Tough road test ahead for Panthers at SIU

It wasn't easy getting there, but Northern Iowa is right where it wants to be - atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings.

Now comes the really hard part - staying there.

The 15th-ranked Panthers (2-0, 2-2) venture out of the state for the first time this season, playing at No. 23 Southern Illinois (1-1, 2-3) on Saturday in a key MVFC game.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

All it took was a touchdown on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter of a 24-14 win over South Dakota State.

“It was a huge win,” UNI Coach Mark Farley said Monday. “We just had to break that barrier (on fourth-and-goal) ... in the second half, things started to come together.”

UNI entered Saturday's game on a two-game losing streak, much of which was attributed to eight turnovers in losses to Stephen F. Austin and Iowa State.

Against the Jackrabbits, UNI finished positive in turnover margin for the first time this season - losing the ball only once on an interception while picking up a fumble and three picks.

“You feel that game has something good to build off ... that's what we were lacking,” Farley said. “I think they were starting to get a confidence issue.”

It couldn't have come at a better time for the Panthers.

UNI hasn't won in Carbondale since 1997, SIU has won two in a row in the series and, like the Panthers, the Salukis are coming off a much-needed win on Saturday, rushing for a season-high 342 yards in a 38-17 win over Illinois State.

“Their defense is always very good,” Farley said, adding it looks like a new offense is starting to jell, too.

By J.R. Ogden, The Gazette