Following a 13-6 win over Idaho State giving head coach Mark Farley his 151st career win, the ninth-ranked Panthers made the trip out west to Ogden, Utah, for a top-ten matchup with No. 6 Weber State.  Coming into the heavyweight bout, Farley knew the challenge that lied ahead.

“Weber State is a two-time Big Sky [Conference] champion,” Farley said.  “I think that says enough right there […] There’s a reason they’re two-time champions.  Their talent level is very, very good.  I can tell you that their head coach is a defensive coach, and he would fit in this league very well because this league is made up of those kinds of coaches. So, he’s going to bring that same kind of demeanor of what we play against in the Missouri Valley […] I think that’s a great compliment to their team as I see it.”

The game was shaping up to be a close battle, but costly mistakes presented a tough comeback trail for the Panthers.

Walk-on QB Will McElvain threw for 219 yards and rushed for a total of 105 of the team’s 165 yards.  Additionally, true freshman kicker Matthew Cook remained a perfect 9-9 on field goals this season.

The Panther defense held the Wildcats to negative seven yards of offense in the third quarter, and just one yard of total offense in the second half, but UNI couldn’t come back from those crucial mistakes at the start of the game.

Weber State scored on their first play of the game on a 73-yard TD pass, giving the Wildcats the early 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers fumbled during the return, offering a Weber State field goal just minutes later. To add on to the damage, McElvain threw his first interception of the season, leading to another Wildcat score to extend their lead to 17-0 with 5:43 left in the first quarter.

On the next play, the Panthers were able to drive down the field and settle for a 35-yard field goal by Cook, putting them on the board with 3:27 left in the first.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats were able to score another touchdown, extending their lead over the Panthers to 27-3. The Purple and Gold responded with a 37-yard TD pass from McElvain to Isaiah Weston for a leaping grab as the Panthers brought the score to 27-10.

In the third quarter, the Wildcats were able to force a safety on the Panthers, which was the only score in the third.  As time was winding off the clock in the fourth quarter, McElvain threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Jaylin James from two yards out, inching the score closer at 29-17, but the Panthers weren’t able to complete the comeback.

Despite the loss, the Panthers had 99 more yards of total offense with 384 total yards, 219 through the air and 165 on the ground.

The Panthers will be in action next week on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 4 p.m. in the UNI-Dome for a homecoming battle against 22nd-ranked Youngstown State.