CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Jaxon Dailey threw two touchdown passes and added a 28-yard rushing TD to help Northern Iowa beat previously-unbeaten Illinois State 28-21 on Saturday night to snap the Redbirds’ 11-game road win streak.Illinois State (4-1, 0-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference), ranked No. 3 in the Football Championship Subdivision, lost on the road for the first time since a 35-3 loss at then-No. 18 Oklahoma on Aug. 30, 2025.

Dailey was 13-of-17 passing for 217 yards with no interceptions and threw scoring passes of 6 yards to Ayden Price and 9 yards to Kai Black. Dailey kept the ball on a zone-read play, slipped behind the left guard and bounced it outside for a touchdown that made it 14-7 and gave Northern Iowa (2-2, 1-0) the lead for good 49 seconds into the second quarter.

Victor Dawson scored on a 9-yard run that capped a 16-play, 92-yard drive to open the second half and pulled Illinois State within a touchdown with 7:23 left in the third quarter.

Xavier Terrell had 80 yards rushing on eight carries, including a 43-yard touchdown that gave the Panthers a 28-14 lead going into the fourth.

Gage Roy was 24-of-39 passing for 193 yards and two touchdowns for the Redbirds. Dylan Lord had 12 receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. Alex Herrera caught a 26-yard TD pass from Roy in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Illinois State: Host No. 2 South Dakota State next Saturday.

Northern Iowa: Will return to game action hosting North Dakota on October 10.