2003 Northern Iowa Panthers football team
| 2003 Northern Iowa Panthers football | |
|---|---|
Gateway champion | |
NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal, L 7–37 at Delaware | |
| Conference | Gateway Football Conference |
| Ranking | |
| Sports Network | No. 5 |
| Record | 10–3 (6–1 Gateway) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Bill Salmon (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | UNI-Dome |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 +^ | 6 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Southern Illinois +^ | 6 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Western Illinois ^ | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Western Kentucky ^ | 5 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois State | 3 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youngstown State | 2 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwest Missouri State | 1 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana State | 0 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2003 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Mark Farley, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the Gateway title. Northern Iowa advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Panthers beat Montana State in the first round before falling to eventual national champion Delaware in the quarterfinals. Northern Iowa played home games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 30 | at Iowa State* | L 10–17 | |||||
| September 6 | Northern Michigan* | W 62–0 | |||||
| September 18 | 6:30 p.m. | at Stephen F. Austin* | W 38–24 | 7,841 | |||
| September 27 | No. 11 Northwestern State* |
| W 43–10 | 13,102 | |||
| October 4 | at Illinois State | No. 16 | W 16–7 | 12,026 | [1] | ||
| October 11 | Indiana State | No. 12 |
| W 22–14 | |||
| October 18 | at Southwest Missouri State | No. 11 | W 26–20 | ||||
| October 25 | at No. 7 Western Illinois | No. 9 | W 38–30 | 8,302 | [2] | ||
| November 1 | Youngstown State | No. 6 |
| W 47–9 | |||
| November 8 | at No. 12 Western Kentucky | No. 6 | L 3–24 | 7,518 | |||
| November 15 | No. 2 Southern Illinois | No. 11 |
| W 43–40 | 15,088 | [3] | |
| November 29 | No. 24 Montana State* | No. 7 |
| W 35–14 | [4] | ||
| December 6 | at No. 3 Delaware* | No. 7 |
| L 7–37 | 11,881 | [5] | |
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References
- ^ Gray, Rob (October 5, 2003). "Final flurry saves Panthers". Des Moines Register. p. 6C. Retrieved November 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gray, Rob (October 26, 2003). "Panthers' air game delivers victory". Des Moines Register. p. 6C. Retrieved October 27, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gray, Rob (November 16, 2003). "Amazing comeback saves UNI". Des Moines Register. p. 1C. Retrieved December 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Panthers send Cats packing". The Montana Standard. November 30, 2003. Retrieved August 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kevin Tresolini (December 7, 2003). "UD Plows Ahead". Daily News Journal. pp. D1, D9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northern Iowa Panthers Schedule 2003". ESPN. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ "2003 Football Schedule". University of Northern Iowa. Retrieved August 11, 2025.