Nebraska Football Preview: Northern Iowa

The No. 23 Huskers look to build on a emotional win over rival Colorado with a matchup with Northern Iowa, who is No. 21 in the FCS.

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) throws as he’s hit by Colorado Buffaloes defensive end BJ Green II (35) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The hype train has officially left the station for the No. 23 Nebraska football team. 

Fresh off a 28-10 victory that saw the Huskers dismantle an inferior Colorado team in front of a sold out Memorial Stadium and six million viewers on NBC and Peacock, NU has the most momentum it has had since starting 7-0 to begin the 2016 season - which ended with a 9-4 record. 

Ty Robinson, Nash Hutmacher, and the Blackshirt defensive line showed why it’s one of the best units in the country while making Sheduer Sanders’ life a nightmare. Dylan Raiola continued to shine as he avoided turnovers and led a team that scored 28 points in the first half. Despite the second half letdown, Nebraska has the country’s attention. 

A key characteristic in good football teams is the element of consistency and the Huskers have a chance to prove that on Saturday night with a matchup against Northern Iowa who is ranked No. 21 in the FCS polls. Nebraska can’t afford to have the same fate as Notre Dame and drop a game they shouldn’t in what’s been built up to be prove it year for Matt Rhule and his rebuild of the Cornhuskers. 

Here’s all you need to know as Nebraska welcomes in Northern Iowa for a second-straight night game at Memorial Stadium.  

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 23 Nebraska (2-0) vs. No. 21 (FCS) Northern Iowa (2-0)

Line: Nebraska (-32.5), 47.5 O/U (FanDuel) 

Where: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE

Time: 6:30 p.m. CDT 

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

The Missouri State Bears took on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers at Plaster Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. / Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Northern Iowa Scout

Head Coach: Mark Farley | 24th Season | 182-103 overall record at school, 116-59 Missouri Valley | Winningest coach in UNI and Missouri Valley Conference history

2023 Record: 6-5 (5-3 MVC, T-3rd) | One All-American, Five All-MVC First-Team selections, Three All-MVC Honorable Mentions | Did not qualify for the FCS Playoffs 

Record Against Nebraska: 0-0 (First Meeting) 

Fun Fact: Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen graduated from Northern Iowa in 1989 and served as the AD for NIU from 2008 to 2015. Panthers AD Megan Franklin, who joined in May 2024, is a Lincoln native and earned her bachelor’s degree from UNL. 

Key Returners: Jared Penning, OL, R-Sr. | Layne Pryor, TE, Sr. | Noah Pettinger, P, Jr. | Tye Edwards, RB, Gr. | Amauri Pesek-Hickson, RB, Sr. | Sergio Morancy, WR, Sr. | Tucker Langenberg, LB, R-Jr. 

Key Additions:  Naahlyee Bryant, LB (Western Michigan) | Khai West, DB (Minnesota State) | Kolben Miller, LB (Iowa Central CC) 

Key Departures: Sam Schnee, WR (Eligibility) | Khristian Boyd, DL (NFL, 6th Rd., Saints) | Demarcus ‘Woo’ Governor, DB (Eligibility) | Matthew Cook, K (Eligibility) | Cordarrius Bailey, DL (Eligibility) | Theo Day, QB (Eligibility) | Jahsiah Galvan, LB (Stanford) | Dalesean Staley, S (San Diego State) | 

Outlook: Saturday will mark the first-ever matchup between the FCS Panthers and Nebraska. Mark Farley runs the show in Cedar Rapids and he’s in the midst of his 24th season with the Panthers making 13 playoff appearances during that time. 

NIU finished 6-5 last season behind an air raid offense that included MVC First Team All-Conference wide receiver Sam Schnee. The Panthers lost ground on the defensive line with Khristian Boyd being drafted in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints while Cordarrius Bailey ran out of eligibility after transferring from Iowa State. Plus, two of their three leading tacklers in 2023 departed for the west coast as linebacker Jahsiah Galvan went to San Diego State while safety Dalesean Staley transferred to Stanford. 

Entering 2024, you can credit Farley for adjusting to his personnel. Last year the Panthers relied on an air raid offense that ranked second in the Missouri Valley Conference in passing yards (268.2) while having the league’s leading passer in Theo Day, who also ran out of eligibility. 

Northern Iowa lost conference passing leader Theo Day after the 2023 season. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Faced with the return of all-conference offensive linemen Jared Penning and the Panthers top two running backs, NIU has turned into a run-heavy offense in sitting fourth in the FCS in rushing offense entering Saturday. 6-foot-4, 230 pound leading back Tye Edwards leads the rushing charge with 315 yards through two games for a 157.5 average. Edwards is on pace to smash his career high in season yards after rushing for a team-high 536 yards in 2023. It’s been a long journey for Edwards who spent one season at Georgia Military College before becoming a NJCAA First Team All-American at Hutchinson Community College in 2020-2021. Edwards played in only three games after transferring to UTSA before becoming the lead back with NIU in 2023. 

Edwards will be supplemented by Omaha native and senior Amauri Pesek-Hickson. He was second on the team last year with 441 yards and already has 186 yards on 30 carries to begin 2024. Aidan Dunne is the signal caller for the Panthers as the redshirt junior is 23-for-42 with 215 yards and three touchdowns in two contests. Returning receiver Sergio Morancy leads his position group with 57 yards on five catches. 

Defensively, the Panthers have only allowed 17 points through the first two games with NIU’s rushing defense, total defense, scoring defense, 3rd-down defense and red zone defense all top ten in the FCS. Senior defensive back Jonathan Cabral-Martin leads the bunch with a team-high 20 tackles. Zach Mehmert leads the Panthers with 1.5 sacks while 10 different NIU players have a TFL. 

Nebraska is 14-0 all-time against FCS schools with the only scare being a 31-24 win over McNeese State in 2014 which was saved by a last-second touchdown by Husker running back Ameer Abdullah. Expect that number to grow to 15-0, but this game should be a litmus test on how prepared NU will be. The week after an emotional contest like Colorado usually follows with a letdown, so the timing is perfect for this type of matchup. The goal is simple for Nebraska: pull away early to rest the starters going into conference play. A date with a better-than-expected Illinois team awaits next Friday on short rest. 

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