Iowa Football: 2018 game-by-game predictions
3. Northern Iowa (Sept. 15)
Following the high stakes game against Iowa State, Iowa has to prepare themselves for another in-state foe, this time it’s the MVC’s Northern Iowa Panthers. This is the first meeting between the two since 2014 that has been since dubbed by Cedar Rapids Gazette writer Marc Morehouse as the “David Johnson Game” (Johnson had over 200 yards receiving so it was definitely deserved). Iowa has had some memorable games against the Panthers, such as the double field goal block to end the 2009 game, but hasn’t lost to their northerly neighbors since 1899.
UNI does have some talent on their team coming into the 2018 season, they return senior quarterback Eli Dunne, who threw for nearly 4,000 yards last season and return an experienced offensive line. Mark Farley enters his 18th season as head coach in Cedar Falls and is looking to build on an 8-5 season in 2017 that included a win over Monmouth in the first round of the FCS Playoffs.
This game has “Trap” written all over it if you want my honest opinion. This game is sandwiched between two, high-emotion rivalry games in Iowa State and Wisconsin. Also, many of the kids on UNI’s rosters are native Iowans and will likely be fired up at the thought of embarrassing the state’s premier program at Kinnick. While this game has many red flags, Iowa will ultimately impose their will on them late and pull away when it matters.