Theo Day’s breakout season is among the best in UNI football history

CEDAR FALLS — Theo Day is currently authoring what’s arguably the greatest season by a Northern Iowa quarterback in program history.

The Canton, Mich., native currently ranks first in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in passing yards (2,471), touchdowns (19) and efficiency (165.5). Among all FCS QBs, he’s fourth in passing yards, seventh in efficiency and 10th in touchdowns.

Day’s breakout season has coincided with Bodie Reeder’s first year as UNI’s co-offensive coordinator, and the junior QB heaped praise on the Panthers play-caller this week ahead of their MVFC game against top-ranked South Dakota State (8-1, 6-0) this Saturday.

“Both of us have a better understanding of each other and him knowing what I like and what I’m comfortable with, and me just understanding how he calls plays and what he’s seeing (in the coaches booth) and why he’s calling the plays that he is,” Day said of the two’s developing rapport. “I think he’s just a really good play-caller calling really good plays, and then we’ve got a bunch of dudes out here, a bunch of really talented players who are making plays.”

Day went on to describe how Reeder’s offense — that was built anew shortly after his arrival at UNI alongside co-offensive coordinator Ryan Clanton and wide receivers coach Joe Ganz — is all about understanding players’ strengths.

“I’d definitely say it’s the most player-friendly and most unique offense (I’ve been in),” Day said. “A lot of times there’s kind of just a set offense and plays. I feel like this year we’ve been focusing on the players we have in the room and how we can make the offense most effective using our different skills.”

It hasn’t all been perfect, though. UNI began its season 0-3, and suffered a second MVFC loss in week 6 at home to Illinois State. And as Day has worked to refine his game this season, he hasn’t forgotten the shortcomings in those early losses.

“We’ve had winnable games — whether it be North Dakota or Illinois State — and the offense has been on the field to win those games and we haven’t done it and I made a couple crucial mistakes in those two in particular,” Day said. “In one of them a turnover and the other just not finishing a drive, so I’m always looking to cut down on turnovers. That’s kind of been my main goal after the first couple games so I’m still working on that.”

UNI’s game against the Jackrabbits offers a serious opportunity to all but clinch an at-large berth to the FCS playoffs.

The Panthers got in as the 24-team field’s last at-large team at 6-5 a season ago and find themselves in a similar position at 5-4 overall this season with two regular-season games remaining.

Despite the ups and downs that have come this season, Day says the belief that this team can match up with any opponent hasn’t wavered.

“Even last year we snuck in with six wins,” Day said. “I had a pretty good understanding that we were still able to beat anyone in the country and unfortunately we didn’t last year, but I’m even more confident this year with our ability to go play anybody in the entire country and beat them on any given day.”