Junior placekicker Michael Schmadeke finished the season ranked first in FCS football in field goals made per game while the team kept a No. 1 ranking all season in kickoff returns, making them NCAA FCS statistical champions for the 2014-15 season.
Schmadeke has been named to eight different All-America teams this postseason, notching 27 made field goals on the season to tie the school record and earn himself a 93.1 field goal percentage. He also broke the school record for points in a game by a kicker with his 20 in UNI’s 50-7 rout over Tennessee Tech along with tying the school record for field goals in a game with five.
The Panthers finished the season with 40 kickoff returns for 1,194 yards and one touchdown. They averaged an FCS leading 26.3 yards per return, including a season-long 98-yard touchdown return from David Johnson’s in UNI win over Illinois State.
The combination of Johnson, Chad Owens, Darrian Miller and Charles Brown put UNI in good field position all year long. Owens finished second on the team in kickoff return yards, showcasing his quickness with 245 return yards, averaging 22.3 per carry.
Johnson led the team with 438 yards through the season, averaging 36.5 per return. His average yards broke the UNI single season record for kickoff return yards average, beating Dre Dokes, who averaged 34.4 in 2006.
