Panthers Pounce on No. 3 Redbirds

Photo courtesy off of Illinois State Athletics

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Illinois State football’s perfect start came to an end Saturday as Northern Iowa handed the No. 3 Redbirds their first loss of the season, 28-21, in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener at the UNI-Dome.

ISU entered the matchup 4-0 after a strong non conference stretch that included a 28-24 road win over Northern Illinois and a 49-13 victory over Eastern Illinois. The Redbirds could not carry that momentum into their first conference game, falling behind early and spending the afternoon trying to catch up.

The Panthers struck first with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jaxon Dailey to Ayden Price. ISU answered on its next scoring drive when quarterback Gage Roy found Dylan Lord for a 14-yard touchdown, tying the game at seven.

The Panthers controlled the second quarter and created separation before halftime.

Dailey gave UNI the lead with a 28-yard touchdown run before finding Kai Black for an 18-yard touchdown later in the quarter. The Panthers took a 21-7 advantage into halftime.

The Redbirds had chances to keep the game close but came away empty-handed on two important possessions in the first half. ISU turned the ball over on downs inside the UNI 20-yard line and later lost a fumble in the red zone, allowing the Panthers to preserve their two-touchdown lead heading into halftime.

The Redbirds came out of the break with a much-needed response.

ISU put together a 16-play, 92-yard drive that lasted more than seven minutes. Victor Dawson finished the possession with a 9-yard touchdown run, cutting UNI’s lead to 21-14.

The Panthers answered almost immediately.

Running back Xavier Terrell broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown on UNI’s next possession, restoring the Panthers’ 14-point advantage. Terrell finished with 80 rushing yards on eight carries and provided one of the biggest plays of the game.

UNI had a chance to put the game away in the fourth quarter but failed to capitalize on two trips inside the ISU 10-yard line. The Redbirds’ defense forced a turnover on downs on one possession, while a 53-yard field-goal attempt later sailed wide left.

That gave ISU one more opportunity.

Roy led a quick scoring drive that ended with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Alex Herrera, bringing the Redbirds within one score at 28-21 with 2:20 remaining.

ISU then attempted an onside kick, but UNI recovered. The Panthers needed only one first down to effectively end the Redbirds’ comeback hopes, and Terrell picked up 11 yards to help the Panthers run out the clock.

Roy completed 24 of 39 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Lord was his top target, catching 12 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. The Redbirds finished with 347 total yards, including 228 passing yards and 119 rushing yards.

UNI quarterback Jaxon Dailey gave the Redbirds problems throughout the afternoon. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown. The Panthers totaled 416 yards, including 199 on the ground.

Despite having more first downs than UNI, 26-18, ISU could not consistently turn its offensive opportunities into points. The Redbirds also struggled to contain the Panthers’ explosive plays, including Dailey’s 28-yard touchdown run and Terrell’s 43-yard scoring run.

The loss dropped ISU to 4-1 overall and 0-1 in MVFC play. UNI improved to 2-2 and 1-0 in conference play and earned its first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2023.

For the Redbirds, the loss marked a difficult start to conference play after an undefeated nonconference run. ISU returned home next week looking to bounce back against South Dakota State.

ISU hosts No. 2 South Dakota State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hancock Stadium.

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