Stephen F. Austin
Northern Iowa
Lumberjacks Defeat Northern Iowa
9/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 18, 2004
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - For the second-straight week the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack football team has faced a nationally ranked opponent, and for the second consecutive week SFA has pulled off the upset. The Lumberjacks rolled into Cedar Falls, Iowa Saturday afternoon and knocked off the No. 7 Northern Iowa Panthers, 24-21. The victory improved SFA to 3-0 on the season.
Showing no ill-effects of a hand injury suffered last week, senior quarterback Michael Williams led SFA to a two touchdown lead in the second quarter with the use of his arm and legs. Williams was 17-of-24 for 225 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions as he hit eight different targets. He also carried the ball 17 times for 56 yards.
The Panthers fought their back into the game scoring 14 unanswered points, but SFA simply turned to its workhorse, Derek Farmer who recorded another strong outing for the Lumberjacks. Farmer carried the ball 21 times for 71 yards and one touchdown. But it may have been Farmer's lone reception of the game that locked up the victory for SFA. With only 5:45 on the clock and SFA protecting a three-point lead, Farmer caught an eight-yard pass from Williams for the score to put SFA up 24-14, and the Lumberjack defense made the lead stick as SFA won its fifth-straight game, and eight of its last nine dating back to last season.
Tony Tompkins led SFA with five catches for 55 yards, while Carl Price hauled in four catches for 40 yards. Fullback Michael Motte recorded two receptions for 27 yards and one score. Tight end Matt Bodley also picked up two receptions for 61 yards including a 50-yarder that set up an early SFA score.
The win over Northern Iowa snaps a string of five straight losses to the Panthers and also ended an eight game home winning streak for UNI. SFA is now 3-0 for the first time since the 2000 season.
The `Jacks return to actions Saturday Sept. 25, when they return home to face Southern Utah. The game against the Thunderbirds is set to kick-off at 7 p.m., from Homer Bryce Stadium.
-SFA-
