Northern Iowa Panthers @ Illinois State Redbirds
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 | |
ILST | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
McElvain's 3 TD passes lift N. Iowa past Illinois St 27-10
NORMAL, Ill. -- Will McElvain threw three touchdown passes, the Northern Iowa defense came up with three interceptions and the Panthers defeated Illinois State 27-10 on Saturday in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup of Top 10 teams.
McElvain's 16-yard strike to Suni Lane in the final minute of the first half put the Panthers (6-3, 4-1) on top 14-7. The duo hooked up for a 27-yard score with 11 minutes to play for a 21-10 lead. Matthew Cook finished the next two drives, setup by Xavior Williams' fumble recovery and a Christian Jegen interception, both deep in ISU territory, with field goals.
McElvain was 14 of 28 for 189 yards with an interception.
Illinois State (6-3, 3-2) had only 63 yards of offense in the second half, only scoring on a field goal that was set up by a fumble recovery at the Northern Iowa 30. The Redbirds finished with 210 yards.
Game Information
Normal, IL
2025 Standings
| Missouri Valley Football Conference | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 8-0 | 12-1 |
| South Dakota | 6-2 | 10-5 |
| North Dakota | 5-3 | 8-6 |
| Youngstown State | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Illinois State | 5-3 | 12-5 |
| South Dakota State | 4-4 | 9-5 |
| Southern Illinois | 4-4 | 7-5 |
| Northern Iowa | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Murray State | 1-7 | 1-11 |
| Indiana State | 1-7 | 3-9 |
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