The UNI Panthers return to action this evening with a national televised contest against Nicholls State. The Panthers are 2-2 after a last second loss at Southern Illinois and this game was moved to a Thursday night contest to accommodate ESPN-U.
UNI coach Mark Farley says you do things for the players and the fans and that’s what it’s all about. Farley says ultimately it’s for the program and will be the only game on ESPN-U, and they will take it and make a good situation out of it.
Nichollls State runs the triple option and Farley says it has been more than ten years since the Panthers have gone up against an offense like this. He says this is a different group of players as the defense is different and it’s whole different style of offense they have to face.
Farley says the triple option forces a defense to be assignment sound, as he says each defender has to stay with their responsibility, as once they don’t, you can go right past the ball and look foolish. Nicholls State has only played one game and that was a loss at Memphis. The Colonels have had two games canceled by hurricanes.