Nov. 14, 2015 Final Stats | Quotes
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Behind a powerful ground attack and a shutdown defensive effort, No. 19 UNI seized control early and never let up in a 41-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory over Missouri State Saturday at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. UNI quarterback Aaron Bailey rushed for four touchdowns for the second consecutive week to spearhead the Panthers' offense, which rolled up 439 rushing yards on the day.
Bailey, who rushed for 161 yards on 19 carries, teamed up with Tyvis Smith to account for 304 rushing yards and five touchdowns to help the Panthers amass the top team rushing total by a Valley team in 2015.
The Panther defense was equally as dominant, limiting the Bears' offense to just 139 total yards, including only 43 rushing yards on 31 carries. MSU managed just six first downs and ran only five offensive plays in UNI territory all afternoon, while converting just 1-of-15 third-down attempts.
The loss overshadowed career days from MSU defenders Dylan Cole and Jared Beshore, who combined to make 37 tackles in helping the Bears (1-9, 0-7 MVFC) force seven UNI punts - a 2015 opponent high. Cole logged a career-best and MVFC season-high 23 tackles, including the Bears' lone sack of the game, while Beshore made 14 stops.
Led by Bailey's three first-half touchdown rushes, the Panthers (6-4, 4-3 MVFC) set the tone for the day early, totaling 309 rushing yards on 29 carries over the first 30 minutes of the contest. Bailey carried 12 times for 141 yards in the half, while Smith - who broke off a 56-yard scoring run just 46 seconds into the game - also topped the 100-yard rushing mark in the opening stanza en route to finishing the day with 143 yards on 16 attempts.
After allowing Smith's long run on the opening possession and a the first of Bailey's three scores on a three-yard scamper with 5:58 to play in the first, the Bears' defense settled into a groove of its own to keep the game close. MSU forced three consecutive three-and-out series by the Panthers, giving up a total of 10 yards on the nine plays. Then, midway through the second period, Tre Betts then picked off a Bailey pass in the end zone to squash another scoring threat.
But the Panther defense returned the favor on the ensuing MSU drive, as Deiondre' Hall stepped in front of a Brodie Lambert pass at the UNI 46 and returned the interception 20 yards. Bailey wasted no time in cashing in on the miscue, bursting through MSU defense for a 28-yard gain, then found the edge on the right side for an 11-yard touchdown run with just over five minutes to play in the half.
After forcing the seventh punt of the half from Chris Sullens, UNI went back to work in the closing moments of the half. Big runs from Smith and Michael Malloy to set up Bailey's 26-yard scoring run with 50 ticks left on the second-quarter clock.
Bailey continued his assault in the third period, carrying for 33 additional yards - including a 10-yard TD run - as part of an 11-play, 85-yard scoring drive, before Eli Dunne's two-yard run capped the scoring with 2:26 left in the contest.
The Panthers, who topped 400 rushing yards for the first time since 2009, finished the game with 512 yards of total offense
Next, the Bears conclude the 2015 campaign with a 2:30 p.m. game against North Dakota State at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.
Noteworthy: Eric Christophel matched a season-high with his four receptions…With his career-high 23 tackles, Dylan Cole moved into the Bears' single-season top 10 for tackles, matching Ken Braden's 1987 total of 138 in the No. 10 position…Chris Sullens broke a Missouri State single-game record with 543 punting yards, eclipsing Chris Hurst's 20-year-old mark of 533; Sullens's record-setting day also saw the senior surpass his own MSU single-season record for total punts (91) while breaking the Valley's record (previously set last season by Logan Bieghler of UNI) for total punt yardage (3,852) in a season as well…The Bears finished the 2015 home campaign with a 1-4 record at Plaster Stadium, marking just the fourth time during the Division I era they have failed to win at least two home contests in a season…MSU's home season attendance total of 50,182 gives the Bears three consecutive seasons of at least 50,000 in home attendance and a final average of 10,036-the 13th-best in school history.
