Farley getting Panthers ready for Western Illinois

Mark Farley gave his University of Northern Iowa football team Saturday and Sunday off, one of the perks of a bye week.

What did the veteran coach do?

“I came over and worked on this (week's) game,” he said. “If I get sitting around too much ... Then I just relaxed and watched some ball games.”

Imagine that, a football coach watching some football on his “day off.”

“Always trying to pick up some new ideas,” he said.

Farley's not sure he picked up anything to help the Panthers this Saturday when they open Missouri Valley Football Conference play at home against rival Western Illinois (4 p.m.), a team that beat UNI last year, 34-10.

“It's a conference game, it's our first home game and they beat us last year,” Farley said. “We need to start building toward Saturday.”

That building process actually began late last week, after two days of some pretty intense football practices. Farley said he wanted his team to go back to the “two-a-day” mentality it had in late summer.

“We had to go back to the things that got us where we are today,” he said, noting the No. 1 offense scrimmaged the No. 2 defense. “I felt we had great intensity Tuesday and Wednesday ... very physical practice.”

Farley calls this a very typical Leathernecks team, despite their 1-2 record. Western lost to Missouri, 69-0, on Saturday, and opened the season with a 20-6 loss at Sam Houston State. Sandwiched between was a 35-21 win over Jacksonville.

Western is averaging just 13.7 points and 227.7 yards a game while allowing 36.7 and 475.7.

“They always do a great job against us,” Farley said.

UNI ranks sixth in the league, scoring 26.5 points a game, but is second behind North Dakota State in points allowed (21.5). The Panthers also rank fifth in total offense (373.5), fourth in defense (367.5).

“This is a chance for us to grow as a football team,” Farley said.