The Northern Iowa football team fell to the Illinois State Redbirds this past Saturday by a score of 31-9.
Matthew Schekleman got the run game going on the first down with a gain of nine. A few plays later, Schecklman couldn’t connect with Tysen Kershaw on third down, which forced a Panthers punt.
On their first defensive possession, the Panthers quickly forced the Redbirds to a third down and nine. Tucker Langenberg had a near interception on a deflected pass, but after discussion was over turned by the referees.
On their next offensive possession, Amauri Pesek-Hickson broke free for an18-yard run down to the 41-yard line. On third down and two from the 44-yard line, Tye Edwards was stopped behind the line of scrimmage which sent out the punting unit for the Panthers.
The Redbirds orchestrated an efficient drive, which included pass completions of fifteen and 20 yards. After reaching the red-zone, the Panther defense stepped up and forced fourth down. The Redbirds kicked a 21-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
The Panthers went three-and-out on their next possession. The Redbirds went right back to work, this time establishing the run game. The offense ran for a total of 37 yards. As the Redbirds worked their way into the red-zone, they finished off the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter.
The Panther offense jump-started their own running game, starting with a 14-yard run by Pesek-Henson. A few plays later, Schecklman scrambled for a 24-yard gain down to the 30-yard line. Facing a third-down and five, Schecklman looked for Kershaw in the back of the endzone but couldn’t convert. The Panthers settled for a 32-yard field goal from Caden Palmer to cut the lead to 10-3 halfway through the second quarter.
The offense got the ball back quickly and got right to work. Scheklman found Brady McCulbugh for a spectacular 33-yard catch through two defenders. The offense kept their foot on the gas with a 20-yard run by Pesek-Henson. The Panthers continued to work their way into Redbird territory with back to back catches from Layne Pryor for 18 yards. The offense stalled on third down, which sent out the field goal unit. Palmer’s kick from 36 yards was no good.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Redbirds efficiently moved the ball down the field into Panther territory, mixing in a variety of running and passing plays. On the 21st play of the drive, the Redbirds rushed for a 3-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 17-3 early in the third quarter.
The Panthers showed some urgency on their next offensive possession. On the first play of the drive, Edwards ran for a 49 yard gain down to the 26-yard line. After converting a second first down on the drive, the offense couldn’t get in the endzone. Palmer kicked a 25-yard field goal through the uprights to cut the lead to 17-6 late in the third quarter.
The Panthers paid the price settling for a field goal on their previous offensive possession. On the second play from scrimmage, the Redbirds converted a 68-yard pass down to the 9-yard line. A few plays later they rushed for their rushing touchdown of the game, extending their lead to 24-6 early in the fourth quarter.
The offense responded on the Panthers next drive as Scheklman found Kershaw for a 37-yard gain. On the next play he converted a 14-yard pass to Tay Norman. The offense once again couldn’t reach the endzone, settling for a 42-yard field goal by Palmer to cut the lead to 24-9 Redbirds.
The Redbirds sealed the game on their following drive, starting with a 27-yard run. After quickly reaching the redzone, they ran in another score to extend their lead to 31-9, which would end up being the final score.
The Panthers will travel to Youngstown, Ohio on Saturday to take on the Youngstown State Penguins at 11 a.m. on ESPN +.
