CEDAR FALLS – UNI football will open its 2023 home schedule with the Panthers battling their first top-ten opponent of the year as the Weber State Wildcats come to the UNI-Dome on Hall of Fame Weekend on Saturday.
Coming off a tough season-opening loss at Iowa State, 30-9, UNI looks to bounce back against a power from the Big Sky Conference. The Panthers, who come into Saturday’s matchup ranked 21st in the latest STATS Perform poll, are 18-4 in home openers under head coach Mark Farley, who is also seeking his 175th career victory.
With the all-time series tied up at two wins a piece, UNI looks for its first victory against Weber State since the 1991 Division I-AA postseason. The Panthers will also be in search of their first regular season victory against a ranked non-conference opponent since defeating No. 17 Sacramento State in 2015.
Despite a difficult performance in the first half of last weekend’s season-opener in Ames, the Panthers found some consistency on offense in the running game as newcomer Tye Edwards led the game with 72 rushing yards. Harrison Bey-Buie also ran for 29 yards as three UNI receivers notched over 30 yards in Logan Wolf, Jaiden Ellis-Lahey and Sam Schnee.
Ellis-Lahey recorded UNI’s longest play from scrimmage with a 36-yard reception in the fourth quarter, setting up the Panthers’ lone touchdown of the day from quarterback Theo Day to Desmond Hutson. Day has now thrown a touchdown pass in a program-record 23 consecutive games dating back to his UNI debut in Sept. 2021.
The Panthers also saw strong performances early in the season on defense as newcomers Brodrick Calhoun and Corry Thomas Jr. combined for 13 tackles against Iowa State. Jahsiah Galvan posted six tackles against the Cyclones, while Dalesean Staley, Woo Governor and Ben Belken each notched five tackles.
Making its first trip to Cedar Falls in 32 years, the Wildcats, led by first-year head coach Mickey Mental, come to town after a 35-10 win over Division II Central Washington last Thursday in Ogden. Quarterback completed 12 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown through the air, while running back Damon Bankston led the Wildcats’ run game with 119 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.
Weber State, picked sixth in this year’s Big Sky preseason poll, finished the 2022 season with a 10-3 mark and 6-2 record in league play, reaching the second round of the FCS playoffs before falling to Montana State. The Wildcats notched the nation’s fifth-best third down defense a year ago (31.3%) and an offense that ranked in the top-15 in the country in first down offense.
No. 12 Weber State (1-0 / 0-0 Big Sky) at No. 21 UNI (0-1 / 0-0 MVFC)
4 p.m. CT | Sept. 9, 2023
UNI-Dome (16,324) | Cedar Falls, Iowa
Panther Sports Network (ESPN+ / CFU Ch. 15 / KCWI / KCRG / Marquee) (Brad Wells: Play-by-Play / Justin Surrency: Analyst)
Panther Sports Radio Network (J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Scott Peterson: Analyst)
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
The UNI Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2023 will be honored at halftime following the official induction ceremony on Friday night. This year’s class includes former Panther quarterback Ryan Helming (1997-00), track and field standouts Paige (Knodle) Bohannon and Terrance Reid, three-time All-American wrestler Sean Stender and the 2010-11 UNI women’s basketball team. Former softball catcher Karen (Vande Voort) Harrill will be honored with the Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award, while Julie Bright will be recognized with the Dr. Jitu D. Kothari Meritorious Service Award.
HY-VEE FAN ZONE
The first of two Hy-Vee Fan Zone tailgate events will take place prior to kickoff of the UNI-Weber State game in the northwest corner of the west UNI-Dome parking lot. The hassle-free tailgate experience features live music and free food samples, drinks and beer for sale. Fans can arrive at the Fan Zone at 1:30 p.m. and stay until 3:30 p.m. CT.
SPECIAL PARKING NOTICE
Due to a home UNI women’s soccer match against UT-Martin at 12 p.m. CT, parking in the grass lot south of the outdoor football practice field and at the intersection of Panther Parkway and 22nd Street will be reserved for soccer parking only. Please see the attached parking map link at the top for a complete map of available parking for the Sept. 9 home football game.
ADDITIONAL GAMEDAY INFORMATION
This year’s UNI football gameday features a variety of new amenities for Panther fans, including new concession items and mobile app, as well as returning features such as golf cart shuttles and additional restrooms space in the McLeod Center. See UNI’s football gameday experience link at the top for more information.
CELEBRATING 125 SEASONS OF PANTHER FOOTBALL
This year marks the 125th season of play for the UNI football program. Kicking off games in 1895, the Panthers have played every year since, with the exception of 1906, 1907, 1944 and 1945, with over 1,300 players wearing the purple and gold. UNI will celebrate the milestone season all year long with special history lessons on social media, a 125th season website and more. The Panthers will honor this anniversary season with a 125th season decal on their helmets all season long.
