The road back to the national playoffs began this week for the UNI football team. Coach Mark Farley has a number of players back from last year’s team that finished 7-4, tied for second in the Gateway but missed out on a trip to the playoffs. Farley says they need to find people and create a depth chart in the initial week, and then start to find out more about their players.
Farley says a large number of veteran players make him feel good about what they can accomplish this spring. He says it makes you feel you can accomplish more in the spring by starting things with veterans that you can continue to build on in the fall.
Farley says a good senior class will provide leadership, as it is a deep and talented class. Farley says with senior leadership you can consistently grow the program without having to back track.
Farley says the kicking game is a major concern as they go in with a kicker, punter and snapper that will all be new starters. Farley says it’s easy to evaluate the position by simply seeing how far the kicks go and whether they go through the goalposts. The Panthers will conclude spring drills with a scrimmage on April 21st.