CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, Nov. 12 - Austin MInefee had 330
all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns, but Southern Utah's bid to upset
FCS No. 5 Northern Iowa went awry in the second half when the Panthers came
from behind to poast a 34-21 win on senior night.
SUU won the first half but UNI won the second. The
Thunderbirds scored on their first three possessions of the half. They took the
opening kickoff and marched 60 yards in 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a
one-yard Minefee run and after UNI responded with a six-play, 52 yard drive for
a score, Minefee took the ensuing kickoff back 99 yards to stake SUU to a 14-7
lead.
The Thunderbirds then forced the Panthers to punt, setting
up SUU's longest drive of the game, a 15-play, 86 yard effort that culminated in
a one-yard Brad Sorensen run for a touchdown. The score gave SUU a 21-7
advantage with 12:57 to play in the half.
UNI answered scored the next 10 points to pull within 21-17
on a four-yard Rennie Terrell run and a 41-yard Tyler Sievertsen field goal.
SUU missed a golden opportunity to pad the lead at the end
of the half, when the Thunderbirds drove to the UNI 10 yard line but Sorensen's
pass for Fatu Moala on second and goal was intercepted in the corner of the end zone by Varmah Sonie with
18 seconds to go.
The Panthers, who have given up an average of just 5.4
points per game in the second half this season, held the Thunderbirds without a
score in the second half. UNI took its first lead on a 16-yard run by Rennie on
the opening drive of the half, and extended its advantage to 31-21 with a
one-yard dive over the pile by L.T. Fort.
The only scoring in the fourth quarter was a 43-yard Sievertsen
field goal.
SUU led the yardage battle at halftime, with 241 total yards
to UMI's 202, but in the second half the tables were turned, as UNI finished
the game with 410 to SUU's 352 yards.
Minefee led the team in rushing and return yards, carrying
15 times for 67 yards and returning six kickoffs 203 yards. Daryl Brown caught
six passes for a team-high 77 yards and Sorensen completed 25-of-35 passes for
287 yards but he was intercepted twice, at the end of the first half and again
near the end of the game when a throw slipped through Moala's hands and was
caught by Garrett Scott.
Rennie completed 10-of-16 passes for 126 yards and carried
16 times for 86 and the two scores. Carlos Anderson carried 11 times for a
season-high 115 yards to pace the Panthers.
SUU, which wraps up the season next week at Northern
Arizona, dipped to 5-5 on the season, while UNI improved to 8-2.
-- SUU --
