Junior running back Darian Williams started his first collegiate game for an injured Corey Lewis. It was Williams' third-straight 100-plus rushing effort as he gained 106 yards on 19 carries. Williams rushed for 37 yards on four carries in the opening drive of the contest. In the first half, Williams rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries (6.1 avg.).
Senior Brian Wingert's 28-yard field in the first quarter was his 56th three-pointer as a Panther and pulled him closer to Brian Mitchell's school record of 59 field goals.
Sophomore wide receiver Johnny Gray tallied his first career two-touchdown game against the Penguins. Gray caught first-half scoring passes (6, 15) from Eric Sanders. Gray tallied five first-half catches for 80 yards. Gray added 87 yards on kick/punt returns in the first half to notch 167 all-purpose yards at halftime.
Gray also set a career-high with three touchdown receptions. The last time a UNI player had three touchdown receptions came when Andy Thorn grabbed three scores against Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2004.
Gray caught a career-high seven passes for 160 yards. Gray's previous career-high game came against North Dakota (9/9/06) when he caught six passes for 103 yards.
Senior Dre Dokes recorded his team-high fourth and fifth interceptions on the season. Dokes now has 16 career interceptions.
Junior Chris Parsons notched his third interception of the season in third quarter when he picked off a Tom Zetts' pass in the end zone to end a YSU scoring threat. Parsons added his fourth interception of the season in the fourth quarter.
In the first half, junior quarterback Eric Sanders passed for 161 yards on 13-of-18 passing. Sanders had two first-half touchdown passes to Johnny Gray.
Sanders' three touchdown passes moved him to 48 in his career and tied him for fourth on the Panthers' all-time touchdown passes list with Steve Sandon (1978-81).
UNI holds a 15-6 lead in the all-time series. UNI has won six straight matchups between the two schools.
UNI improved to 3-0 in the Gateway with a win on Saturday. The last time UNI opened the Gateway season with three straight wins came in the 2003 season when the Panthers jumped out to a 5-0 start in league play.
UNI has started 3-0 in Gateway Conference play 10 times since the league began play in 1985.
