Mark Farley won’t give Eli Dunne the starting QB nod for UNI just yet

CEDAR FALLS — Eli Dunne was named Monday the national offensive player of the week in FCS.

That's a great honor that's even greater if you take into effect it was accomplished with play in his first collegiate start. Dunne was just about flawless in Northern Iowa's 61-7 win this past weekend over Missouri State.

So much so, you and everyone else has got to assume he gets the start at quarterback again Saturday night against fourth-ranked North Dakota State. Ummm, not so fast on that.

If the decision to go with Dunne over previous starter Aaron Bailey has been made, Panthers head coach Mark Farley isn't divulging it just yet.

'I'll make that choice as we go on. Seriously, I will,' Farley said Monday at UNI's weekly media luncheon. 'Aaron was hurt a little bit, too, the previous two weeks, so it made the decision to play Eli what it was. We decided that on Monday to play him last week. Monday's not over, so I'll probably decide Monday, Tuesday, somewhere in there, what we're going to do. I just want to see (on film) what North Dakota State does first before I make the choice what we do. After I get a good handle on what they do on offense and defense and special teams.'

What NDSU does is win, win and win. Ask the Iowa Hawkeyes, victim of a Bison stampede in September.

North Dakota State is 6-1 after rebounding last week with a win at Western Illinois. NDSU suffered its first loss the previous week against South Dakota State.

Oh, yeah, the Bison are five-time defending national champs, too.

'Quite the program up there,' Dunne said. 'Really impressive. All the teams want what they have. It's going to be a tough game for us, for sure.'

Dunne completed his first 12 passes against Missouri State and finished with 418 yards and two touchdowns. He was poised, confident, made all the throws, and his teammates seemed to rally around him.

'A lot of positives,' Dunne said. 'We did a good job.'

'Eli did a great job, plain and simple,' Farley said. 'He read things nicely, got the ball out on time, the protection was very good. I thought the receivers did a nice job of being where they belonged in the routes they ran. I was just pleased with the execution phase of (the offense). It had rhythm to it and some smoothness to it, and it went better as the game went on.'

Farley was asked if Dunne does, in fact, get the start Saturday at QB if Bailey might be worked in elsewhere in the offense. He provides elusiveness, quickness and speed, without question.

'We'll look at the whole thing on how to use our talent and how to distribute it,' the coach said. 'Based on the person who's playing quarterback, I think you distribute it differently. Should Eli play that position, then you look at how you could use Aaron in another capacity. But we'll view all those things.'

UNI (3-4) will be without starting safety A.J. Allen for the first half against NDSU. He was ejected in the third quarter against Missouri State for targeting.

The Panthers will need to find a way to slow down the Bison's rushing attack, which is led by the one-two punch of King Frazier and Lance Dunn. Easton Stick provides experience at the quarterback position.

NDSU's defense also is one of best in FCS, rivaling Youngstown State, according to Farley. YSU held Northern Iowa without a touchdown in a win two weeks ago.

The Bison won two close games against UNI last season, including 23-13 in the playoffs. Northern Iowa ended North Dakota State's 33-game win streak in 2014, the last time the teams played at Cedar Falls.

'I don't see a whole lot of difference. Every year there are different players and a little different play calling. But, all in all, it's the same football team,' Farley said. 'It's a very good football team. They're just very confident, and their execution is very good. Just overall, top to bottom, they are a very good football team. When you get that confidence, they can do some things. They're in the game to the end. They know they can win, so it's got to be a battle until the last play anytime you play a team like this.'

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