VS 
Date/Time: Saturday, March 27 at 11 AM
Location: Hanson Field, Macomb, IL
Weather Forecast at Kickoff (as of 3/22) - 54° and mostly cloudy, 15% chance of rain, ~11 mph wind
WIU Radio: Mixlr
TV/Video Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://goleathernecks.com/sidearmstats ... ll/summary
Game Notes: - not posted yet
Up next is perennial foe Northern Iowa. UNI leads the all-time series 32-16 and won the last matchup, 38-7, although WIU won the two matchups prior to that. The Panthers are currently 2-3 on the season, starting with a 4-point loss to South Dakota State, a shutout 21-0 victory at Youngstown State, a 20-10 win against Illinois State, but then followed those up with a couple of close defensive battles, 17-16 at Southern Illinois and 13-6 against Missouri State last weekend. In that MSU game, UNI struggled to move the ball on the ground (something we're quite familiar with), picking up a total of 27 yards and 3 first downs.
That being said, a large part of their offensive woes last weekend was likely due to their starting QB Will McElvain being out due to COVID protocols. I don't know if he'll be playing this weekend yet or not, but he was averaging 186.25 passing yards per game with 1 TD and 2 INTs and was picking up 13.25 yards per game on the ground with 2 rushing TDs. By the sounds of a few people on their message board, the replacement of Justin Fomby is fairly solid (with a higher ceiling than McElvain). He threw for 215 yards last weekend...0 TDs and 1 INT though. Their top RB is Tyler Hoosman with 55.25 ypg with 2 TDs. WR Quan Hampton is the primary receiving target with 60.2 ypg. WR Deion McShane is a name that many of us should recognize, being the younger brother of former WIU RB Steve McShane and being heavily recruited by WIU a few years ago. He's averaging 45.4 ypg receiving and 6.2 ypg rushing. McShane also is the primary punt returner (10 for 64 yards).
On defense, LB Spencer Cuvelier leads the team in tackles with 49 total (22 solo), with 2 for a loss. DL Jared Brinkman is the best at getting behind the line of scrimmage, with 7.5 tackles for loss (out of 28 total tackles) including 2.5 sacks, 2 qb hurries, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovery. Another name that is likely recognizable to longtime fans is Junior DB Benjamin "Benny" Sapp III who joined the team after 2 years at Minnesota. Sapp has 23 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery, but is also the son of former UNI standout CB Benjamin "Benny" Sapp II who went on to play 8 seasons in the NFL with Kansas City, Minnesota, and Miami.
Overall, UNI is only allowing an average of 12.8 points and 254 yards per game, so despite some offensive struggles, they have been effective at shutting down opposing offenses as well. Their kickoff return game is also pretty solid, averaging 25.75 yards per return.
Current Predictions
Massey Ratings gives us about a 18% chance of winning, with a predicted score of 24-13 for the Panthers.
Sagarin Rankings lists us at #197 out of all DI teams, with UNI at #118. UNI is given ~85% chance of winning.
Scott Lawson - Board Admin
