UNI football trying to fix what’s gone wrong

CEDAR FALLS — There’s a lot to fix for Northern Iowa football team after back-to-back losses to begin its 2023 season.

Protection issues, run game struggles, ball security problems, a non-existent pass rush and big play susceptibility have all put themselves on display at Iowa State and in Saturday’s home-opener against No. 7 Weber State.

So much error that Coach Mark Farley said it makes him bite his lip before and after putting on the film.

“It was the errors, and the errors being the cardinal sins of football, which is turnovers, explosive plays (allowed) and sacks.” Farley said. “Short week, or no short week, we’ve got to get it done and we can figure things out once we hit the (bye week).”

When it comes to UNI’s woes on offense, Farley said senior quarterback Theo Day is struggling, but spoke plenty about the need for continuity on the offensive line.

After missing the season-opener against the Cyclones, Tristan Roper returned Saturday and started at left tackle, which provoked a musical chairs of sorts. Jared Penning moved to right tackle, Blake Anderson to left guard and Carson Petlon to right guard.

“I think the continuity is critical. That’s the brotherhood within a brotherhood and that’s developed over years of working together,” Farley said. “That’s guys that move at the same speed because you play together. Can communicate very quickly. If one guy is setting deeper than the other, it opens up cracks.”

Among the shortcomings, what may be most troublesome, is the lack of a pass rush — something that began a season ago.

Its 17 sacks in 2022 was UNI’s lowest total since 2012, and through two games this season, the Panthers have yet to sack a quarterback.

“You’ve got to get turnovers, you’ve got to swing the pendulum with sacks. We’ve gotten neither,” Farley said. “I thought our defensive line really played well against the run (though). The secondary is just as big to sacks as the (defensive) line themselves, because that ball is coming out on time, and that ball should not come out on time if you’re playing the coverage that you need to be in and playing with the right technique and execution.”

With an 0-2 record and the first and second-ranked teams in the FCS — South Dakota State and North Dakota State — still remaining on a schedule that ranks second in strength in the country, Farley acknowledged Monday the cost-benefit ratio of the Missouri Valley Football Conference-Big Sky Challenge continues to be up for debate.

“You can debate all day long and I’ve seen both sides,” Farley said. “Ultimately what I believe is the difference is how the (playoff) committee makes decisions on strength of schedule. And each year it’s different.

“No matter what they say — those guys that sit in those (committee) chairs — sometimes strength of schedules plays in your favor, some years it doesn’t, and I’ve been on both ends of it.”

Working in the Panthers’ (0-2) favor, though — at least on paper — is a proverbial “get right” game at Idaho State (0-2) this Saturday. The Bengals suffered a 78-28 loss at Utah State Saturday, were picked last in the Big Sky’s preseason poll and are led by a first-year coach in Cody Hawkins. Kickoff at Holt Arena is at 5 p.m. (ESPN+).