UNI football coach Mark Farley is trying to make the case for his team to be included in the FCS playoffs. The Panthers have rattled off back-to-back wins after a disastrous middle part of the season that saw them lose five consecutive games, three of them in overtime. A win in the season finale against Western Illinois this Saturday would move the Panthers to 7-5, but Farley says he hopes the selection committee looks at more than just UNI’s record.

He says the league they are in and the schedule they play are the top arguments he makes for his team getting in. “I think because of the league itself, it should give you and extra team in, it should,” Farley says.

Farley says that regardless of whether the Panthers make the postseason, he’s been happy to see the team play up to its potential the past couple of games. “I’m pleased with them because they are playing they way they can. I believe, I know they are the best team in this league and I’ll say it,” Farley says. “We had a couple of things go against us and now they are playing that way, and they might not be winning by a lot, but we’re playing without 9 starters.”

UNI’s game against Western Illinois is set for a 4:00 kickoff inside the UNI-Dome on Saturday.

By Jesse Gavin, KCNZ, Cedar Falls