The 2018 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Mark Farley, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 7–6 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for third place in the MVFC. Northern Iowa received an at-large bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Panthers defeated Lamar in the first round before losing to UC Davis in the second round. The team played home games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Schedule
Rankings
Preseason Preseason MVFC poll The MVFC released their preseason poll on July 29, 2018, with the Panthers predicted to finish in third place.
Preseason All-MVFC Teams The Panthers placed six players on the preseason all-MVFC teams.
Offense
1st team
Briley Moore – TE
2nd team
Marcus Weymiller – RB
Isaiah Weston – WR
Cal Twait – OL
Defense
1st team
Rickey Neal Jr. – LB
2nd team
Xavior Williams – DB
Game summaries At Montana
At Iowa
Hampton
At Indiana State
North Dakota State
At South Dakota
South Dakota State
At Western Illinois
Illinois State
At Youngstown State
Missouri State
Lamar—NCAA Division I First Round
At UC Davis—NCAA Division I Second Round
Personnel Roster 2018 Northern Iowa Panthers FootballQuarterback 11 Colton Howell – Senior (6'0", 213) 13 Will McElvain – Freshman (5'10", 195) 14 Eli Dunne – Senior (6'5", 238) 15 Jacob Keller – Freshman (6'1", 206) 16 Luke Gillett – Freshman (6'1", 190) 17 Christian Ellsworth – Sophomore (6'2", 210) 18 John Sullivan – Freshman (6'1", 204)
Running back 5 Martavin Hall – Freshman (5'11", 220) 8 Marcus Weymiller – Senior (5'10", 204) 13 Jon Nzombo – Senior (5'7", 205) 20 Sam Schnee – Freshman (5'8", 182) 21 Christian Jegen – Junior (5'11", 205) 25 Trevor Allen – Junior (5'10", 203) 30 Alphonso Soko – Freshman (5'7", 179) 32 Tyler Hoosman – Freshman (6'0", 201) 32? Jack Wegher – Sophomore (5'10", 205) 36 Trevon Alexander – Freshman (6'1", 195)
Wide receiver 2 Sam Ingoli – Freshman (6'5", 205) 3 Suni Lane – Sophomore (6'3", 203) 4 Deion McShane – Freshman (5'9", 155) 10 Eric Mooney – Freshman (6'1", 190) 12 Nick Phillips – Sophomore (5'7", 188) 28 Leslie Owusu – Senior (6'2", 200) 37 Aaron Graham – Junior (5'11", 201) 80 Isaiah Weston – Sophomore (6'4", 207) 82 Nick Fossey – Sophomore (6'1", 199) 83 Jaylin James – Junior (6'3", 202) 87 Jalen Rima – Junior (6'0", 192)
Placekicker 43 Austin Errthum – Senior (5'10", 180) 62 Sam Drysdale – Junior (6'4", 180) 63 Nate Murphy – Freshman (6'0", 166)
Tight end 81 Tristan Bohr – Junior (6'4", 246) 84 Jayden Scott – Freshman (6'5", 230) 85 Elias Nissen – Senior (6'4", 243) 86 Briley Moore – Junior (6'3", 242) 89 Alex Allen – Freshman (6'6", 220) 89? Trey Recknor – Sophomore (6'0", 230) Taylor Otterstatter – Sophomore (6'5", 251) Offensive Lineman 52 William Blaser – Sophomore (6'1", 281) 55 Colton Lueck – Junior (6'4", 286) 57 Kurt Countryman – Freshman (6'1", 285) 59 Max Erpelding – Sophomore (6'0", 260) 61 Chase Arends – Freshman (6'1", 270) 65 John Yount – Freshman (6'2", 295) 66 Philip Arendt – Sophomore (6'1", 303) 67 Erik Sorensen – Freshman (6'6", 320) 68 Brink Jolly – Graduate Student (6'5", 330) 69 Tyus Phillips – Freshman (6'7", 285) 70 Trevor Penning – Freshman (6'6", 289) 71 Nick Ellis – Sophomore (6'4", 308) 72 Justin Peine – Freshman (6'5", 293) 73 Mason Beisen – Freshman (6'4", 329) 74 Jackson Scott-Brown – Junior (6'4", 312) 75 Cal Twait – Senior (6'5", 305) 76 Spencer Brown – Sophomore (6'8", 290) 77 Matthew Vanderslice – Sophomore (6'7", 257) 78 Tyler Putney – Senior (6'6", 302) 79 Ezrah Szczyrbak – Senior (6'4", 299)
Defensive Lineman 44 Jared Brinkman – Sophomore (5'11", 290) 46 Devin Rice – Freshman (6'5", 220) 47 Elerson G. Smith – Sophomore (6'6", 245) 49 Desmond Chapple – Sophomore 6'3", 235) 64 Hezekiah Applegate – Junior (6'2", 285) 90 Khristian Boyd – Freshman (6'4", 305) 91 Brawntae Wells – Sophomore (6'2", 261) 92 Sean Wendel – Freshman (6'5", 240) 94 Tim Butcher – Sophomore (6'2", 300) 94 Sonny Onken – Sophomore (6'3", 256) 95 Seth Thomas – Junior (6'5", 262) 96 Caden Houghtelling – Freshman (6'5", 240) 97 Marcel Minniefield – Junior (6'2", 282) 98 Bryce Douglas – Senior (6'0", 304)
Long snappers 66 Nick Simpson – Freshman (5'8", 203) 93 Joe Friedrich – Junior (6'0", 206) Linebacker 7 Rickey Neal Jr. – Senior (6'1", 241) 22 Bryce Flater – Freshman (6'1", 224) 31 Jevon Brekke – Freshman (6'3", 185) 33 Jake Hartford – Sophomore (6'3", 226) 34 Sam Thompson – Freshman (6'2", 205) 39 Duncan Ferch – Senior (6'1", 234) 40 Alfonzo Lambert – Sophomore (6'0", 209) 41 Blake Thomas – Senior (6'1", 224) 42 Kendrick Suntken – Senior (6'0", 240) 43 Cristian Perez – Senior (6'1", 246) 45 Brock Hadachek – Freshman (6'2", 208) 48 Chris Kolarevic – Freshman (6'0", 223) 50 Jordan Gayer – Freshman (6'3", 195) 51 Riley Van Wyhe – Freshman (6'2", 215) 53 Weston Schultz – Sophomore (6'3", 215) 56 Ricky Grimes – Junior (6'1", 228) 59 Zac Ebeling – Freshman (6'1", 230) Jesse Cardenas – Sophomore (6'2", 225)
Defensive back 1 Roosevelt Lawrence – Junior (6'0", 170) 3 Suni Lane – Sophomore (6'3", 203) 5 Korby Sander – Sophomore (6'0", 212) 9 Xavior Williams – Sophomore (5'11", 175) 19 Shakespeare Williams – Freshman (5'11", 187) 23 A.J. Allen – Senior (6'0", 215) 24 Nikholi Jaghai – Junior (5'7", 181) 26 Isaiah Nimmers – Sophomore (5'9", 185) 27 Austin Evans – Sophomore (6'0", 189) 29 Tayler Johnson – Freshman (6'2", 155) 35 Max Steffen – Sophomore (5'11", 185) 38 Zac Kibby – Sophomore (5'11, 203)
Punter 88 Michael Kuntz – Senior (5'11", 188)
References