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Grand Forks Herald
5 things you might've missed in UND's 24-17 loss at Northern Iowa
- Story byGrand Forks Herald
- 5 things you might've missed in UND's 24-17 loss at Northern Iowa
Oct. 10—CEDAR FALLS, Iowa. — The UND football team outgained Northern Iowa 367 to 144 but turned the ball over five times in a 24-17 loss Saturday at the UNI-Dome.
Here are five things you might've missed in the game.
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UND's hopes for a fourth quarter comeback came down to the offense adjusting to backup quarterback Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson, who finished 2-for-9 passing for 29 yards. He ran five times for 20 yards.
Tupou'ata-Johnson entered the game in the opening minute of the fourth quarter when Jerry Kaminski suffered an ankle injury as he fought for a possible touchdown near the goal line.
One play later, Tupou'ata-Johnson, a second-year transfer from San Diego State, scored on a 1-yard run to cut the Panther lead to 24-17.
The extent of Kaminski's injury after the game was unknown. UND head coach Eric Schmidt said an X-ray was attempted but the picture wasn't clear.
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"There are some things that (Tupou'ata-Johnson) does well that we're going to have to tailor toward him," Schmidt said. "I think that's always the job of a coordinator to be able to use your players' strengths. Being a bigger, stronger guy there are things he can do to move the football for us. We'll see where that's at here."
On UND's touchdown drive late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, UND saw another injury at tight end.
After Watson Hafer's 4-yard catch, the tight end needed UND's medical staff to come out on the field. Hafer finished the game on crutches.
UND's tight ends have been banged up much of the season as Hunter Kallstrom remains sidelined with an elbow injury and Aidan Behymer has yet to play this season with an injury.
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Tight end Haydn Stay did play against UNI after playing a limited role last week against Murray State.
UND's most effective runner against the Panthers was Matt Lawson, a first-year transfer from Illinois State.
Lawson had six carries for 57 yards with a long run of 33 yards. He also caught three passes for 34 yards.
Charles Langama, who scored on an 8-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, didn't play much in the second half. Langama, who has battled a shoulder injury, also had a fumbled exchange with Kaminski that gave the Panthers a short field in the first half.
Kaminski finished with 15 carries for 48 yards. Langama had nine carries for 48 yards.
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UND's defense limited Northern Iowa to 81 passing yards and sacked quarterback Jaxon Dailey four times.
The running game had 36 carries for 63 yards for the Panthers. Dailey contributed 38 yards of negative plays to that total.
"That's who we want to be," Schmidt said of his defense. "I felt like hitting the quarterback, stopping the run ... but it's hard when you're playing from behind to be able to stay committed to the run."
UND played in the secondary without safety Avery Dixon, who has missed multiple weeks now with an injury.
UND's secondary helped up against the Panthers, though. Cornerback Grant Noland finished with 8.0 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss. Cornerback Ben Kamara and safety Grant Tylutki each had key pass breakups down the field.
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"I love going to work with our guys every day," UND edge Braden Mohr said. "I'm proud of how we compete and how, no matter situation we're put into, we're competing and have that belief."
