Brown’s season sidelined at UNI

CEDAR FALLS — Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Spencer Brown of Lenox suffered a season-ending knee injury Saturday in the University of Northern Iowa’s 38-29 homecoming loss to Western Illinois.

Brown injured his right knee in the game. He had a surgically repaired left knee while in high school.

An MRI revealed no damage to his ACL, but he has a torn MCL and some tissue ripped that attaches the patellar tendon to the femur. Brown said he is looking at four months recovery time.

The loss put UNI’s record at 2-3, 1-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Brown said he is not eligible for a medical redshirt this year. He said only injuries occurring before the third game meet the criteria.

So, the offseason for Brown just got a lot longer than anticipated.

“I’m already started,” Brown said. “I injured my knee on Saturday and was in the weight room Monday!”

Brown arrived on campus as a 235-pound tight end candidate and this fall the 6-foot-8, 290-pounder became the starting offensive right tackle for the Panthers.

This week UNI takes on No. 7-ranked ranked South Dakota State at 2 p.m. in Brookings, South Dakota.

Head concerns

Freshman defensive lineman Kadon Hulett’s football career at Northwest Missouri State is over before it barely started.

Hulett sustained a concussion during the first week of preseason practice and continued to experience problems.

After an appointment with a neurologist in Kansas City, Missouri, Hulett said there was concern about any subsequent damaging blows to the head, based on past history of some

significant episodes in high school.

Hulett has decided to stop playing football and continue being a student at Northwest Missouri State, majoring in business administration.

Running back Chase Shiltz and center Cody Tanner of Creston are true freshmen on the Bearcats football team. They are redshirting this year.

The Division II No. 1-ranked Bearcats are coming off a 17-10 home victory over Central Oklahoma to improve to 6-0 overall and in MIAA play. This week Northwest Missouri State plays at Northeastern State University at 2 p.m. at Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

The homecoming game is 2 p.m. Oct. 21 against Lindenwood and Senior Day is scheduled Nov. 4 in a 1:30 p.m. game against Fort Hays State University.