# 2009 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

The 2009 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The previous year's team finished tied for first (of nine) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVC). The team was coached by Mark Farley and played their home games in the UNI-Dome. The team finished with a record of 7–4 (5–3 MVC).

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 5 | 11:05 am | at Iowa* | No. 4 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | BTN | L 16–17 | 70,585 |
| September 12 | 4:05 pm | South Dakota* | No. 4 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | KWWL | W 66–7 | 12,688 |
| September 19 | 4:05 pm | Saint Francis (PA)* | No. 3 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | | W 30–0 | 10,981 |
| September 26 | 1:00 pm | at Missouri State | No. 3 | Plaster Sports ComplexSpringfield, MO | KWWL (7.3) | W 35–7 | 15,038 |
| October 3 | 4:05 pm | Indiana State | No. 3 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | | W 62–7 | 14,860 |
| October 10 | 6:00 pm | at North Dakota State | No. 3 | FargodomeFargo, ND | KWWL (7.3) | W 42–27 | 16,418 |
| October 17 | 4:05 pm | Southern Illinois | No. 2 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | CFU/Mediacom | L 20–27 | 17,190 |
| October 24 | 2:00 pm | at South Dakota State | No. 6 | Coughlin-Alumni StadiumBrookings, SD | | L 14–24 | 15,523 |
| November 7 | 4:05 pm | Youngstown State | No. 11 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | | W 28–7 | 11,025 |
| November 14 | 4:05 pm | Western Illinois | No. 11 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | | W 34–0 | 11,070 |
| November 21 | 1:00 pm | at Illinois State | No. 9 | Hancock StadiumNormal, IL | Mediacom | L 20–22 | 6,287 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at Northern Iowa | Alma Mater (Year) |
| Mark Farley | Head coach | 9th | Northern Iowa (1987) |
| Rick Nelson | Recruiting coordinator Offensive line | 10th | Northern Iowa (1984) |
| Bill Salmon | Associate head coach Offensive coordinator Receivers | 9th | Northern Iowa (1980) |
| Mario Verduzco | Co-offensive coordinator Quarterbacks | 9th | San José State (1988) |
| Atif Austin | Running backs Special teams coordinator | 5th | Iowa State (2003) |
| Chris Klieman | Defensive coordinator Secondary | 4th | Northern Iowa (1990) |
| Erik Chinander | Recruiting coordinator Tight ends | 6th | Iowa (2003) |
| Jeremiah Johnson | Recruiting coordinator/Asst. Defensive Coach | 3rd | Kansas (2000) |
| Jovan Dewitt | Linebackers | 1st | Northern Michigan (1999) |
| Derek Moore | Defensive assistant | 1st | Buena Vista (2000) |
| Bill Wilt | Defensive line | 2nd | Eureka College (1977) |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| The Sports Network | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 16 | | |
| FCS Coaches | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | | |

## Postseason honors

Defensive end Jason Ruffin was selected to the East–West Shrine Bowl.