UNI football notes: Panthers show winning mentality at Illinois State

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa’s 24-21 win at Illinois State on Saturday may not have been its prettiest of the season, but it demonstrated to Coach Mark Farley that his team believes and is capable of finding ways to win.

After the UNI offense scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, the scoring quickly dried up against the Redbirds. Once it did, the Panthers defense stepped up, forcing two punts and a turnover on downs as the offense made necessary adjustments before its game-winning, fourth quarter drive.

“We were consistent enough to play a really good football team the way we did, even with the errors,” Farley said. “So, I’m pleased that we’re making progress and the fact that I know we got the confidence.

“I think that there’s a sense that they’re going to win, it’s just how they’re going to win. (But) we’ve got to clean up those spurts of error that happen to us.”

UNI’s offense was once again helped by Amauri Pesek-Hickson. The running back turned linebacker turned back into a running back eclipsed 100 yards in his second straight start, answering Farley’s call last week to prove his dazzling debut two weeks ago wasn’t a one-time thing.

“What Amauri did was run hard, just like he did the other week,” Farley said. “I think he had 20 yards after contact this game. The previous game he had 80 yards after first contact. When you’re doing that, you’re doing some good things and you’re also breathing life into a lot of other players around you with that extra effort.”

UNI injury report

Farley mentioned Monday that running back Tye Edwards didn’t quite look 100 percent when he got back on the field Saturday, but said he’s progressing and will be a big factor for the offense in the final three games of the regular season.

Elsewhere on the Panthers injury report, tight end Layne Pryor and defensive back Tate Sander remain out with unclear timelines to return.

“Mother Nature is going to make that call,” Farley said about Pryor. “(And I) do not know about Tate as of today.”

Next: Last MVFC game in Western Illinois series

UNI hosts Western Illinois Saturday at 1 p.m. — the final conference matchup between the two longtime Missouri Valley Football Conference members as the Leathernecks are poised to transition to the Ohio Valley Conference next season.

Farley hopes to keep WIU on UNI’s schedule going forward.

“That’s like an in-state game for both of us and when you start talking budgets and travel that’s a big deal for everybody,” Farley said. “That is a game that we do not want to lose. I will schedule that game as much as they want to play that game only because of travel, budgets and things like that.”