UNI prepping to face huge test at Wisconsin

CEDAR FALLS - Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley thinks his team is up for the challenge.

And it's a big challenge, as in Big Ten challenge.

The Panthers head to Madison, Wis., Saturday to face No. 12 Wisconsin.

“We've been in competitive games in tough situations,” Farley said at his news conference Monday. “What makes this different is the style of team that we play. Wisconsin is a power football team. They're (stadium) and they're environment is an awesome setting. When you add that on to being a power football team, that's when you add wear and tear.”

Camp Randall Stadium, which holds more than 80,000 fans, is expected to be filled, as usual.

“I looked online, they have a lot of fans,” running back Carlos Anderson said. “Nothing I'm not ready for, nothing this team isn't ready for. We've been in Kinnick (Stadium) before, and this is just a couple more people.”

Farley has prepared the Panthers for the expected noise by playing loud music at practice.

“He cranks them up louder than anything I've ever heard in my life,” Anderson said. “If Wisconsin can get as loud as these speakers I'd be very surprised.”

After a strong off-season and spring game, red-shirt freshman Sawyer Kollmorgen has been given the nod to start at quarterback.

“I'm extremely optimistic and extremely excited about it,”Anderson said of the new quarterback. “Usually when you've red-shirted and at least been through a year, you go out there and excitement takes over and you end up playing out of your mind.”

Farley, who will be looking for his 100th career win on Saturday, didn't rule out the option of rotating quarterbacks due to the brutal schedule the Panthers have to start the season. The Panthers play at Iowa Sept. 15.

“Sawyer has been told it's his game, but our entire team has been told we're going to probably play an extra player if not two players at each position,” he said.