CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Carlos Anderson ran for 115 yards and quarterback Tirrell Rennie finished with 86 yards and two rushing touchdowns to lead Northern Iowa to a 34-21 nonconference win over Southern Utah Saturday night.

The Panthers (8-2) trailed 21-7 after Brad Sorensen’s touchdown for the Thunderbirds (5-5) early in the second quarter. But the Panthers got within 21-17 at the half and Rennie’s 16-yard run early in the third quarter put Northern Iowa ahead to stay, 24-21. L.J. Fort also scored two rushing TDs for the Panthers, who piled up 284 yards on the ground in their regular-season home finale.

North Dakota State’s loss to Youngstown State into a first-place tie with the Bison in the Missouri Valley Conference at 6-1. Northern Iowa plays at Illinois State next week while North Dakota State visits Western Illinois. The Bison own the head-to-head edge having beaten Northern Iowa 27-19 on Oct. 29.