The UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, is mainly used for football games, but Saturday, fans were treated to something similar to a track meet.

Northern Iowa (7-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley Conference) and SIU (3-8, 2-6) combined for 517 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a 49-28 Panthers win.

Junior quarterback Aaron Bailey accounted for five touchdowns and 322 yards of total offense in the win. 

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Two long touchdowns gave the Panthers a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Junior running back Tyvis Smith broke off a 51-yard run to open the scoring with 5:39 left in the quarter. Then Bailey found junior running back Michael Malloy for a 49-yard touchdown pass on UNI’s next possession.

The Salukis cut the lead in half with 7:57 left in the first half after senior quarterback Mark Iannotti found junior wide receiver Billy Reed for an eight-yard touchdown pass.

SIU’s next drive went backwards before Iannotti was sacked by junior defensive lineman Karter Schult. Schult came in untouched from Iannotti’s blindside and forced a fumble that the Panthers recovered on the Saluki four-yard line.

Bailey ran the ball into the end zone on the next play to extend the lead.

Junior defensive back Makinton Dorleant took a punt return 90 yards for a touchdown after the UNI defense stopped the Dawgs.

The Salukis scored before halftime on a four-yard touchdown reception by freshman running back Daquan Isom, but still trailed 28-14 going into the locker room. 

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The 14-point deficit was the largest SIU faced at halftime all season.

Isom took a handoff on the third play of the second half and ran 61 yards for a touchdown. 

The Panthers extended their lead to 35-21 after Bailey found freshman wide reciever Daurice Fountain for a 21-yard touchdown pass.

Isom returned the ensuing kickoff to the SIU 28-yard line then took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage and ran 72 yards for a touchdown to bring the game back within one possession.

It was the last time SIU would score. 

The Panthers burned more than half of the fourth quarter with a 14-play, 89-yard touchdown drive which ended with Bailey’s third rushing touchdown of the game. 

Iannotti finished the game 25 for 41 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.

Bailey completed 14 of 20 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdown passes tied his career high, and his completion percentage of 70 was the highest of his career.

Smith ran for 166 yards and one touchdown. Bailey added 131 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. 

Isom led SIU with 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in his first game back from being suspended indefinitely on Nov. 2. He added 68 receiving yards, a game-high eight catches, one touchdown reception and 275 all-purpose yards for the game.

Freshman wide receiver Darrell James had a game-high 85 receiving yards. Malloy’s 69 receiving yards paced the Panthers.

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307