As we kick off another wonderful year of UNI football, the Panthers look to redeem themselves after a poor 5-6 record last season, which was topped off with a tough 24-45 loss to eighth ranked North Dakota State on Senior Day last year. The Panthers are looking to repeat their past success against rival Iowa State by defeating them in the season opener. Last year’s game was closely contested,  with the Panthers coming out on top 25-20 over the Cyclones.

The Cyclone team greatly struggled to find success, finishing with a 3-9 record last season. The Cyclones look to get their revenge on the Panthers at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Sept. 2. They already had notable losses to their state rivals, UNI and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa State only managed to score victories against a poor Kansas Jayhawks team (2-10), the San Jose Spartans (4-8) and Texas Tech (5-7). The Cyclones are in rebuild mode.

Last year’s game was highlighted by great performances by senior QB Aaron Bailey, who rushed and threw for a combined 263 yards and two touchdowns against the Cyclones, while freshman Hezekiah Applegate and senior Karter Schult earned themselves a combined three sacks and six tackles for loss.

We will definitely need to see great individual performances from our Panthers if they plan on beating a Cyclone team that has added stars like Kamilo Tongamoa this off season. Watch for UNI senior linebacker and tackle leader Jared Farley to repeat a strong performance that included an important interception and eight tackles against the Cyclones last year.

The Panthers had a good offseason. Losing Aaron Bailey who did some damage against the Cyclones, opened up the position for Eli Dunne to become the out and out starting quarterback. Dunne, who started four games last year, broke his career record by throwing for 418 yards in a crushing 61-7 victory over Missouri State. He looks to continue his strong form against the Cyclones.

Additionally, adding 24 recruits, 18 from the state of Iowa, strengthened the depth of the UNI team and gave new options to Panther’s Head Coach Mark Farley.

Some of these recruits include versatile wide-outs freshman Terrell Carey and Tayshaun Cooper. Each comes from a basketball and track and field background, and they have the skills required to do a lot of damage against opposing secondaries. Assistant Coach Pat McCann looks to focus on turning short gains into big plays by utilizing the speed of our receivers.

Cornerback coach Jeff Burris believes that the Panthers’ defense will be ready for all challengers this year.  The stellar UNI secondary includes senior Malcolm Washington and senior Elijah Campbell. They look to shut down the passing game, and to allow for linebackers like Jared Farley to limit the run. This gives the Panthers a one-two punch on defense.

Be on the lookout for big play makers on each side of the ball to impose their presence early, as the season opener is the ideal place to make a statement for a starting position to a head coach. Both teams recruited well, and this is set to be an amazing game to start the season.

My prediction for this game is a low-scoring affair ending with the Cyclones edging out the Panthers 21-17. The Cyclones have done too much to allow the Panthers to come out on top, adding strong defensive players such as Aaron Austin and Matt Leo. This has given the Cyclones a scary defensive look against a Panthers team that is putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of  Dunne. Additionally, the UNI roster is largely comprised of freshman who will need time to develop into full-fledged starters.

When asked about his prediction of the game, Iowa State senior Josh Buol said, “I got ISU but, if UNI wins, it’ll only be by a little: Cyclones 38, UNI, 31.”

Morale is high on the Cyclone’s side. But I guess we won’t know until Saturday. The game takes place at Jack Trice stadium in Ames, Iowa. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.