UNI makes FCS Playoff push with fifth straight win

CEDAR FALLS — For the second year in a row, it looks like a winning streak has the Northern Iowa football team in the FCS Playoffs.

The No. 15 Panthers sat at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, and the only way forward was to win. Five games later, UNI is 7-4, 5-3 in the MVFC and playing its best football on both sides of the ball after a 49-28 win against Southern Illinois on Senior Day.

Just like in 2014, it was a stressful but rewarding ride — even if it did add a few gray hairs to some folks along the way.

'It's taken away a few (years),' said Coach Mark Farley, through a laugh. 'The last five weeks have been, to say the least, they've been hard. They've been fun because of the accomplishment of it all and they've been worth it. But they've been hard because you want to push your team and you have to find a way to do that. You can't overwork them, yet you've got to push them.

'We've had a great November again and they're peaking at the right time. What's fun is they believed through the whole process. This put the icing on the cake today, how we played.'

The game and the streak were full of big plays from all three phases. On Saturday, Makinton Dorleant had a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown. Karter Schult had a sack that forced a fumble, giving the Panthers the ball on the SIU 3-yard line, from which they scored a play later. Running back Tyvis Smith had a 51-yard touchdown run, and Michael Malloy took an Aaron Bailey throw 49 yards for a touchdown.

Plays came from all parts and pieces, and have in the last five weeks. That didn't happen nearly as much in the three previous.

'Just five weeks ago I was up here after the Western Illinois game and I was distraught,' Dorleant said. 'For us to go five straight is very rejuvenating because we've got that gasp of air, just for now, and now we've got to get ready. Now we can really tighten up.

'If we do play the first round, I'm excited, because it'd be next week and we're coming off winning those five games straight. We've won so efficiently, so consistently. We're hitting on all cylinders.'

The win capped off a banner day for UNI overall, which saw its men's basketball team beat No. 1 North Carolina before the start of the football game next door. It also marked the 200th win in the UNI-Dome and came, as most Panther wins this season have, on the legs of quarterback Aaron Bailey.

Bailey finished Saturday 14 of 20 for 181 yards and two touchdowns passing and carried 21 times for 131 yards and three more touchdowns. His three rushing scores put him at 17 this season, setting a new UNI record for quarterback rushing touchdowns in a season and tying the MVFC single-season mark for a quarterback. He has 11 rushing touchdowns in the last three games, which is the most for any player in either FCS or FBS.

His game was bolstered by Smith's game, which saw the senior carry 23 times for 166 yards and one touchdown of his own — that 51-yarder in the first quarter. The Panthers rushed for 313 yards as a team, marking another week in which they've shown proficiency on the ground.

Throughout the win streak, the defense has gotten much of the attention — deservedly so — but Farley made sure to take time after Saturday's game to compliment the strides the offense has taken during the win streak.

'I was so pleased (with the offense). That 15-play drive (in the fourth quarter) to kill the game (with a touchdown)? I mean, we would not have done that six weeks ago,' Farley said. 'It's the difference of our season right now.'

UNI finds out its postseason plans by way of the FCS Playoff Selection show at 10 a.m. on ESPNU. Provided the consensus that the Panthers are in holds true, all that awaits is where and who they'll play.

Everyone wearing purple and gold hopes for one more game in the UNI-Dome, sure. But Farley hinted at wanting even a little more.

'I would think we'd be ranked in a good spot because of our schedule, and winning the last five doesn't hurt because sometimes when you lose early and win late, you have a better place,' Farley said. 'I'll let them put us where they want, but my hope is we can get a home game and maybe more than that even.'

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