UNI Playoff History

[Blue42]

We were talking a little UNI playoff history on another thread. It's one of the best things about UNI football. These games are always memorable. Here is a quick run down of my best and worst playoff memories. I did the dates from memory, so could be slightly off.

Top 5

5. Murray State 1995. Panthers get 1st round win at Murray State on a blocked field goal by Alonzo Clayton with very little time left on clock. It's Murray State, but hey a win is a win in the playoffs.

4. Eastern Illinois 2001. Panthers win 1st round game on road vs. Blue Panthers and QB Tony Romo. No TV in Central Iowa so I listen try to listen on radio, but reception of christian station in Des Moines that carries the game is so bad I have to rig up the radio like the castaways on Gilligan's Island just to hear the score. OK, that one kind of sucked for me. How about this...

3. Montana State 2003. Panthers get a little revenge on state of Montana, unfortunately it's the Bobcats and not the Griz. But their fans are almost equally obnoxious, at least early when the game is close. Panthers drop the hammer in 2nd half, move on to 2nd round.

2. William & Mary 1996. Panthers take big lead on Mary in dome. Bill comes out in 2nd half and throws up and down field. Future Packer Darren Sharper lets punt go through his arms and kills W&M's chances.

1. Eastern Illinois 1996. Eastern has huge offensive line. UNI cranks up the heat in the dome to at least 90 degrees and sweats em out. Game goes down to the wire. Eastern has ball on 5 yard line with one play to go. They run some crazy fullback pitch play, lateral to another guy who tries to throw it in the end zone with two Panthers handing on him. Ball goes over an open receivers head who doesn't see it as time expires. Longest play I've ever seen. Reminds me of that play at the end of "The Longest Yard (the original)" when the QB runs back and forth across the field a couple times in slow motion and then scores. Thank god Adam Sandler was playing QB for Eastern and not Burt Reynolds.

Lowest 5

5. Boston University 1993. UNI blows 14 point lead to lose to Terriers in double OT. Kurt Warner's last game at UNI. Panthers block field goal in 2nd OT but Andre Allen facemasks the kicker trying to recover the block and give them a 1st down on 2 yard line. Ballgame. Boston U decides it doesn't get any better, drops football soon after.

4. Marshall, Marshall, Marshall!! Panthers go against Marshall and Randy Moss in Huntington. Score TD at end of 1st half to get close but called back for holding. Moss takes reverse in for TD. Ty Talton holds Moss to about 45 yards receiving. I can't get the sound of John Denver singing "West Virginia, mountain momma" out of my head for two weeks.

3. Montana 1995(?). Panthers lose close game at Montana. Sylvester Brown runs for about 160 yds. Panthers rally late and about to get ball back with chance to win. Andre Allen hits QB late on incomplete pass on 3rd down and gets personal foul. I watch game in a bar with Hawk fans ragging me the whole game. Must not be dual fans.

2. Youngstown 1992. UNI loses to Penguins in national semi-finals 19-7 on a punt return and 4 field goals. Kenny Shedd can't play due to concussion from running into back wall in UNI-Dome the week before. Future NFL MVP QB is on the bench holding clip-board. DOH!!!

1.5 Delaware 2003 - UNI travels through blizzard to play in frozen tundra of Delaware. Offense sputters, Delaware defense dominates, Panthers go home to treat frost bite. Delaware goes on to beat Colgate in title game. Not much of a game, but Colgate does enjoy minty fresh breath.

1. Montana 2001 - Starts bad, gets worse. Jurgens blows a knee. Soliday throws the rabbit punch. Montana runs up and down the field. Montana's craven fans demonstrate uni-bomber tendencies. 35-zot.

Let me hear your takes.

[Matt Trump]

Nice list.

I'd replace EIU 2001 with Maine 2001. Unexepted home game in the dome. Dome fullest I've seen it in a long time. Adam Benge running wild on Maine. Dome magic returned.

[Matt Trump]

I watch game in a bar with Hawk fans ragging me the whole game. Must not be dual fans.

Hmmmmmmm (scratching head)......

[Newsbreaker]

Those are some great stories...I remember the ones post 1997 VERY well, and I think I vaguely remember hearing about the Marshall game. My first years following the cats were the Dunbar years. Yes, it's amazing I'm still here.

[uni1988]

Tough losses

Two games that come to mind were both losses... 1985 GA. Southern with Tracey Ham and the "Ham Bone". My first taste of 1-AA playoffs. Also the 44-41 overtime loss to Northeast Louisianna in 1987. UNI had the ball on the one yard line when they fumbled. I had my bags packed and was all ready to go to the Championship game in Idaho.

[Panther71]

Those are some great stories...I remember the ones post 1997 VERY well, and I think I vaguely remember hearing about the Marshall game. My first years following the cats were the Dunbar years. Yes, it's amazing I'm still here.

Don't forget, (dunbar years) one more "W" in '97 and '98 puts the panthers into the playoffs. Those teams were talented, unfortunatly just a little confused.

[Chitown Panther]

The 97 team had some crazy talent on offense......the only problem was Jason Jones wasn't the QB and Zo Clayton didn't get the ball......

[Newsbreaker]

Don't forget, (dunbar years) one more "W" in '97 and '98 puts the panthers into the playoffs. Those teams were talented, unfortunatly just a little confused.

Oh, I remember. I was at (or worked) every UNI football game from the fall of 1998 until I graduated, through the dunbar years. Those were good teams, just always one game (or play) away.

[Blue42]

Was it Dunbar's first year when UNI took the lead at Western Illinois late in the game but fumbled the snap on the extra point and Western returned it for 2 points to win by 1. And that cost UNI the playoffs that year.

Oh, I remember. I was at (or worked) every UNI football game from the fall of 1998 until I graduated, through the dunbar years. Those were good teams, just always one game (or play) away.

[Newsbreaker]

I think it was...that was the only fall I didn't work those games, but I remember it happening.

[Luther_Heggs]

Was it Dunbar's first year when UNI took the lead at Western Illinois late in the game but fumbled the snap on the extra point and Western returned it for 2 points to win by 1. And that cost UNI the playoffs that year.

That fumbled snap (Helming his freshman year) was returned for two to put the game into overtime. It was in two overtimes (I think, maybe three) that WIU won that game. I am still in therapy over that one... The WIU fans always vote that as the most memorable WIU football game of all time.

1. Eastern Illinois 1996. Eastern has huge offensive line. UNI cranks up the heat in the dome to at least 90 degrees and sweats em out. Game goes down to the wire. Eastern has ball on 5 yard line with one play to go. They run some crazy fullback pitch play, lateral to another guy who tries to throw it in the end zone with two Panthers handing on him. Ball goes over an open receivers head who doesn't see it as time expires. Longest play I've ever seen. Reminds me of that play at t he end of "The Longest Yard (the original)" when the QB runs back and forth across the field a couple times in slow motion and then scores. Thank god Adam Sandler was playing QB for Eastern and not Burt Reynolds.

That EIU team was an excellent team. It seems to me like the last play of the game started at about the two or three yard line. EIU like to go with a "jumbo" formation on goal line plays. They would put some 300 pound guy in for fullback and the same size guy at tailback. I was sure they would run that play to win the game...but with only a few seconds and no timeouts, they had to throw. The QB fumbled the ball (after a huge hit) the running back picks it up at about the ten and throws it as he is going down to the turf (with a couple Panthers on his back)...and the ball FLOATS in the air to finally land between about five or six players scrambling for it in the endzone. You are exactly right when you describe that as the longest play ever...it seemed like slow motion to everyone in the dome!!! What a finish!!!

[01PantherFan]

Cant forget to mention the come back against SIU here a couple years ago to win the Gateway title in the second half

[Chitown Panther]

That is the only game I've been to at WIU and couldn't believe it either.....

I think that was Eddie Berlin's breakout game too.....

[Blue42]

I remember that Maine game as well. That was a good one. Maine had a huge receiver who was killing UNI's small cornerback in the 1st half. Literally completing passes at will. UNI switched up at half time and I think put Daryon Brutley on the big dude, and he locked him up pretty tight for the 2nd half.

Nice list.

I'd replace EIU 2001 with Maine 2001. Unexepted home game in the dome. Dome fullest I've seen it in a long time. Adam Benge running wild on Maine. Dome magic returned.

[Blue42]

The 97 team had some crazy talent on offense......the only problem was Jason Jones wasn't the QB and Zo Clayton didn't get the ball......

That was a classic move by Dunbar in his first year. Brings in a transfer quarterback and hand him the keys from day 1 ahead of Jones who had waited his turn and had some game himself. Was that transfer's name Shane Fortney? I think he was from Washington. Nothing like sending a message to your team right off the bat that whatever they've got isn't good enough.