Sept. 29, 2007
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NORMAL, Ill. -
With the score tied at 13-13 and just 5:24 left in the game, Northern Iowa's Eric Sanders connected with wide receiver Terrell Allen on a five-yard touchdown pass into the end zone that secured the Panthers' 23-13 win over Illinois State in the Gateway Football Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Hancock Stadium. A crowd of 10,473 saw the Redbirds (2-3, 0-1 GFC) battle throughout the game against the Gateway's top defense, but in the end, it was the passing game of UNI that made the difference, as the Panthers (5-0, 1-0 GFC) moved to 5-0 on the season for the first time since 1992.
Tailback Geno Blow recorded his second-straight 100-yard rushing game, as the sophomore from Seabrook,Texas, led the `Birds with 167 yards on 31 carries. Blow's total rushing yardage also set a career-best, beating his previous mark of 116 set last Saturday (Sept. 22) against Missouri. With a team-best tying 13 tackles in the game, linebacker Kye Stewart became the 12th player in Illinois State football history to record 300 or more tackles in a career. Defensive back Tom Nelson set a career-high in tackles with 13, while linebacker Bill Hronec tied his career-best tackles mark of 11.
While the defense of both teams dominated early in the first quarter, Blow gave the Redbirds an early 7-0 lead when he took a handoff from quarterback Luke Drone 50 yards into the end zone to conclude a four-play, 61-yard ISU drive that took 1:57 off the clock. Blow's 50-yard touchdown run was the longest of his career, beating his previous best of 39 yards set against Missouri State Nov. 4, 2006.
Northern Iowa took its first lead of the game with 47 seconds left in the first half when Sanders found wide receiver Victor Williams in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown pass, concluding an 11-play, 70-yard Panther scoring drive that took 4:21 off the clock. Kicker Billy Hallgren's PAT found its way through the uprights, giving Northern Iowa a 13-7 lead at halftime. UNI scored two field goals earlier in the quarter, with both coming off ISU miscues, as Drone threw an interception and running back Cortes Rice fumbled a pitch from Drone.
After being down 13-7 at halftime, the Redbirds tied the game with 4:38 left in the third quarter when wide receiver Jake Rourke caught a Drone pass near the UNI 10-yard line and ran it into the end zone for ISU's second touchdown of the game. Rourke's touchdown run was the second of his career and the first of the 2007 season for the junior from Chatham, Ill. With kicker Tyler Funk missing the PAT, the score remained tied at 13-13. Earlier in the quarter, linebacker Bill Hronec recorded his first-career interception off a pass from UNI's Eric Sanders at the Panthers' 39-yard line.
Illinois State returns to the road next Saturday (Oct. 6) when it travels to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.
