Huskie Stadium -- DeKalb, Ill
ESPN+
After two weeks of conference play, there are just two teams without a MAC loss. Northern Illinois is one of those teams, and it is the only undefeated program in the MAC West.
Coming off a huge 22-20 win at Toledo last week, the Huskies will try to keep rolling Saturday when they host Bowling Green. The Falcons are riding a two-game losing streak but won two straight games prior to that and are 2-4 overall.
Bowling Green leads the series 12-10, although NIU has a 6-3 advantage when playing in DeKalb. The two teams last met in 2017, with Northern Illinois cruising to a 48-17 victory.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
>> The Falcons are coming off a 35-20 home loss to Akron last week. Bowling Green started fast, rolling out to a 13-0 lead midway thorugh the second quarter. However, Akron scored one TD before intermission and built on its momentum after the break with four unanswered touchdowns. A late BGSU score was not nearly enough to catch the visitors.
>> While they were close to Akron in many statistical areas, the Falcons hurt their own cause with five turnovers to just two by UA.
>> Quarterback Matt McDonald completed 21-of-35 passes for 257 yards, two TDs and three interceptions.
>> Five receivers had multiple catches, with Tyrone Broden catching four balls for 111 yards with two scores. Austin Osborne and Taron Keith recorded five catches apiece.
>> Jaison Patterson paced the BGSU ground game with 15 carries for 79 yards. The Falcons totaled 107 yards rushing. As a team, Bowling Green is averaging 57.2 ypg on the ground, last among MAC teams. However, the Falcons are fourth in passing (234.3 ypg).
>> The Falcons are third in total defense (344.2 ypg) but last in total offense (291.5 ypg) and scoring offense (17.7 ypg.). Bowling Green's highest point production for this season is 27 points (against Murray State). It has scored 20 points in each of the last two weeks and 14 in the Falcons (14-10) upset of Minnesota.
>> Since 2000, Bowling Green is 3-3 against NIU when the Falcons accumulate 350+ yards of total offense. • Since 2000, Bowling Green is 2-1 against NIU when the Falcons win the turnover battle. They are 1-4 when they don’t.
>> Bowling Green is No. 2 in the nation with four blocked kicks. The Falcons have blocked three punts and one field goal so far in 2021
>> Davon Ferguson leads the nation’s defensive backs with 7.0 tackles for loss
>> PK Nate Needham is 9-of-9 on field goal attempts this season. He is one of 15 FBS players who is perfect on the year, but his nine made field goals ranks tied for No. 3 in the nation among those who are perfect.
>> LB Darren Anders is one of two players in the nation this season with 45+ tackles (54), 5.0+ tackles for loss (5.5), 1+ fumble recoveries (1) and 1+ interceptions (1). Devin Lloyd (Utah) is the other. Anders currently ranks No. 26 in the nation and No. 2 in the MAC with 9.0 tackles per game.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (4-2, 2-0 MAC)
>> : The Huskies’ 4-2 record through six games is NIU’s best start to a season in four years, since the 2017 Huskies won six of their first eight games. In 2019, NIU went 1-4 to open the season and the Huskies were 2-3 through five games in 2018.
>> After back-to-back losses against Wyoming and No. 25 Michigan, the Huskies have defeated Maine (41-14), Eastern Michigan (27-20) and Toledo (22-20).
>> Northern Illinois and Toledo traded leads throughout Saturday's key MAC West battle, and the hosting Rockets were up 20-19 after a TD and failed two-point try with 3:35 remaining. NIU responded by covering 60 yards in nine plays to set up John Richard's 29-yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining.
>> The Huskies offense produced just one TD on the day - a 37-yard run by Antario Brown. John Richardson, however, booted four field goals, with a long of long of 47 yards.
>> NIU has won 25 of its last 29 regular season games versus MAC East Division opponents and is 29-5 versus MAC East teams since 2008. Buffalo joined Miami and Ohio as the only MAC East foes to defeat the Huskies in regular season games with its 49-30 win over NIU last year in the only “crossover” game played during the shortened COVID-19 season.
>> Northern Illinois owned 396 yards of offense (30 more than UT), with 242 coming from the ground game. Brown (24 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD) and QB Rocky (12 carries, 90 yards) led the group, while Jay Ducker contributed 50 yards on 11 trips.
>> Lombardi completed 14-of-24 passes for 154 yards and one pick -- the game's only turnover.
>> Tyrice Richie led all receivers with eight catches for 98 yards. : With 30 catches for 321 yards
in 2021, senior Tyrice Richie has been Rocky Lombardi’s favorite target as he has accounted for 38 percent of NIU’s catches and 34 percent of the Huskies’ receiving yardage. Richie set up John Richardson’s game-winning field goal at Toledo with a 34-yard catch down the left sideline, one of his season-high eight catches for 98 yards in the game. One of his biggest catches of the season doesn’t even show up in the stats as he made a diving grab of a two-point conversion pass with 38 seconds to play to give NIU the upset victory
at Georgia Tech.
>> Northern Illinois ranks fifth among MAC teams in scoring offense (27.5 ppg) and 11th in scoring defense.
>> Much of the Huskies offense comes from the ground game, as NIU is second in rushing offense (224.5 ypg). Waylee Harrison tops the loop with 114.8 ypg (5.7 ypc).
>> Northern Illinois is last in passing offense and eighth in defending the pass.