Jacks fall short against No. 2 UNI

Saturday, October 15

Brookings, S.D.

6:00 PM

South Dakota State University

2-5 , 1-3

Northern Iowa

5-1 , 4-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Northern Iowa

South Dakota State

10/15/2011 11:04:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

Despite a record-tying performance by redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Sumner, the South Dakota State University football team came up short, 31-14, in its quest to knock off second-ranked Northern Iowa Saturday night at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

UNI improved to 5-1 overall and maintained its lead in the Missouri Valley Football Conference by upping its league mark to 4-0. The Jackrabbits fell to 2-5 overall, 1-3 in the MVFC.

Sumner led the Jackrabbits on both of their scoring drives in the first half. SDSU took over after a fumble at the UNI 47, using seven plays before Sumner hit Aaron Rollin for a 4-yard touchdown. The first score of the game was set up by a 27-yard diving catch by Dale Moss that gave SDSU first and goal from the Panther 7.

The UNI defense recorded an interception on the next Jackrabbit possession and turned the miscue into points to knot the game at 7-all later in the first quarter. Carlos Anderson scampered 57 yards on the first play and Tirrell Rennie connected with Terrell Sinkfield from eight yards out moments later for the game-tying touchdown.

The Jackrabbits put together their longest drive of the season in terms of plays and time of possession to regain the lead early in the second quarter. Sumner was a perfect 8-for-8 for 68 yards , capping the 15-play, 80-yard drive that took 6:34 off the clock with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Moss.

However, the momentum quickly shifted in the Panthers' favor moments later thanks to an opportunistic defense and quick-strike offense. A Jackrabbit fumble gave UNI the ball at the SDSU 19 and Rennie found Darion Howard in the end zone on the first play.

After a Jackrabbit punt on SDSU's next possession was ruled a touchdown, Rennie and company again wasted little time to take the lead. Again on the first play from scrimmage, Rennie connected with a wide-open Jarred Herring down the middle of the field for an 80-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers their first lead of the night, 21-14, with 4:17 to play in the first half.

SDSU appeared on the verge of tying the game in the closing seconds of the half, but on first and goal from the 3, Sumner's fade pass to the corner of the end zone was picked off by Varmah Sonie.

After a scoreless third quarter, UNI put the game away early in the fourth. Rennie threw his fourth touchdown of the game, connecting with Sinkfield on a touchdown for a second time - this time from 22 yards out. A 35-yard field goal by Tyler Sievertsen later in the quarter was the final tally.

A Walter Payton Award candidate, Rennie completed 16-of-20 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns. Herring led the Panther receivers with five catches for 120 yards.

Anderson led the UNI ground game with 94 yards on 13 carries.

For SDSU, Sumner tied a single-game school record for completions as he connected on 37-of-54 passes for 354 yards. However, he was intercepted four times, including on the final Jackrabbit offensive play of each half. The previous mark of 37 completions was set by Dan Fjeldheim at St. Cloud State (Minn.) in 2002.

Rollin and Moss each snared a game-high seven receptions, tallying 79 and 78 yards, respectively. Jason Schneider added six catches for 53 yards.

Tyrel Kool gained 52 yards on 16 carries to lead Jackrabbit running backs.

Defensively, Buck Buchanan Award candidate L.J. Fort registered a game-high 17 tackles and broke up a pass for UNI. James Conley added 12 stops and a forced fumble.

Mike Lien led SDSU with 10 tackles.

The Jackrabbits close out their two-game homestand by facing another highly ranked league foe in North Dakota State on Oct. 22. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. , with the Coughlin-Alumni Stadium All-Time Team to be introduced at halftime.

NOTES: UNI leads the all-time series, 27-17-2 ... the Panthers have won five of the six meetings since the series resumed in 2006 ... the Jackrabbits dropped to 11-25 against ranked opponents since joining the FCS ranks in 2004 ... Sumner topped the 300-yard mark for the third consecutive game, matching Ryan Berry's streak during the 2008 season ... Sumner's 354 yards marked the eighth-best single-game performance by a Jackrabbit quarterback ... SDSU honored its 2011 Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame class of Dave Lane, Stan Opp, Audrey (Stavrum) Riggs and Jeff Tiefenthaler at halftime ... attendance was 11,131