UNI football crushes South Dakota to keep FCS playoff hopes alive

With a final chance to make a statement to the FCS Playoff selection committee, Northern Iowa did, with a few exclamation points.

UNI pummeled South Dakota 58-14 on Saturday in the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D., finishing the regular season 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

“We knew coming into this game we had to come out and start fast,” UNI linebacker Bryce Flater said on the KXEL postgame. “We had to put our foot on the gas. For us to make the playoffs, we knew we had to blow these guys out.”

The Panthers raced out to a 49-7 lead by halftime, piling up 303 passing yards in the first 30 minutes. UNI quarterback Theo Day had five touchdown passes by halftime, plus a 3-yard rushing TD.

Day finished 21-of-30 passing for 380 yards and five touchdowns, both new single-game highs for the Michigan State transfer. Sergio Morancy led the receivers with four catches for 135 yards. He caught one touchdown; the others went to Sam Schnee, Layne Pryor, Noah Abbott and Quan Hampton.

“Day is a difference-maker,” UNI Coach Mark Farley said on KXEL. “He has grown exponentially.”

Matthew Cook hit three field goals in the second half.

“I love kicking PATs,” Cook said in the postgame. “In the first quarter, I was a little bit gassed. It was great to see this offense roll.”

Woo Governor had an interception and Ben Belken — in for the injured Spencer Cuvelier — led the defense with eight tackles.

“Ben really stepped up to the challenge,” Flater said.

The UNI defense forced the Coyotes into five three-and-out series to open the game, plus the interception.

“Defensively, we stopped the run, we got some turnovers, we got some big hits,” Farley said. “Hitting the way we’re supposed to hit.”

The FCS selection show is at 11:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU. Twenty-four teams will qualify. UNI has qualified 22 times, the second-most of any FCS program (Montana).

“Who knows?” Farley said. “I think it’s a long shot. The thing that needed to happen, happened.

“It is my belief they are going to take four from this league.”