The UNI football team opens the season full of optimism when they visit Iowa State on Saturday. Panther coach Mark Farley says this game opens a season that he has broken down into two segments. He says they’ll have the first four games in one season in which they need to play well and find out where they are, and then the remaining seven games. UNI lost a 17-10 decision in Ames a year ago and while Farley says they expect to be competitive the Panthers realize they are underdogs. He says Iowa State is a Big 12 football team with tenfold the resources of his team. He says they’ve been to three bowl games in the last five years, and Farley says his team will have its work cut out for them. Farley says with new offensive coordinator Barney Cotton the Cyclones will have the element of surprise. Farley says they had confidence the last time they played, but that’s not the issue. He says this year there’s the uncertainty of what to expect out of I-S-U’s new offense as they try to prepare for the game.