1997 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

1997 Northern Iowa Panthers football
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Record7–4 (5–1 Gateway)
Head coach
Home stadiumUNI-Dome
1997 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
No. 2 Western Illinois $^ 6–0  11–2 
Northern Iowa 5–1  7–4 
No. 4 Youngstown State ^ 4–2  13–2 
Southwest Missouri State 3–3  5–6 
Indiana State 2–4  3–8 
Southern Illinois 1–5  3–8 
Illinois State 0–6  2–9 
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1997 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Mike Dunbar, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, and finished second in the Gateway.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 6at No. 20 (I-A) Iowa*No. 4
L 0–6666,325[1]
September 13Mankato State*No. 13
W 39–15[2]
September 20at No. 16 McNeese State*No. 12
L 5–2211,627[3]
September 27Southern IllinoisNo. 23
  • UNI-Dome
  • Cedar Falls, IA
W 28–2712,829[4]
October 4at Illinois StateNo. 23
W 50–34[5]
October 11at No. 5 Western IllinoisNo. 17
L 22–29 2OT13,446[6]
October 18No. 1 Youngstown StateNo. 24
  • UNI-Dome
  • Cedar Falls, IA
W 35–3212,218[7]
October 25at Cal Poly*No. 17
L 24–388,427[8]
November 1at Southwest Missouri State
W 23–22[9]
November 8Southern Utah*
  • UNI-Dome
  • Cedar Falls, IA
W 53–33[10]
November 15Indiana State
  • UNI-Dome
  • Cedar Falls, IA
W 29–21 3OT[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Iowa goes to Banks, cashes in 66 points". Omaha World-Herald. September 7, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "UNI whips Mankato". The Daily Nonpareil. September 14, 1996. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "No. 13 UNI upset on road". The Des Moines Register. September 21, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ McCool, Dan (September 28, 1997). "Panthers hang on in final minute". The Des Moines Register. p. 8D. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Panthers erupt for 50–34 win". The Courier. October 5, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "2 OTs: UNI stumbles". The Des Moines Register. Associated Press. October 12, 1997. p. 6D. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "UNI streak at 25". The Globe-Gazette. October 19, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "'Flat' Panthers flattened some more by talented Cal Poly". The Gazette. October 26, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Fortney, Northern Iowa outlast Bears in Gateway thriller". The Des Moines Register. November 2, 1997. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Fortney paces Panthers". The Daily Nonpareil. November 9, 1996. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Panthers win in 3 overtimes". Quad-City Times. November 16, 1996. Retrieved January 6, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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