Utah Tech could not recover from a strong Northern Iowa first half as the Trailblazers lost their fourth-straight, 41-14, on Saturday afternoon at the UNI-Dome.

Northern Iowa put the Trailblazers (1-5/0-2 WAC) in an early 7-0 hole thanks to a 44-yard Theo Day-to-Sergio Morancy touchdown connection. Utah Tech won the toss and took the ball first, but went three-and-out on its first possession, and the Panthers needed only five plays for the game's opening score. 
 
UNI (3-4) would tack on a field goal just before the end of the first quarter, then turned the first turnover of the game into its second touchdown early in the second quarter to bolt out to a commanding 17-0 lead. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Boone Abbott, who was pressed into duty after starter Kobe Tracy was forced out of the game due to a first quarter injury, had what the Blazers thought was a completion in the flat for a first down. However the ball went through the hands of the would-be UT receiver and into the arms of Panther defender 
Benny Sapp, who returned 28 yards to the Blazer 30.
 
The Panthers cashed in the short field five plays later with a Dom Williams 9-yard scamper around the left side to make it a three-possession game with 12:06 to play in the first half. 
 
UNI's defense struck again on Utah Tech's ensuing play nickelback Edwin Dearman jumped in front of an Abbott toss to set the Panthers up with another short-field opportunity at the UT 26.
 
The Panthers moved the ball to the UT 1, but the Trailblazer defense rose up to keep UNI out of the end zone, limiting the Panthers to a Matthew Cook 19-yard field goal that extended their lead to 20-0.
 
Utah Tech finally got something going offensively on its next drive, which covered 75 yards in 11 plays, and ended with an 11 yard pitch-and-catch from Abbott to Joey Hobert to cut the deficit to 20-7 with 5:22 to go until halftime. For Abbott it was his first collegiate touchdown toss, while it was the Hobert's team-leading sixth of the year. 
 
However whatever momentum the Blazers got from their long scoring drive was dashed as Day threw touchdown passes of 32 and 70 yards on the Panthers' final two possessions of the stanza, as UNI went into locker room with a commanding 34-7 lead at the intermission. 
 
Trailing 41-7 with just over 10 minutes remaining, Abbott collected his second touchdown pass of the day, when he rolled right and threw back left and found Rickie Johnson in the end zone from 30 yards out for his second scoring catch of the year. 
 
Utah Tech was limited to a season-low 249 yards of offense, with 198 of those yards coming in the air. Abbott finished with 162 yards on 12-of-22 passing. Hobert racked up seven catches for 74 yards to go with his touchdown, which moved him into a tie for seventh on UT's single-season TD receptions list. 
 
Sophomore linebacker Will Leota led the Blazer defensive effort with a career-high 14 total tackles, while freshman defensive back Jagger Williams collected his first collegiate interception in the fourth quarter. 
 
Day threw for 308 yards on 13-of-23 passing and three touchdowns, while Williams led UNI with 92 yards rushing and a touchdown. Northern Iowa finished with 548 yards of total offense. 
 
Utah Tech returns home to host defending WAC champion Sam Houston for a non-conference match-up on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kick-off inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 7 p.m. (MT).