The 2021 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa in the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Panthers competed as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and were led by 21st-year head coach Mark Farley. They played their home games at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 4 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 7 (FBS) Iowa State* | No. 21 | | ESPN+ | L 10–16 | 61,500 |
September 11 | 8:00 p.m. | at Sacramento State* | No. 21 | | ESPN+ | W 34–16 | 8,067 |
September 18 | 4:00 p.m. | St. Thomas (MN)* | No. 18 | | ESPN3 | W 44–3 | 5,124 |
October 2 | 4:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 15 | | | W 34–7 | 8,771 |
October 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 5 North Dakota State | No. 16 | | ESPN+ | L 20–34 | 18,536 |
October 16 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 21 South Dakota | No. 16 | | | L 21–34 | 7,202 |
October 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 6 South Dakota State | No. 20 | | | W 26–17 | 16,889 |
October 30 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 3 Southern Illinois | No. 16 | | | W 23–16 | 5,902 |
November 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at Illinois State | No. 13 | | | L 10–17 OT | 6,000 |
November 13 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Missouri State | No. 20 | | | L 27–34 | 9,173 |
November 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | | | ESPN3 | W 41–3 | 6,785 |
November 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Eastern Washington* | | | ESPN+ | L 9–19 | 3,845 |
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Game summaries
At No. 7 (FBS) Iowa State
No. 21 Northern Iowa Panthers (0–0) vs. No. 7 (FBS) Iowa State Cyclones (0–0)
at Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA
- Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: sunny • Temperature: 73°F
- Game attendance: 61,500
- Referee: Kevin Hassell
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Shawn Kenney, Sage Rosenfels, Skubie Mageza
Game information
|
- First Quarter
- (4:09) UNI – Quan Hampton 52 yard pass from Will McElvain, Matthew Cook kick (Drive: 5 plays, 87 yards, 3:24; UNI 7–0)
- (1:06) ISU – Connor Assalley 35 yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:03; UNI 7–3)
- Second Quarter
- (7:25) ISU – Breece Hall 2 yard run, Connor Assalley kick (Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 7:19; ISU 10–7)
- (2:35) UNI – Matthew Cook 41 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:50; 10–10)
- (0:00) ISU – Andrew Mevis 40 yard field goal (Drive 10 plays, 52 yards, 2:35; ISU 13–10)
- Fourth Quarter
- (6:18) ISU – Connor Assalley 21 yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:20; ISU 16–10)
|
Statistics |
UNI |
ISU
|
First downs |
13 |
17
|
Total yards |
275 |
336
|
Rushes/yards |
26/45 |
34/136
|
Passing yards |
230 |
199
|
Passing: Comp–Att–Int |
21–34–2 |
21–26–0
|
Time of possession |
28:48 |
31:12
|
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
Northern Iowa |
Passing |
Will McElvain |
21–34, 230 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
|
Rushing |
Dom Williams |
12 carries, 43 yards
|
Receiving |
Quan Hampton |
8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD
|
Iowa State |
Passing |
Brock Purdy |
21–26, 199 yards
|
Rushing |
Breece Hall |
23 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
|
Receiving |
Xavier Hutchinson |
7 receptions, 88 yards
|
At Sacramento State
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
No. 21 Panthers
|
7
|
0
|
27
|
0 |
34 |
Hornets
|
3
|
6
|
0
|
7 |
16 |
St. Thomas (MN)
Youngstown State
At No. 5 North Dakota State
Northern Iowa Panthers (3-1) vs. North Dakota State Bison (4-0)
at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
- Date: October 9, 2021
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. (CT)
- Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 18,536
- TV: ESPN+
Statistics
|
Northern Iowa
|
North Dakota State
|
First downs |
14 |
15
|
Plays–yards |
63-381 |
64-363
|
Rushes–yards |
32-124 |
43-181
|
Passing yards |
257 |
182
|
Passing: comp–att–int |
12-31-0 |
11-21-0
|
Time of possession |
27:37 |
32:23
|
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
Northern Iowa
|
Passing |
Theo Day |
12/31, 257 yds, TD
|
Rushing |
Bradrick Shaw |
10 car, 44 yds
|
Receiving |
Isaiah Weston |
5 rec, 181 yds, TD
|
North Dakota State
|
Passing |
Quincy Patterson |
11/21, 182 yds, 2 TD
|
Rushing |
Quincy Patterson |
12 car, 60 yds, 2 TD
|
Receiving |
Christian Watson |
5 rec, 163 yds, TD
|
Scoring summary
|
Quarter
|
Time
|
Drive
|
Team
|
Scoring information
|
Score
|
Plays
|
Yards
|
TOP
|
UNI
|
NDSU
|
1st
|
7:37
|
1
|
85
|
0:11
|
NDSU
|
Christian Watson (#1) 85-yard touchdown reception from Quincy Patterson (#2), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good
|
0
|
7
|
1st
|
3:37
|
6
|
40
|
2:11
|
NDSU
|
|
0
|
10
|
2nd
|
11:24
|
8
|
73
|
3:36
|
UNI
|
Isaiah Weston (#80) 44-yard touchdown reception from Theo Day (#12), Matthew Cook (#97) kick good
|
7
|
10
|
2nd
|
3:00
|
8
|
73
|
3:36
|
UNI
|
33-yard field goal by Matthew Cook (#97)
|
10
|
10
|
2nd
|
0:23
|
9
|
71
|
2:37
|
NDSU
|
22-yard field goal by Jake Reinholz (#37)
|
10
|
13
|
3rd
|
11:46
|
2
|
9
|
1:12
|
NDSU
|
Quincy Patterson (#2) 4-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good
|
10
|
20
|
3rd
|
9:02
|
4
|
21
|
2:06
|
NDSU
|
Noah Gindorff (#87) 3-yard touchdown reception from Quincy Patterson (#2), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good
|
10
|
27
|
3rd
|
7:39
|
3
|
75
|
1:23
|
UNI
|
Dom Williams (#7) 5-yard touchdown run, Matthew Cook (#98) kick good
|
17
|
27
|
4th
|
14:09
|
16
|
80
|
8:26
|
NDSU
|
Quincy Patterson (#2) 4-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good
|
17
|
34
|
4th
|
9:08
|
11
|
48
|
5:01
|
UNI
|
44-yard field goal by Matthew Cook (#98)
|
20
|
34
|
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.
|
20
|
34
|
|
No. 21 South Dakota
At No. 6 South Dakota State
No. 3 Southern Illinois
At Illinois State
At No. 16 Missouri State
Game Ten: #20 Northern Iowa Panthers (5–4) at #16 Missouri State Bears (6–3)
at Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
- Date: Saturday, November 13, 2021
- Game time: 2:05 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), Winds W 7 mph; Sunny
- Game attendance: 9,173
- Referee: Aaron Adams • Umpire: Keith Wohlers • Linesman: Gordon Hanson • Line judge: Scott Lively • Back judge: Kurt Dingmann • Field judge: Brad Brunet • Side judge: Leanne Surmin
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Don West and Corey Riggs
Game information
|
- First Quarter
- (10:14) MSU - Jose Pizano 30 yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 02:44; MSU 3-0)
- (04:55) UNI - Matthew Cook 27 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 05:11; TIED 3-3)
- (01:03) MSU - Jose Pizano38 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 03:44; MSU 6-3)
- Second Quarter
- (12:54) UNI - Matthew Cook 47 yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 03:09; TIED 6-6)
- (05:21) MSU - Tobias Little 1 yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 07:33; MSU 13-6)
- Third Quarter
- (12:44) MSU - Jason Shelley 3 yard run, Jose Pizano Kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 0:10; MSU 20-6)
- (06:10) UNI - Tyler Hoosman 2 yard run, Matthew Cook kick (Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 06:25; MSU 20-13)
- Fourth Quarter
- (13:01) MSU - Jason Shelley 8 yard run, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 03:54; MSU 27-13)
- (05:11) UNI - Deion McShane 8 yard pass from Theo Day, Matthew Cook kick (Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 02:02; MSU 27-20)
- (02:14) UNI - Deion McShane 18 yard pass from Theo Day, Matthew Cook, kick (Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 01:41; TIED 27-27)
- (00:58) MSU - Naveon Mitchell 55 yard pass from Jason Shelley, Jose Pizano kick (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 01:16; MSU 34-27)
|
Statistics |
UNI |
MSU
|
First downs |
22 |
18
|
Total yards |
360 |
379
|
Rushes/yards |
33/122 |
32/59
|
Passing yards |
238 |
320
|
Passing: Comp–Att–Int |
17-30-2 |
22-30-0
|
Time of possession |
29:28 |
30:32
|
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
Northern Iowa |
Passing |
Theo Day |
17/30, 238 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
|
Rushing |
Dom Williams |
16 carries, 83 yards
|
Receiving |
Deion McShane |
6 catches, 86 yards, 2 TD
|
Missouri State |
Passing |
Jason Shelley |
22/33, 320 yards, 1 TD
|
Rushing |
Tobias Little |
10 carries, 34 yards
|
Receiving |
Naveon Mitchell |
3 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD
|
Western Illinois
FCS Playoffs
At No. 4 Eastern Washington–First Round
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|
|
|
|
Total |
Panthers
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
2 |
9 |
No. 4 Eagles
|
6
|
3
|
7
|
3 |
19 |
Players drafted into the NFL
References
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Venues | |
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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Culture & lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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