Go Panthers!

As some of you might know, the Div I-AA Championship game is this weekend, featuring our very own Northern Iowa Panthers. (The campus is located in Cedar Falls, about 70 miles north of Iowa City). UNI's most notable athletic accomplishment before this was beating Missouri in the 1st round of the NCAAs in 1990 as a 14 seed (no, I did not pick that, although they were a tempting 12-point dog).

If you don't know the details of how they won, then you haven't heard the story of the colossal coaching blunder of the year.

Northern was down by 8 (37-29) with 4 minutes left, playing on the road at Texas State in the semi finals. UNI drives and scores a TD with about 1:20 left to play, and makes the 2pt conversion. Now the score is tied, 37-37, and Northern has to kickoff to Texas State, who has 2 timeouts left.

Texas State gets the kickoff and is tackled at its own 25 with 1:15 left.

Let's repeat this: Texas State:
a) is tied 37-37
b) is playing at home in a I-AA semifinal
c) has the ball at its own 25 with 1:15 left
d) and has 2 timeouts.

What play(s) would you call?

The coach opted to take a knee 2 times and send the game to OT. The fans went beszerk - booing their own team (coach) in a playoff game.
Northern got the ball first, kicked a FG, and intercepted a Texas State pass to win, 40-37, to go to Chattanooga on Friday.