Wofford's Bryan Youman is surrounded and pulled down for no gain by University of Northern Iowa's James Conley (32), L.J. Fort (24), Jordan Smith (46) and Varmah Sonie (4) in the first quarter at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, last Saturday.
Up next: No. 2 Northern Iowa at No. 5 Montana
Friday, 6 p.m. (MST)Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, SprinTurf)
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa. Enrollment: 13,168.
Series history: Montana leads 4-0.
Man in charge: Mark Farley (Northern Iowa 1987) is 99-39 in his 11th season at UNI.
The Panthers continue to recruit, practice hard and win under Coach Farley, who is guiding his alma mater to its seventh postseason in 11 years.
Ones to watch:
10 Tirrell Rennie (6-0, 201, sr., North Lauderdale, Fla.): The Panthers' quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate has four 100-yard rushing games this season and is responsible for 22 touchdowns, 13 of them through the air.
24 L.J. Fort (6-1, 232, sr., Waynesville, Mo.): The middle linebacker has an FCS-leading 167 tackles - 8.5 for losses - and is the Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive player of the year.
43 Ben Boothby (6-0, 280, sr., Clinton, Iowa): It's hard to find a defensive tackle who gets to the QB more - he has 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and six quaterback hits. Like Fort, he's a Buck Buchanan candidate.
Read more: http://missoulian.com/up-next-no-northern-iowa-at-no-montana/article_0e8a3b8e-209a-11e1-8e7a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1fs6KbRfO
43 Ben Boothby (6-0, 280, sr., Clinton, Iowa): It's hard to find a defensive tackle who gets to the QB more - he has 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and six quaterback hits. Like Fort, he's a Buck Buchanan candidate.
Read more: http://missoulian.com/up-next-no-northern-iowa-at-no-montana/article_0e8a3b8e-209a-11e1-8e7a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1fs6KbRfO
Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley knew of Tirrell Rennie when Rennie was in high school in Florida, and learned more when he attended Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
But even when Rennie signed with UNI in 2010, Farley wasn't sure he'd found his QB.
"We thought he had the ability to be quarterback," said Farley. "But we felt also if he could not play quarterback, he could be a receiver for us.
"But when he came in here he was determined, and worked his way into that starting role. He did everything he needed to become the starter and gain the respect of his teammates."
The result has been another standout season for the UNI Panthers, who bring a No. 2 ranking into Missoula for a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal playoff game against No. 5 Montana on Friday at 6 p.m.
Rennie has been a difference maker for the 2011 Panthers, who again have a stingy defense and confidence bred from a tough schedule. They're in the FCS playoffs for the 17th time, which puts them in the neighborhood of the Grizzlies (a record 21).
Their QB has run for more than 100 yards four times this season and came close two other times, including a 95-yard performance in UNI's 28-21 home playoff win over Wofford last week.
Farley has a nice mix of young and old, brawn and skill. But UNI also trailed 14-7 at halftime last week, before Rennie ran for 88 yards after intermission. Rennie also rushed for 127 yards while the Panthers lost 20-19 to the team that beat Oklahoma State: Iowa State.
Farley didn't spend a lot of time on Rennie during a Tuesday teleconference (UNI also didn't make players available to the Missoulian), because he has a truly balanced team.
Two Buck Buchanan Award candidates, linebacker L.J. Fort and tackle Ben Boothby, lead the defense. Both are seniors and Fort is the Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive MVP.
Fort was on the radar of the Big 12 schools but his grades needed work; UNI won out over schools like Central Michigan and Arkansas State.
"It was a battle," said Farley. "But I think what really sold him was the opportunity to win and the opportunity to be in the playoffs, and be in a national championship hunt.
"The difference was UNI offers the track record or the potential to play at the national level, if (players) perform week in and week out during the season."
That's what the Panthers have done, while working through some scrapes. Rennie twisted an ankle late in their lone league loss, 27-19 at North Dakota State, but backup Jared Lanpher filled in nicely the next week, when UNI beat Youngstown State 34-21 in Cedar Falls.
"I think the difference in this team is it's a nice mix of experienced players," said Farley, the renowned "Walk-on from Waukon" who became a star linebacker at UNI in the early 80s. "They're a great group, senior-leadership-wise, and there's a great mix of youth.
"There was one game we played with five freshmen on offense and we ended up beating Youngstown."
One freshman, running back David Johnson, is among the best in the country. At 754 yards (and nine TDs) he is the second-leading rusher behind Rennie, who has 834 yards and another nine touchdowns on the ground.
The offensive line is fairly young, though anchored by 6-foot-7, 328-pound senior Jay Teply at left tackle.
Defensively the Panthers have speed, size and a certain way of doing things. Safety Garrett Scott and linebacker Jordan Smith each have four of UNI's 18 interceptions; all-MVFC corner Varma Sonie has three.
The Panthers haven't been to Missoula since 2001, when the MVFC was the Gateway Conference and Farley was in his first year as a head coach.
That team probably over-achieved, advancing to the FCS semifinals before losing 38-0 at Montana. This team just achieves: It's the sixth UNI squad since '01 to make the playoffs, including a run to the 2005 title game.
The formula remains the same.
"We really are more concerned with how we play and how we prepare than with who we play," Farley said. "We say that because we feel like you get in our league, everybody is good. Everybody's got a chance to beat us.
"We're just trying to put a program together where the players are responsible for their assignments and are responsible to prepare. We have a vision of where we want to be, and we just try to work toward that."
It's tough to do every year. In 2010 the Panthers went 7-5 (including a playoff loss), with a quarterback who threw eight TD passes but 11 interceptions.
It was Rennie, who this year has thrown 13 TDs and just two picks - and the Panthers are 10-2.
But even when Rennie signed with UNI in 2010, Farley wasn't sure he'd found his QB.
"We thought he had the ability to be quarterback," said Farley. "But we felt also if he could not play quarterback, he could be a receiver for us.
"But when he came in here he was determined, and worked his way into that starting role. He did everything he needed to become the starter and gain the respect of his teammates."
The result has been another standout season for the UNI Panthers, who bring a No. 2 ranking into Missoula for a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal playoff game against No. 5 Montana on Friday at 6 p.m.
Rennie has been a difference maker for the 2011 Panthers, who again have a stingy defense and confidence bred from a tough schedule. They're in the FCS playoffs for the 17th time, which puts them in the neighborhood of the Grizzlies (a record 21).
Their QB has run for more than 100 yards four times this season and came close two other times, including a 95-yard performance in UNI's 28-21 home playoff win over Wofford last week.
Farley has a nice mix of young and old, brawn and skill. But UNI also trailed 14-7 at halftime last week, before Rennie ran for 88 yards after intermission. Rennie also rushed for 127 yards while the Panthers lost 20-19 to the team that beat Oklahoma State: Iowa State.
Farley didn't spend a lot of time on Rennie during a Tuesday teleconference (UNI also didn't make players available to the Missoulian), because he has a truly balanced team.
Two Buck Buchanan Award candidates, linebacker L.J. Fort and tackle Ben Boothby, lead the defense. Both are seniors and Fort is the Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive MVP.
Fort was on the radar of the Big 12 schools but his grades needed work; UNI won out over schools like Central Michigan and Arkansas State.
"It was a battle," said Farley. "But I think what really sold him was the opportunity to win and the opportunity to be in the playoffs, and be in a national championship hunt.
"The difference was UNI offers the track record or the potential to play at the national level, if (players) perform week in and week out during the season."
That's what the Panthers have done, while working through some scrapes. Rennie twisted an ankle late in their lone league loss, 27-19 at North Dakota State, but backup Jared Lanpher filled in nicely the next week, when UNI beat Youngstown State 34-21 in Cedar Falls.
"I think the difference in this team is it's a nice mix of experienced players," said Farley, the renowned "Walk-on from Waukon" who became a star linebacker at UNI in the early 80s. "They're a great group, senior-leadership-wise, and there's a great mix of youth.
"There was one game we played with five freshmen on offense and we ended up beating Youngstown."
One freshman, running back David Johnson, is among the best in the country. At 754 yards (and nine TDs) he is the second-leading rusher behind Rennie, who has 834 yards and another nine touchdowns on the ground.
The offensive line is fairly young, though anchored by 6-foot-7, 328-pound senior Jay Teply at left tackle.
Defensively the Panthers have speed, size and a certain way of doing things. Safety Garrett Scott and linebacker Jordan Smith each have four of UNI's 18 interceptions; all-MVFC corner Varma Sonie has three.
The Panthers haven't been to Missoula since 2001, when the MVFC was the Gateway Conference and Farley was in his first year as a head coach.
That team probably over-achieved, advancing to the FCS semifinals before losing 38-0 at Montana. This team just achieves: It's the sixth UNI squad since '01 to make the playoffs, including a run to the 2005 title game.
The formula remains the same.
"We really are more concerned with how we play and how we prepare than with who we play," Farley said. "We say that because we feel like you get in our league, everybody is good. Everybody's got a chance to beat us.
"We're just trying to put a program together where the players are responsible for their assignments and are responsible to prepare. We have a vision of where we want to be, and we just try to work toward that."
It's tough to do every year. In 2010 the Panthers went 7-5 (including a playoff loss), with a quarterback who threw eight TD passes but 11 interceptions.
It was Rennie, who this year has thrown 13 TDs and just two picks - and the Panthers are 10-2.
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