The Northern Iowa Panther football team lost to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Saturday, falling to 2-5 on the season.
North Dakota established the running game early, rushing for 58 yards on their first drive and converting on two fourth-down attempts. On the 16th play of the drive, the Fighting Hawks ran in a touchdown and took an early 7-0 lead.
Quarterback Matthew Schecklman and the Panther offense got off to a hot start, completing a 24-yard pass to JC Roque Jr. and an 8-yard completion to Layne Pryor.
The offense reached Fighting Hawks territory but was stalled on third down. Head Coach Mark Farley sent out kicker Caden Palmer for a 50-yard field attempt, which was no good.
On their next offensive possession, the Fighting Hawks offense quickly reached UNI territory. Facing a fourth-down and three from their own 39-yard line, the Panther defense stepped up and stopped the Fighting Hawks’ rushing attempt.
The Panther offense didn’t waste any time on their next drive. On the second play from scrimmage, Schecklman found JC Roque Jr. down the field for a 60-yard touchdown, tying the game at seven apiece.
The Fighting Hawks offense showed urgency on their next drive, rushing for 32 yards on three plays. Facing a third-down and two in UNI-territory, The Fighting Hawks converted on a 32-yard touchdown to retake the lead at 14-7 late in the second quarter.
After a quick three-and-out from the Panther offense, The Fighting Hawks opened up the passing game, starting the drive with a 7-yard completion followed by a gain of nine. The offense threw for 46 total yards to reach the red-area. On second and goal from the 1-yard line, the Fighting Hawks rushed for a touchdown to extend their lead to 21-7 going into halftime.
On the Fighting Hawks’s first possession to start the second half, the Panther defense forced their first punt of the game.
On their next possession, the Panther offense got in rhythm as Schecklman found Tye Edwards for a gain of six followed by a 14-yard catch by Desmond Hutson. Facing a fourth-down and seven from the North Dakota 42-yard line, Schecklman and the offense couldn’t convert, turning it over on downs.
After the two teams exchanged punts, the Fighting Hawks offense put the game on ice with a 40-yard touchdown run. The score extended their lead to 28-7 early in the fourth quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage after the touchdown, the Fighting Hawks intercepted a pass from Schecklman and took over at the Panther’s 34-yard line. The Fighting Hawks took advantage of the good field position and extended their lead to 31-7 with a field goal, which was the final score.
