UNI football: Panthers drop road game at SIU

Saturday, October 24

Carbondale, Ill.

1 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

3-4 , 2-2

Southern Illinois

4-5 , 2-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
UNI	7	0	3	7	17
Southern Ill.	0	10	7	3	20

Photo by: © Andy Saigh

10/24/2026 4:43:00 PM | Football

Box Score Final Stats

UNI football’s contest in Carbondale ends in a walk-off winner for SIU, 20-17.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Panther football team traveled to Carbondale, Illinois, to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis in its second-consecutive road contest. The Panthers struck first, but SIU scored back-to-back points to take a lead. The Cats tied the game late, but SIU had too much time on the clock and drove down for a walk-off field goal to take down the Panthers, 20-17.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Panther defense was the first unit to shine, as the Salukis drove to the UNI 27, just to get stuffed on fourth-and-one to give UNI its first defensive stop of the day. The Panthers used that drive to get to the Saluki 17-yard line, but were unable to score with a missed 35-yard field goal attempt.

On the first play of SIU's next possession, Mekhi Toms picked off the Saluki quarterback to get the ball back to the Panther offense. UNI mounted an 11-play, 65-yard drive off the interception for its first scoring drive of the game. Cyrus Courtney bookended the drive with the first play, a 25-yard reception, and the final play, a four-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal. Blake Pankratz knocked the PAT through to give UNI a 7-0 lead.

The two teams traded punts on the following four possessions before the Panthers were called for a targeting penalty on the punt coverage, giving SIU the ball at their own 29-yard line. The Salukis scored their first touchdown of the afternoon on the short-filed drive, thanks to the legs of quarterback DJ Williams. An 18-yard touchdown run tied the contest at seven points.

After a UNI punt, the Salukis got to the Panther 23-yard line and went for the go-ahead field goal. A fake field goal by SIU was sniffed out by linebacker Andrew Price and the Panthers got the ball back with 1:34 remaining in the first half. UNI's first interception since the Iowa game gave the Salukis another chance at the go-ahead field goal, which was converted as time expired from 21 yards to give SIU a 10-7 lead heading into halftime.

Out of the break, UNI went for a fourth-down from the SIU 47-yard line, picking up the first down on a 17-yard reception by Taj Hughes. The Panthers drove down to the SIU 15-yard line, but stalled out. Blake Pankratz trotted out and slid a 32-yard field goal through the left upright to tie the game at 10. The Salukis regained the lead in the ensuing drive as quarterback DJ Williams found the end zone on a seven-yard rush to take a 17-10 lead after the PAT. UNI's drive stalled out on the SIU 42 as the Cats went for it on fourth down, but could not convert, giving the Salukis the ball with a seven-point lead and just under 12 minutes remaining in the contest.

The Cats forced a punt on defense after a sack by Jackson Stortz on third-and-nine, getting the ball back with 8:40 remaining. Needing a touchdown down 17-10, UNI started the drive with a 37-yard reception by Taj Hughes to move into SIU territory. A 15-yard reception by Brady McCullough on fourth down extended the drive as the Panthers pushed into the red zone. A fourth-down pass from Jaxon Dailey to Cyrus Courtney in the back of the end zone was originally called an incomplete pass with the receiver out of bounds, but after a review, Courtney was deemed to have possession of the ball with a shoulder blade down in bounds for the score, a candidate for catch of the year. Pankratz tied the game at 17 with the PAT.

With 2:10 left in the contest, SIU drove 52 yards in nine plays, capping off the game with a 31-yard field goal to walk off the contest.

Jaxon Dailey finished with 240 passing yards and two passing touchdowns on 26 completions. Xavier Terrell led the running back room with 101 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Cyrus Courtney caught two touchdown passes, recording 49 receiving yards on six catches. On defense, Calvin Jaworski finished with 13 total tackles, including seven solo tackles.

UP NEXT

The Panthers return home for a Halloween matchup with the Indiana State Sycamores on October 31. Brad Wells and Justin Surrency bring you live coverage from the UNI-Dome on ESPN+, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. JW Cox and the Hall of Famer Scott " Petey" Peterson will be live on the air on 93.5 The Mix and the Panther Sports Radio Network.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

UNI drops its second-straight MVFC matchup and falls to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in Valley play after the loss at SIU.
The Cats are still looking for their first win on the road in 777 days with UNI's last road win coming at St. Thomas in 2014.
Mekhi Toms' interception in the first quarter was his first takeaway as a Panther, and the second interception of his career.
Cyrus Courtney's touchdown reception in the first quarter was the first touchdown of his collegiate career.
Blake Pankratz's PAT kick in the first quarter was the first point of his collegiate career. His 32-yard field goal in the third quarter was the first made field goal of his collegiate career.
Xavier Terrell is UNI's first 100-yard rusher of the season.

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.