Iowa State hopes to make Matt Campbell a winner in his debut as the Cyclones host Northern Iowa this (Saturday) evening. Campbell will try to make a consistent winner out of a program that has not enjoyed a winning season since 2009. Campbell says a key will be slowing down UNI dual threat quarterback Aaron Bailey.

The Panthers have a lot of new starters in the secondary but Campbell says they are not necessarily new faces. UNI coach Mark Farley says with a new staff at Iowa State they must be prepared to make adjustments on the run. Farley says the Panthers must handle the atmosphere but it is a great way to start the season.

It is a 7:00 p.m. kickoff in Jack Trice Stadium.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa takes lofty expectations and a number 17 national ranking into today’s (Saturday’s) opener at home against Miami of Ohio. The Hawkeyes are a four touchdown favorite but coach Kirk Ferentz knows openers can be unpredictable. Miami of Ohio was 3-9 a year ago but Ferentz says the Redhawks are an experienced team. It is a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Kinnick Stadium. Pre-game coverage begins at 12:30 on KJAN AM 1220 and FM 101.1.

(Learfield Sports/Radio Iowa)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles remains iffy for the season opener against the Chargers. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said on a conference call with reporters Friday that Charles “might need some more time to get himself back,” though Reid did not rule him out of next weekend’s game.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Eugenio Suarez singled up the middle with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals were hoping to start a final-month surge toward the playoffs — they’re in position to get the NL’s second wild card berth behind San Francisco. Instead, the Reds snapped a four-game losing streak.

Friday’s Games (9/2/16)

Oklahoma City 8, Omaha 5

Iowa 3, Colorado Springs 2

Oklahoma City at Omaha, cancelled

Oklahoma City at Omaha, 2:05 p.m.

Colorado Springs at Iowa, 7:08 p.m.

Colorado Springs at Iowa, 1:08 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Omaha, 7:05 p.m.

The Atlantic Trojans went on the road to Shenandoah for a non-district football game on Friday night and came up just short of a victory.  The Mustangs scored the only touchdown of the game with 1:20 left in the third quarter and held on for a 7-3 victory in a hard fought game.

The defenses stole the show for the majority of the game with neither team getting any momentum early on in.  It wasn’t until the end of the first quarter that Atlantic put together the first sustained drive of the game and they kept it alive on the 10th play of the drive by faking a punt and picking up a first down as Gratt Reed took the fake 29 yards to the Shenandoah 21. The Trojans carried that drive inside the 10 at the beginning of the second quarter but ended up settling for a 25-yard field goal from Eric Wieser for the first score of the game.

Both teams traded short drives to end the first half and Atlantic came out with an impressive drive to open up the second half.  The Trojans went 60 yards in 18 plays but came up empty, turning the ball over on downs at the Mustang 22-yard line.  The Mustangs would then take the ball down the field for the only touchdown of the game on a 7 play drive that featured a 34 yard pass completion and the drive-capping 32 yard touchdown run by Kyle Owens.  Jordan Miller added the PAT and the Mustangs would hang on to that deciding margin 7-3.

Atlantic got the ball back with 1:42 left in the game to try to mount a drive but stalled out after just five plays.  The Trojans would have had more clock to work with but a roughing the kicker penalty allowed Shenandoah to keep possession with 3:12 left in the game.  The Trojans did get the ball back at the end of the game with just 5 seconds left for one last try, but a hook and lateral play was brought down quickly to end the game.

Atlantic falls to 1-1 on the season and now gets ready for district play next week at home against Denison-Schleswig.  Shenandoah improved to 1-1 and will enter their district play at Kuemper Catholic next week.