The U.N.I. football team knows they have a big challenge ahead of them as they prepare to face Wisconsin in their season opener this Saturday. Panther coach Mark Farley says the Badgers are the toughest team he’s ever had to prepare for as U.N.I. coach.
“I don’t think there’s any question this is, on film, this is the toughest team that we’ve prepared for on film. It’s similar to Iowa’s team that we played. They had a great team, I think finished fourth in the country and played in the Orange Bowl that year. This is that kind of football team, very big, very strong,” Farley said.
Farley says that while U.N.I. has played well against other FBS teams, what makes Wisconsin different is their powerful style. He says they’ve been in tough games in competitive situations, but he says a power team will try to knock his team off the ball and they will have to maintain their poise.
Despite being the underdog, Farley says he still feels like there is a lot of pressure on U.N.I.. “We want to play well, but this is such a good football team in this kind of environment, I feel the pressure is on us, I feel it,” Farley says. He says the way they handle the pressure and adversity will be important.
The Panthers and the Badgers will kick it off at 2:30 Saturday afternoon.
By Jesse Gavin at KCNZ Cedar Falls