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Football
UNI Holds Off Salukis For 30-24 Homecoming Win
Oct. 13, 2007
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Making the most of its first home game in six weeks, the No. 2-ranked University of Northern Iowa football team treated a UNI-Dome record crowd of 17,074 to a thrilling, 30-24, homecoming win Saturday over No. 7 Southern Illinois. In just their second game of the season within the confines of the Dome, the Panthers used 362 yards of offense and three field goals by freshman kicker Billy Hallgren to run their unblemished record to 6-0 on the season and 2-0 in Gateway Conference play. It was UNI's 11th-consecutive home win over the Salukis. The Panthers took the lead for good with 5:29 to play in the first quarter, but it took an interception, fumble recovery and a stellar defensive play by senior Chris Parsons on SIU's last-ditch effort for the end zone as time expired to keep the high-powered Salukis at bay. Hallgren nailed a career-long 53-yard field goal to put the Panthers up 30-17 with 11:38 left in the final quarter, but the Salukis were far from finished. A 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nick Hill to Justin Allen cut UNI's lead to 30-24 with just under two minutes to play and, on the ensuing kickoff, the Salukis recovered an onside attempt to retain possession. An interception of Hill by UNI's Darrell Lloyd three plays later allowed the Panthers to breathe a sigh of relief, but the feeling was temporary as UNI was forced to punt with under 10 seconds left to play. The Salukis' final gasp materialized in the form of a pass from Hill to John Randle, who then pitched to Hill. He then tossed to Alan Turner, who weaved his way downfield before Parsons made the game-saving play to push Turner out of bounds at the UNI 6-yard line. The play was a final exclamation point for a defensive effort that saw the Panthers force four turnovers to limit the damage caused by a Saluki offense that rolled up 506 yards. Along with Lloyd's pick, Parsons and Brannon Carter each tallied an interception, while De'Veon Harris forced a fumble. Hill shouldered a heavy load for SIU, completing 33 of his 45 pass attempts for 436 yards and three touchdowns, but the Panthers' three interceptions kept things within reach for the UNI offense. For the Panthers, Hallgren's leg was the difference on the scoreboard. The freshman put UNI on the board in the first quarter with a 40-yarder in the first quarter and then provided the Panthers with some breathing room in the second quarter with a 33-yard kick that put the hosts up 13-7. Hallgren then nailed his 53-yarder before a fourth attempt was blocked 2 1/2 minutes later. Senior quarterback Eric Sanders was efficient in leading a Panther offense that rolled up 253 yards passing, going 19-for-26 with a touchdown. That score came on a 28-yard strike to Victor Williams that gave UNI a 20-7 edge at halftime. Sanders connected with six different receivers on the night, led by Johnny Gray's 117 yards on nine catches. Gray finished with 152 all-purpose yards. Corey Lewis led the Panthers' ground attack, carrying the ball 20 times for 93 of UNI's 109 rushing yards. The Panthers hit the road again next Saturday, Oct. 20, for a date with Western Illinois in
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