Courtesy:  Missouri State Athletic Department

The top-ranked University of Northern Iowa Panthers were played to a first-half tie by the Missouri State Bears but shook loose after intermission to roll to a 38-17 Gateway Football Conference win over the Bears Saturday afternoon at Plaster Field. The win kept UNI unbeaten at 9-0 and the Panthers are 5-0 in the league to assure themselves of at least a tie for the regular season GFC title plus the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. UNI closes its league slate at home next Saturday against winless Indiana State.