Tag: Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois offensive lineman Abiathar Curry jumps in the air in celebration after winning a NCAA college football game 16-14 against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend.

Northern Illinois becomes football-only member of Mountain West

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Northern Illinois confirmed Tuesday that it is joining the Mountain West in 2026 as a football-only member.

The school hasn’t made any decisions on where its other sports will play but remains in discussions with the Mid-American Conference.

The football program is exiting the MAC after having played in it since 1997. It was its second stint in the MAC.

“What a great opportunity for NIU Athletics as we expand our horizons, adapt to this new national model of college athletics and prepare to start a new chapter in the history of NIU Football,” Northern Illinois athletic director Sean T. Frazier said in a news release. “We are grateful to Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and the membership of the Mountain West Conference for this invitation and to NIU President Lisa Freeman for her support as we navigated this process.

“The impact of this move to the Mountain West is going to be felt throughout our entire department and university. Our fans are going to enjoy the heightened competition, the media coverage and the additional opportunities the relationship with this conference and these great institutions provides.”

The Mountain West has been heavily involved in conference realignment with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State leaving for the revamped Pac-12 in 2026.

The addition of Northern Illinois gives the Mountain West nine football-playing members for 2026. The others are Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.

“We are excited about adding the Northern Illinois University football program to the Mountain West,” Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a news release. “In evaluating NIU, the MW Board of Directors and Directors of Athletics carefully considered and were impressed by its history of football success and its commitment to academic excellence.”

The MAC said it appreciated Northern Illinois’ contributions to the conference.

“While we would have preferred that NIU remain a member of the MAC, we understand that each institution must make an independent decision,” MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement.

Northern Illinois went 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the MAC this season and posted a stunning upset of then-No.5 Notre Dame in September. That was the program’s first-ever victory over a Top 10 program.

The Huskies also enjoyed a stellar run from 2010-14 in which it compiled a 57-13 record.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Thomas Hammock watches in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Northern Illinois gets tricky to beat Fresno St., win Potato Bowl in 2OT

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Freshman wide receiver George Dimopoulos threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge on the first play of the second overtime to lift Northern Illinois to a 28-20 victory over Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Monday afternoon in Boise, Idaho.

The Huskies disguised the game-winning play as a jet sweep, but Dimopoulos pulled up and found Pardridge behind the defense for the winning score. Dimopoulos followed up his first career pass with a two-point conversion toss to quarterback Josh Holst to give the Huskies (8-5) bowl wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11.

Holst, a redshirt freshman walk-on making his third career start because regular-season starter Ethan Hampton transferred to Illinois, completed 18 of 30 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a team-high 65 yards.

Sophomore Joshua Wood came off the bench to complete 16 of 23 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown for Fresno State (6-7), which saw its five-bowl winning streak come to a close. Bryson Donelson scored two touchdowns and rushed for 82 yards while Mac Dalena made six catches for 118 yards.

With Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene — the Mountain West’s leader in passing yards –announcing his transfer to Michigan earlier Monday, redshirt freshman Jayden Mandal made his first start for Fresno State.

On Northern Illinois’ first play from scrimmage, Holst’s rollout pass sailed over his intended receiver. Safety Jayden Davis picked it off and returned it 26 yards to the Huskies’ 25. Mandal led a quick drive that Donelson capped with a 1-yard blast for a 6-0 lead at 11:29 of the first.

After Kanon Woodill booted a 29-yard field goal to make it 6-3, Fresno State interim head coach Tim Skipper gave Wood the controls for the Bulldogs’ next drive — and he needed just four plays to go 90 yards for a score. He hooked up with Dalena for a 54-yard bomb before taking a keeper untouched up the middle for a 13-yard score and a 13-3 lead.

NIU took the first possession of the second half 76 yards for a score. Tight end Grayson Barnes leaped between two Bulldogs and snagged Holst’s 26-yard lob with his right hand to cut the deficit to 13-10 with 11:22 left in the third.

On Fresno State’s next possession, Nate Valcarcel intercepted Mandal at NIU’s 38 to set up Woodill’s 34-yard field goal that made it 13-13 at 7:39 of the third.

That was the last score until overtime, as Woodill missed a go-ahead 35-yard field goal with 3:02 left and the Bulldogs’ Dylan Lynch missed a 35-yarder on the final play of regulation.

Fresno State opened overtime with Wood’s 9-yard touchdown pass to the uncovered Donelson to give the Bulldogs a 20-13 margin. Holst answered with a 3-yard touchdown lob to Barnes.

–Field Level Media

Camellia Bowl: Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock gets doused after the Huskies defeated Arkansas State.

Amid constant change, NIU, Fresno State enjoy tradition at Potato Bowl

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For roughly three hours Monday afternoon, the dizzying college football carousel will slow long enough for Northern Illinois (7-5) and Fresno State (6-6) to battle for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Neither school will have its starting quarterback (and other quality players) due to the transfer portal. Neither school is expected to belong to its current conference by July 2026 as Fresno State already has committed to the Pac-12 while NIU is rumored to be weighing a move to the Mountain West.

And, in Fresno State’s case, the program’s official head coach isn’t the guy who’s steering the ship in Boise. Interim boss Tim Skipper, who took over in July when Jeff Tedford had to step down for health reasons, hands over the reins after the bowl game to Southern California associate head coach Matt Entz, who was hired Dec. 4 to take over the program.

Nonetheless, Monday’s game allows for a bit of college tradition to shine through. Specifically, a bunch of seniors getting to end their careers on a bowl trip with their teammates. The Huskies, for example, have a school-record 30 seniors playing on Boise’s unique blue turf for their final game.

“You have to adjust and adapt to the new landscape of college football and do the best you can,” Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock told Field Level Media. “But I’m glad we didn’t have to cancel a game like Marshall — that we can go out there and experience this game with our seniors and let them go out there and have one last hurrah.”

The Huskies, of course, already have secured one lifetime memory this season: their 16-14 victory on Sept. 7 at fifth-ranked Notre Dame. But Ethan Hampton, the quarterback who guided that upset with 198 passing yards and one touchdown, no longer runs the show for NIU. He entered the transfer portal and committed to Wake Forest — only to decommit Monday when head coach Dave Clawson retired. He’s now headed to Illinois.

In Hampton’s stead, redshirt freshman Josh Holst will get his second start. In his first start, Holst completed 22 of 46 passes for 210 yards and rushed 14 times for 48 yards in a 13-6 loss vs. MAC rival Toledo.

“He’s really made a tremendous jump over the last three weeks from a preparation standout to a mentality standpoint and with his approach,” Hammock said. “I’m excited to watch him go out and play. You can do a little bit more (with Holst) because he does have the ability to hurt you with his legs.”

Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene led the Mountain West with 2,892 passing yards as he clicked on 70.5 percent of his passes. Alas, Keene is one of 14 Bulldogs who hit the transfer portal and won’t play Monday.

Through it all, Fresno State will embrace its spot in a bowl game.

“We’ve been through a lot of adversity, but we just kept on swinging,” Skipper said, according to the Fresno State student-run newspaper The Collegian, after the Bulldogs became bowl eligible.

Fresno State has chosen to keep Northern Illinois guessing by listing sophomore Joshua Wood and freshman Jayden Mandal as co-starters on the depth chart. Wood seems more likely because, while he attempted just five passes, he rushed 26 times for 86 yards and five scores as the Bulldogs’ change-of-pace quarterback in the Wildcat formation.

“It’s a challenge, right?” Hammock said. “It’s almost like a first-game-of-the-year mentality. You have an idea of what they want to do schematically — and then you’ll figure out the personnel once you get out there.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (16) runs ball into end zone against the Northern Illinois Huskies in the first quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Turnovers help NC State past Northern Illinois 24-17

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CJ Bailey completed 13 of 20 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, while adding 22 rushing yards and a score on the ground, as NC State escaped with a 24-17 win over visiting Northern Illinois on Saturday at Raleigh, N.C.

The Wolfpack offense mustered just 171 total yards, but the defense forced four Northern Illinois turnovers. Noah Rogers caught two passes for 48 yards, as NC State (3-2) wrapped up its nonconference schedule.

Ethan Hampton completed 14 of 29 passes for 159 yards one touchdown and two interceptions for Northern Illinois. Antario Brown rushed the ball 28 times for a game-high 114 yards, as the Huskies (2-2) dropped their second straight after an impressive win at Notre Dame.

Early in the second half, NC State’s Darin Vann’s sack cause Hampton’s to fumble on his own 1-yard line. Three plays later, Bailey found Kevin Concepcion for a 3-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wolfpack a 24-14 lead with 11:46 left in the third quarter.

Kanon Woodill’s 50-yard field goal cut into the Huskies’ deficit with 14:46 remaining. The Huskies’ defense forced a Wolfpack punt with 4:23 left, but Devon Marshall picked off Hampton on the following Northern Illinois play.

After a three-and-out from NC State, Hampton led the Huskies to the Wolfpack 34-yard line, but was intercepted by Tamarcus Cooley’s on the game’s final play.

After a Northern Illinois punt on the game’s first possession, Bailey’s 34-yard pass to Rogers advanced the ball to the Huskies’ 2-yard line. Two plays later, Bailey rushed in the Wolfpack’s first score, a 1-yard touchdown with 6:15 left in the first quarter.

Northern Illinois answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that was capped with a game-tying touchdown. On third and 2 from NC State’s 3-yard line, Brown fumbled into the end zone, but Northern Illinois’ Brock Lampe fell on it for the Huskies’ touchdown with 2:23 left in the first quarter.

Following a Wolfpack punt, Hampton was strip-sacked on his own 16-yard line by DK Kaufman, who scooped the ball and returned it for an NC State touchdown with 14:09 remaining in the second quarter.

After Kanoah Vinesett’s 37-yard field goal extended NC State’s lead to 17-7 with 4:55 left in the first half, Hampton connected with Andrew McElroy for 42 yards to the Wolfpack 6-yard line. Hampton then found Cam Thompson for a touchdown, cutting Northern Illinois’ halftime deficit to 17-14.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo linebacker Shaun Dolac (52) intercepts the ball during the fourth quarter of the game on Saturday September 2, 2023 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.

Buffalo works OT to upset No. 23 Northern Illinois

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Upton Bellenfant drilled a 37-yard field goal in overtime as visiting Buffalo upset No. 23 Northern Illinois 23-20 on Saturday afternoon in DeKalb, Ill.

Buffalo improved to 2-16 all-time against ranked opponents. It is the Bulls’ first win over a ranked foe since 2008. Buffalo cornerback Marquis Cooper blocked a 42-yard Kannon Woodill field-goal attempt on the Huskies’ overtime possession.

Linebacker Shaun Dolac had a career-high 19 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and an interception to lead Buffalo’s defense.

Buffalo trailed 14-3 at halftime, but Dolac returned his interception to the NIU 20 with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter. That set up Bellenfant’s 43-yard field goal and gave the Bulls their first lead at 20-17. Dolac entered the game with the most tackles in the MAC this season and tied for the national lead at 14.3 per game.

Northern Illinois drove 66 yards in 13 plays and Woodill tied the game 20-20 on a 27-yard field goal with 24 seconds left in regulation.

Huskies quarterback Ethan Hampton entered the game as the national leader in passing efficiency and passing yards per attempt. Yet, the Buffalo defense held Hampton to 23-for-43 for 194 yards and an interception.

C.J. Ogbonna was 10-for-17 for 107 yards and a touchdown for Buffalo.

Antario Brown had 73 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries for Northern Illinois. Brown’s 5-yard touchdown run gave Northern Illinois a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

Buffalo registered its initial first down with 12:27 left in the second quarter when Ogbonna hit Victor Snow with a 22-yard pass. The drive resulted in a 42-yard field goal by Bellenfant to cut the Northern Illinois lead to 7-3.

A Buffalo punt out of the end zone set up the Huskies with a short field as they took over on the Buffalo 36-yard line. After a personal foul penalty on Buffalo, Brown scored his second touchdown of the game on a 14-yard run to give Northern Illinois a 14-3 lead.

The Bulls kept their first third-quarter drive alive when Ogbonna gained one yard on fourth down at the 50-yard line. Two plays later, Ogbonna’s jump ball between two Huskies’ defenders turned into a 46-yard touchdown as Snow landed in the Bulls’ end zone to cut the NIU lead to 14-10 with 10:59 left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter started with Woodill’s 30-yard field goal that extended the Huskies’ lead to 17-10.

Buffalo didn’t convert on a third down until the fourth quarter. The Bulls were 0-for-10 on third downs, but converted twice on a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive that culminated with a 36-yard touchdown run by Al-Jay Henderson. It was third-and-8 when Henderson’s run up the middle tied the game at 17-17.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies quarterback Ethan Hampton (2) hands off to running back Antario Brown (1) in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

No. 23 Northern Illinois in unfamiliar territory vs. Buffalo

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No. 23 Northern Illinois will play a game as a ranked team for the first time since 2013 when it hosts Buffalo on Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.

It’s the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. Northern Illinois (2-0) entered the AP Top 25 Poll after upsetting then No. 5-Notre Dame 16-14 on Sept. 7. It was the Huskies’ first win against a ranked opponent since 2015 and the highest-ranked team they ever defeated.

The Huskies are coming off a bye week, while Buffalo (2-1) knocked off UMass 34-3 last week.

Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock said the Huskies used the week off to refocus after the historic win against Notre Dame. The last time a MAC team was ranked this early in the season was 2002, when former member Marshall started the season at No. 19.

“The outside world, people are still talking about (the Notre Dame game),” Hammock said. “Everyone in our organization moved on last week. It’s great for the university, great for the athletic department and great for the football program. But we have a job to do to make sure we can play our best football on Saturday.”

Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock was named the MAC defensive player of the week after he racked up 12 tackles, three tackles for a loss and a sack in the Bulls’ home win against UMass. On the season, Murdock has 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. It’s the second time a Buffalo linebacker has been received the honor this year, as Shaun Dolac won the award after the Bulls’ season opener.

Linebacker play will be key for Buffalo as it looks to slow what coach Pete Lembo said is a potent Northern Illinois offense. The Huskies average 251 rushing yards per game and 547 yards overall. Antario Brown has turned into a multi-purpose running back with 168 rushing yards and is ranked No. 1 in yards per reception with 171 receiving yards — on only four catches.

Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton is the No. 1-ranked FBS quarterback in passing efficiency at 235.86 and has connected on 71.8 percent of his pass attempts. He has thrown for 526 yards and six touchdowns.

“Antario Brown is a big, stout, athletic guy that’s very physical and catches the ball out of the backfield,” Lembo said. “Their QB (Hampton) is super efficient, a really good decision-maker and an accurate thrower that’s completing a high percentage of his passes.”

As a former offensive lineman, Lembo admired the veteran moxie of the players on the Huskies’ offensive and defensive lines.

“They look as good as advertised. They are a very, very tough physical, veteran team,” Lembo said. “They are executing at a really high level through two games. I don’t mind saying publicly that I voted for them in the top 25 in this week’s (coaches) poll.

“They have four defensive tackles they roll through that all look like they should be bouncers at some high-end bar. They can’t quite button their shirt and get their ties up tight because their necks are so big. These are some rugged-looking dudes that handled themselves really well in the Notre Dame game.”

The Bulls are led by quarterback C.J. Ogbonna, who has thrown for 435 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games. Jacqez Barksdale is averaging 5.3 yards per carry out of the backfield, gaining 184 yards on 35 attempts.

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) leaps through the air on his way to score a touchdown during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend.

Northern Illinois upsets No. 5 Notre Dame for its biggest win

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Kanon Woodill drilled a 35-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining, and Northern Illinois blocked a field goal as time expired to stun No. 5 Notre Dame with a 16-14 victory on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

Antario Brown finished with 225 yards (99 rushing, 126 receiving) and a touchdown for Northern Illinois (2-0), which was a 28.5-point underdog. Huskies players poured off the sidelines and onto the field as time expired to celebrate the biggest upset in school history.

Riley Leonard completed 20 of 32 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions, including a costly pick in the fourth quarter, for Notre Dame. Jeremiyah Love rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Irish (1-1).

Before Saturday, Northern Illinois never had defeated a top-10 opponent. The highest-ranked team the Huskies previously beat was No. 15 Maryland in 2003.

After Woodill’s kick made it 16-14 in favor of Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish got the ball back at their 37-yard line with 24 seconds left and one timeout. The drive sputtered across midfield, and coach Marcus Freeman opted for a 62-yard field goal attempt by kicker Mitch Jeter with five seconds left.

Cade Haberman of the Huskies blocked Jeter’s kick to seal the outcome.

The Fighting Irish trailed by six points at halftime before they regained a 14-13 lead with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter. Love hurdled a Northern Illinois defender and sprinted for a 34-yard rushing touchdown.

Notre Dame opened the scoring on an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Leonard with 8:28 to go in the first quarter. It marked the first rushing touchdown as a member of the Fighting Irish for Leonard, who rushed for 19 touchdowns during the previous three seasons at Duke.

Northern Illinois evened the score at 7-7 with 5:35 left in the first quarter. Brown caught a short pass from Ethan Hampton across the middle and sprinted across midfield and toward the end zone for an 83-yard touchdown.

Woodill made a 42-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 10-7 lead with 2:13 remaining in the first quarter.

Woodill connected again, this time from 21 yards, to increase Northern Illinois’ lead to 13-7 with 13:39 to go before the half.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) attempts to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

No. 5 Notre Dame aims to stay focused vs. No. Illinois

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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s phone buzzed this week after his team jumped to No. 5 in the rankings following a road win against Texas A&M.

It was one of Freeman’s coaches from his playing days. He made sure to answer.

“I got a call from my college coach,” Freeman said, “expecting to hear ‘great job’ and ‘big win.’ And it was, ‘Hey, I just want to remind you: The greatest danger is the illusion that all is well when indeed all isn’t well.’

“That’s the reminder that I needed more than anything. It was a big win for our program versus a good opponent, but we have so much work to improve on. That’s the focus now.”

Notre Dame (1-0) will look to build upon a prime-time victory when it hosts Northern Illinois (1-0) on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind. The game marks the home opener for the Fighting Irish.

Riley Leonard will make his home debut for Notre Dame after transferring from Duke during the offseason. Leonard completed 18 of 30 passes for 158 yards in a 23-13 win at Texas A&M, and he carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards.

Freeman said his favorite statistic about Leonard’s performance was zero — as in, zero turnovers.

“He really played the quarterback position well,” Freeman said. “He did what we asked him to do, and that was to take care of the football. We weren’t asking for explosive plays. This had to be a complementary football game, and Riley did a really good job at doing that.”

Northern Illinois will go for the upset in its first road game of the season. The Huskies are coming off a 54-15 win at home against Western Illinois last week.

Ethan Hampton completed 18 of 20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns to lead Northern Illinois to the victory. Trayvon Rudolph (four catches, 104 yards, 1 TD) and Grayson Barnes (five catches, 95 yards, 1 TD) were the top targets.

Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock said he and his players were ready for what promises to be a loud crowd at Notre Dame Stadium.

“For us, it’s a tremendous challenge,” Hammock said. “We obviously know it’s going to be a hostile environment. We’ll work crowd noise this week. There are going to be a lot of things that go into the preparation standpoint.

“But for us, it’s about making it about us and how we prepare and how we go execute. We know it’s going to be physical. Notre Dame is going to stand in the middle of the ring, and we’ve got to go to the middle of the ring and match their intensity.”

The Fighting Irish shined on defense against Texas A&M and will look to stay sharp against Northern Illinois. Notre Dame defenders Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler each notched an interception last week, and Jack Kiser led the team with eight tackles.

Freeman said wide receiver Jordan Faison sprained his right ankle and would miss the next 1-2 weeks. He will miss the game against Northern Illinois.

“We’ll see over the next week how he improves and when he’ll be able to come back,” Freeman said.

–Field Level Media

Sep 16, 2023; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers tight end Thomas Fidone II (24) scores against the Northern Illinois Huskies during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska stops No. Illinois in coach Matt Rhule’s first win

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In his first college start, Heinrich Haarberg threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to deliver Matt Rhule his first win as coach at Nebraska, 35-11, over Northern Illinois on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

In the home opener for the Cornhuskers (1-2), Haarberg completed 14 of 24 passes for 158 yards and rushed 21 times for 98 yards. The sophomore was subbing for starter Jeff Sims, who suffered a sprained ankle in a loss last week at Colorado.

The Nebraska defense dominated Northern Illinois (1-2), limiting the Huskies to 149 yards and 12 first downs.

Northern Illinois’ lone score of the first half came by way of a turnover as George Gumbs forced a Haarberg fumble that Skylar Gill-Howard recovered at the Cornhuskers’ 5. Four plays later, Jake Seibert kicked a 30-yard field goal.

Aside from that possession, Northern Illinois didn’t cross midfield until the closing minutes, when backup quarterback Ethan Hampton directed a touchdown drive.

Nash Hutmacher had 2 1/2 tackles for a loss to lead the stingy Nebraska defense. Javin Wright added an interception for the Cornhuskers, which set up an 11-yard touchdown run by Anthony Grant in the fourth quarter.

The Cornhuskers limited Huskies quarterback Rocky Lombardi to 11 completions in 28 attempts for 73 yards. Northern Illinois gained 26 yards on 22 rushes.

Nebraska scored on its first possession as Haarberg accounted for all 55 yards of a six-play march, rushing for 19 yards and throwing twice for 36 yards, including 10 on a touchdown pass to Billy Kemp IV.

In the second quarter, Nebraska took over at the Northern Illinois 36 after pinning the Huskies deep in their own territory and forcing a punt. Four plays later, Haarberg found Thomas Fidone II open across the middle for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
The Cornhuskers increased their lead to 21-3 in the third quarter with a 76-yard, 14-play drive, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by Gabe Ervin Jr. Haarberg was clutch on the drive, converting four third-down plays, three with passes and one with a run.

Ervin finished with 67 yards on 14 carries. Grant added 46 yards on seven rushes.

– Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Jeff Sims (7) looks on during the third quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska looks to end struggles at home, hosts Northern Illinois

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Nebraska will try to win its first game at home in nearly a year when it hosts Northern Illinois in a nonconference matchup on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

The Cornhuskers (0-2) last won at Memorial Stadium, where they have sold out 389 consecutive games, on Oct. 1, 2022, when they beat Indiana. They have yet to play at home this season, opening the year at Minnesota and Colorado, leading to the latest home opener since 1981.

“We’re excited to play at home, excited to play in front of our fans,” first-year Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said.

Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims lost two fumbles and threw an interception in a 36-14 loss to the Buffaloes after getting picked off three times in the season opener. But Rhule said Sims will under center if an ankle sprain that he suffered against Colorado isn’t too serious.

“Jeff is our starting quarterback,” Rhule said. “That being said, we can’t keep turning the ball over.”

If Sims can’t go, either Heinrich Haarberg or Chubba Purdy will start.

Northern Illinois (1-1) turned it over three times in a 14-11 home loss to FCS Southern Illinois last Saturday, wiping away all the momentum that came from winning at Boston College in the season opener.

The Huskies outgained Southern Illinois 360-217 but only managed to score twice on six possessions that ended up at or inside their opponent’s 35-yard line.

“We just couldn’t get anything going as a team,” NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. “I thought our defense played phenomenally, gave us a chance to win.”

NIU is 7-40-1 all-time against current Big Ten schools, including a win at Nebraska in 2017.

Nebraska has lost to a Group of Five opponent three times since 2017, falling at home to Georgia Southern last September. That defeat led to coach Scott Frost’s firing the next day.

–Field Level Media