Redbirds Head To UNI Dome To Face The Panthers

SETTING THE SCENE
Date: Nov. 3, 2018
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Site: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Stadium: UNI Dome
Capacity: 16,324
Series: UNI leads 20-13
Watch: NBC Sports Chicago / ESPN+
Listen: WJBC 1230 AM / 93.7 FM / TuneIn

THE GAME
As the calendar turns to November, the No. 13 ranked Redbirds hit the road for the first of two contests away from Hancock Stadium when they travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to face the UNI Panthers Saturday at the UNI Dome.

THE SERIES
The Redbirds and the Panthers will square off for the 34th time on the gridiron, with UNI leading the all-time series 20-13. The two teams have not played each other since 2015 due to the MVFC scheduling rotation and will renew the rivalry that began in 1972. The Redbirds have won four out of the last five contests overall against the Panthers, but have only won once at the UNI Dome once under the leadership of Brock Spack and twice in Cedar Falls since 2002.

THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his 10th season as the head coach at Illinois State (73-43). Spack has led the Redbirds to four FCS playoff appearances, including three-straight from 2014-16 and guided the Redbirds to back-to-back shares of the MVFC title in 2014-15. His 2014 team advanced to the NCAA FCS National Championship game, the first in the program's history.

Northern Iowa: Mark Farley (UNI, 1987) is in his 18th season as the head coach at UNI (146-76). Farley is the MVFC's all-time coaching wins leader with 88 league victories. Included in that 16-year run for Farley and the Panthers are seven conference championships, nine playoff appearances, 13 top-25 final rankings, three national semifinal appearances and one national title game appearance in 2005.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT

• Northern Iowa University is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and has an enrollment of 11,212 students. The Panthers are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
• UNI leads the league and is ranked No. 4 overall in the FCS for toughest schedule (based on cumulative opposition and ranked by the NCAA Statistics service). A separate metrics service (Massey Ratings) has UNI with the nation's most difficult schedule. All of the league's 10 members are rated in the Top 39 in the Massey Ratings strength of schedule, including each of the top-five spots (UNI, Western Illinois, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State).
• The Panthers were ranked 17th in the STATS FCS Poll and 23rd in the FCS Coaches' Poll last week, before dropping out of the rankings this week following their loss to Western Illinois.
• UNI's offense played an uncharacteristically inconsistent game against the Leathernecks and the defense gave up 300 yards through the air in the 37-17 loss in Macomb. Marcus Weymiller was the bright spot on the offense, rushing 16 times for 96 yards and a touchdown. He also tallied three catches for 21 yards and a score. 
• Quarterback Eli Dunne ranks fifth in the MVFC in passing yards (1,642) and yards per game (205.2) and has tossed 14 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions to lead the Panthers offense.
• Linebacker Chris Kolarevic (10.8) is just one of three league players to average better than 10.0 tackles per game this year, ranking him among the Top 14 in the FCS. He is second on the team in tackles (65) behind Duncan Ferch (74), who has two interceptions to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss.

LAST TIME VS. THE PANTHERS (10/3/2015)
In a highly-anticipated matchup between Top 10 FCS teams, No. 4 ranked Illinois State defeated the No. 6 Northern Iowa, 21-13, on a windy, overcast afternoon in front of a sold out crowd (13,391) at Hancock Stadium. Senior running back Marshaun Coprich took sole place of the ISU career rushing yards record, passing Toby Davis (3,702) and finishing the game with 3,738 yards. He carried the ball 33 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns to lead them to a victory in the MVFC opener.

EDGAR MAKES IT LOOK EASY
Redshirt freshman Andrew Edgar has made the game look easy in his first season on the field for the Redbirds. Last week against No. 7 South Dakota State, the Chicago native set career highs in receptions (9), yards (202) and touchdowns (2) against the Jackrabbits. He caught a career-long 81 yard touchdown pass from Brady Davis on the first play from scrimmage and added his second touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The 200-plus yard receiving performance was the first for the Redbirds since 2015 and Edgar went over 100 yards for the second time this season. Through eight games, Edgar has caught 29 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns.

FLIPPING THE FIELD
Special teams play is vital to a team's success, and thanks to some strong punting by sophomore JT Bohlken, the Redbirds have been successful in the punting game. The Jefferson City, Missouri, native has been impressive in his first full season as the team's primary punter, averaging 44.0 yards per punt. That mark leads Valley Football and is No. 8 in the FCS, and Bohlken also leads the league in punts over 50 yards (17) and punts downed inside the 20 yard line (16). 

THE CAPTAIN TAKES CHARGE
An injury to starting quarterback Brady Davis just before halftime pushed senior captain Jake Kolbe into action to start the second half against South Dakota State. No stranger to playing in tough situations in his career, Kolbe inherited a 21-point deficit and did everything he could to get his team back into the game. The Naperville, Illinois, native completed 65 percent of his passes and threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns against the Jackrabbits in his most extensive action of the season.

ROBINSON STILL ROLLING
On the week he was named to the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award Watch List, James Robinson faced possibly his toughest test of the season in the form of the vaunted North Dakota State defense. Heading into the game, the Bison were only allowing 84.8 yards per contest and had only allowed one running back to rush for over 100 yards. Robinson was certainly up to the challenge, as he recorded his third-consecutive 100-plus yard effort and his fifth in the last six games when he rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Bison. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry and his 128 yards are the most for a back against the NDSU defense so far this season.

MR. RELIABLE
Each week, when the passing game needs a big play it seems like Spencer Schnell always steps up. Throughout his career at ISU, Schnell has been one of the most reliable players on the field and his numbers this year are proving that once again. The Elkhart, Indiana, native recorded 112 yards on five receptions with a touchdown against the Bison last week, his second 100-plus yard performance of the season. Schnell is currently second in the MVFC in receptions (45), receptions per game (5.6) and receiving yards (647) with six touchdowns. He now ranks No. 5 on the ISU career receptions list (155) and No. 9 in career receiving yards (1,805). With 195 more yards, Schnell will become just the ninth player in school history to record 2,000 career receiving yards.

REDBIRDS RANK AMONG THE BEST
After a loss to No. 7 South Dakota State, Illinois State fell to No. 13 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and to No. 14 in the STATS FCS Top 25 this week. ISU remains among the FCS' best there because it boasts the ninth-best scoring defense in the country (17.3 points per game) and ranks No. 18 in the FCS in scoring offense (34.5 points per game). The Redbirds have also been relatively mistake free, turning the ball over just seven times this season to rank ninth in the FCS.

GROUND AND POUND
The Redbird running back duo of James Robinson and Markel Smith have combined to give opposing defenses fits all season, and they helped ISU rush for over 400 yards in its 51-3 Homecoming win over Southern Illinois. Each set career highs and scored a touchdown, as Robinson (202) and Smith (143) tallied 345 of the team's 409 rushing yards against the Salukis. It marked the second time in as many seasons that each rushed for over 100 yards in the same contest and the 409 yards gained on the ground were the fifth-most in a game for a Redbird team in school history.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
For the second time this season, Redbird quarterback Brady Davis tossed four touchdown passes as ISU rolled to its win over Southern Illinois. Davis also made sure to spread the wealth around to his receivers, as four different pass catchers hauled in scores on the afternoon. Andrew Edgar was the first recipient, as he hauled in his second score of the year on a 10-yard pass in the second quarter. Just two minutes later, Davis found tight end Robert Gillum in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown, also his second of the year. Braxton Haley capped off the explosive second quarter with his first touchdown reception at ISU, a four-yard score just before half. Mr. Reliable Spencer Schnell was the final beneficiary of Davis' generosity on the day, as he hauled in a 16-yard grab for his fifth score of the season. Overall, eight different ISU players have caught a touchdown pass this season.