CHENEY, WASHINGTON — Northern Iowa built a halftime lead behind three rushing touchdowns from quarterback Jaxon Dailey, but Eastern Washington shut out the Panthers in the second half and claimed a 34-24 victory Saturday, September 5.
The loss dropped UNI to 0-1 and extended the program’s struggles in the Evergreen State. The Panthers entered the season opener seeking their first football victory in Washington.
Eastern Washington scored first when its quarterback broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one. Franz Reisz got a hand on the extra-point attempt, keeping the Eagles’ lead at 6-0.
UNI answered with a four-play, 72-yard drive. A 44-yard reception by Kai Black moved the Panthers into the red zone before Dailey scored on a four-yard run. Max Bartachek’s extra point gave UNI a 7-6 lead.
The Eagles responded with a 16-yard touchdown reception, but Bartachek connected on a 25-yard field goal to pull the Panthers within 13-10.
After the UNI defense forced a three-and-out, Dailey scored his second rushing touchdown of the game. Both quarterbacks added short touchdown runs later in the half, with Dailey scoring from nine yards to send the Panthers into halftime with a 24-20 advantage.
UNI’s offense failed to score again.
Eastern Washington reclaimed the lead on a two-yard quarterback run in the third quarter. The Eagles later intercepted a UNI pass at their own 17-yard line, but the Panther defense forced a three-and-out that included a sack by Kolben Miller.
UNI could not capitalize, as Bartachek missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt. Eastern Washington then stretched its lead to 34-24 with a 15-yard touchdown pass.
The Panthers’ final scoring opportunity ended with a turnover on downs.
Dailey completed 20 passes for 287 yards and became the first UNI quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Aaron Bailey scored four against Missouri State in 2015.
Tay Norman led the Panthers with 61 receiving yards. John Powers recorded a career-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops, while Miller led UNI with two tackles for loss.
The Panthers return to Cedar Falls for their home opener against Drake on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the UNI-Dome.
UNI will retire former quarterback Kurt Warner’s jersey during a pregame ceremony. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.