UNI football hangs on for key road win at Illinois State

A long fourth-quarter drive led to a 32-yard field goal from Matthew Cook that ultimately proved to be the game-winner as Northern Iowa snuck past Illinois State, 24-21, at Hancock Stadium Saturday.

UNI’s game-winning drive covered 73 yards in 15 plays and consumed 8 minutes and 53 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Running back Amauri Pesek-Hickson rushed nine times for 22 yards to chew the clock, while quarterback Theo Day had completions of 28, 12 and 7 yards to keep the drive alive. Cook extended the Panthers’ lead to 24-14 with 2:48 remaining.

Illinois State quickly went 75 yards in 10 plays and scored on a Zack Annexstad’s 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cam Grandy.

The Redbirds nearly recovered their ensuing onside kick with 25 seconds left after it took a big bounce, but it rolled out of bounds, ending any chance of a comeback.

With 8:56 left in the second quarter UNI (5-3, 4-1) had raced ahead of the Redbirds, 21-7, seemingly running off the momentum from its shutout win against then-No. 9 North Dakota a week ago.

Pesek-Hickson capped the first two scoring drives with 3 and 1-yard touchdown runs. Day — who finished the Panthers’ first three drives 12-of-16 for 166 yards — threw a 7-yard touchdown to Desmond Hutson for the two-touchdown lead midway through the second quarter.

But UNI’s offense got itself in an all-too familiar funk that lasted into the fourth quarter.

Sergio Morancy fumbled a 20-plus yard completion in Illinois State (4-4, 2-3) territory late in the second quarter and the Redbirds promptly capitalized with a six-play, 54-yard touchdown drive to get within one score.

The offensive struggles continued after halftime as Day threw an interception after leading a UNI drive to the Illinois State 28.

Looking poised to break out of its funk on the next drive, Cook missed just his second field goal of the season, a 34-yard attempt with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter.

As the UNI offense struggled, its defense maintained the one-score lead, forcing two Illinois State punts and one turnover on downs ahead of the game-sealing drive.

Day finished 20-of-30 for 289 yards and Sam Schnee led all UNI receivers with five catches for 82 yards.

Pesek-Hickson eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the second consecutive game, finishing with 107 on 30 carries.

Edwin Dearman and Jahsiah Galvan had 12 and 11 tackles, respectively, and the UNI defense held the Redbirds to just 45 yards rushing.

The Panthers host Western Illinois (0-8, 0-5) next Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN+).