T-Birds lose to unbeaten Northern Iowa

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Nov 18, 2007 by Associated Press

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Eric Sanders threw two touchdown passes to Victor Williams and Northern Iowa completed its first unbeaten regular season in 47 years with a 48-10 victory over winless Southern Utah on Saturday night.

The Thunderbirds ended the season at 0-11.

Johnny Gray totaled 123 yards running, catching passes and returning punts for the Panthers (11-0), who put themselves in position to receive the No. 1 overall seed when the Football Championship Subdivision playoff pairings are announced Sunday.

That would put Northern Iowa at home for the first three rounds of the playoffs if the Panthers made it that far. Northern Iowa has won 12 straight games dating back to last season, matching the longest winning streak in school history.

The 1960 Northern Iowa team went 9-0 in the regular season, then lost to Hillsdale in the Mineral Water Bowl.

Southern Utah (0-11) had the Panthers in a 3-3 tie after Steve Pulver kicked a 26-yard field goal late in the first quarter. But 11 penalties prevented the Thunderbirds from establishing consistency on offense and they had no answer for Sanders' passing and Gray's speed.

Sanders, playing less than three quarters, went 15-of-21 for 206 yards with no interceptions and touchdown throws of 24 and 12 yards to Williams.

Northern Iowa intercepted five passes and kept Southern Utah out of the end zone until Johnny Sanchez scored on a 2-yard run with 10:22 left.