With a victory this weekend UNI would be in a position to claim the mythical state title and coach Mark Farley says they will do just that. The Panthers visit Drake in a matchup of 3-0 teams. Farley says for UNI, "it’s a heck of a deal." As he says the bottom line is they beat Iowa State in Ames, and Iowa went in and got beat there a week later, so for the Panther fans and students, it is a "big deal."
The Panthers improved to 3-0 with a victory at South Dakota State and running back Corey Lewis was a big reason. Lewis rushed for 125 yards and had 164 yards of receiving and for his effort has been named the collegesportsreport-dot-com national player of the week. Farley says they’ve always known Lewis is a great runningback and going with just him showed even more. He says it’s rare to have 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game.
Senior quarterback Eric Sanders is off to a hot start and his career completion mark of 68 percent is ahead of the all time record for 1-AA. Farley says when you look at what Sanders has done over his career, it is more valid, as he has done it as a four-year starter.
The Bulldogs already have a victory over a Gateway Conference foe this season after opening with a stunning win at Illinois State. Drake coach Steve Loney says the team is realistic in how they look at things, and the real goal has always been to get ready for Pioneer League play. Despite the win over Illinois State the Bulldogs realize they are a huge underdog. Loney says playing a team that has scholarships, they know it’s not an even up battle.
Drake running back Scott Phaydavong topped the career five thousand yard mark in last week’s victory over Wiscvonsin-Platteville. Loney says Phaydavong has great vision, and explosiveness that allows him to see a seem and explode through it. He says Phaydavong’s size works to his advantage as he stays in behind the big linemen and people have a hard time seeing.