Northern Iowa at #6 UC-Davis
Northern Iowa played the tortoise against Lamar’s hare, outlasting the Cardinals at the very end of the race, winning 16-13. Lamar jumped out early, then the Panthers put the clamps on, holding their opponents scoreless the rest of the way. UNI won the turnover battle 4-1, covering up multiple Cardinal fumbles deep in scoring territory. The other big factor in the game involved the kickers. Lamar missed two field goal attempts and an extra point, Northern Iowa’s Austin Errthum booted a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. The Panthers running game was also grinding as both Marcus Weymiller and Trevor Allen each rushed for over 100 yards.
A new winning tradition started in Davis, California, last season. Many saw 2018 as a great opportunity to build into a power and the Aggies took no time in realizing that as fact. A short trip to FBS San Jose State bore upset fruit and the national spotlight on quarterback Jake Maier. Though his passing yardage has dropped about 200 yards total from 2017, his TD/INT ratio has improved from 26/10 to 31/6. Keelon Doss has been as advertised as one of the nation’s best receivers, hauling in 100 catches for 1,054 yards. Add Ulonzo Gilliam’s near 800 yards rushing and you get the point about an offensive leviathan. The defense suffers from the offense’s superiority, as they spend a lot of time on the field. Linebacker Mason Moe has made the most of it though as the team’s leading tackler, sacker and interceptor.
Northern Iowa should feel fortunate to have won against Lamar. Where UNI played mostly mistake free, they were able to take opportunities away from the Cardinals. It seems unlike they get UC-Davis to perform like that. UNI gave up a lot of passing yards to a team that primarily runs the ball. A similar performance against the Aggies will yield a much different result. A low scoring affair might favor UNI, a track meet definitely favors the Aggies.
Prediction: UC-Davis 48, Northern Iowa 31
