The 2017 FCS Playoffs are here and we've got game-by-game wrap ups. Monmouth and Northern Iowa hit the gridiron Saturday in the first round of the FCS Playoffs for the right to take on the 5th-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the next round.
[divider]COMPARE: Any Two FCS Players | Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
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Monmouth 7Northern Iowa 46 |
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Next up: UNI (8-4) at South Dakota State (9-2) COMPARE: UNI vs. SDSU |
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THE STANDOUTS
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Daurice Fountain, WR, Northern Iowa (10 catches, 139 yards, 2 TDs)
QB Eli Dunne, Northern Iowa: 18-of-26 for 260 yards, 4 TDs
RB J'Veyon Browning, Northern Iowa: 14 carries for 136 yards
DB Nikholi Jaghai, Northern Iowa: 2 INT
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THE TURNING POINT
Early in the first quarter, with the Hawks already trailing 7-0, Monmouth's most promising drive of the first half ended with three straight incomplete passes from Northern Iowa's 37-yard line. Monmouth opted to punt, hoping its defense could force a stop. Instead, UNI mounted a 10-play, 93-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jared Farley, who lined up as a fullback on a perfectly-executed play fake. Monmouth never recovered, finishing the first half in an insurmountable 33-0 hole.
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THE SKINNY
Add this game's final score to the heap of evidence that the MVFC has so much more quality depth than other FCS conferences. Monmouth kept pace with Kennesaw in the Big South standings for a majority of the year, and the Hawks were receiving votes in most polls. They weren't exactly labeled as pushovers.
None of that mattered. Northern Iowa picked off Monmouth in the opening seconds of the game and buried them under a slow, steady stream of offense. Monmouth didn't have the experience, or the firepower, to get back into the game.
With de facto No. 9 seed Western Illinois losing to Weber State earlier in the day, many FCS fans will probably turn to Northern Iowa as a potential darkhorse darling. The Panthers have the talent and the play style to mount a long playoff run, but it's not going to be easy. Next week's game against South Dakota State will be the first of several difficult matchups the Panthers will need to overcome if they want to put together a magical run to Frisco.
Panthers fans will point to a 38-18 mid-October win in Brookings as reason why South Dakota State doesn't necessarily scare them. However, South Dakota State is playing like a top-3 team in the country right now. UNI needs to bring it, regardless of what the regular season wrought.
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PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK
Can UNI pound South Dakota State on the ground again? That'll be the key matchup in next week's marquee second-round game between Missouri Valley teams. Northern Iowa ranks 93rd in FCS in rushing offense; South Dakota State ranks 93rd in rushing defense.
In Northern Iowa's regular season win, UNI tailback Marcus Weymiller posted a 42-for-170 stat line on SDSU. But that was back when the Jackrabbits hadn't quite reached their highest gear. Now, they're playing like national title contenders. UNI will need to keep up.
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PREDICTION
South Dakota State 23, Northern Iowa 21
