UNI has 1 more chance to make a playoff case

CEDAR FALLS — There is no bracketologist on staff. No one is getting paid to crunch the numbers or anything.

The gut feeling is they'll be in the FCS playoffs with a win in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon against South Dakota State. But the Northern Iowa Panthers don't know that.

There are zero assurances.

'I don't have the answer to any of that stuff,' UNI Coach Mark Farley said Monday. 'We've put ourselves in position here the last couple weeks, the last month. The last month we've played good football.'

Will that be enough?

Northern Iowa (5-5) has won two straight for the first time this season, including is past Saturday at Western Illinois, 30-23. The game really wasn't as close as the final score indicated.

Western Illinois is No. 24, one of five ranked MVC teams. UNI isn't one of them.

'Right now, we've got momentum,' said Northern Iowa linebacker D'Shawn Dexter. 'I feel good. We've really got things going in the right direction. Now it's about getting the job done Saturday.'

A win over South Dakota State definitely would make a compelling final argument for UNI. The Jackrabbits are ranked 10th nationally, beat five-time defending national champ North Dakota State and put a serious scare into TCU in the season opener.

SDSU scored 41 points against the Horned Frogs. Statistically, this is the Missouri Valley Conference's top offense, its top quarterback (Taryn Christion) and top two receivers (Dallas Goedert, Jake Wieneke).

If South Dakota State wins Saturday, it would win the MVC.

'They've got weapons, and they try to get the ball to their weapons a lot,' said UNI safety Jamison Whiting. 'So we've got to pinpoint on them ... Just make sure we shut it down.'

Northern Iowa likely will get a boost with the return of starting cornerback Malcolm Washington, who missed the Western Illinois game because of a concussion. Quarterback Eli Dunne returned against the Leathernecks after missing the previous week's game against Indiana State with the same issue.

He went 19 for 27 passing for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

As you know by now, UNI has not lost by more than six points in any game. Four of the five losses have been to ranked teams.

Throw a victory over FBS Iowa State in there, and the Panthers seem to have a strong playoff case despite what would be just a 6-5 record. The field is 24 teams and will be announced Sunday morning.

'I don't want to get into what could have happened,' Farley said. 'There are ways to justify stuff, and there are ways not to. We've just got to flippin' win, play the game, take care of your business and let the people who make the choices make them.'

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