36 yards and a Panther touchdown. On the very next series, Braden McShane picked off the North Dakota quarterback deep in Fighting Hawks territory to set up the UNI offense at the UND 21-yard line. It took just three plays for UNI to find the endzone on an 18-yard pass from Jaxon Dailey to Brady McCullough for UNI's first offensive touchdown of the game and a 17-7 lead.

The defense was out for just one play following the touchdown, as UND fumbled a hand off at their own 20-yard line. The Cats used that field position to find the endzone for another touchdown, thanks to the legs of Michael Bormann from the two-yard line. The Panthers held a 24-7 lead with 12:58 left in the second quarter.

The Panthers' defense continued to dominate with back-to-back turnovers on downs forced, including a Jaylen Pettus nine-yard sack to ice the first series. UNI was forced to punt, but the defense held strong again, forcing a Fighting Hawks boot. The Panthers' luck ran thin, as the punt fell short and hit a UNI defender, with the ensuing loose ball picked up by UND at the UNI 34.

UNI's defense held UND to a 28-yard field goal which cut into the Panther lead, 24-10. After a UNI punt, the Hawks got the ball back with one minute to go in the half. John Powers forced a fumble on a reception, giving UNI the ball again on their own 49-yard line after a recovery by Jordan McClom. UNI attempted a field goal with short time remaining in the half, but it was blocked by UND. After a Fighting Hawk recovery and a lateral, the wildest first half of Panther football in a long time came to a close with UNI leading 24-10.

Out of the break, things didn't change on the crazy factor, as the Panther kickoff team forced a fumble on the half-opening kickoff. BJ Johnson got a hand on it and AJ Vaughn recovered it to give the Cats the ball at the UND 23-yard line. The Panthers were held to a field goal from 39 yards, which was missed. The crazy didn't stop, as UNI intercepted another UND pass. Axel Ramazani got a hand on the ball and it fell right in Kolben Miller's lap for another Panther takeaway.

The Cats were forced to punt on their next two possessions and maintained a 24-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter with North Dakota driving at the seven-yard line. The Fighting Hawks opened the fourth quarter with a one-yard rushing touchdown by their backup quarterback after the starter went down with an injury on a QB keeper. Both defenses locked down the opposing offense, as UND had three more chances to find the paint. The Panther defensive unit forced two punts and iced the game with a turnover on downs, leading to the victory formation and the Panthers' upset-victory.

Jaxon Dailey was 12-for-20 in the passing game with one touchdown. On the ground, Christian Collins carried the ball 11 times for 64 yards. Michael Bormann and Brady McCullough found the endzone on offense for the Panthers. Andrew Price was the other touchdown scorer on a blocked punt return. On defense, Calvin Jaworski came through with 11 total tackles, including five solo.

UP NEXT

The Panthers hit the road for the first time in just under a month as they head to Youngstown, Ohio, to take on the Youngstown State Penguins on October 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at Stambaugh Stadium with coverage available on ESPN+. JW Cox and the Hall of Famer Scott Peterson will be live on the air on 93.5 The Mix and the Panther Sports Radio Network.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

UNI improves to 3-2 on the season and stays undefeated in MVFC play at 2-0 after the victory over UND. UNI is 17-6 all-time in Cedar Falls against North Dakota.
The Panthers' victory over UND was its second straight top-10 win inside the UNI-Dome. It is the first time since 2014 that the Cats have beaten a top-10 team at home in back-to-back weeks.
Andrew Price scored UNI's first blocked punt TD since Ethan Schoville did it at North Dakota State last season. The touchdown was his first collegiate score.

UNI football action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Football), X (@UNIFootball) and on Instagram (@unipantherfootball). The full 2026 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.