Northern Iowa running back Xavier Terrell (5) rushed for 80 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown, Saturday as the Panthers upset nationally ranked Illinois State at the UNI-Dome. (Photo by UNIPanthers. com)
By Dan Verdun
The road warriors ran into a dead end Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
No. 3/4 Illinois State was upset by Northern Iowa, 28-21, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams.
The loss snapped ISU’s 11-game road winning streak, which dated back to last season and was the longest in Division I football.
The Redbirds entered Saturday with a 17-3 road record over the last three years. Moreover, two of those losses were to FBS programs.
“We weren’t very crisp for whatever reason,” ISU head coach Brock Spack said. “They beat us.”
Northern Iowa (2-2, 1-0) amassed 416 yards of offense, 217 passing and 199 rushing. Illinois State (4-1, 0-1) produced 347 yards.
UNI quarterback Jaxon Dailey accounted for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Dailey, a graduate student, passed for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 44 yards, including a 28-yard TD.
“He didn’t put as much on tape with the running . . . we weren’t expecting it. They did a good job of exploiting it,” ISU defensive lineman Travis Jones said.
Illinois State fumbled three times, twice on pitches from quarterbacks. However, the Redbirds only lost one.
“Both pitches weren’t very good,” Spack said. “The first one, Beckham (Pellant) had a lot of heat on that one. That was hard to catch. Gage (Roy’s) one was a little off target, which made it a tough catch.”
Illinois State’s offense entered the game converting 92% of its red-zone trips. The Redbirds managed just 2-for-5 inside the Northern Iowa 20-yard line Saturday.
“They played a little bit more man (coverage) against us. I have to give credit to their defensive backs. They did a good job, playing a little deeper into the outside,” Roy said.
For the second straight game, ISU was limited at running back. Sophomore Tyler Lofton started with preseason Walter Payton Award nominee Victor Dawson ailing and backup Seth Glatz out with an injury.
Lofton led the Redbirds with 72 rushing yards on 14 carries. Dawson entered the game at the start of the second half.
“We put him out there to get a little spark,” Spack said. “He’s still a little gimpy . . . He’s still not himself.”
Dawson ran for 13 yards on four attempts. He scored on a 9-yard run, pulling the Redbirds to within a touchdown halfway through the third quarter.
Northern Iowa committed 10 penalties for 80 yards, while ISU was flagged eight times for 73 yards.
“We have to prepare better and hold back on some of these penalties,” Jones said.
Game changers
5:48, 3rd quarter: After ISU had moved within a touchdown of UNI, the Panthers upped their lead to 28-14 on a 43-yard run by Xavier Terrell.
2:20, 4th quarter: Roy found tight end Alex Herrera down the seam for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The TD – Herrera’s fourth in four games – pulled ISU to within seven points.
2:19, 4th quarter: UNI receiver Cyrus Courtney fielded Illinois State’s onside kick. Two plays later, Terrell iced the game with an 11-yard run for a first down.
Best ‘Birds
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Illinois State players in the game:
Dylan Lord, WR: The junior led the Redbirds with a game-high 12 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a punt 10 yards.
Roy, QB: The Dallas native recorded career-highs for completions (24), attempts (39) and yards (193). Roy passed for two touchdowns.
Tye Niekamp, LB: The senior middle linebacker led ISU with nine tackles and a sack.
What it means
The loss ended Illinois State’s 11-game road winning streak and means the Redbirds open MVFC play with a defeat.
What’s next
The Redbirds face No. 2 South Dakota State at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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