UNI football will begin early stretch of road games at St. Thomas

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa’s game at St. Thomas on Sept. 7 is the first of three straight road games that will keep the Panthers away from the UNI-Dome until Oct. 5.

While the Tommies represent a second consecutive matchup against a Pioneer Conference, non-scholarship opponent, the challenge is likely to be greater than the season opener against Valparaiso.

Kicked out of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after the 2021 season due to “athletic competitive parity,” St. Thomas became the first program to jump from Division-III to Division-I FCS.

The Tommies’ level of success hasn’t changed, going a combined 18-4 overall and 15-1 in PFL play in their first two FCS seasons.

Quarterbacks Amari Powell and Tak Tateoka return after making seven starts apiece for season’s 8-3 team, as does second-leading rusher Hope Adebayo. The St. Thomas offense finished second in the PFL in scoring (28.1) in 2023.

UNI at St. Thomas: 3 things to watch

1. Size and strength

After a home warm-up against Valparaiso, it’s easy to see UNI once again leaning on its size and strength against St. Thomas. While the Tommies possess more talent on paper than Valpo, the size and strength advantage remains between the PFL and MVFC opponents.

2. No. 1 QB solidified?

Whether or not more than one UNI quarterback sees the field in the opener, it’ll be important for the Panthers to know who their starting QB is without question after the St. Thomas game. A trip to Nebraska looms the next week.

3. More roles determined?

Coach Mark Farley and his staff need to have more positions, roles and schemes solidified after this game as UNI’s strength of schedule skyrockets. The opportunity to experiment will be all but over after tangling with the Tommies.

Prediction for UNI at St. Thomas

UNI leans on the size and strength of its offensive and defensive lines to stay ahead of the chains and limit turnovers for a mostly undramatic road win against the Tommies.

It’s likely St. Thomas’ talent and skill does the Panthers a favor or two by exposing things that will need to be cleaned up before the next week’s road trip to Nebraska.