Northern Iowa football starts 2024 season with a victory

CEDAR FALLS — Northern Iowa football opened the 2024 season inside the UNI-Dome on Saturday with a commanding 35-7 rout of the Valparaiso Beacons in non-conference action.

The Panthers racked up 363 rushing yards on the day, fourth-most in a single-game in the last 15 seasons and most since 2015, and controlled the game clock with nearly 35 minutes of offensive ball possession.

The Panthers opened the season with a victory for the ninth time in the Mark Farley era.

Tye Edwards' 54-yard touchdown rush was the longest rush of his UNI career. The matchup against Valparaiso was also his first multi-touchdown game as a Panthers.

UNI rushed for 365 yards against the Beacons on Saturday. This is the first time since 2016 against Indiana State that the Panthers have rushed for over 300 yards. It is also the most rushing yards accumulated by the Northern Iowa offense since putting up 401 yards on the ground in the 2015 FCS playoffs against Portland State.

The Panthers hit the road for a three-game road stand that begins on Saturday at St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

The UNI sports information department contributed this report.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Northern Iowa football starts 2024 season with a victory