UNI searching for something solid on the ground

CEDAR FALLS - Whenever he's asked what it takes to win in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, Northern Iowa head coach Mark Farley goes through the usual response from football coaches about consistency, hard work and focus.

But he also almost always lands on running the football.

It's essential, he often says, because it sets up the passing game and makes the play-action pass effective. It's a basic tenet of what's defined UNI football for the last 15 years while he's been at the helm.

So it shouldn't be a surprise, then, that a major factor in the Panthers' losses this season has been not getting the most out of its ground game as it might've in the past. In UNI's two wins this season, it's averaged 235 rushing yards. In the four losses, that average dips to 149.5 rushing yards.

'We're not doing a good enough job blocking it, and we're not doing a good enough job in the play-action part of it to keep some of the defenses from attacking the way they are right now,” Farley said. 'There's no question they attack (Sawyer) Kollmorgen differently than they attack (Aaron) Bailey. You can see that in what they do. At the same time, you have to be able to rush the football. I've always said that.

'If you want to create tempo, you have to rush the football, then throw the football. Incomplete passes stop the clock. You need to get positive yards every down and you have to rush the football. We didn't do those things.”

The success the Panthers (2-4, 0-3) have seen on the ground this year has essentially been limited to the read-option run kept by one of the two quarterbacks - primarily Bailey. That's also reflected in the play calls for quarterback runs - both designed and in option sets.

Bailey is the leading rusher for UNI - and it's not really close. Through six games, Bailey has 470 yards in 87 attempts (5.4 per carry) and four touchdowns. Kollmorgen has 16 carries for 96 yards (6.0). Each had long runs against North Dakota State on read-option plays, with Bailey sprinting for the 83-yard touchdown and Kollmorgen a 39-yarder.

Of the running backs Tyvis Smith has 208 yards in 46 carries (4.5) and two touchdowns, Darrian Miller has 42 carries for 187 yards (4.5) and one touchdown, Savon Huggins has 30 carries for 59 yards (2.0) and one touchdown and Michael Malloy has 10 carries for 41 yards (4.1) and one touchdown.

When quarterbacks make up 53 percent of the rushing totals, there's an issue there. And the Panthers realize that.

'I think we just need to work together a little more offensively. We need to get in during the week and put our work in so that on Saturday it comes together a little bit better,” Malloy said. 'We need to be more consistent and we need to start faster. In the games we've come out slow, it's been hard to get going. When we came out fast, we've really been rolling. That's what we need to do in the future.”

Last season, the Panthers had averaged 164.6 yards per game on the ground in the first seven games (of a 12-game schedule) in largely up and down performances, sat at 3-4 and needed to win out to make the playoffs. Over the final five-game winning streak that got them into the playoffs, they averaged 177.6.

Granted, that's close to what UNI has averaged so far this season (178 per game), but the main difference was being able to consistently rely on David Johnson and Miller as running backs and not having to rely on a quarterback to shoulder the load rushing and passing.

Johnson isn't running out from under the garage door and through the smoke anymore, so UNI will have to make due. They know the situation they're in, and that it's been overcome before. Farley wants to find a balance of using that knowledge, but not as a crutch.

'I think everybody's looking for something like (last year's win streak) to inspire us this time,” Farley said. 'That's never worked for me because it's a different team. If you think it's going to happen just because it did before, that's usually when you fall on your face. This particular team has some things to take care of to be able to make that happen.

'I try to keep away from those comparisons. But it can be done, because we've done it two or three times over all the years. We'll see if this team can find a way to get it done with their core people.”

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