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UNI faces Lamar in 1st round

CEDAR FALLS — Before its final regular season game last weekend, the University of Northern Iowa football team knew it needed to come up big to advance to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Come up big is just what the Panthers did by shutting out Missouri State 37-0, and because of that victory UNI now gets to play host to Lamar University in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

This is the 23rd time the Panthers (6-5) have made the playoffs and second straight for head coach Mark Farley, who has a 55-10 record in games played in November.

On the other side, the Cardinals (7-3) are making their first trip to the FCS playoffs and they have only their second winning record since reintroducing football to their sports scene in 2010.

UNI is 5-1 at home this season, while Lamar is 3-2 on the road. The Panthers beat Monmouth in the first round of last year’s playoffs with a huge 46-7 win in the UNI-Dome before falling to South Dakota State in the second round.

Northern Iowa got revenge on the Jackrabbits this year, however, beating then-No. 2 South Dakota State in a 24-9 decision in Cedar Falls. That was just one of three wins over top-25 teams for the Panthers, who also beat No. 13 Illinois State, 26-16, and No. 24 South Dakota, 42-28.

UNI has the toughest strength of schedule for the 2018 season according to the Massey computer rankings.

The Panthers have the No. 33 defense in the nation and rank 24th in defensive scoring, and they are 4-0 when scoring a defensive touchdown. Two of those defensive touchdowns have come from senior linebacker and former West Marshall Trojan Duncan Ferch, who had a pick-6 against both Indiana State and Illinois State.

Ferch is the team leads with 92 total tackles, four interceptions, eight passes broken yards, 123 yards in interception returns and two defensive touchdowns. He is now tied for the lead in pick-6’s in UNI history with Deiondre’ Hall with four in his career.

Lamar will try to keep it on the ground, however, as it ranks 12th in the FCS in rushing yards per game with 250.3. Myles Wanza is the Cardinals’ leading rusher with 598 yards on 96 carries.

Lamar quarterback Darrel Colbert has 1,343 passing yards and is second on the team with 584 rushing yards, and he has 12 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores.

Panther quarterback Eli Dunne has completed 60.6 percent of his passes this season for 2,204 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has thrown just five interceptions all year and in conference play he had 1,789 passing yards and 12 throws for scores.

Dunne and the 63rd-ranked UNI offense will face the 98th-ranked Lamar defense, a defense that allows 452.1 yards per game. While the Cardinals do allow yards, they are opportunistic with 26 total turnovers on the season.

UNI and Lamar will meet in the first round of the FCS playoffs today in Cedar Falls at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 3.

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