Western Illinois represents first of 5 straight ranked opponents for UNI football

CEDAR FALLS - Northern Iowa didn't pick your typical cupcake for its homecoming game Saturday.

The 21st-ranked Panthers (2-2, 1-0) didn't really have a choice. They face their first of five consecutive games against ranked Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents when they host No. 18 Western Illinois (3-1, 0-1) at 4 p.m.

Given the strength of the rest of the conference - seven MVFC teams are ranked - FCS bracketologists are predicting the loser of Saturday's tilt will be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Coming off a 24-17 MVFC-opening road win against Southern Illinois, UNI Coach Mark Farley made it clear on Monday the page was turned and improvement was necessary immediately.

The 17th-year coach is very aware of what Saturday's game could mean.

'You're on film,” he said. 'You have to correct your errors from last week or you're going to get exposed this week. Everybody gets film. Everybody is getting coached. Everybody wants to go after the weaknesses in defenses, or the weaknesses in players.

'That's why they must get better, because they're going to see some stuff this week they haven't seen before.”

Sure to be challenged by what they've put on film is the UNI offense led by quarterback Eli Dunne. Dunne had his first turnover-free performance of in last week's win. It was a performance Farley called Dunne's 'best by far.” But Dunne and the UNI offense will face a new and unique challenge Saturday against Western Illinois' dynamic 3-4 defense, a unit MVFC teams still are working to scheme against with first-year coordinator Tony Grantham calling the shots for the Leathernecks.

'They'll come after you multiple ways,” Farley said. 'From inside, from outside. They're very good at it. You'd call it a 3-4 defense that moves around, but it kind of got its own unique style to it than what others (run). It's dynamic to an offensive player watching it.

'Because of the disguise, because of the movement, because of the things you can't decipher before the snap of the ball, everything happens after the snap. That's where you have to be very cued in and very focused in this game as an offensive player. Whether you're trying to block the front or whether you're trying to throw a route against the coverage.”

Western Illinois' offense presents similar challenges for the UNI defense. It, too, is a unique scheme that took advantage of its opponent's unfamiliarity a week ago in a 38-33 loss to South Dakota with wide receiver Jaelon Acklin reeling in 19 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns.

Working in the Panthers' favor is the Leathernecks' penchant for deep drop-backs in their passing game. Those designed drop-backs for a vertical passing game will put pressure on the Panthers secondary, but it should create nearly ideal conditions for a UNI pass-rush that's generated just three sacks through four games.

'The formations they use and the style, it's not traditional,” Farley said. 'It's not what you're going to flip the TV on and see every day of the week. It's one of those unique offenses that they're getting the most from their players right now.

'(Compared) to what you play day-in and day-out in this league - I think that has really given them a chance to be successful this season because each week they get better.”