Dual QBs spark offense in ‘one of the biggest wins’ for UNI

CEDAR FALLS - Coming out of a season-opening loss, the pressure to right the ship and win in Week 2 is cranked up.

For FCS No. 14 Northern Iowa, that pressure was even higher given trips to Cal-Poly, No. 2 North Dakota State and No. 4 Illinois State loom on the horizon. Factor in the No. 7 team coming into the UNI-Dome on Saturday, and correcting a shaky offensive start in Ames last week was not only important, it was necessary.

The Panthers trailed three different times at 7-0, 14-7 and 28-21, but got the correction it needed with strong second and fourth quarters, beating the No. 7 Eastern Washington Eagles, 38-35.

'I told the players and the coaches, because they're so new to this program, that in all truthfulness, this is one of the biggest wins for a UNI football team,” said Coach Mark Farley. 'Not because of who we beat, but because of how we had to beat them. In the second game of the year our back was against the wall. With our schedule, we really had to win that game.

'There was nothing to say we were good at coming out of the Iowa State game on offense, and to come back and do this today, that's why this is such a big win for this program.”

What UNI (1-1) did on offense against Eastern Washington (0-2) was total 460 yards and 31 points with a dual threat under center.

Starting quarterback Aaron Bailey was 7 of 13 for 91 yards and two touchdowns passing, but did his damage on the ground. Bailey ran 19 times for 134 yards - a 7.1 yards-per-carry average - and guided a smooth-running UNI offense in the second quarter after a shaky opening stanza.

But after a scoreless third quarter in which the Eagles had retaken the lead, 28-21, senior Sawyer Kollmorgen was entered into the game and reignited the Panthers' offense. Kollmorgen finished his only quarter of play 10 of 13 for 103 yards and one touchdown. He guided two scoring drives - the touchdown to Logan Cunningham and a 24-yard Michael Schmadeke field goal - that ultimately gave them a lead they would never relinquish.

Before the 2015 season, Farley said he was not going to purposefully run a two-quarterback system, but after the success it showed Saturday, Farley might have to reconsider what he and offensive coordinator Joe Davis do going forward.

'I should probably reconsider what I said, huh?” Farley said through a laugh after the game. 'The coolest thing for me is when you see Sawyer, who had to sit and watch for two weeks now. And when he got his opportunity today, he was ready for it. He walked out there and took charge. Then you know you have a leader. That's what he displayed to me more today than ever before.

'I thought Aaron really improved last week to this week and what he was last week to what he was today. We'll move forward. Those two are always on the docket. Either one could start or play for us right now and I'd be very pleased with whoever we put on the field.”

EWU Coach Beau Baldwin said the change 'it didn't catch us off-guard. Our guys were geared up to play either of them coming into this game.”

But for what it's worth, UNI had gone three and out in three of its last four drives - a missed 54-yard Schmadeke field goal on the other - before Kollmorgen came in. The Panthers felt like they caught the Eagles in a spot where they weren't ready to adjust and it showed through averaging 7.3 yards per play with Kollmorgen under center.

'They're a good team, but we had been running the ball with a lot of quarterback runs for three quarters” Kollmorgen said. 'And then all of a sudden you send in more of a pocket passer like myself and it's hard for a defense to adjust to something like that, and probably (too) for a defensive coordinator.”

The dagger that served as the winning play came after Schmadeke's 24-yard field goal put UNI up 31-28. EWU was backed up, and quarterback Jordan West threw a fairly easy out ball to receiver Nic Sblendorio, but it went through Sblendorio's hands and straight to Deiondre Hall, who pulled the ball into his left arm and turned it around for a touchdown.

Hall had returned from a broken finger early in the game and had to play the rest of the game with a heavily wrapped right hand - to which, he said, 'when plays like (the touchdown) happen you've got to enjoy it. I'm all good.”

And though the Eagles marched down the field the next drive for a touchdown to get it to 38-35, it was all for naught. Even 552 total yards - 526 of them through the air between West and Reilly Hennessey - weren't enough.

'It was a gutsy performance by (Deiondre) Hall,” Farley said. 'He broke that finger and came back with the cast on and fortunately (West) threw it to him and it hit him in the stomach so he could catch it.

'The turning point (of the game) was when Sawyer came in. The interception by D-Hall was the kill shot and hurt them.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com