Farley's Milestone Moment: Iowa Time Machine September 3, 2016

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On September 3, 2016, the UNI Panthers beat the Iowa State Cyclones 25-20 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The 130th win for Panther Head Coach Mark Farley, the victory made him the winningest coach in UNI football history.

A Cedar Falls native and UNI graduate, Farley played for the Panthers in the early 1980s before beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Darrell Mudra. He became UNI’s head coach in 2001. By the start of the 2016 season, Farley had compiled a 129–61 record, taken the Panthers to nine NCAA playoff appearances, and guided teams that claimed at least a share of seven conference championships. Stan Sheriff, a College Football Hall of Fame coach who led UNI from 1960 through 1982, had long represented the standard for Panther coaching success.

The record-setting win came in the opener of the 2016 season, before a crowd in Ames watching Matt Campbell’s first game as Iowa State’s head coach. The Cyclones led 7–0 after the opening quarter and carried a 13–7 advantage into the late stages of the second. UNI responded with an unusual and decisive sequence: defensive lineman Karter Schult recorded an 11-yard safety with 1:23 left in the half, and quarterback Aaron Bailey scored on a two-yard run as time expired. The Panthers entered halftime ahead 16–13, then added an Austin Errthum field goal in the third quarter. Iowa State regained the lead, 20–19, when Joel Lanning hit Allen Lazard for a 33-yard touchdown pass in the fourth. With 2:49 remaining, UNI’s J. Browning scored from one yard out, producing the final 25–20 margin. Jared Farley, son of Mark, intercepted a pass in the final seconds to seal the Panther victory.

The 2016 victory was Farley’s third against Iowa State, following Panther wins in 2007 and 2013, and it became one of four victories over FBS opponents during his tenure. Farley coached UNI through the 2024 season, and after 24 years as head coach, he left with 182 wins and an 182–111 record, seven Missouri Valley Football Conference championships, and two conference Coach of the Year awards. #Iowa #OTD #History #Football #CollegeFootball