Panthers show poise, consistency in tight win at South Dakota

Monday was another good day for Northern Iowa football Coach Mark Farley.

For the second time in three weeks, Farley's team was feeling good after a Saturday victory - this time a 19-14 non-conference road win over South Dakota.

Sunday was good day in the Northern Iowa camp, too.

“Ask me (today), it might change,” Farley said with a laugh.

That's the story of UNI's season, he said. Sundays and Mondays have been good (real good three times), Tuesdays and Wednesday's a little tougher, Thursdays and Fridays stressful and Saturdays “a full day's worth of work.”

The Panthers (3-3, 2-1) have won three games by a total of 22 points and lost two of three by a total of nine, including one in overtime. Only Iowa State blew the Panthers away.

Nothing has come easy.

“Why would we expect that?” he said.

Saturday, it took a career-high four field goals from Missouri Valley Football Conference special teams player of the week Billy Hallgren to secure a key win.

“That was a tough win,” Farley said. “We took their best shot ... it was a big win for us, a very important win.”

Farley said UNI has grown and improved the past six quarters.

“We played solid football, good football against a good football team,” he said. “That's the kind of football we need to play to win.”

The 19th-ranked Panthers return to the MVFC Saturday, hosting Illinois State (4-3, 3-2) in another big game.

Kickoff is set for

4:05 p.m. (KWWL).

“We've been a little more consistent, a little more confident, a little more poised,” he said.

All was good ... on Monday.

By J.R. Ogden, The Gazette