CEDAR FALLS – UNI football will make the trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota, for the first time in Mark Farley’s tenure as head coach for the Panthers.
Saturday’s matchup is the featured Missouri Valley Football Conference Game of the Week and will mark the league opener for both teams.
Farley is in his 22nd year at UNI and is 14-7 in MVFC openers, winning five of the last six years. He’s 8-1 in home season openers and 6-6 on the road. While Farley has not faced the Fighting Hawks on their home turf, he is 0-1 against UND.
UNI ranks third in the Massey Index Strength of Schedule. UNI out-passed Air Force 286 yards to the Falcons’ 109 yards in the season opener, but the Panthers fell, 48-17.
Panthers Logan Wolf and Sergio Morrancy caught UNI’s two touchdown passes for their second TDs of their careers. Preseason All-American Matthew Cook was good on a 28-yard field goal to complete the scoring.
Quarterback Theo Day now leads the MVFC and is No. 21 in the nation for passing yards per game with 286 yards. He is second in the MVFC and No. 25 in the nation for completions per game with 20. Day is second in the conference and No. 20 in the nation for total offensive yards with 303 yards.
UNI’s Deion McShane recorded his third best career receiving game with 106 yards in the season opener against Air Force. The mark puts him in No. 24 in the nation.
Punter Cael Loecher made his Panther debut as No. 22 in the nation for average yards per punt with 44.2 yards against the Falcons. He pinned the Falcons within their own 10-yard line three times.
With just 15 yards in penalties in the season opener, UNI leads the MVFC in fewest yards in
penalties, tied for No. 4 in the nation.
UNI is second in the conference in fumbles recovered. Mo Olowo and Caleb Frazer each recovered a fumble against Air Force.
IN THE RANKINGS
The Panthers opened the season No. 21 in the preseason rankings. The latest Stats Perform poll listed UNI at No. 24, and North Dakota is receiving votes.
The MVFC has three of the nation’s top-five ranked schools, including No. 1 North Dakota State, No. 2 South Dakota State and No. 5 Missouri State. Southern Illinois and UNI also are ranked again this week, while South Dakota and North Dakota are receiving votes.
The last time the league had three teams in the top five was on March 8, 2021, when UND (3), UNI (4) and NDSU (5) represented the league. Prior to that, the conference accomplished the feat on Sept. 25, 2017, with NDSU (2), SDSU (4), and Youngstown State (5).
SCOUTING UND
UND opened the season with a loss at Nebraska, 38-17. The Huskers, who were receiving votes in the preseason poll, jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Fighting Hawks tied it in the third quarter.
Nebraska capped the game with 21 unanswered points to get its first win of the season.
The Fighting Hawks’ head coach, Bubba Schweigert, is in his ninth year. He holds a 69-62 career record and 47-41 record at North Dakota. This will be Schweigert’s first meeting against UNI.
UND was 5-6 last season and tied for seventh in the MVFC with a 3-5 league record.
UNI leads the series, 24-13. In Grand Forks, UNI leads 10-7. The Panthers lead 14-6 when hosting UND. The teams’ first meeting was in 1936. UND won the last meeting in 2006, 35-17. Prior to that, the teams had not met since 1978, which UNI won 35-17.
Among the stats in which UND ranks in the top half of the league:
3rd Down Conversion % (114 ranked) 2 41 40%
4th Down Conversion % (69 ranked) 2 38 38%
Completion percentage (114 ranked) 2 28 64.9%
Fumbles recovered (25 ranked) 1 3 3
Turnovers gained (64 ranked) 3 1 4
Time of possession (114 ranked) 2 16 36:01
Team sacks (90 ranked) 4 19 3
Tackles for loss allowed (113 ranked) 3 24 4
Rushing offense (114 ranked) 3 35 175 yds
Tommy Schuster | completion % (104 ranked) 2 29 64.9%
Tommy Schuster | completions per game (142 ranked) 1 11 24
Brady Stevens | field goal % (66 ranked) 1 1 1
Devon Krzanowski | fumbles recovered 1 4 1
Edmund Ocansey | fumbles recovered 1 4 1
Marcus Preston | fumbles recovered 1 4 1
Wyatt Pedigo | interceptions per game (87 ranked) 3 10 1
Bo Belquist | receptions per game (150 ranked) 2 31 6
Isaiah Smith | rush yards per carry (150 ranked) 1 3 10.4
Isaiah Smith | rush yards per game (195 ranked) 2 30 104
Complete series history with UND. UNI leads 24-13 (H: 14-6, A: 10-7)
1936 L 19-0 A
1937 L 21-0 H
1939 L 19-6 A
1940 W 15-0 A
1941 W 32-10 H
1947 W 21-0 H
1948 W 26-14 A
1949 W 40-0 H
1950 W 33-21 A
1951 W 49-19 H
1952 W 27-14 A
1953 W 34-6 H
1954 W 14-13 A
1955 W 13-7 H
1956 L 20-19 A
1957 W 27-20 H
1958 L 14-0 A
1959 W 14-9 H
1960 W 7-0 A
1961 W 25-0 H
1962 W 13-8 A
1963 W 9-0 H
1964 W 34-0 A
1965 L 34-0 H
1966 L 23-10 H
1967 W 7-0 H
1968 W 14-10 A
1970 L 41-6 A
1971 L 23-10 H
1972 L 38-9 A
1973 W 17-14 H
1974 L 42-26 A
1975 L 21-20 H
1976 W 24-22 A
1977 W 9-6 H
1978 W 35-17 H
2006 L 35-31 H
