Lackluster end for UNI football: 48-27 loss to North Dakota State likely ends Panthers’ playoff hopes

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa lost a win-or-go-home regular-season football finale against North Dakota State Saturday evening at the UNI-Dome, 48-27.

Two second-quarter interceptions thrown by UNI quarterback Theo Day in a three-play span — and two more in the fourth quarter — ultimately sealed the Panthers’ (6-5, 5-3 MVFC) fate.

“I’m just sad,” UNI senior tight end Alex Allen said. “At this point we’ve just become family and it’s just too bad that it has to come to an end in this way. I feel like we prepared the right way. At the end of the day some things didn’t go our way.”

NDSU (8-3, 5-3) got just six points out of Day’s two errant second-quarter passes, but the interceptions came after Tye Edwards had given the Panthers life with a 40-yard touchdown run to bring UNI within 21-10 with 11:28 left in the opening half.

“I’m not going to get into (play-calling) right now,” UNI Coach Mark Farley said. “You go back and the games that we won we didn’t have any turnovers. The games that we lost we had all the turnovers in. Ultimately that’s the name of the game when you go back and look at it.”

The Bison converted a fourth-and-5 at UNI’s 35 with a Cam Miller touchdown pass to TaMerik Williams on the game’s opening drive.

After Matthew Cook punched through a 26-yard field goal, Miller led NDSU on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, including a threaded 20-yard pass to RaJa Nelson. It was capped by a 1-yard Miller QB sneak.

Trailing 27-10 at halftime, UNI started with the ball and quickly drove to the Bison 2, as Day completed 33- and 20-yard passes to Sam Schnee. However, two Edwards runs near the goal line were stuffed by NDSU and Day was sacked on third-and-8, forcing the Panthers to settle for a 30-yard Cook field goal.

NDSU pushed its lead to 34-13 with less than six minutes left in the third quarter with backup quarterback Cole Payton sneaking into the game and taking the first play of the drive 65 yards for a touchdown on a QB draw.

UNI’s offense answered with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive as Day completed 5 of 6 passes for 56 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to Schnee. But NDSU answered with a back-breaking drive featuring third-and-9 and third-and-19 conversions that came via a 40-yard completion and 20-yard scramble. It was capped with Payton’s second rushing TD, a 23-yard scamper.

“The two third-and-longs that we had to get off the field to pull that game back (closer) — those were (critical) and (Miller) made two plays,” Farley said. “Those two plays were big plays and those are the two things that gnawed at me the most.”

Day’s third interception came early in the fourth quarter and was returned 75 yards for a touchdown by Cole Wisniewski. His fourth came after leading a nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive with just 5:33 remaining.

Despite its five Missouri Valley Football Conference wins and 10th-ranked strength of schedule, chances are miniscule for an at-large FCS playoff bid during Sunday’s selection show, making for a lackluster end to a season that began with plenty of promise.

“You can’t lose three home games,” Farley said. “But, you also have to have depth. Everybody’s got to be behind the program from top to bottom to get the depth, to get the talent, to get everything you need to play in the (MVFC). I just know that there’s ways to win this, but it takes a complete package to win it all, too — to get to the playoffs. Because this league is too good and people are too invested in this league across the board.”