Kickoff: 5:00 PM MT (7:00 PM ET)
Venue: Greater Zion Stadium, St. George, Utah (Capacity: ~10,500)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Weather Forecast (St. George, UT)
Temperature: ~89°F (32°C) at kickoff, cooling into the upper 70s by the 4th quarter
Conditions: Clear skies, dry desert air, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Heat could test depth, but otherwise ideal conditions for an up-tempo game.
Injury Report
Northern Iowa (1–0, Missouri Valley Football Conference):
QB Matthew Schecklman – Healthy; 655 passing yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs through early season.
RB Harrison Bey-Buie – Healthy; 187 rushing yards, 2 TDs.
WR Tysen Kershaw – Healthy; 14 receptions, 249 yards, 2 TDs.
Defense – No major injuries reported.
Utah Tech (0–3, United Athletic Conference):
QB Bronson Barben – Healthy; 394 passing yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs.
RB Reggie Graff – Healthy; 142 rushing yards, 2 TDs.
WR Kaden Eggett – Healthy; 117 receiving yards.
Defense – Healthy, but has allowed 30+ points in all three games.
Key Player Matchups
QB Matthew Schecklman (UNI) vs. Utah Tech Secondary
Schecklman has been efficient with 5 TDs; Utah Tech has struggled against the pass.
RB Harrison Bey-Buie (UNI) vs. Utah Tech Front Seven
Bey-Buie’s consistency on the ground could wear down the Trailblazers’ defense.
QB Bronson Barben (UTU) vs. UNI Pass Rush
Barben has 4 INTs already; UNI’s defense thrives on pressure and turnovers.
WR Tysen Kershaw (UNI) vs. Utah Tech Corners
Kershaw is averaging 83 YPG; Utah Tech must prevent explosive plays.
Recent Team Form
Northern Iowa Panthers (1–0)
8/30: W 38–14 vs. Butler
Finished 2024 season 6–5, narrowly missing FCS playoffs.
Trend: Offense balanced, defense opportunistic.
Utah Tech Trailblazers (0–3)
9/13: L 20–6 @ Idaho
9/6: L 38–31 @ Northern Arizona
8/30: L 31–24 vs. UC Davis
Trend: Offense averaging 20.3 PPG; defense allowing 29.7 PPG.
Series History
First-ever meeting between Northern Iowa and Utah Tech.
Betting Trends
Northern Iowa:
3–2 SU in last 5 games.
3–2 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 2 of last 5.
Utah Tech:
1–4 SU in last 5 games.
2–3 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 3 of last 5.
Head-to-Head: First-ever meeting.
Historical Betting Results
Northern Iowa: Profitable ATS as a road favorite; unders common when defense dominates.
Utah Tech: Struggles ATS vs. ranked FCS opponents; overs frequent when defense collapses.
MVFC vs. UAC Trends: MVFC teams cover ~62% of the time in September non-conference games.
Game Odds
Northern Iowa Panthers – 13.5
Utah Tech Trailblazers 51.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
