Complete UNI Football Weekly Release in PDF Format 
#5/#9 University of Northern Iowa (0-1, 0-0 MVFC) vs.
University of South Dakota (1-0, 0-0 Great West)
Game #2 • Sat., Sept. 6, 2008 • 4:05 p.m.
Cedar Falls, Iowa • UNI-Dome (16,324/Artificial Turf)
Series vs. USD: 40th meeting (UNI leads 21-17-1)
Television: CFU
Radio: UNI Sports Network
THE GAME
The No. 5/No. 9-ranked University of Northern Iowa football team will open the 2008 home season Saturday at 4:05 p.m. in the UNI-Dome against the University of South Dakota Coyotes.
UNI holds a 21-17-1 lead in the all-time series, although the teams have not met since 1982.
THE COACHES
UNI head coach Mark Farley is in his eighth season at the helm of the Panther sideline. Farley has posted a mark of 63-26 in seven seasons, which includes four trips to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Farley earned the 2007 Eddie Robinson after guiding the Panthers to a perfect 11-0 regular season and No. 1 national ranking for the final six weeks of the regular season.
Ed Meierkort is in his fifth year as head coach at USD. Meierkort has tallied a record of 34-13 with
the Coyotes and is 89-68 in 16 years as a head college coach.
RADIO
The game will be broadcast on the UNI Sports Network. Gary Rima (play-by-play) and Scott Peterson (color) will have the call. The flagship station will again be KXEL-AM (1540 - Waterloo/Cedar Falls) and will be joined by KCHA FM-AM (95.5, 1580 - Charles City), KXNO AM (1460 - Des Moines), KVFD AM (1400 - Fort Dodge), KQCR FM (98.9 - Hampton), KQMG FM (95.3 - Independence), KRIB AM (1490 - Mason City), KILJ FM (105.5 - Mount Pleasant) and KQWC AM (1570 - Webster City).
UNI PANTHERS GAMEDAY ONLINE
Panther fans will be able to view most of UNI’s home football games on www.UNIPanthers.com through UNI Panthers GAMEDAY Online. For a nominal fee, fans can get live streamed audio and video of most home games of UNI volleyball, football, men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling, as well as some road contests. To sign up, please go to UNI’s official athletic website at
www.unipanthers.com.
SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES
The South Dakota Coyotes recorded a 52-0 win over St. Ambrose to begin the 2008 season.
USD is transitioning from Division II to FCS and is a member of the Great West Football Conference in 2008. Prior to this season, USD was a member of the North Central Conference.
THE LAST TIME AROUND ...
The last meeting between UNI and USD on the football field came on Nov. 13, 1982, in the UNI-Dome. The Panthers celebrated Senior Day with a 41-24 victory over the Coyotes.
A familiar face scored the Panthers’ first touchdown on the day - current offensive line coach Rick Nelson caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Larry Miller and the Panthers never looked back.
Mark Goff was the Panthers’ leading rusher on the day as he only carried three times for 84 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown.
UNI VS. GREAT WEST
UNI will play a pair of games this season against Great West Football Conference opponents. The Panthers will lock up with the South Dakota Coyotes on Saturday and will close the 2008 regular season with a game at Southern Utah.
UNI is 3-0 all-time against Great West opposition after picking up wins against South Dakota State in 2006 and 2007, along with a triumph over Southern Utah in 2007 as well.A trio of University of Northern Iowa players with ties to northwest Iowa made a big impact in the Panthers’ season opener at BYU.
UNI’S GREAT NORTHWEST IOWA TIES
Panther starting quarterback junior Pat Grace (Sioux City, Iowa/Bishop Heelan HS) passed for a team-high 112 yards on 11-of-18 passing. Grace also rushed for a team-high 72 yards, including a 69-yard option keeper in the first quarter against BYU.
UNI redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Collins (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City West HS) had a tremendous debut for the Panthers as he led the team with 114 receiving yards. Collins made the most of his first collegiate reception as he took it 76 yards for a touchdown from wideout Victor Williams on a reverse pass against the BYU Cougars.
UNI senior defensive lineman Mark Huygens (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa/Sergeant Bluff HS) ended up at the right place at the right time against BYU. Huygens recovered a fumble in the end zone to cut the Cougars lead to 27-17 midway through the third quarter.
RUFF-RIDER
Junior defensive end James Ruffin recorded one of the more memorable plays against BYU when he sacked Cougar quarterback Max Hall and stripped him in one motion in the third quarter. The Panthers’ Mark Huygens then recovered the loose ball in the end zone for a UNI touchdown.
Ruffin finished the game with three tackles, one tackle-for-loss, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry.Sophomore placekicker Billy Hallgren (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline HS) picked right up where he left off last season as he drilled all three kicks he attempted against BYU.
HALLGREN PICKS RIGHT UP
Hallgren scored the first points of the season for the Panthers on a 33-yard field goal in the first quarter. Hallgren also made both extra point attempts to run his streak to 47 in a row to begin his Panther career.
Hallgren saw all four of his kickoffs against the Cougars reach the end zone, and he tallied one touchback as well.
BLACK BOOTS
Junior punter Brook Black (Houston, Texas/Second Baptist HS/Baylor Univ.) performed well as the Panthers’ first-stringer against BYU.
Black booted the ball seven times for a 43.1 average, which included a career-best 51-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Black had punted only one time last season for 40 yards in a 45-7 win over Drake (9/22/07).
BACKUP WORK
Redshirt freshman backup quarterback Zach Davis (Washington, Iowa/Washington HS) saw his first collegiate action. Davis completed five-of-six passes for 25 yards against the Cougars.
VICTOR CAN THROW TOO
Senior wide receiver Victor Williams (Clewiston, Fla./Clewiston HS/Louisberg College) has proven he can throw the deep ball with the best of them.
Williams completed the second touchdown pass of his UNI career on Saturday when he hooked up with fellow wideout Josh Collins for a 76-yard touchdown pass against BYU.
Williams also completed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Gray against Illinois State in the 2006 season finale in the UNI-Dome.
A TOUCH OF GRAY
Senior wide receiver/returner Johnny Gray will look to get as many touches as he can after toting the ball 108 times last season for 1,452 all-purpose yards.
Gray led the Panthers in catches a year ago with 70 grabs for 910 yards and five touchdowns.
Gray also led the team with 18 punt returns for 304 yards (16.9 avg.) and ranked third in kick returns with an 18.7 yard average.
He averaged 9.0 yards per carry on the ground with 126 yards on 14 carries. Gray rushed for four touchdowns as well.
Gray scored touchdowns receiving (5), rushing (4) and via punt return (1).
LEWIS LOOKING TO TAKE DOWN UNI CAREER RUSHING MARK
Senior running back Corey Lewis needs 1,109 rushing yards to becoming the school’s all-time leader.
Lewis began the 2008 season ranked No. 8 on the Panthers’ all-time rushing list. Jeff Stovall is the all-time leader with 3,835 rushing yards from 1993-1996.
Lewis already owns the Panthers’ single-season rushing record as he tallied 1,513 yards last season.
Lewis has 15 100-plus rushing efforts on his resume heading into the 2008 campaign.
TURN ‘EM OVER
The Panthers recovered four fumbles in Saturday’s game against BYU. UNI ended the game +2 in turnover margin, carrying over a stat from 2007 in which UNI held a +15 turnover margin for the entire season.
Darrell Lloyd, De’Veon Harris, Mark Huygens and Adam Roberts all recovered fumbles against BYU.
4TH LARGEST CROWD IN UNI FOOTBALL HISTORY
Saturday’s crowd of 64,108 at LaVell Edwards Stadium was the fourth-largest crowd to ever witness a UNI football game.
The only three larger games have come in Kinnick Stadium against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Largest UNI Football Crowds
1. 70,585 at Iowa (2005)
2. 70,397 at Iowa (1995)
3. 66,325 at Iowa (1997)
4. 64,108 at BYU (2008)
5. 56,795 at Iowa State (2007)
6. 55,518 at Iowa State (2006)
7. 50,120 at Minnesota (1987)
8. 48,088 at Iowa State (2003)
9. 47,092 at Iowa State (2001)
10. 46,219 at Iowa State (1987)
THE Mark Farley RADIO SHOW
UNI head coach Mark Farley’s radio call-in show will be broadcast live on the UNI Sports Network every Thursday throughout the season. The show will take place at Beck’s on the Hill in Cedar Falls and will run from 6:05 p.m. – 7 p.m.
PANTHER PLUS WITH Mark Farley
The state of Iowa’s only 1-hour football coaches’ show will be shown on Sunday’s at 9:30 p.m. on KFXA-TV (Channel 28). The show will be hosted by the Voice of the Panthers Gary Rima and will feature in-depth highlights, player profiles and a look to next week’s game. The show will also be broadcast throughout the week on Mediacom’s Connections channel and Cedar Falls Utilities.
WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS
UNI head coach Mark Farley or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at 12 noon in the back room of Pepper’s Grill and Sports Pub located on 18th Street in Cedar Falls.
