Mark Farley was proud with what his team showed against the Nebraska football program on Saturday night.
“I’m walking away that we showed a lot of toughness,” Farley said in his postgame comments. When you start rushing the football against Nebraska – or a team like Nebraska – its a standard that you are rushing against. I think that we did a great job at the line of scrimmage. We did it all night long for four quarters.”
Farley’s Northern Iowa Panthers fell 34-3 in Memorial Stadium to Nebraska on a game that the FCS visitors had an early advantage in, starting the contest with a ten-minute drive ending in a field goal. Farley added that the Panthers’ “toughness and rushing game” was something that the then-rated No. 21 FCS team could continue to build from.
The coach added that the game plan was to use the quarterback run game and to “establish the edges” early to find success. Panthers’ quarterback Aidan Dunne finished 13-of-25 passing and led the team in rushing with 49 yards. Farley’s biggest frustration in the contest, however, were the yellow markers against Northern Iowa.
“We made critical errors at the wrong time. It was the penalties. That game is totally different – all the way to the very end – with one hundred yards of penalties out there,” Farley said. Northern Iowa finished with nine penalties for 95 yards while Nebraska committed four penalties for 44 yards.
The coach continued that he would need to “go back and watch the film” to evaluate the holding penalties against both sides. Farley added that when a team is primarily running the football, “everyone is holding on every down.”
Farley is shared plenty of compliments regarding Nebraska’s running backs, especially starter Dante Dowdell who finished with six carries for 55 yards.
“The running back was a trouble maker. He was quick, he had the better speed early. When we went to man-to-man early, I didn’t know if we could cover him,” Farley said. “It was run after catch is where the plays were.”
Emmett Johnson also toted the rock for four carries and fifty yards, including his 36 yard touchdown scamper to seal the contest late. Johnson and senior back Rahmir Johnson added five catches for over 70 receiving yards in the contest as well.
Farley shared that starting quarterback was impressive, calling him a “good player.” He credited the first-year starter for “finding blown coverages” during the game.
The Panthers’ coach wrapped up his post-game thoughts, saying he feels that Nebraska’s strength as a team came from their defense. The Blackshirts upheld their standard, not allowing a touchdown in the game and allowing 307 total yards of offense.
The Huskers will face Illinois on Friday night in Memorial Stadium. Listen to Farley’s full postgame thoughts below.
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