UNI football vs. Idaho State game time, live stream, score prediction

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa travels to Idaho State on Saturday for a 5 p.m. (CT) kickoff at Holt Arena.

UNI is 3-0 all-time against the Bengals with its last win coming in 2019 in Pocatello.

Picked last in the Big Sky Conference’s preseason poll, Idaho State (0-2) is coming off a 78-28 loss at Utah State. The Bengals turned the ball over three times in their loss to the Aggies, including two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

Idaho State played another FBS opponent in Week 1, falling 36-28 at San Diego State.

The Bengals are led by first-year coach Cody Hawkins. Hawkins was at UC Davis before joining Idaho State in 2019 and had been the Bengals’ offensive coordinator since 2021. Former Iowa State quality control assistant Josh Runda is the Bengals’ defensive coordinator.

Here are three keys to victory for the Panthers.

1. Less (Theo) is more (Theo)?

UNI offensive coordinator Bodie Reeder told The Gazette this week he needs to be more committed to the run game and be better at identifying the situations to run the ball.

He also said he needs to offer quarterback Theo Day — sacked 10 times through two games — more protection with more quick pass play-calls.

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Add it all up and it suggests that a little less on Day’s plate could mean more for the Panthers.

2. Sack attack

Two games, two losses and zero sacks.

Among the issues the Panthers are facing, there’s reason to believe their pass rushing woes may be most serious. Seventeen sacks a season ago was the program’s lowest total since 2012 and that lack of pass rush has bled into the 2023 season.

After largely playing a three-man front at Iowa State, the Panthers largely played a four-man front against Weber State last Saturday, but the return was identical. Zero sacks.

Coach Mark Farley mentioned Monday there would be little time to get lunch this week. Perhaps if he and his coaches didn’t eat, their defensive line might finally be able to on Saturday?

3. 60 minutes

No, not the long-running TV news program. Rather, the Panthers need to display something much closer to a four quarter performance than they have through two games this season.

Defensive back Edwin Dearman made it abundantly clear when he spoke postgame last Saturday that in losses to Iowa State and Weber State the Panthers defense demonstrated it could slow down and occasionally stop its opponent, but what he described as a lack of poise has provoked game-changing breakdowns that are preventing the unit from reaching its potential.

The same can be said of UNI’s offense and special teams, as those units’ talent has occasionally been on display, but not consistently enough and not without a level of error that’s so far proven too much to overcome.

UNI at Idaho State: How to watch, prediction

Kickoff time: 5 p.m. (CT)

Live stream: ESPN+

Prediction: UNI 34, Idaho State 24