Farley, Panthers will get creative to get better

Northern Iowa's Elerson G. Smith tries to run down San Diego quarterback Reid Sinnett during Saturday's playoff game in the UNI-Dome.CEDAR FALLS – University of Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley is not unlike any of his college football coaching brethren.

Farley would like nothing better than to be inside the UNI-Dome this week watching passes being thrown and hearing the sounds of pads popping and helmets colliding.

The Panthers, coming off a 10-5 season and a trip to the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals, would’ve had their first of 15 spring practices Wednesday, and Farley would’ve been in the middle of it, yelling instructions and teaching football in its most pure…