UNI offensive line has confidence going into Hawaii game

CEDAR FALLS — Positives from a 34-3 loss at No. 22 Nebraska last Saturday night include the play of Northern Iowa’s offensive line.

The rushing numbers were not gaudy like UNI’s first two games, but 139 yards on the ground — along with allowing only one sack of quarterback Aidan Dunne — gave the Panthers offensive linemen more confidence to move forward.

“We were able to throw the ball a little bit better and we had a big possession time — we had over 38 minutes of possession — but we just couldn’t score,” UNI offensive line coach Rick Nelson said. “I was very pleased with how physical (we) played. That was a big positive for our group.”

Nelson — who is in the second year of his second stint on coach Mark Farley’s staff — has been part of a collaborative effort with three first-year offensive assistant coaches to remake an offense that’s largely built out of the new assistants’ experience in the ‘“Air Raid.”

Nelson said the mixture of his preferences, along with running backs coach Atif Austin, has worked well with the “Air Raid” backgrounds of wide receivers coach Joel Filani, tight ends coach Brian Folkerts and quarterbacks coach Trey Tinsley.

“We all have our thoughts and what we like to do and so there’s five of us and we’re all a little different so we’re trying to put it together,” Nelson said. “I think we’re settled on some things (and) I think we’re still evolving. We have really great coaches and great (players). It’s really fun to be around them.”

Now, with three games played, the veteran coach acknowledged the loss at Nebraska also offered optimism for a passing game that has yet to find a rhythm this season.

“I thought Dunne did some good things moving around, making some things happen,” Nelson said. “We’ve just got to continue to clean up our protections, but I think we’re seeing what we can and can’t do. We’re all new. We’ve been around each other for three months as coaches.”

‘Brutal trip’ to Hawaii will test UNI

The 2024 season marks Nelson’s 18th on Farley’s staff, and along with all the value his experience provides the program, he’s also particularly valuable this week as the Panthers (2-1) play at Hawaii (1-2). Nelson was on the staff for the program’s first trip to Oahu in 2014.

Farley explained this week the team’s equipment was flying to Hawaii on Tuesday, preventing any padded practices.

Meanwhile, Nelson told The Gazette that team buses were leaving for the airport at midnight and 3 a.m. on Wednesday and posts from the team’s X account revealed 20 hours worth of travel that had the team at the Honolulu airport just before 8 p.m. (CT).

The game kicks off at 11 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a brutal trip. There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” Nelson said. “So, I think it’s up to the (players) just having that maturity that (we) want you to have a good time, you may not ever get back here, but we still got a football game to play.”