UNI's
quick start drops 'Birds; Grigsby claims ISU tackle mark
Send a link to a friend
[NOV. 15, 2004]
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa
-- Northern Iowa scored on its first five possessions and handed
Illinois State a 41-14 loss at the UNI-Dome on Saturday night in the
final Gateway Football Conference game for both teams, while senior
linebacker Boomer Grigsby surpassed his position coach and former
Redbird great Galen Scott's school career tackle record.
|
Grigsby led the 'Birds with 10 tackles
and now has 580 in his storied career, but it wasn't enough to stop
the Panthers from winning their fifth straight game.
Northern Iowa's (6-4, 5-2) first two
drives resulted in a pair of Terrance Freeney touchdowns. UNI took
the opening kickoff and went 62 yards in five plays before Freeney
scampered into the end zone from 20 yards out. After ISU's Yance
Vaughan's first interception on a tipped pass, Freeney gave UNI a
14-0 lead on a 4-yard pass from Eric Sanders.
After an ISU punt, Sanders found Patrick Hunter in the middle of the
field on the first play from scrimmage for a 74-yard touchdown and a
21-0 UNI lead. Brian Wingert tacked on a 44-yard field goal, and
Richard Carter scurried 33-yards for another UNI touchdown and a
31-0 advantage.
The Redbirds (4-6, 2-5) narrowed the
gap right before intermission, when Vaughan connected with Laurént
Robinson from six yards out, capping a 10-play, 88-yard drive.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
 UNI rounded out its scoring with 10
more tallies in the third quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by
Reggie Brown and a 19-yard field goal by Wingert, for a 41-7 lead.
ISU added a late touchdown when
Vaughan found Pierre Jackson in the corner of the end zone from 3
yards out.
Vaughan finished with 168 yards on
17-for-38 passing but threw four interceptions, including three to
UNI's Dré Dokes. Brian Thompson led the ISU rushing attack with 71
yards on 15 carries, while Robinson was the leading receiver with
six grabs for 31 yards.
The Redbirds close out the 2004
season next Saturday, when they travel to Florida Atlantic.
[Todd Kober,
assistant athletics director, media relations,
Illinois
State University] |