Notebook: UNI quarterbacks stay friends during battle

CEDAR FALLS — Whenever a quarterback competition exists, the players involved typically pay lip service to the idea that it doesn't matter who plays — it's all about the team.

But as Sawyer Kollmorgen, Aaron Bailey, Dalton Demos and Eli Dunne have competed for the top quarterback spot for Northern Iowa, the group has developed a camaraderie not often seen at a position in which alpha-dog status kind of comes with the territory.

Believe it or not, each of them — to a man — have gone out of their way to describe the situation as a very friendly competition.

MORE: Four-man race at QB for UNI

'It's all because we're trying to do the same thing. At the end of the day, we want UNI to be successful,' said Demos, a junior college transfer. 'It's not easy and it's not normal. There's teams I've been on where there's been tension. But with these guys, we're buddies. It's really, really nice.

'I make a bad play and get yelled at, the first guys to help me are Sawyer, Eli and Aaron. It's been great. I don't see that changing. We've got good friendships.'

Video: QB Dalton Demos

The talent among the group is high and varied in terms of type of strength. Kollmorgen and Dunne are more tradition pocket passers, Demos has a strong arm and is mobile and Bailey has the intelligence, vision and athleticism that made him a top recruit and former Big Ten player.

All the talent available has made the friendly rivalry pretty intense.

'Of course, when we're on the field, we're competing,' Bailey said. 'We help each other as best we can, on and off the field.

'It's like you're playing against your brother. When you play them in one-on-one, you stay friends but you still want to beat them really bad.'

A key to keeping the competition friendly has been airing out anything each player is frustrated with or even excited about.

Kollmorgen, who has been in a quarterback battle every year he's been at UNI, knows well how a divided quarterback group can hurt a team as a whole. This group has been focused on making sure that doesn't happen — regardless of who ends up with the job.

Video: QB Sawyer Kollmorgen

'We don't want to be fake. We put it all out on the table,' Kollmorgen said. 'If I have a problem with someone, I tell them. If they have a problem with me, they tell me. We all have different personalities. I want to see them succeed, as long as it helps our team succeed.

'We know in the end, there's only one of us out on the field. The rest of us have to support them. A bad attitude toward whoever's in the game; talking bad about them in the locker room can destroy a team. I've seen it done. It's not good; it's not pretty. … The important thing is staying close so we can see the team succeed.'

TOUGH SCHEDULE

Should Northern Iowa either win the Missouri Valley Football Conference or return to the FCS Playoffs, it will do so by way of beating some of the toughest competition it has ever faced.

The Panthers begin their season with the Big 12's Iowa State on Sept. 5, then in three of the subsequent four weeks are games against teams ranked No. 6 or higher. UNI plays No. 6 Eastern Washington at home in Week 2, then at No. 2 Illinois State on Oct. 3 and at No. 1 North Dakota State on Oct. 10.

It doesn't exactly let up from there, either. The Oct. 24 matchup in Brookings, S.D., is against preseason No. 16 South Dakota State and the Nov. 7 matchup at home is against preseason No. 21 Indiana State.

Rather than look at it as huge hurdles, Coach Mark Farley sees it as an opportunity.

'It's not easy, but nothing much is anymore,' Farley said of this year's schedule. 'They get to take on this schedule. No. 1, No. 2, No. 6, Big 12 — and three of those four on the road. If you make it through and win this league, then you've done something no other team on those walls (depicting conference championship seasons) has ever done.

'You can separate yourselves from all those teams if you can pull things together and if you can do the things to win games.'

HEALTH UPDATE

With so many things in flux for UNI and so many players working into new roles, staying healthy has been at a premium for the Panthers.

Coach Mark Farley said his team has been in good shape in that regard so far, but that there's a long way to go before live action against Iowa State in Jack Trice Stadium. With key practices coming up, he and his staff have to walk the thin line of physically preparing the team but keeping them able.

'We've been blessed as far as injuries,' Farley said. 'We have guys down, but it hasn't affected the depth chart much. All the injuries are two, three day injuries, not two, three week injuries. We've been blessed and very fortunate to date.

'But our physicality has to be tuned up here. We can't get this offense and defense ready to play unless we get really physical. It'll be a fine line.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com