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Football
Panthers to Battle Bison in UNI-Dome
Complete UNI Football Weekly Release in PDF Format Complete North Dakota State Football Weekly Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK IN PANTHER FOOTBALL #4/#6 University of Northern Iowa (4-2, 2-1 MVFC) vs. #16/#20 North Dakota State University (3-3, 1-2 MVFC) Game #7 • Sat., Oct. 18, 2008 • 4:05 p.m. Cedar Falls, Iowa • UNI-Dome (16,324/Artificial Turf) Series vs. NDSU: UNI leads 22-18 Television: Valley Football/KFXA/FCS Central Radio: UNI Sports Network/FCS Game of the Week UNI FOOTBALL QUICK HITS • UNI and North Dakota State will be meeting for the 41st time on the football field this Saturday, but it will the first encounter since the 1982 season. UNI holds a 22-18 all-time lead in the series, which begin in 1938. In fact, UNI won nine of the first 10 games in the all-time series with NDSU. • Saturday will mark a matchup of the teams picked to finish No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason Missouri Valley Football Conference poll. NDSU was selected No. 1 with 289 points, while UNI was tabbed No. 2 with 275 points. However, UNI did receive 15 first-place votes compared to 13 first-place votes for NDSU. UNI is the defending conference champion having posted a perfect 6-0 mark in league play in 2007. • UNI is 164-41-1 in the UNI-Dome, which includes a 4-0 mark this season. The Panthers have scored home wins over South Dakota (24-13), South Dakota State (34-20), Nicholls State (34-14) and Illinois State (31-17) in 2008. The Panthers have gone undefeated at home in a season seven times since 1990. • Junior quarterback Pat Grace (Sioux City, Iowa) has been a dual threat for the Panthers in 2008. Grace has been responsible for 15 of the Panthers' 20 offensive touchdowns this season. He has passed for eight touchdowns this season and has also rushed for a team-high seven scores. Grace is the Panthers' No. 2 rusher this season with 377 yards on 71 carries. • Junior linebacker Josh Mahoney (Sioux Falls, S.D.) has stepped in as a starter this year at outside linebacker and has been a big contributor. Through six games, Mahoney leads the Panthers with 60 total tackles (27 solos). Mahoney notched a career-high 16 tackles on Saturday against Illinois State. • UNI head coach Mark Farley is in his eighth season at the helm of the Panther program. Farley has posted a mark of 67-26, which ranks him fourth on the Panthers' coaching victory list. • The Panthers had nine players in training camps in the National Football League, a list which includes: QB Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals), P Derrick Frost (Green Bay Packers), WR Mike Furrey (Detroit Lions), OL Brandon Keith (Arizona Cardinals), OL Brad Meester (Jacksonville Jaguars), OL Chad Rinehart (Washington Redskins), DB Justin Sandy (Cleveland Browns), DB Benny Sapp (Minnesota Vikings) and WR Justin Surrency (Minnesota Vikings).
THE GAME The University of Northern Iowa football team will complete its run of three straight home games in the month of October with another league contest this Saturday against the North Dakota State University Bison. THE SERIES UNI holds a 22-18 lead in the all-time series. UNI is 13-6 all-time against North Dakota State in Cedar Falls. 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 67-27 in seven seasons, which includes four trips to the NCAA FCS playoffs. Farley earned the 2007 Eddie Robinson Award 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. Craig Bohl is in his sixth season season as the NDSU head football coach. Bohl has compiled a mark of 46-15 as the Bison's head coach. TELEVISION The game will be broadcast as a part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference's television package. The game will be picked up locally on KFXA-TV (Cedar Rapids). Mick Shaffer (play-by-play), Richard Baldinger (analyst) and Danan Hughes (sideline) will have the call. 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). Broadcaster Marketing Services will also produce the game as a part of the FCS Game of the Week package. The game will be broadcast by WCKY, AM 1530, Cincinnati, over WCKY's 50,000 watt nighttime skywave signal, which, geographically, covers the eastern half of the United States and Canada at night, and provides a signal that can be heard by 2/3 of the population of the U.S. and Canada. Frank Santore Jr. (play-by-play) and Elwin Huffman (analyst) will have the call. UNI PANTHERS GAMEDAY 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. PANTHER POINTS NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON The North Dakota State Bison will enter Saturday's game against UNI with a record of 3-3 overall. NDSU is 1-2 in league play having dropped games at Youngstown State (32-24) and at home to Western Illinois (27-22). NDSU's lone conference victory came over Southern Illinois (35-27). After completing its transition from Division II to FCS, NDSU is in its first year of eligibility for the FCS playoffs. NDSU was tabbed as the favorite to win the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference's preseason poll having scored 289 points to UNI's 275 points. PAYTON AWARD CANDIDATES ON DISPLAY The game will feature a pair of running backs who are in contention for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the nation's best FCS player. UNI features senior running back Corey Lewis, who leads the Panthers with 511 rushing yards this season. Lewis, who suffered an ankle sprain against Nicholls State, was limited to only two carries in Saturday's win over Illinois State. NDSU's offense features senior running back Tyler Roehl. Roehl is the Bison's leading rusher with 451 yards on 79 carries and he has scored six touchdowns in 2008. IT'S BEEN AWHILE UNI and NDSU will be meeting for the 41st time on the gridiron. However it will be the first meeting between the two since 1982. UNI and NDSU were members of the North Central Conference and had met on an annual basis from 1938 to 1979. A RESPONSIBLE QB UNI junior quarterback Pat Grace (Sioux City, Iowa) has been responsible for 15 of the Panthers' 20 offensive touchdowns in 2008. Grace has passed for eight touchdowns and run for seven more. Grace has been most effective in the comforts of the UNI-Dome as he has either passed or rushed for 13 of his 15 touchdowns at home. GRACE NAMED TOP MVFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER For the second time this season UNI junior quarterback Pat Grace has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Offensive Player of the Week. Grace was responsible for all four UNI touchdowns in the Panthers' 31-17 win over Illinois State. Grace ran for a career-high 99 yards on 13 carries, which included a pair of rushing scores - an 8-yard run in the third quarter and a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter. He was also efficient throwing the ball as he completed 13-of-18 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Grace's first scoring toss went five yards to Ryan Mahaffey to put the Panthers on top, 7-0. Grace's second touchdown pass of the day came on a 50-yarder to Victor Williams in the second quarter, and it gave UNI a 17-3 lead. SWIFT NAMED MVFC LINEMAN OF THE WEEK Senior offensive lineman Bob Swift (Manchester, Iowa) has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Offensive Lineman of the Week for his effort in a 31-17 victory over Illinois State. Swift graded out at 96 percent in UNI's 31-17 win over Illinois State. Swift tallied two pancake blocks in the victory. He helped the UNI offense surpass 400 yards of total offense for the first time this season. UNI ran for 178 yards and passes for 238 yards against the Redbirds, while not giving up a sack. BIG-PLAY WIDEOUT One of UNI's downfield weapons this season has been redshirt freshman Josh Collins (Sioux City, Iowa). Collins leads the Panthers in yards per catch this season at 26.3. Collins caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Victor Williams against BYU, then added a 62-yard reception from Pat Grace against Illinois State. Collins has nabbed 11 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown through the first six games of the season. MAHAFFEY FINDS THE ZONE Sophomore tight end Ryan Mahaffey (Grinnell, Iowa) is fitting in nicely at tight end after having served as the Panthers' starting fullback last season. Mahaffey had his most productive pass-catching day as a Panther in a 31-17 win over Illinois State. Mahaffey caught four passes for 43 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass from Pat Grace on the opening series of the game. THE REDBIRDS FOUGHT THE LAW & THE LAW WON Junior running back Derrick Law (Kansas City, Iowa) got his first career start on Saturday against the Illinois State Redbirds as he filled in for an injured Corey Lewis. Law carried the ball a game-high 19 times for a 84 yards. His longest run of the day came on a 15-yard scamper. Law has carried the ball 56 times this season for 242 yards and one touchdown. LEWIS LOOKING TO TAKE DOWN UNI CAREER RUSHING MARK Senior running back Corey Lewis needs 635 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 with 2,689 yards. Lewis has rushed for 511 yards in 2008 to up his career total to 3,200 and has moved into No. 3 on the Panthers' all-time rushing yards 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. CRACKING 100-YARD MARK Senior running back Corey Lewis tallied his 17th career 100-yard rushing game against Southern Illinois. His 17 career 100-plus rushing efforts rank him No. 4 on the active FCS list with fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference running back Herb Donaldson (Western Illinois) ahead of him with 19. ACTIVE FCS 100-PLUS RUSHERS 29, Jordan Scott, Colgate 20, Mike McLeod, Yale 19, Herb Donaldson, Western Illinois 17, Corey Lewis, UNI 17, James Noble, Cal Poly 17, Javarris Williams, Tennessee State 17, Rashad Jennings, Liberty 15, J.T. Rogan, San Diego 14, Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St. 14, David Sinisi, Monmouth T-MAC'S PICKS Senior cornerback Terrell McMoore (Minneapolis, Minn.) made another big play Saturday for the Panthers as he picked off a pass in the end zone to thwart an Illinois State rally. McMoore intercepted Illinois State quarterback Kevin Brockway on a fourth-and-three situation in the third quarter as the Redbirds attempted a comeback against the Panthers. McMoore intercepted the pass and returned it 18 yards to help UNI to a 31-17 victory over the Redbirds. It was McMoore's second intercept of the season, which ties him for the team lead. McMoore's previous interception this season came on the road at Southern Illinois. McMoore leads the Panthers in pass breakups with six. He ranks seventh on the team in total tackles with 26. RUFFIN UP THE COMPETITION Junior defensive end James Ruffin (Burnsville, Minn.) simply continues to attack quarterbacks and rack up tackles-for-loss. Ruffin is one of the main reasons UNI leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in sacks and tackles-for-loss. Ruffin added his team-high sixth sack of the season in UNI's 31-17 win over Illinois State. Ruffin has recorded a sack in five of the first six games this season. He ranks tied for fifth in the nation in sacks per game (1.0). Ruffin also has a team-high 9.5 tackles-for-loss. He has had at least one tackle-for-loss in each game this season. He ranks No. 20 in the nation in tackles-for-loss per game (1.58). 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, which pulled the Panthers to within 27-17 of the Cougars. Coming into the season, Ruffin had tallied only 4.5 sacks as a Panther. MAHONEY STEPS UP Junior linebacker Josh Mahoney has stepped into one of the starting outside linebacker slots and has not looked back so far this season. Mahoney leads the team with 60 total tackles through six games. He recorded a career-high 16 tackles in UNI's 31-17 victory over Illinois State (10/11). Mahoney, a native of Sioux Falls, S.D., seemed to enjoy playing against squads from his home state as he was the Panthers' leading tackler against both South Dakota and South Dakota State. Mahoney tallied 12 tackles, an interception and fumble recovery in a 24-13 win over South Dakota. Then against SDSU, Mahoney notched a game-high 11 tackles in a 34-20 win over the Jacks. HOME SWEET DOME UNI is 164-41-1 in the UNI-Dome. UNI is 4-0 this season at home. The Panthers have gone undefeated at home in a season seven times since 1990. Prior to 1998, the Panthers had two consecutive undefeated seasons in the Dome. The Panthers have posted three perfect home seasons under head coach Mark Farley, including 2001 (6-0), 2003 (6-0) and 2005 (7-0). Prior to a September 24, 1994, loss to McNeese State, UNI had won 29 straight regular-season games in the Dome dating back to the 1989 season when it lost 22-14 to Mankato State in the first game of the year. The Panthers are 60-12 in home Missouri Valley Football games, leading the league in home conference victories. UNI will play host to league foes South Dakota State, Illinois State, North Dakota State and Missouri State in the UNI-Dome this season. TURNOVERS TELL THE TALE Against Illinois State, the UNI Panthers were +2 in turnover margin to add to a pattern the squad has been developing all season. In five of its six games this season, UNI has had the advantage in the turnover category. Opp. T.O. Margin Score BYU +2 L, 41-17 USD +2 W, 24-13 SDSU +1 W, 34-20 SIU -4 L, 27-24 NSU +2 W, 34-14 ILS +2 W, 31-17 Last season, UNI held a +15 turnover margin en route to a 12-1 record and a conference championship. PANTHERS FARE WELL IN HOMECOMING CONTESTS Since 1920, UNI has recorded a mark of 57-23-7 in Homecoming games. The Panthers have won four Homecoming games in a row and 17 of the past 20, including this years' 31-17 victory over Illinois State (10/11). LLOYD'S STRONG EFFORT Senior strong safety Darrell Lloyd (O'Fallon, Mo.) secured a game-high 12 tackles (five solos) and intercepted his first pass of the season in leading the Panthers to a 34-14 win over visiting Nicholls State on Oct. 2. Lloyd is second on the team in total tackles with 54 through six games. BILLY THE KICKER Sophomore placekicker Billy Hallgren (Coal Valley, Ill.) made two field goals and was perfect on all four extra point attempts to help UNI to a 34-14 win over Nicholls State on Oct. 2. Hallgren's 33-yard field goal in the third quarter gave UNI a two-score advantage over the Colonels, 24-14. Hallgren then added a season-best 43-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to give UNI a 27-14 lead. Hallgren kicked off seven times in the game and recorded two touchbacks, but did not allow NSU's top return man Lardarius Webb to touch the ball on any kickoff returns. UNI VS. RANKED FCS TEAMS UNI is 59-35 all-time against ranked FCS teams after Southern Illinois scored a 27-24 win over the Panthers. SIU was ranked No. 13 in the FCS Coaches' poll and No. 15 in The Sports' Network's media poll. GRACE EARNS TOP MVFC OFFENSIVE HONORS Junior quarterback Pat Grace was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Offensive Player of the Week vs. South Dakota State. Grace accounted for four of the Panthers' five touchdowns in leading UNI to a 34-20 league win over South Dakota State. Grace hooked up with wide receiver Johnny Gray on an 18-yard scoring toss in the first quarter to give UNI the lead for good against the Jackrabbits. Grace added his first rushing touchdown of the day on a three-yard plunge with 14 seconds left in the half. Grace connected with tight end Ryan Mahaffey on a 33-yard touchdown pass to give UNI a 21-6 advantage. Grace then put the finishing touches on his day with a four-yard bootleg run to make it 34-13 for the Panthers with 7:05 left in the game. He finished the day with 284 yards of total offense, which included 200 through the air and 84 on the ground. BLACK NABS MVFC SPECIAL TEAMS POW HONORS Junior punter Brook Black was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week vs. South Dakota State. Black punted seven times for a 43.0 average against South Dakota State, but it was his first three punts of the game that set the tone. Three of Black's punt ended up inside the 10-yard line in the second quarter. His first punt of the day was downed at the three-yard line. Black's second punt was fielded at the seven-yard line, and his third punt of the day was a coffin-corner kick that was marked out at the one-yard line. JOHNNY ALL-PURPOSE Senior Johnny Gray (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) got into the act again against SDSU (9/20) as he scored via the air and the ground. Gray scored the first touchdown of the day against South Dakota State when he latched on to an 18-yard pass from quarterback Pat Grace. Gray ignited the Panthers in the third quarter when he returned a punt 38 yards to set up another Panther touchdown. Gray then went to work on the ground as he scored a fourth-quarter touchdown on a 19-yard reverse. He notched 187 all-purpose yards on the day. HARRIS HARASSES THE JACKS Senior linebacker De'Veon Harris put on an all-around effort in leading UNI to a 34-20 win over visiting South Dakota State. Harris recorded nine tackles, two tackles-for-loss, a quarterback sack, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Harris also helped stuff the Jackrabbits' running game as the Panthers limited SDSU to only 15 rushing yards on 26 attempts. FOR OPENERS By scoring a 34-20 win over South Dakota State, UNI is 17-7 all-time in MVFC openers, which includes wins in each of the past four seasons. The Panthers are 10-2 in MVFC home openers since the inception of the league in 1985. UNI'S GREAT NORTHWEST IOWA TIES A trio of University of Northern Iowa players with ties to northwest Iowa made a big impact in the Panthers' season opener at BYU. 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. BLACK BOOTS Junior punter Brook Black 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. 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) PANTHERS IN THE NFL DRAFT For the first time since 1976, two University of Northern Iowa football players were selected in the same National Football League draft. Offensive linemen Chad Rinehart (Boone, Iowa) and Brandon Keith (McAlester, Okla.) saw their names come across as draft picks on the second day of the two-day draft. The Washington Redskins selected Rinehart in the third round with the 96th overall pick. The Arizona Cardinals chose Keith in the seventh round with the 225th overall pick. Both Panthers will be joined by former UNI players with their new teams. Rinehart will team up with punter Derrick Frost in Washington, while Keith will meet up with quarterback Kurt Warner in Arizona. It also marks the first time since 2002 that UNI has had a player chosen in the draft. Ryan Hannam went in the fifth round of the 2002 draft to the Seattle Seahawks. UNI RANKED THIRD IN SPORTS NETWORK PRESEASON POLL The University of Northern Iowa football will begin the 2008 season ranked No. 3 in The Sports Network's FCS preseason top 25 poll. UNI finished ranked No. 4 in the nation last season after holding down the No. 1 spot in the poll for the final six weeks of the regular season. For the second year in a row, Appalachian State was a near unanimous pick as the No. 1 selection. The Mountaineers, the three-time defending national champs, received 97 of 101 first-place votes and 2,546 points. It is the third consecutive year that ASU has opened the season ranked No. 1 by The Sports Network. VALLEY FOOTBALL RULES SPORTS NETWORK POLL For the first time in league history, six Missouri Valley Football schools dot the Sports Network preseason poll. North Dakota State is the highest ranked Valley Football school, at No. 2, behind three-time defending national champion Appalachian State. Northern Iowa (3), Southern Illinois (11), Youngstown State (12), South Dakota State (19) and Western Illinois (25) represent the league in the rankings. It marks the first time the league has had as many as six teams ranked in the same poll. Five Valley Football schools had been ranked in the same top-25 poll 11 times, most recently on Oct. 1, 2007. Notably, it's the first time the league has had two of the top three spots in a top-25 poll since Oct. 10, 2005, when Southern Illinois (1) and Western Kentucky (3) represented the league in that fashion. UNI TABBED #4 IN PRESEASON FCS COACHES' POLL The University of Northern Iowa football team is ranked No. 4 in the preseason FCS Coaches' poll. Three-time defending FCS national champion Appalachian State received more preseason praise as the Mountaineers were selected the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in the FCS Coaches Preseason Poll. ASU received all 24 first-place votes in collecting 600 total points. After a 10-1 record in its final season in the Great West Conference, North Dakota State, now in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, came in at No. 2. Rounding out the top 10 were James Madison, UNI, Massachusetts, Richmond, Montana, Delaware, Eastern Washington and McNeese State. The Missouri Valley Football Conference teams ranked were North Dakota State (2), UNI (4), Southern Illinois (11), Youngstown State (12), South Dakota State (20) and Western Illinois (22). The FCS Coaches Poll is based exclusively on a voting panel of head coaches in the FCS under the cooperation of the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and is administered by the Southern Conference. UNI TABBED SECOND IN MVFC PRESEASON POLL UNI The University of Northern Iowa football team has been picked to finish second in the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors. North Dakota State, one of two new members in the nine-member conference, has been selected as the preseason favorite with 289 points. UNI is second with 275 points, but tallied the most first-place votes (15). The next three teams were tightly bunched for the third-, fourth- and fifth-place spots, as 10 points separated Youngstown State (3rd-209), Western Illinois (4th-202), and Southern Illinois (5th-201). Each of the top-five teams in the poll received at least one vote to finish first. The league's other new team, South Dakota State, is picked sixth with 149 points. The Jackrabbits, with NDSU, competed in the Great West Football Conference last year. 2008 Valley Football Preseason Poll Team (first-place votes) Points North Dakota State (13) 289 Northern Iowa (15) 275 Youngstown State (1) 209 Western Illinois (4) 202 Southern Illinois (2) 201 South Dakota State 149 Missouri State 105 Illinois State 104 Indiana State 41 SIX PANTHERS EARN PRESEASON VALLEY FOOTBALL HONORS The UNI football team saw six individuals named to the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason team. Senior Johnny Gray was named to the team as both a wide receiver and a return specialist. Gray led the league in receptions (70), receiving yards/game (70.0), punt returns (16.9 yards/return) in 2007. He ranked No. 4 in the nation in punt return average. Four Panther defenders found a spot on the squad led by senior Mark Huygens. Senior De'Veon Harris, senior Darrell Lloyd and junior James Ruffin were also named to the team. Huygens, a preseason All-America pick on the defensive line, led the team with 4.5 quarterback sacks and tied for fourth in the conference in sacks last season. Harris, a second-team all-conference pick last year, ranked second on the team with 87 total tackles. Harris tied for 19th in the league in total tackles and secured four double-digit tackle efforts. Lloyd, a second-team all-league pick in 2007, led the team with eight pass breakups. He ranked second on the team in interceptions (3). He also ranked fifth on the team with 52 total tackles. Ruffin, who secured first-team all-conference honors in 2007, ranked second on the team with eight tackles-for-loss. He ranked third on the team with 3.5 quarterback sacks. Senior running back Corey Lewis was named to the honorable mention squad, despite setting a UNI single-season rushing record last season with 1,513 yards, which also was the ninth-highest single-season total in league history. Lewis ranked No. 2 in the league and No. 19 in the nation in rushing yards/game (116.38). Lewis led the conference and ranked No. 16 in the nation in all-purpose yards/game (167.5). He recorded the third-highest single-season all-purpose yardage total in the history of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (2,178 yards). GATEWAY BECOMES MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE Presidents of the nine-member Gateway Football Conference and the 10-member Missouri Valley Conference have approved a rebranding initiative that changes the football conference name from the Gateway Football Conference to the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The change is effective immediately. It represents the second name change for the football league, which begins its 24th season this fall. Initially, the conference competed under the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (1985-91) and the Gateway Football Conference (1992-2007). "This is going to allow the Missouri Valley Football Conference members to take advantage of year-long positive exposure received by the Missouri Valley Conference," said Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner Patty Viverito. "Both leagues have developed a tremendous brand name, but the timing for the name change is right. The league expanded July 1 with two new members, and with this new, stronger lineup, rebranding makes sense." Although the league will share the Missouri Valley name, the football-playing members will compete under a separate administrative umbrella, as the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference will remain separate entities. Members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (and initial year of membership) include Illinois State University (1985), Indiana State University (1986), Missouri State University (1985), North Dakota State University (2008), the University of Northern Iowa (1985), South Dakota State University (2008), Southern Illinois University (1985), Western Illinois University (1985), and Youngstown State University (1997). Five Missouri Valley Football Conference members also compete in the Missouri Valley Conference (Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, and Southern Illinois). Three league schools compete in the Summit League (North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Western Illinois), while Youngstown State competes in the Horizon League for its other sports. LEWIS NAMED TO 2008 WALTER PAYTON AWARD WATCH LIST The race for the 2008 Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award has begun, with The Sports Network's announcement of Payton and Buchanan watch lists. The University of Northern Iowa's Corey Lewis is among the 16 candidates for the Payton Award. Eight players from last year's Walter Payton Award ballot are among the 16 names on the 2008 Payton Award watch list. Receivers Ramses Barden of Cal Poly and Terrell Hudgins of Elon, quarterbacks Liam Coen of Massachusetts and Dominic Randolph of Holy Cross and running backs Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois, Mike McLeod of Yale, Tyler Roehl of North Dakota State and Jordan Scott of Colgate were the repeat selections. Eight other players joined them on the Payton watch list, quarterbacks Nathan Brown of Central Arkansas, Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State, Rodney Landers of James Madison and Matt Nichols of Eastern Washington, receiver Andre Roberts of The Citadel and running backs Rashad Jennings of Liberty, Corey Lewis of Northern Iowa and Javarris Williams of Tennessee State. Roehl, who finished eighth last season, is the highest returning vote-getter on the McLeod was ninth, Hudgins 11th, Randolph 12th, Donaldson 13th, Scott 14th, Barden 15th and Coen 16th last year. Nichols was 17th as a write-in candidate. Linebacker Bobby Daly of Montana State and free safety Lardarius Webb of Nicholls State head up the 16 candidates named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list, also released on Friday. Daly, who finished sixth in the 2007 Buchanan Award voting, and Webb, who placed 10th, are the only players from last year's ballot on the Buchanan list. Eight other linebackers joined Daly among the candidates, Bobby Abare of Yale, Pierre Banks of Appalachian State, Mario Brown of Gardner-Webb, Zach East of Prairie View, Cyrus Mulitalo of Sacramento State; Andy Romans of Lafayette, Andy Schantz of Portland State and Jason Williams of Western Illinois. Other players selected included strong safety Colt Anderson of Montana, defensive ends Jovan Belcher of Maine, Greg Peach of Eastern Washington and Pierre Walters of Eastern Illinois, defensive tackle John Faletoese of UC Davis and free safety Terrell Whitehead of Norfolk State. The Payton and Buchanan awards will undergo two revisions, one in October and one in November, before ballots are sent out to a panel of sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries on Nov. 24. The Sports Network awards banquet will be held Dec. 18 in Chattanooga, Tenn., on the eve of before the NCAA Division I national championship game. The Payton Award goes to the FCS national player of the year, with the Buchanan Award honoring the FCS national defensive player of the year. The Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the FCS national coach of the year will also be awarded that night. The Robinson Award ballot will be announced in November. The Sports Network established the Payton and Robinson awards in 1987, and began sponsoring the Buchanan Award in 1995. Georgia Southern quarterback Jayson Foster was the 2007 Payton Award winner, while Montana defensive end Kroy Biermann took home the Buchanan Award. Former UNI quarterback Eric Sanders was the 2007 Payton Award runner-up. THREE PANTHERS NAMED TO PRESEASON SPORTS NETWORK ALL-AMERICA SQUADS University of Northern Iowa senior running back Corey Lewis (St. Paul, Neb.) has been named to the preseason first-team All-America squad by The Sports Network. Senior defensive lineman Mark Huygens (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) was named to the second team, while senior wide receiver Johnny Gray (Deerfield Beach, Iowa) earned a spot on the third team. UNI was one of five schools with a trio of players named the preseason All-America squads. POLL TALK The Panthers have finished ranked in the top 25 in six of head coach Mark Farley's seven seasons at the helm of the UNI football program. In fact, UNI has finished ranked in the top five in the nation four times during the Farley era. UNI was ranked No. 4 in 2001, No. 5 in 2003, No. 25 in 2004, No. 2 in the 2005, No. 17 in 2006 and No. 4 in 2007. Only five times since 1984 have the Panthers ended a season unranked - 1986, 1988, 1997, 1998 and 2002. STOCKING THE NFL The University of Northern Iowa had nine former players in camp with National Football League teams this preseason. Derrick Frost - Green Bay Mike Furrey - Detroit Brandon Keith - Arizona Brad Meester - Jacksonville Chad Rinehart - Washington Justin Sandy - Cleveland Benny Sapp - Minnesota Justin Surrency - Minnesota Kurt Warner - Arizona WORKIN' OVERTIME UNI is 4-4 in overtime games. The Panthers have not played an overtime game since 2005, when UNI went 2-0 in extra session contests. UNI edged past Western Kentucky in a double-overtime game in the regular season, 23-20. The Panthers then advanced to their first-ever national championship game with a 40-37 overtime win at Texas State. UNI had lost its previous two overtime playoff games before its breakthrough against the Bobcats. Five of the eight games to go into overtime have been decided in multiple overtimes. UNI has won three straight overtime games dating back to the 2002 season. UNI's Overtime Games @NE La. 44, UNI 41 (OT) - 1987 @Boston U. 27, UNI 21 (2OT) - 1993 @W. Illinois 29, UNI 22 (2OT) - 1997 @UNI 29, Indiana St. 21 (3OT) - 1997 McNeese St. 20, @UNI 17 (OT) - 1998 UNI 29, @Cal Poly 26 (3OT) - 2002 UNI 23, @W. Ky. 20 (2OT) - 2005 UNI 40, @Texas State 37 (OT) - 2005 NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS UNI is the only original Valley Football member to win at least two non-conference games each year. UNI is 2-1 this season against non-conference foes after scoring a 34-14 victory over Nicholls State on Thursday night. Previously this season, UNI netted a 24-13 win over South Dakota and fell to BYU, 41-17. UNI is 105-47 against non-conference opponents since 1985. PANTHERS' TV COVERAGE Eight UNI football games will be shown live in the state of Iowa during the 2008 season. Cedar Falls Utilities will broadcast home games against South Dakota (Sept. 6), South Dakota State (Sept. 20), Illinois State (Oct. 11) and Missouri State (Nov. 8). Mediacom will broadcast home games against South Dakota State (Sept. 20), Illinois State (Oct. 11) and Missouri State (Nov. 8). UNI's game at Southern Illinois on Sept. 27 will be televised by Mediacom. ESPNUHD will broadcast the Oct. 2 game against Nicholls State live from the UNI-Dome at 6:35 p.m. The North Dakota State-UNI contest on Oct. 18 will be televised live on Fox 28 (KFXA-TV) as a part of the Missouri Valley Football Television network. The season opener Aug. 30 at BYU was shown on The Mtn. 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.
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