CEDAR FALLS -- No mists surround the mountain Northern Iowa must climb Saturday night.

"This is the best team we've played," said Farley, who's about to begin his eighth season as the leader of the Panther program.

When UNI goes to Provo, Utah for the 4 p.m. opener to the 2008 season, it'll be confronted by a peak it's never seen before. At No. 16, BYU is the highest-ranked Football Bowl Subdivision team the Panthers have ever met.

Twice in the past 11 years, UNI has met an Iowa team rated in the top 25.

Under Mike Dunbar, the Panthers lost, 66-0, to the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes in 1997.

In 2005, Farley took on No. 22 Iowa and fell, 45-21, at Kinnick Stadium.

UNI's head coach wouldn't make a direct comparison between the Hawks of three years ago and Bronco Mendenhall's Cougars of today. When Farley met with the edia Monday, though, he did toss plenty of praise at BYU.

Sophomore quarterback Max Hall is a ''Heisman-type candidate,'' Farley said. The no-huddle attack Hall runs ranks as ''an elite offense right now.'' There are four NFL draft possibilities in the line.

And so it went. Above all, Farley noted, BYU thinks it can contend for an undfeated season and a berth in the Bowl Championship series - maybe even a shot at the national title.

"Probably why I'm labeling them the best is because of their aspirations going into the season," said Farley. "I mean, they're coming off 11-2 seasons two years in a row."

Farley added, "A quest for perfection is what you're hearing a lot from a lot of things going on out there. I think their expectations and level of what they were last year leading into that first football game are as high as anybody we've ever played."

Farley also knows there are questions surrounding UNI as it begins a new year. Pat Grace makes his first start at quarterback with Eric Sanders gone. The offensive line has been rebuilt. How will the new starters react to a BYU defense that figures to aggressively challenge the Panthers?

Yet, the coach said, his program can take the heat.

"We've been in those situations before," said Farley. "We're just gonna have to do it in Utah now. If we can play to the level we're capable of playing, this will be a good football game."

The players say they're looking forward to a chance to test themselves against a potential FBS powerhouse.

"We're not going out there to get experience," said UNI defensive end James Ruffin. "We're going down there to win."

Offensive tackle Bob Swift doesn't expect BYU to overlook the Panthers, given Appalachian State's upset of Michigan a year ago.

That's fine with Swift.

"I want (the Cougars') best, knowing that if they give us their best and we give our best we'll see where we stand," said the UNI senior right tackle. "I think anybody would want that."

What does Farley want? Over the long haul, the UNI hopes to see a football team that matures quickly. There are plenty of tough games beyond the opener in Provo, and the Panthers must be ready.

"For our players, it's an opportunity, a huge challenge we can build from no matter what happens," said Farley. "No matter what happens, there's gonna be something we can take from this game. Hopefully, it can be a very positive thing - a springboard as much as anything."

• Young blood: Farley listed three true freshmen who could play Saturday. They are running back/return man Carlos Anderson, linebacker L.J. Fort and wide receiver Jarred Herring.

Anderson is the only one of the trio who appears in the latest depth chart.

• Law School: On the two-deep, running back Derrick Law is listed as a fullback. Farley suggested it's not really a position change.

"He's a tailback-fullback," said Farley, who added, "You've got to know the offense we run. Derrick Law could be a tailback as much as a fullback in the system. It's a way to get the best 11 players on the depth chart the way it should be."

• Jim Sullivan can be reachedat (319) 291-1434 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it