NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 7, BRIGHAM YOUNG 6

Huskie defense ‘spectacular’ as NIU nips Cougars

PROVO, Utah – Northern Illinois safety Mykelti Williams intercepted Brigham Young quarterback Zach Wilson with 1:47 to play, sealing the Huskies 7-6 victory at Lavell Edwards Stadium and capping what NIU head coach Rod Carey called “a spectacular performance” by the Huskie defense.

The victory, NIU’s fourth consecutive and its first in non-conference play, improved the Huskies’ record to 5-3 on the season, while BYU fell to 4-4.

NIU won a game with seven points or less for the first time in 30 years, since opening the 1988 season with a 7-6 win over Akron on Sept. 3.

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“That was an old school, ugly football game,” Carey said. “It was ugly, but it’s beautiful to us. It’s a great win; BYU is a Power 5 team in my book.”

The Huskie defense, which totaled five sacks and eight tackles for loss in the game, kept BYU out of the end zone. The game’s one touchdown came on a Marcus Chlders 1-yard run early in the second half. Andrew Ganz added the PAT kick, which proved to be the difference.

On the decisive drive, NIU went 65 yards in 10 plays after receiving the second half kickoff.  Tre Harbison gained 29 rushing yards on the drive, with the last advancing the Huskies to the five-yard line. After a holding penalty on BYU in the end zone gave NIU a first down at the one, Childers ran in for the Huskie touchdown with 11:19 to play in the third quarter as NIU took a 7-3 lead
Two possessions later, BYU closed the gap to 7-6 as the Huskie defense, with the help of two consecutive false start penalties by the Cougars, stopped the hosts on the four-yard line.
On third and goal from the five, BYU attempted the same type of lateral pass to a tackle that saw NIU’s Max Scharping score on a two-point play last week, but Jalen Embry was there to bring down the Cougar tackle at the four-yard line and force the 22-yard field goal.   

“The opening drive set the tone for the second half, and I really thought we were on our way, offensively, but we shot ourselves in the foot too many times overall,” Carey said. “We out-played them in the kicking game and [punter] Matt Ference has been great all year.” “
Ference punted nine times for a 46.8 yard average in the game, with three forcing BYU to start from inside its 20-yard line. The key punt of the game came with 6:30 to play and NIU clinging to a 7-6 lead. Ference’s 53-yard punt bounced out of bounds inside the one-yard line.

BYU advanced all the way to its 40, but after a false start penalty pushed them back five yards, two straight incompletions and a rush forced the Cougars to punt with 2:53 on the clock.  NIU had a chance to run out the clock for the win, but Marcus Childers was sacked on third down and once again, the Huskies called on Ference. He responded with a 56-yard boot at the 1:47 mark.  One play later, Williams made his interception, his first of the season, to seal the Huskie win.

“That was a spectacular performance by our defense versus a very good young quarterback,” Carey said of the BYU signal-caller, who led the Cougars to a 49-point performance in his last game. “We got the pick at the end to seal the game.  We were able to get off the field on third down [for most of the game]. We were 3 of 14 on third down, they were 3 of 15 and that’s how you get an ugly game.”

With 9:27 to play in the fourth quarter, BYU had a chance to take the lead, but Skyler Southam's 51-yard field goal attempt from the NIU 34-yard line was wide right and the Cougars would not threaten again.

NIU held BYU to 93 rushing yards on 37 carries, and Wilson to 18-of-30 passing.  The interception was the only turnover of the game by either team.
Harbison led the Huskie rushing attack with 54 yards on 11 carries. Childers was 10-of-21 passing for 115 yards, including four completions to Jauan Wesley for 70 yards

For the third time this season, NIU saw the half end in a 3-0 score as the Huskies were unable to get on the scoreboard in the first half.  NIU ran 26 plays to BYU’s 33 as both defenses dominated. The Huskies were just one-of-six on third down conversions in the half, however, the NIU defense limited BYU to a one-of-eight mark.

NIU’s deepest penetration in the half came late in the second quarter as the Huskies mounted an 11-play, 60-yard drive to the BYU 24-yard line.  From there, Gantz’ 41-yard field goal try was off the left post, breaking a string of four straight made field goals dating back to the Eastern Michigan game.

BYU took that 3-0 halftime lead on the strength of a 35-yard field goal by Southam with 3:08 to play in the first quarter. The field goal capped a 13-play, 72-yard drive by the Cougars that consumed 6:28 in the period.  The Cougars advanced to the Huskie 18 yard line before being forced to take the field goal try.

NIU resumes MAC play this Thursday, November 1 with a contest at Akron.  Kickoff is at 6 p.m. (ET) and the game will be seen on CBS Sports Network.