On Saturday, a huge in-state rivalry played out at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa as the UNI Panthers took on the Iowa State Cyclones. Both sides fought hard, but the Panthers could not get enough going offensively to prevent the Cyclones from coming away with a 42-24 victory.

A rough performance from junior quarterback Eli Dunne proved to be the difference as two first-quarter pick-sixes gave the Cyclones an early lead. Dunne later threw three touchdowns to try and get the Panthers back in the game.

However, an additional interception in the second quarter left UNI on their heels. Another key factor in the loss was a less-than-stellar performance by the Panther defense, which only drew one interception and failed to sack junior quarterback Jacob Park. Yardage totals were close; the Cyclones only beat the Panthers by totals of 409-398.

There were bright spots, however. Freshman Isaiah Weston caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. Dunne was able to split his targets well later in the game, completing passes to nine different receivers. Another bright spot was senior Jared Farley recording 14 tackles in the game, including one tackle for a loss. Finally, we saw sophomore Trevor Allen rush for 87 yards on 12 carries.

In the end, this was a game of turnovers. Three of the four turnovers in the game were attributed to the Panthers, two of which led to touchdowns.

Next week at the home opener against the Cal Poly Mustangs, the Panthers will look to redeem themselves and come out with their first win of the season. Cal Poly is currently coming off a close 20-14 loss to Colgate University, which was highlighted by a big 20-point comeback by Colgate, led by starting quarterback Khaleel Jenkins. Cal Poly will look to bounce back from their heartbreaker on Saturday.

UNI will need a big performance on both sides of the ball to come out on top in this matchup. Last year, Cal Poly finished last season with a 7-5 record.

The home opener will take place in Cedar Falls at the UNI-Dome at 4 p.m. Reminder: parking costs have risen to $5 for parking at the UNI-Dome. This is the last time the Panthers will be at home for two weeks, as UNI will take on both Southern Utah and Southern Illinois on the road.