UNI and Iowa State Exicte and Frustrate Fans

THE CARDIAC (ARREST) CATS

UNI and Iowa State Exicte and Frustrate Fans

By: J.T. the Nutt

Firrst, this game SHOULD have been on TV.  The fact it wasn't is just sad.

The game was sloppy, undisciplined, and exciting as hell.  The Caridac Cats that made the run to Chattanooga in heart-stopping fashion.  The ingredients are there but something went wrong in the end.  A familiar feeling for Panther fans.  Something felt many times before, what COULD have been.  Just like the one point loss to Iowa, the FG miss against ISU a few years ago, and almost every single playoff loss including the Perfect Season ended by Joe Flacco and the NCAA Championship loss to Appalachian State.  The defense forces turnover but the offense can not capitalize.  You should not win a game if you only get 6 points off of 3 turnovers, and the Panthers didn't.  Also, if you lead late, you got to find a way to drain the clock and not go 3 and out and take only a few ticks off the clock. 

Lets get the bad stuff out of the way first.  Terrell Rennie looked horrible last year.  He made bad choices and turned the ball over.  The game was too fast for him.  Even he has admitted that.  He did look better but still had some bad choices.  On the goal line he had David Johnson wide open for a little dunk in front but opted for the pass in the back of the end zone to a guy covered.  He also just missed on a few passes early.  The wind may have been a factor on those but later in the game he just flat out overthrew the WRONG reciever.  Then again, his recieving core didn't help him out a ton when he put it on their numbers.  If you get your hands on it, you got to catch it.  It's an old addage that makes Madden players sick.  This cost UNI games last year and needs to be fixed and fast.  When they make the catches they should, the offense is scary good.

Some of the decision making in play calls was bad too.  UNI has never been good at closing games out.  The loss to Richmond immediately comes to mind.  The defense played great and got the stops only to have the offense sputter.  David Johnson was a beast and picking up yards every time.  Carlos Anderson came in and was stuffed.  So they threw on 2nd down and got a few yards.  HAVE to throw on 3rd and it was incomplete.  No time taken off the clock.  Iowa State could not stop Johnson or Rennie when they ran.  Keep doing that, they stop you, let the clock keep ticking.  Keep going, GRIND the game out.  Just like the 30 win basketball team couldn't imbound the ball, the UNI football team can never close games out.  It's frustrating as hell and cost UNI at least one national title, maybe more.

The defense was phenominal all game.  They are subject to the deep ball but that can be fixed.  One bad coverage cost them the game.  Late in the 4th before the second Cyclone score, the defense was supposed to bump and run and didn't even really bump the guy.  He was wide open for a huge gain.  ISU punches it in after that.  UNI also had Steele Jantz dead to rights in the backfield and he scrambled away and threw an improbable touchdown pass.  Not convinced the reciever was IN bounds but that's what you got with tonight's penalty and review happy officiating crew.  Boothby and LJ Fort were absolutely out of their mind today.  Fort was everywhere on the field.  The defense is going to be dominant when the Missouri Valley Football Conference season starts.

David Johnson, welcome to the Panthers.  Rennie and others remarked about how good he was in camp.  So good that highly touted recruit Andre Dawson left the school to go actually play elsewhere.  DJ out performed Carlos Anderson.  He never stopped moving and got several yards after the first hit.  Johnson can catch too.  Had an amazing TD grab of 80 yards that was the best ball that Rennie threw all night.

Rennie had a great game with his feet.  That hasn't changed.  The passing HAS changed but it's not 100% to where it should be.  He had some zip on the ball inside for some great passes and the 80 yard beauty but also some horribly overthrown balls.  Still, he looked smarter than last year.  He didn't have those "Oh my God is he dead?" hits.  He looked like a veteran and a QB that could lead this team to great things this year.  How the hell somene of his talent had to come to Ellsworth and then UNI all the way from Florida is beyond me.

The perfect season is gone.  The chance for a remarkable season is easily within reach.  But so is a disaster of a season.  UNI has things to work on, but that's what you would expect the first game of the year after such a terrible day weatherwise.  It would have been an entirely different game in the Dome.  UNI has a tough game on the road against Stephen F. Austin next week and then a week off before coming home to the Dome.  Hopefully the next time the Panthers return to Texas it will be to play in Frisco for a National Championship.  One can dream such a dream with this much talent on the field and promise for the future.