CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) _ Jerome Peterson returned the opening kickoff 57 yards, and four plays later Ryan Helming threw the first of his three touchdowns Saturday as Northern Iowa beat Cal Poly-SLO 42-21.

Helming was 20-of-28 for 224 yards and three touchdowns, including the opening score, a 16-yard pass to Eddie Berlin. Helming also scored on a 2-yard keeper that capped a 15-play, 83-yard drive in the first quarter.

The Panthers (5-1) led 35-0 at halftime after Helming's 5-yard pass to Justin Nofal with 1:11 remaining before the intermission.

Cal Poly (2-3) scored its first touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Andy Jepson to Adam Herzing. The Mustangs other two touchdowns also were passes, both by Kevin Cooper.

Cal Poly gained 245 yards passing and only 86 on the ground.

Northern Iowa had 209 yards rushing, led by Michael Gerrell's 105 yards on 20 carries. He scored the Panthers' only second-half touchdown on a 5-yard run.

Helming's other touchdown pass was a 3-yarder to Ryan Hannam.

Cooper's touchdowns were 7 yards to Jason Brennan and 10 yards to Herzing.

Northern Iowa has not lost a regular-season non-conference game at the UNI-Dome since a 16-12 loss to Idaho in 1995.