Dec. 10, 2005

Final Stats |  Notes

SAN MARCOS - Northern Iowa's Brian Wingert kicked a 25-yard field goal in overtime then UNI came up with a defensive stop as the Panthers posted a 40-37 win over Texas State Friday to advance to the finals of the NCAA Division I-AA Championships.

With the win, Northern Iowa (11-3) advances to Chattanooga and will take on the winner of Saturday's other semifinal between Southern Conference rivals Furman and Appalachian State. Texas State ends its season at 11-3.

Texas State got a break on special teams to take a 37-29 lead with 5:01 remaining in the game.

Cory Elolf got off a 53-yard punt that return specialist Johnny Gray fumbled. Bobcat deep snapper Dominic Giametta would recover at the UNI six.

The `Cats needed just two plays to score. Douglas Sherman carried for four yards before Daniel Jolly's two-yard touchdown run and Stan Jones' point-after gave Texas State an eight-point lead.

Northern Iowa would tie the game by going on a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive. David Horne's two-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion on a pass from Eric Sanders to Justin Surrency tied the game at 37-37.

UNI faced just one third down on the drive as Sanders completed a 16-yard pass to Curt Bradley for 16 yards to the Texas State 12. Sanders, who was 24-of-31 for 417 yards and four touchdowns, completed six-of-seven passes on the scoring drive.

In overtime, Texas State's defense held the Panthers to the 25-yard Wingert field goal as Nate Langford's quarterback hurry on third-and-three from the eight forced Sanders into an incomplete pass.

The Bobcats started overtime with Douglas Sherman running for 13 yards. A second Sherman carry ended in no gain then Texas State quarterback Barrick Nealy was sacked for a three-yard loss. On third down, Nealy dropped back in the pocket, scrambled and in the process of being brought down, threw a pass that was intercepted by Matt Tharp.

Nealy's interception in overtime was Texas State's lone turnover of the game. Nealy completed 16-of-25 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns.

Northern Iowa struck first in the opening quarter, scoring in 5:11 on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Sanders to Surrency.

The ten-play, 79-yard drive was set up by 12-yard completion that moved the chains on 3rd-and-11 at the midfield stripe, and a 15-yard personal-foul facemask moved the football to the Bobcat 30.

Texas State was forced into a fourth-down punting situation after crossing the midfield stripe on its first drive, and on the next UNI next possession, the Panthers went 54 yards on their first play with a pass from Sanders to James Lindgren that put the ball at the Bobcat 34.

Four plays and two penalties later, Sanders hit Brian Cutright on a 12-yard touchdown pass that ended the five-play, 88-yard UNI drive to put the Panthers up 14-0 with 3:30 to play in the first frame.

Sanders finished the first quarter with 124 yards passing and was perfect in seven pass attempts.

Texas State lashed back to open the second quarter, scoring on a 17-yard touchdown toss from Barrick Nealy to Markee White that capped an 11-play, 82-yard scoring drive and cut the Panther lead to 14-7.

The drive was saved when Nealy hit Tyrone Scott for 13 yards on a 3rd-and-10 at the UNI 39 yard line, and Chase Wasson helped to set up the score with a ten-yard run that coupled with a Panther facemask to put the ball at the UNI 17.

Northern Iowa responded on its next play from scrimmage, when Sanders found Patrick Hunter for a 69-yard touchdown pass, running the Panther lead to 20-7 with 12:26 remaining in the first half.

UNI got two chances at the kick return, fumbling on the first but returning the ball to the 31 after Texas State was flagged for offsides on the play, and the Panthers missed the point-after kick resulting in the 13-point second-quarter lead.

Texas State continued to trade touchdowns with UNI on its next drive, scoring in six plays on a 42-yard pass from Nealy to Adrian Thomas. The catch was the first this season for Thomas, and the score was the second set up by a crucial third-down play for the Bobcats.

Texas State faced 3rd-and-8 at its own 36 when Nealy broke through on a quarterback scramble to get the ball to the Northern Iowa 42. The score cut the lead to 20-14 and left 10:16 to play before halftime.

The Bobcats stopped UNI for the first time on the next Panther drive, and four plays after the Panther punt, Nealy hit Scott on a 13-yard, third-down pass that put the ball at the UNI 6 yard line.

Two Sherman runs punched the ball to the two, but Nealy was sacked on third down by John Hermann, resulting in a 29-yard Stan Jones field goal that cut the lead to three with 4:39 to play in the half.

Texas State made UNI punt in three plays on the next Panther drive, but a roughing flag wiped out the punt and gave the Panthers the ball at their own 46.

Eight snaps later, Brian Wingert's 41-yard field-goal sailed through the uprights to put UNI up 23-17 with 26 seconds remaining in the half.

Texas State took over to open the second half and promptly took its first lead of the game, marching 80 yards in nine plays and scoring when Daniel Jolly barreled through the Panther front to put the `Cats up 24-23.

On the drive, Nealy picked up his first career reception after lining up in the slot and pulling in a 31 yard pass from Wasson that moved the ball to the UNI ten. Three plays later, Jolly bulled through to cap the nearly four-minute drive.

For the second time in the game, UNI followed a Bobcat touchdown with a one-play score, this time scoring on a pass to Hunter that spanned 65 yards and put the Panthers back on top 29-24 with 10:48 to play in the third after UNI's two-point pass missed on the right-side flat.

Down five, Texas State clawed back with a six-play, 53-yard drive that was topped with a 14-yard pass from Nealy to Justin Williams. Texas State went for two up 30-29, but Nealy was picked in the end zone to keep the lead at one with 7:56 to go in the third.