UNI football can’t overcome mistakes at North Dakota State

Northern Iowa chose the wrong week to play without its A-game.

The No. 12 Panthers (3-2, 1-1) offered No. 5 North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0) a challenge Saturday afternoon at the Fargodome, but a handful of mistakes couldn’t be overcome in a 34-20 loss.

“What’s right on my mind is, the two (long touchdowns) in the first half was really the only offense. Then, the two turnovers in the second half — which (were) technically the punt return and the (fumble) — with both inside the 15-yard line and there’s your (21) points,” UNI coach Mark Farley said. “The only other action that was out there was a quarterback scramble to create a drive midway through the third quarter, so there’s 28 points.”

A fumble recovery on the Bison’s first drive of the game offered hope and opportunity for UNI (3-2, 1-1 MVFC) to snap its six-game losing streak in Fargo, but coming away with zero points on its ensuing possession proved to be the first of multiple missed opportunities and mistakes to prevent a three-game winning streak from improving to four.

“When I look at our offense, man, we can throw the ball, we can rush the football and we just weren’t disciplined. The penalties absolutely killed us,” Farley said. “It stopped our drives. Those are self-inflicted wounds that can’t happen.”

The Panthers’ defense seemed to provoke what it wanted against NDSU (5-0, 2-0), making Bison quarterback Quincy Patterson — who finished 11-for-21 with 182 yards passing and two touchdowns — play his position instead of largely being a runner. It was an easy-to-understand approach, but Patterson made enough plays with his arm, beginning with an 85-yard completion to Christian Watson for the game’s first touchdown midway through the first quarter.

“They can run the ball and then suck you down and get that play-action (pass) over your head,” UNI safety Korby Sander said. “It’s tough to deal with and they have a good scheme as well. It just comes down to discipline and being able to grow and learn from this game, for sure.”

NDSU extended its lead to 10-0 on its next drive on a 30-yard field goal by Jake Reinholz, but UNI mustered its first counterpunch after.

Despite missing wide receiver Isaiah Weston twice earlier on the drive, quarterback Theo Day — who finished 12-of-31 for 257 yards — connected with the redshirt junior on a 40-yard touchdown, his one and only of the game.

A 40-yard missed field goal by Reinholz resulted in UNI getting back to even at 10-10 with a 33-yard Matthew Cook field goal, but before halftime a nine play, 71-yard drive that included a controversial late hit penalty on UNI linebacker Spencer Cuvelier gave NDSU a 13-10 lead.

After the break Day was sacked and fumbled on the Panthers’ first drive, and despite a recovery of his own, Nate Murphy’s punt on the next play was returned 41 yards by Jayden Price to UNI’s 9-yard line.

Two plays later the Bison extended their lead to two scores at 20-10 and Day fumbled again when sacked on the next drive, resulting in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Patterson to Noah Gindorff.

Price’s punt return, Day’s fumble and nine penalties for 77 yards left Farley and the Panthers wondering what could’ve been after out-gaining NDSU 381-363 in total yards.

“We need to improve because we played this game,” Farley said. “We didn’t have the discipline on offense, but we didn’t have the discipline on defense (either).”

UNI hosts South Dakota (3-3, 1-1) next Saturday. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. (ESPN+)