By Cole Bair, correspondent CEDAR FALLS — Two wins stand between Northern Iowa and the FCS Playoffs. After defeating then-No. 14 Illinois State a week ago, the 24th-ranked Panthers (5-4, 4-2 MVFC) travel to Ohio to take on Youngstown State at 11 a.m. Saturday. On paper, the Penguins (3-6, 2-4) looked like an easy win a week ago, but YSU took No. 1 North Dakota State to the brink last week, losing 17-7. Here are three keys to a UNI win against Youngstown State: 1. Score first In five of its six losses, Youngstown State has failed to score first. Head coach Bo Pelini has paired his stout defenses with a run-first offense since taking the reins in 2015 and that combination has provided a blueprint for its opponents. Simply put, the Penguins are not equipped to come from behind and win. Quarterback Montgomery VanGorder completes just 54 percent of his passes and has thrown eight interceptions in eight starts. Getting an early lead and forcing the Penguins to win through the air rather than on the ground should be the No. 1 key in what is another must-win game for the Panthers. 2. Win with special teams UNI’s defense arguably put forth its best game in last Saturday’s 26-16 win over Illinois State, keeping the Redbirds from crossing midfield for 11 consecutive possessions. Not far behind the Panthers defense was an outstanding special teams performance. Austin Errthum knocked in all four of his field-goal attempts and Michael Kuntz pinned… [Read full story]
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