UNI football taking time off to begin bye week after dramatic South Dakota State loss

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley didn’t run Monday from the continued burn of last Saturday’s 31-28 home loss to No. 1 South Dakota State.

An odd schedule for the Panthers (5-5, 4-3 MVFC) this season included four straight home games in October and a bye in Week 11. And as unusual as this week’s bye is, Farley pointed out how it’ll help him and his team get over their emotional loss to the Jackrabbits.

“We’re probably fortunate we have an open date because that game is going to take more to get over than 24 hours,” Farley said Monday during his weekly news conference. “I know it’s taking me more than 24 hours to get over and I’m sure it’s going to take players more than 24 (hours).

“So, we’re off today, I’m going to give them tomorrow off. They’ll get a three-day time away. I don’t expect to get over that (game) for a while. You’ve got to kind of live it to understand it.”

UNI’s late bye week doesn’t offer much help with its injuries, though.

Farley said it’s unlikely defensive end Caden Houghtelling or defensive tackle Dylan Boles return for the regular-season finale at South Dakota next week, and said defensive tackle Khristian Boyd is questionable to return against the Coyotes.

“No. I don’t foresee it,” Farley said of Houghtelling and Boles’ chances to return. “The one that hurt (Saturday), and the one that wasn’t really expected, was Khristian Boyd. Now, after missing all of last week I don’t know if we’ll even get him back the following (week). Maybe. Maybe not.”

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Panthers are once again on the FCS playoff bubble and are going to need their share of help with fellow bubble teams coming up short of their own needed benchmarks.

“Some of the teams that we are contending against are in some big games this weekend,” Farley said. “Yes, I have looked at who plays who, whether it’s Big Sky, CAA or Missouri Valley (Football Conference). It isn’t so much records, it isn’t what everybody looks at with the Top 25 polls that are out there that really mean nothing.

“It’s your conference standing, your conference that matters. Then, of course, in your non-conference games did you beat a quality team? Or, did you have a couple people come to your house that you paid to get a win (against).”

UNI visits South Dakota (3-6, 2-4) a week from Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff at the DakotaDome.