Bailey, defense lead Northern Iowa over South Dakota 20-7

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) Aaron Bailey threw a touchdown pass and ran for another to lead Northern Iowa to a 20-7 victory over South Dakota on Saturday. Bailey

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) Aaron Bailey threw a touchdown pass and ran for another to lead Northern Iowa to a 20-7 victory over South Dakota on Saturday.

Bailey was 16-of-27 passing for 231 yards with 44 yards rushing to lead the Panthers (4-4, 2-3 Missouri Valley), who have won consecutive games since snapping a three-game losing skid.

Ryan Saeger was 11-of-21 for 133 yards passing with a first quarter touchdown to lead South Dakota (4-4, 2-3).

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Bailey threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Braden Lehman, and bullied in for a 1-yard TD run to cap an eight play, 83-yard drive to give the Panthers a 14-7 halftime lead.

Michael Schmadeke kicked field goals of 48 and 50 yards in the third quarter to cap the scoring.

The Coyotes had just 187 yards of offense with two fumbles and an interception.