UNI hosts Southwest Missouri State

The UNI football team has new momentum and looks to build on that this weekend with a home game against Southwest Missouri State in Gateway Conference play. The Panthers have won two straight and the run game and run defense have been major factors.Panther coach Mark Farley says every coach will tell you, that you have to win the line of scrimmage. Farley says they’re starting to do that now. Terrance Freeney rushed for 238-yards in last week’s victory over Western Illinois and Farley expects opponents to adjust. He says they feel good about the rushing game, but that was last week and they have to be ready to throw the ball if teams gear up to stop the run. UNI is 3-4 overall and with four straight victories Farley believes they would be selected for the one-double-a national playoffs. He says that has been a real stickler in years past, such as one year when Youngstown got beat at the end of the season. Farley says it seems they look at how you’re playing at the end of the season when they select teams for the playoffs. Southwest Missouri is 5-3 overall.