Cole Bair

Northern Iowa travels to Idaho State on Saturday for a 5 p.m. (CT) kickoff at Holt Arena. Here are three keys to the game and a score prediction.

While Northern Iowa’s offense has performed well below its own expectations through two games this season, there’s reason to not be pressing the proverbial panic button.

UNI faces winless Idaho State on Saturday for a “get right game,” but the Panthers need to get better quickly or a long season awaits.

A forgettable stat sheet included three lost fumbles, three interceptions, five sacks of Panthers quarterback Theo Day and six costly penalties. A mountain of errors proved too much to overcome for UNI in a 34-17 home-opening loss to Weber State.

No. 20 Northern Iowa hosts ninth-ranked Weber State Saturday at 4 p.m. in its 2023 home opener, the fifth meeting all-time between the two teams. Here are three keys to the game and a score prediction.

Despite the odds, Northern Iowa redshirt freshman linebacker Jahsiah Galvan worked his way to the top of the depth chart during fall camp and affirmed the decision made by Coach Mark Farley and defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson with an impressive debut in the Panthers’ loss at Iowa State last Saturday.

Rhythm and communication. Those were the two words that kept coming out of Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley’s mouth Tuesday after having studied the game film of the Panthers’ 30-9 loss at Iowa State last Saturday.

A highly-anticipated game to begin a season with higher-than-usual expectations didn’t provide a storybook beginning for Northern Iowa. Iowa State used all three phases in a 30-9 win Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

UNI is 3-9 against Iowa State in the Mark Farley era, with wins in 2007, ’13 and ’16. Here are three keys for the Panthers against the Cyclones in Saturday’s season opener.

The praise from UNI Coach Mark Farley couldn’t have been much higher this preseason as Farley compared Theo Day to the only UNI quarterback to lead the program to an FCS championship game.

Two returnees and a transfer — Harrison Bey-Buie, Josh Jenkins and Tye Edwards — are poised to assume the snaps left vacant at running back for UNI, a position that’s more difficult than any to evaluate in practice because of the lack of live tackling that takes place in football’s new era.

The back seven of Northern Iowa’s defense features considerable turnover. A least four new starters will line up at linebacker and in the secondary against Iowa State.

Replicating or building on the success of what became a breakout season offensively for Northern Iowa in 2022 will come down to its offensive line in 2023. What’s somewhat unique to those competing to fill the four vacant starting spots is many of them have previous starting experience.

Entering a season with plenty of anticipation and high expectations, Northern Iowa’s special teams can be regarded as one of the best in the FCS due to kicker Matthew Cook returning for a fifth season.

Northern Iowa’s pass catchers are largely back this season. Day will have six of his top eight receivers at his disposal in 2023.