Northern Iowa football coach Todd Stepsis is trying to fix an offense that ranks at the bottom of the Missouri Valley Football Conference as the Panthers get set to visit 18th ranked Southern Illinois. The Panthers are 0-3 in the Valley and the offense is averaging less than 14 points per game after a 17-14 loss to South Dakota.

On the bright side the Panthers rank fourth in the Valley in total defense.

Stepsis believes the potential is still there for improvement on offense.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Kaden Wetjen has been named to the Jet Award Midseason Watch List, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football. The announcement was made Monday by the Jet Award Foundation.

Wetjen, who was the recipient of the 2024 Jet Award, leads the nation in combined return yards (by 86 yards) for a second straight season. He has 573 combined return yards (262 kickoff, 311 punt) through seven games. Wetjen is No. 1 in the NCAA in punt returns (25.9), and third in kickoff return touchdowns (1) and punt return touchdowns (1).

Wetjen made history in Week 3 when he returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Hawkeyes’ dominant victory over UMass. The return tied a Big Ten and Iowa record (Michigan State’s Al Brenner at Illinois, 1966 and Iowa’s Bill Happel vs. Minnesota, 1984) and was the longest punt return in Kinnick Stadium history. Wetjen finished the contest against the Minutemen with a career-high 216 return yards (182 punt and 34 kickoff) and a career-best 236 all-purpose yards. The 182 punt return yards are the fourth-most in a single game in Big Ten history.

The following week, Wetjen returned the opening kickoff 100 yards against Rutgers to tie an Iowa and Big Ten record. Wetjen earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors following the performances against UMass and Rutgers.

Wetjen, who was recognized as a midseason All-American by The Sporting News last week, is believed to be the first player to score a rushing, receiving, punt return and kickoff return touchdown as a Hawkeye. Both the rushing and receiving scores occurred this season.

The native of Williamsburg, Iowa, is the only player in the nation to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown this season and he was the only player to accomplish the same feat in 2024.

The award is named in honor of Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers. The winner of the 2025 Jet Award will be selected by a panel of voters, including media members from the Football Writers Association of America, former recipients of the Jet Award, and two of our founders, Johnny Rodgers and William Reed.

Iowa (5-2, 3-1) returns to action Saturday against Minnesota (5-2, 3-1)for the rivalry trophy Floyd of Rosedale. Kickoff is slated for 2:40 p.m. (CT) inside Kinnick Stadium and the game will be televised on CBS.

Northern Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben Jacobson says scheduling power conference foes has become even more difficult for mid-major programs in recent years. For several years power conference teams have avoided scheduling home and home series with programs like UNI and Jacobson says they are now not even willing to play them in holiday tournaments.

The Panthers have no power conference teams on their schedule for the upcoming season.

The Panthers will open the regular season at home against Cal State Northridge on November sixth.

There is a new top ranked team in the latest Radio Iowa High School Football Poll. Todd Kimm reports.

Class 5A
1. Dowling Catholic (7-1). LW #3 @ Marshalltown
2. Iowa City Liberty (7-1), LW #4 vs Muscatine
3. Sioux City East (7-1), LW #5 @ Ames
4. Ankeny (6-2), LW #6 @ CB Abe Lincoln
5. Waukee Northwest (7-1), LW #1 @ Norwalk
6. WDM Valley (6-2), LW #2 vs DSM Lincoln
7. Johnston (6-2), LW #9 vs DSM Roosevelt
8. Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-3), LW (X) @ Dubuque Senior
9. Iowa City West (6-2), LW #7 vs Linn-Mar
10.Cedar Falls (6-2), LW #8 vs CR Jefferson

Class 4A
1. Cedar Rapids Xavier (8-0), LW #1 @ Mason City
2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (7-1), LW #2 @ Spencer
3. North Polk (7-1), LW #3 @ #6 Gilbert
4. ADM (Adel) (7-1), LW #4 vs Denison-Schleswig
5. Newton (7-1), LW #5 vs Marion
6. Gilbert (8-0), LW #6 vs #3 North Polk
7. Pella (7-1), LW #7 @ Grinnell
8. Western Dubuque (6-2), LW #9 @ Burlington
9. Fort Dodge (7-1), LW #10 @ Sioux City West
10.Decorah (6-2), LW #8 vs Waverly-Shell Rock

Class 3A
1. Clear Lake (8-0), LW #1 vs #4 West Delaware
2. Solon (8-0), LW #2 @ Fort Madison
3. Bishop Heelan (7-1), LW #3 @ Algona
4. West Delaware (8-0), LW #4 @ #1 Clear Lake
5. Sioux Center (7-1), LW #5 vs Humboldt
6. Central DeWitt (6-2), LW #8 vs Center Point-Urbana
7. Wahlert Catholic (6-2), LW #7 vs Maquoketa
8. Nevada (6-2), LW #10 @ Knoxville
9. Atlantic (6-2), LW (X) @ #10 Carroll
10.Carroll (5-3), LW (X) vs #9 Atlantic

Final Class 2A
1. Kuemper Catholic (8-0), LW #1 vs Grand View Christian
2. Osage (8-0), LW #2 vs Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley
3. PCM (Monroe) (7-1), LW #3 vs West Liberty
4. Mid-Prairie (Wellman) (7-1), LW #6 vs North Fayette Valley
5. Van Meter (6-2), LW #8 vs South Tama
6. Clarinda (6-2), LW (X) vs Pella Christian
7. Cherokee (6-2), LW (X) vs Spirit Lake
8. Okoboji (7-1), LW #4 vs Unity Christian
9. Centerville (7-1), LW #5 vs Mediapolis
10.Alburnett (6-2), LW #10 vs Crestwood

Final Class 1A
1. Grundy Center (8-0), LW #1 vs Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2. West Lyon (8-0), LW #2 vs East Sac County
3. Regina Catholic (8-0), LW #3 vs Northeast
4. Treynor (7-1), LW #4 vs Ogden
5. Pleasantville (7-1), LW #5 vs Durant
6. South Hardin (7-1), LW #6 vs Camanche
7. Beckman Catholic (7-1), LW #7 vs Jesup
8. Underwood (6-2), LW #8 vs South Central Calhoun
9. West Marshall (6-2), LW #9 vs Shenandoah
10.Cascade (6-2), LW #10 vs Union

Final Class A
1. West Hancock (8-0), LW #1 vs Gehlen Catholic
2. Saint Ansgar (8-0), LW #2 vs East Marshall
3. MMCRU (8-0), LW #3 vs Belmond-Klemme
4, AC/GC (8-0), LW #4 vs Logan-Magnolia
5. Wapsie Valley (8-0), LW #7 vs Starmont
6. Woodbury Central (8-0), LW #6 vs AHSTW
7. Pekin (8-0), LW #9 vs Earlham
8. West Sioux (7-1), LW #10 vs IKM-Manning
9. Lynnville-Sully (7-1), LW (X) vs Wapello
10.North Linn (7-1), LW #5 vs Columbus

Final 8-Player
1. Bishop Garrigan (8-0), LW #1 vs Kingsley-Pierson
2. Iowa Valley (8-0), LW #2 vs Moravia
3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (8-0), LW #3 vs AR-WE-VA
4. Woodbine (7-0), LW #4 vs Exira-EHK
5. Audubon (8-0), LW #5 vs Lenox
6. Edgewood-Colesburg (8-0), LW #6 vs WACO
7. GTRA (8-0), LW #7 vs North Union
8. Bedford (7-1), LW #8 vs Wayne
9. Easton Valley (7-1), LW #9 vs Belle Plaine
10.Don Bosco (5-2), LW #10 vs Collins-Maxwell

Rolling Valley Conference Tournament

Quarterfinal: Coon Rapids-Bayard – 2 vs Ar-We-Va – 0

Quarterfinal: Woodbine – 2 vs CAM – 0

Quarterfinal: Exira/EHK – 2 vs Paton-Churdan – 0

Quarterfinal: Glidden-Ralston – 2 vs Boyer Valley – 1

Semifinal: Coon Rapids-Bayard – 2 vs Woodbine – 0

Semifinal: Exira/EHK – 2 vs Glidden-Ralston – 0

Championship: Coon Rapids-Bayard 25-26 Exira/EHK 10-24

Consolation: CAM – 2 vs Ar-We-Va – 0

Consolation: Boyer Valley – 2 vs Paton-Churdan – 1

Consolation: CAM – 2 vs Glidden-Ralston – 1

Consolation: Woodbine – 2 vs Boyer Valley – 1

Third Place: Woodbine – 2 vs CAM – 0

Woodward-Granger Tournament

Woodward-Granger – 2 vs ACGC – 0

ACGC – 2 vs Perry – 0

ACGC – 2 vs South Central Calhoun – 0

ACGC – 2 vs Boone – 0

ACGC – 2 vs Colfax-Mingo – 0

Lewis Central Tournament

Lewis Central – 2 vs Abraham Lincoln – 0

Lewis Central – 2 vs Missouri Valley – 1

Lewis Central – 2 vs Sidney – 1

Missouri Valley – 2 vs Sidney – 1

Missouri Valley – 2 vs Treynor – 1 

Missouri Valley – 2 vs Abraham Lincoln – 1

Abraham LIncoln – 2 vs Sidney – 0 

Abraham Lincoln – 2 vs Clarinda – 1

Treynor – 2 vs Clarinda – 1 

Treynor – 2 vs Stanton – 0 

Clarinda – 2 vs Stanton – 0 

Sidney – 2 vs Stanton – 0 

Bennington – 2 vs Treynor – 0

Bennington – 2 vs Clarinda – 0

Bennington – 2 vs Stanton – 0

Bennington – 2 vs Lewis Central – 1

Winterset Tournament

Red Oak – 2 vs Van Meter -0 

Red Oak – 2 vs Winterset – 0 

Red Oak – 2 vs Norwalk – 1

Red Oak – 2 vs Greene County – 0 

Red Oak – 2 vs Webster City – 0 

Van Meter – 2 vs Greene County – 0 

Van Meter – 2 vs Winterset – 0

Van Meter – 2 vs Webster City – 0 

Norwalk – 2 vs Van Meter – 0

Knoxville Tournament

Creston – 2 vs Albia – 0

Decorah – 2 vs Creston – 1 

Roland-Story – 2 vs Creston – 0 

Knoxville – 2 vs Creston – 0

Missouri Valley Conference Invitational

1. Riverside – 18 points

2. IKM-Manning – 67 points

3. Woodbine – 92 points

4. Boyer Valley – 96 points

5. Missouri Valley – 101 points

6. Heartland Chrisitan – 135 points

Individual Results:

1 Dawson Henderson (Riverside) – 16:57.3

2. Owen Fenner Riverside – (16:57.9)

3. Aiden Summerfield (Woodbine) –  17:01.3

4. Brody Henderson (Riverside) – 17:10.4

5. Cruz Jaquez (Riverside) – 17:45.8

6. Eli Hudnall (Riverside) 17:46.1

7. Owen Cogdill (Boyer Valley) 17:54.6

8; Jacob Sporrer (Logan-Magnolia) – 18:03.8

9. Landon Thayer (Logan-Magnolia) – 18:04.7

10. Vincent Meisinger (Woodbine) – 18:14.2

Riverside

12. Trig Drahota – 19:12.78

Missouri Valley Conference Invitational

1. AHSTW – 68 points

2. Missouri Valley – 70 points

3. IKM-Manning – 72 points

4. Heartand Chrisitan – 74 points

5. Riverside – 78 points

6. Woodbine – 122 points

Individual Results:

1. Allysen Johnsen (Logan-Magnolia) – 20:50.3

2. Keira Diehm (Heartland Christian) – 21:50.1

3. Ava Steinmetz (Heartland Christian) – 22:43.3

4. Audri Forbus (Missouri Valley) – 22:46.2

5. Jordyn Robbins (Logan-Magnolia) – 22:59.9

6. Ava Paulsen (AHSTW) – 23:05.3

7. Louisa Wilson (Missouri Valley) – 23:18.5

8. Keturah Wilson (Missouri Valley) – 23:18.7

9. Reagan Cogdill (Woodbine) – 23:35.9

10. Sophia Housh (East Mills) – 23:42.9

AHSTW

11. Yana Lander – 24:19.35

21. McKenzi Behrens – 26:15.14

23.  Emery Brockhoff – 26:22.12 6

31. Lenora Hall – 29:39.05

Riverside

15. Amaiya Less – 24:42.78

16. Iviana Schechinger – 25:04.19

19. Danika Feigenbutz – 25:41.60 5

20. Amira Wilke – 26:01.90