UNI Picks Up 27-13 Road Win Over Western Illinois [Video]

The University of Northern Iowa football picked up a key road win over the Western Illinois Fighting Leathernecks Saturday, October 25, 2014, defeating its MVFC foe 27-13. The Panthers are now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in league play.

Senior running back David Johnson led the team on offense with 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns to break the school record in career touchdowns. Brion Carnes started at quarterback, going 19-33-0 for a career-high 239 yards and one touchdown. Kevin Vereen Jr. turned in several acrobatic catches to lead the Panthers through the air with 84 yards off six receptions.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Max Busher turned in a top-performance with a season-high tying 14 tackles and his first-career interception. Jake Farley turned in eight tackles while true freshman D’Shawn Dexter finished with seven.

Michael Schmadeke put the Panthers on the board early in the first quarter by knocking in a 32-yard field goal. The drive took 2:56 off the clock for eight plays and 40 yards after a 45-yard kickoff return from Johnson to start the game.

Johnson added to the score line himself with 8:14 on the clock in the first quarter off an eight-yard rushing touchdown. The drive was set up by a Chad Owens 37-yard punt return to the Western Illinois 36-yard-line. The scoring drive burned 2:05 off the clock for five plays and 36 yards to give UNI a 10-0 lead.

Owens found the end zone at the 9:56 mark in the second quarter to put UNI up 17-0 after Carnes linked with him for a 20-yard receiving touchdown. The drive lasted 5:16 for 12 plays and 80 yards.

Schmadeke converted his second field goal of the game with 4:26 left in the second quarter, hitting a career-long 49-yarder to make the score 20-0 in UNI’s favor. The score ended a 3:48 drive for eight plays and 48 yards.

Western Illinois notched its first score of the game at the 1:17 mark in the second quarter when Trenton Norvell found Hi-C Scott open for a 32-yard receiving touchdown. The drive took 28 seconds off the clock for two plays and 34 yards to make the score 20-7.

Johnson then proved he could do it all on the Panthers’ offensive drive that ended with 14:15 left in the fourth quarter. Not only did he throw for a first down to Carnes, but he also rushed into the end zone for a 17-yard rushing touchdown on the next play to put UNI up 27-7. The score ended a 3:10 drive for seven plays and 71 yards.

The Fighting Leathernecks were able to convert on a 44-yard passing touchdown from Norvell to Quadarias Mireles, making the score 27-13 with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter after a missed PAT attempt. The drive took 1:26 off the clock for six plays and 62 yards.

Western Illinois had chance to cut the UNI lead to just seven points late in the fourth quarter, but Busher intercepted the ball in the end zone to seal the Panthers 27-13 win over WIU.

Video Source: UNI Athletcis via YouTube