2024 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

2024 Northern Illinois Huskies football
2024 Northern Illinois Huskies football
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl champion
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, W 28–20 2OT vs. Fresno State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	8–5 (4–4 MAC)
Head coach	Thomas Hammock (6th season);
Offensive coordinator	Wesley Beschorner (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Nick Benedetto (3rd season)
Base defense	4–2–5
Home stadium	Huskie Stadium
	Seasons ← 2023 2025 →

2024 Mid-American Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Miami (OH) y	7	–	1	9	–	5
Ohio y$	7	–	1	11	–	3
Buffalo	6	–	2	9	–	4
Bowling Green	6	–	2	7	–	6
Western Michigan	5	–	3	6	–	7
Toledo	4	–	4	8	–	5
Northern Illinois	4	–	4	8	–	5
Akron	3	–	5	4	–	8
Eastern Michigan	2	–	6	5	–	7
Central Michigan	2	–	6	4	–	8
Ball State	2	–	6	3	–	9
Kent State	0	–	8	0	–	12
Championship: Ohio 38, Miami (OH) 3
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant

The 2024 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies were led by Thomas Hammock in his sixth year as the head coach. The Huskies played home games at Huskie Stadium, located in DeKalb, Illinois.^[1]

On September 7, the Huskies notched their first-ever win over a top-10 ranked team, beating No. 5 Notre Dame 16–14 in South Bend, Indiana.^[2] As a result, the Huskies were ranked No. 25 in the AP poll released on September 9, the first time an NIU team had been ranked since December of 2013.^[3]

Preseason

Preseason polls

Coaches Poll

On July 19 the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Northern Illinois was picked to finish tied for third in the conference. They received zero votes to win the MAC Championship.^[4]^[5]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
MAC Coaches poll
1	Miami	119 (9)
2	Toledo	109 (3)
T3	Bowling Green	92
T3	Northern Illinois	92
5	Ohio	81
6	Eastern Michigan	64
7	Western Michigan	60
8	Central Michigan	59
9	Ball State	42
10	Buffalo	37
11	Akron	24
12	Kent State	13

Predicted finish	Team	Votes
Coaches poll (MAC Championship)
1	Miami	10
2	Toledo	2

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	2:30 p.m.	Western Illinois*		Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	ESPN+	W 54–15	10,828
September 7	2:30 p.m.	at No. 5 Notre Dame*		Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, IN	NBC	W 16–14	77,622
September 21	2:30 p.m.	Buffalo	No. 23	Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	ESPN+	L 20–23 ^OT	18,688
September 28	11:00 a.m.	at NC State*		Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	The CW	L 17–24	56,919
October 5	11:00 a.m.	UMass*		Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	CBSSN	W 34–20	12,466
October 12	2:30 p.m.	at Bowling Green		Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN+	W 17–7	9,559
October 19	2:30 p.m.	Toledo		Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	ESPN+	L 6–13	18,350
October 26	2:30 p.m.	at Ball State		Scheumann Stadium Muncie, IN (Bronze Stalk Trophy)	ESPN+	L 23–25	15,318
November 6	6:00 p.m.	at Western Michigan		Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPN2	W 42–28	10,346
November 13	6:00 p.m.	Akron		Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	CBSSN	W 29–16	6,795
November 19	8:00 p.m.	at Miami (OH)		Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPN	L 9–20	5,891
November 30	2:30 p.m.	Central Michigan		Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	CBSSN	W 24–16	5,843
December 23	1:30 p.m.	vs. Fresno State		Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)	ESPN	W 28–20 ^2OT	10,359
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Central time

^[6]

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	25	23	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Coaches	—	—	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
CFP	Not released										—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Game summaries

Western Illinois (FCS)

Western Illinois Leathernecks at Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Leathernecks	3	0	5	7	15
Huskies	6	28	13	7	54

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: August 31
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny, 81 °F (27 °C)
Game attendance: 10,828
Referee: Amanda Sauer
TV announcers (ESPN+): Kelsie Kasper and Ryan Cavanaugh
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

NIU – Dane Pardridge 23-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (kick failed), 12:21. Huskies 6–0. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards, 0:25.
WIU – Antonio Chadha 44-yard field goal, 0:51. Huskies 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 61, yards, 4:35.

Second quarter

NIU – Cam Thompson 11-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 12:36. Huskies 13–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:15.
NIU – Trayvon Rudolph 60-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 8:47. Huskies 20–3. Drive: 1 play, 60 yards, 0:08.
NIU – Keyshaun Pipkin 11-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 1:55. Huskies 27–3. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 5:05.
NIU – Trayvon Rudolph 43-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 0:40. Huskies 34–3. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 0:44.

Third quarter

NIU – Grayson Barnes 60-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 13:28. Huskies 41–3. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:32.
NIU – Jaylen Poe 7-yard run (kick blocked), 4:22. Huskies 47–3. Drive: 14 plays, 88 yards, 7:06.
WIU – Fredrik Greenhoward defensive PAT conversion, 4:22. Huskies 47–5.
WIU – Antonio Chadha 46-yard field goal, 1:39. Huskies 47–8. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:36.

Fourth quarter

NIU – Jalen Macon 5-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 8:00. Huskies 54–8. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 5:31.
WIU – Torrance Farmer Jr. 27-yard pass from Nathan Lamb (Antonio Chadha kick), 2:59. Huskies 54–15. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:56.

Statistics	WIU	NIU
First downs	17	30
Total yards	298	706
Rushing yards	94	312
Passing yards	204	394
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	28:26	31:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Illinois	Passing	Nathan Lamb	17/29, 204 yards, TD
	Rushing	Cameren Smith	14 rushes, 51 yards
	Receiving	Tristin Duncan	5 receptions, 68 yards
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	18/20, 328 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Antario Brown	8 rushes, 69 yards
	Receiving	Trayvon Rudolph	4 receptions, 104 yards, TD

At No. 5 Notre Dame

Northern Illinois Huskies at No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	10	3	0	3	16
No. 5 Fighting Irish	7	0	7	0	14

at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Date: September 7
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 63 °F (17 °C)
Game attendance: 77,622
Referee: Tim Hedgepeth
TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Jason Garrett, and Zora Stephenson
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

ND – Riley Leonard 1-yard run (Mitch Jeter kick), 8:28. Fighting Irish 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:25.
NIU – Antario Brown 83-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 5:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards, 2:51.
NIU – Kanon Woodill 42-yard field goal, 2:13. Huskies 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 1:27.

Second quarter

NIU – Kanon Woodill 21-yard field goal, 13:39. Huskies 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:08.

Third quarter

ND – Jeremiyah Love 34-yard run (Mitch Jeter kick), 8:34. Fighting Irish 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:43.

Fourth quarter

NIU – Kanon Woodill 35-yard field goal, 0:31. Huskies 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 31 yards, 5:24.

Statistics	NIU	ND
First downs	16	17
Total yards	388	286
Rushing yards	190	123
Passing yards	198	163
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	34:38	25:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	10/19, 198 yards, TD
	Rushing	Antario Brown	20 rushes, 99 yards
	Receiving	Antario Brown	2 receptions, 126 yards, TD
Notre Dame	Passing	Riley Leonard	20/32, 163 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jeremiyah Love	11 rushes, 79 yards, TD
	Receiving	Beaux Collins	5 receptions, 45 yards

This was the Huskies' first win over an AP top-10 team in program history.^[7]

Buffalo

Buffalo Bulls at No. 23 Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Bulls	0	3	7	10	3	23
No. 23 Huskies	7	7	0	6	0	20

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: September 21
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 88 °F (31 °C) • Wind: N 9 mph
Game attendance: 18,688
Referee: David Siegle
TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Ross Jr. and Tyoka Jackson
Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter

(5:14) NIU – Antario Brown 5-yard run, Kanon Woodill kick (Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:36; Northern Illinois 7-0)

Second quarter

(7:18) BUF – Upton Bellenfant 42-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:26; Northern Illinois 7-3)
(1:55) NIU – Antario Brown 14-yard run, Kanon Woodill kick (Drive: 2 plays, 36 yards, 0:16; Northern Illinois 14-3)

Third quarter

(10:59) BUF – Victor Snow 46-yard pass from C. J. Ogbonna, Upton Bellenfant kick (Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 2:32; Northern Illinois 14-10)

Fourth quarter

(14:51) NIU – Kanon Woodill 30-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:44; Northern Illinois 17-10)
(12:02) BUF – Al-Jay Henderson 36-yard run, Upton Bellenfant kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:49; Tied 17-17)
(3:28) BUF – Upton Bellenfant 42-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 2:11; Buffalo 20-17)
(0:24) NIU – Kanon Woodill 27-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 3:04; Tied 20-20)

Overtime

(0:00) BUF – Upton Bellenfant 37-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:00; Buffalo 23-20)

Statistics	UB	NIU
First downs	9	24
Total yards	184	359
Rushing yards	77	165
Passing yards	107	194
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	23:47	36:13

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Buffalo	Passing	C. J. Ogbonna	10/17, 107 yards, TD
	Rushing	Al-Jay Henderson	11 carries, 56 yards, TD
	Receiving	Victor Snow	3 receptions, 72 yards, TD
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	23/43, 194 yards, INT
	Rushing	Antario Brown	24 carries, 73 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Cam Thompson	3 receptions, 49 yards

At NC State

Northern Illinois Huskies at NC State Wolfpack – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	7	7	0	3	17
Wolfpack	7	10	7	0	24

at Carter–Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina

Date: September 28
Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT/12:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (The CW): Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst) and Carla Gebhart (sideline)

Game information

First quarter

NCSU – CJ Bailey 1-yard run (Kanoah Vinesett kick), 6:15. Wolfpack 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 5:02.
NIU – Brock Lampe 0-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 2:23. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:52.

Second quarter

NCSU – DK Kaufman 2-yard fumble return (Kanoah Vinesett kick), 14:09. Wolfpack 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, -10 yards, 1:07.
NCSU – Kanoah Vinesett 37-yard field goal, 4:55. Wolfpack 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:43.
NIU – Cam Thompson 6-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 1:45. Wolfpack 17–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.

Third quarter

NCSU – Kevin Concepcion 3-yard pass from CJ Bailey (Kanoah Vinesett kick), 11:46. Wolfpack 24–14. Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 1:33.

Fourth quarter

NIU – Kanon Woodill 50-yard field goal, 14:46. Wolfpack 24–17. Drive: 14 plays, 48 yards, 6:01.

Statistics	NIU	NCST
First downs	20	11
Total yards	279	171
Rushing yards	120	62
Passing yards	159	109
Turnovers	4	0
Time of possession	32:41	27:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	14/29, 159 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Antario Brown	28 carries, 114 yards
	Receiving	Andrew McElroy	3 receptions, 58 yards
NC State	Passing	CJ Bailey	13/20, 109 yards, TD
	Rushing	CJ Bailey	10 carries, 22 yards, TD
	Receiving	Noah Rogers	2 receptions, 48 yards

UMass

UMass Minutemen at Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	7	6	0	7	20
Huskies	7	0	6	21	34

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: October 5
Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT/12:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (CBSSN): Carter Blackburn (play-by-play) and Luke Kuechly (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

NIU – Brock Lampe 15-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 14:10. Huskies 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:06.
MASS – T.Y. Harding 58-yard pass from Taisun Phommachanh (Jacob Lurie kick), 11:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:14.

Second quarter

MASS – Jacob Lurie 27-yard field goal, 12:33. Minutemen 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:37.
MASS – Jacob Lurie 27-yard field goal, 0:06. Minutemen 13–7. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 3:19.

Third quarter

NIU – Jaylen Poe 22-yard run (PAT missed), 11:23. Tied 13–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:37.

Fourth quarter

NIU – Jaylen Poe 3-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 14:12. Huskies 20–13. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 7:06.
NIU – Gavin Williams 1-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 5:29. Huskies 27–13. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 5:22.
MASS – T.Y. Harding 16-yard pass from Taisun Phommachanh (Jacob Lurie kick), 3:16. Huskies 27–20. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:13.
NIU – Ethan Hampton 1-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 2:05. Huskies 34–20. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 0:57.

Statistics	MASS	NIU
First downs	19	23
Total yards	378	402
Rushing yards	115	367
Passing yards	263	35
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	26:20	33:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UMass	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	15/30, 263 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	CJ Hester	15 carries, 71 yards
	Receiving	T.Y. Harding	5 receptions, 116 yards, 2 TD
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	5/9, 34 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Gavin Wiliams	19 carries, 125 yards, TD
	Receiving	Brock Lampe	1 reception, 15 yards, TD

At Bowling Green

Northern Illinois Huskies at Bowling Green Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	3	3	0	11	17
Falcons	7	0	0	0	7

at Doyt Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, Ohio

Date: October 12
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: NE at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
Game attendance: 9,559
Referee: Billy Williams
TV announcers (ESPN+): Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Tyoka Jackson (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(8:58) NIU – Kanon Woodill 46-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 6:02; NIU 3–0)
(6:55) BGSU – Harold Fannin Jr. 11-yard pass from Connor Bazelak, Jackson Kleather kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:03; BGSU 7–3)

Second quarter

(1:40) NIU – Kanon Woodill 21-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 54 yards, 4:18; BGSU 7–6)

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

(14:53) NIU – Josh Holst 22-yard run, Isaac Hatfield Two-point pass (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:46; NIU 14–7)
(6:00) NIU – Kanon Woodill 27-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:43; NIU 17–7)

Statistics	NIU	BGSU
First downs	19	15
Total yards	278	205
Rushing yards	170	107
Passing yards	108	98
Turnovers	0	2
Time of possession	34:44	25:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Josh Holst	10/14, 89 yards
	Rushing	Gavin Williams	29 carries, 102 yards
	Receiving	Andrew McElroy	5 receptions, 47 yards
Bowling Green	Passing	Connor Bazelak	8/14, 88 yards, TD
	Rushing	Terion Stewart	13 carries, 64 yards
	Receiving	Jamal Johnson	3 receptions, 43 yards

Toledo

Toledo Rockets at Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	0	7	3	3	13
Huskies	3	3	0	0	6

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: October 19
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: N 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
Game attendance: 18,350
Referee: Rich Edwards
TV announcers (ESPN+): Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(11:43) NIU FG: Kanon Woodill 36-yard field goal NIU 3–0; 9 plays, 56 yards, 3:17

Second quarter

(08:08) TOL TD: Jerjuan Newton 52-yard pass from John Richter (Dylan Cunanan kick) TOL 7–3; 2 plays, 61 yards, 00:40
(00:00) NIU FG: Kanon Woodill 37-yard field goal TOL 7–6; 9 plays, 60 yards, 1:16

Third quarter

(02:22) TOL FG: Dylan Cunanan 22-yard field goal TOL 10–6; 12 plays, 88 yards, 4:39

Fourth quarter

(11:12) TOL FG: Dylan Cunanan 27-yard field goal TOL 13–6; 10 plays, 56 yards, 3:58

Statistics	TOL	NIU
First downs	15	25
Total yards	285	391
Rushing yards	133	181
Passing yards	152	210
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	23:46	36:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Toledo	Passing	John Richter	15/28, 152 yards, TD
	Rushing	Connor Walendzak	19 carries, 78 yards
	Receiving	Jerjuan Newton	3 receptions, 64 yards, TD
Northern Illinois	Passing	Josh Holst	22/46, 210 yards
	Rushing	Gavin Williams	16 carries, 78 yards
	Receiving	Cam Thompson	5 receptions, 80 yards

at Ball State (Bronze Stalk Trophy)

Northern Illinois Huskies at Ball State Cardinals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	7	7	0	9	23
Cardinals	7	12	0	6	25

at Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, Indiana

Date: October 26
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (ESPN+): Kelsie Kaspar (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

BALL – Tanner Koziol 3-yard pass from Kadin Semonza (Jackson Courville kick), 10:26. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:27.
NIU – Antario Brown 34-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 2:23. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 4:08.

Second quarter

BALL – Jackson Courville 24-yard field goal, 12:44. Cardinals 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:05.
BALL – Jackson Courville 47-yard field goal, 9:40. Cardinals 13–7. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:30.
BALL – Tanner Koziol 6-yard pass from Kadin Semonza (PAT missed), 1:51. Cardinals 19–7. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 4:45.
NIU – Cam Thompson 54-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 1:12. Cardinals 19–14. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 0:39.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

BALL – Jackson Courville 50-yard field goal, 8:52. Cardinals 22–14. Drive: 10 plays, 22 yards, 4:33.
NIU – Antario Brown 6-yard run (2-point conversion failed), 4:57. Cardinals 22–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:54.
NIU – Kanon Woodill 47-yard field goal, 0:15. Huskies 23–22. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 1:36.
BALL – Jackson Courville 52-yard field goal, 0:02. Cardinals 25–23. Drive: 3 plays, 39 yards, 0:11.

Statistics	NIU	BALL
First downs	22	21
Total yards	374	392
Rushing yards	142	170
Passing yards	232	222
Turnovers	4	0
Time of possession	25:08	34:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	18/33, 168 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Antario Brown	11 carries, 62 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Cam Thompson	8 receptions, 128 yards, TD
Ball State	Passing	Kadin Semonza	20/33, 211 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Vaughn Pemberton	14 carries, 69 yards
	Receiving	Tanner Koziol	9 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TD

at Western Michigan

Northern Illinois Huskies at Western Michigan Broncos – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	21	21	0	42
Broncos	7	7	7	7	28

at Waldo Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Date: November 6
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (ESPN2): Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whittaker (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

WMU – Jaden Nixon 66-yard run (Luka Zurak kick), 9:18. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:47.

Second quarter

NIU – Telly Johnson Jr. 6-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 13:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:04.
NIU – Tristen Tewes 7-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 6:05. Huskies 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:30.
WMU – Jaden Nixon 14-yard run (Luka Zurak kick), 1:54. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
NIU – Gavin Williams 5-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (Kanon Woodill kick), 0:09. Huskies 21–14. Drive: 12 plays, 60 yards, 1:45.

Third quarter

WMU – Broc Lowry 1-yard run (Luka Zurak kick), 12:33. Tied 21–21. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:14.
NIU – Cam Thompson 91-yard kickoff return (Kanon Woodill kick), 12:33. Huskies 28–21. Drive: 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:14.
NIU – Gavin Williams 2-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 8:19. Huskies 35–21. Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:24.
NIU – Telly Johnson Jr. 26-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 0:47. Huskies 42–21. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:49.

Fourth quarter

WMU – Mareyohn Hrabowski 10-yard pass from Hayden Wolff (Luka Zurak kick), 11:49. Huskies 42–28. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:58.

Statistics	NIU	WMU
First downs	21	21
Total yards	411	390
Rushing yards	255	211
Passing yards	156	179
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	29:24	30:36

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	13/16, 156 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Telly Johnson Jr.	23 carries, 141 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Trayvon Rudolph	6 receptions, 74 yards
Western Michigan	Passing	Hayden Wolff	14/27, 179 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Jaden Nixon	12 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Kenneth Womack	4 receptions, 51 yards

Akron

Akron Zips at Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	6	10	0	0	16
Huskies	17	6	0	6	29

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: November 13
Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT/7:00 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (CBSSN): Jason Knapp (play-by-play) and Brock Vereen (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

NIU – Kanon Woodill 32-yard field goal, 12:31. Huskies 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:34.
AKR – Adrian Norton 40-yard pass from Ben Finley (2-point conversion failed), 9:46. Zips 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yards, 2:38.
NIU – Trayvon Rudolph 58-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 8:20. Huskies 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:21.
NIU – Dane Pardridge 39-yard pass from Trayvon Rudolph (Kanon Woodill kick), 3:50. Huskies 17–6. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 2:21.

Second quarter

AKR – Garrison Smith 27-yard field goal, 10:56. Huskies 17–9. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 4:33.
AKR – Terence Thomas 0-yard blocked punt return (Garrison Smith kick), 9:20. Huskies 17–16. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:36.
NIU – Grayson Barnes 32-yard pass from Ethan Hampton (2-point conversion failed), 5:32. Huskies 23–16. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:42.

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

NIU – Gavin Williams 71-yard run (2-point conversion failed), 7:56. Huskies 29–16. Drive: 1 plays, 71 yards, 0:09.

Statistics	AKR	NIU
First downs	19	14
Total yards	255	439
Rushing yards	50	295
Passing yards	205	144
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	26:31	33:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Akron	Passing	Ben Finley	19/52, 205 yards, TD
	Rushing	Jordon Simmons	12 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	Adrian Norton	2 receptions, 57 yards, TD
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	9/16, 105 yards, TD
	Rushing	Telly Johnson Jr.	21 carries, 104 yards
	Receiving	Dane Pardridge	1 reception, 39 yards, TD

at Miami (OH)

Northern Illinois Huskies at Miami RedHawks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	3	0	6	9
RedHawks	7	10	0	3	20

at Yager Stadium, Oxford, Ohio

Date: November 19
Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT/8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Fog • Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: NW 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h)
Game attendance: 5,891
Referee: William Williams
TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Schumacker (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)

Game information

First quarter

(2:31) MIA – Dylan Downing 2-yard run, Dom Dzioban kick (Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 3:05; Miami (OH) 7–0)

Second quarter

(12:24) MIA – Dom Dzioban 22-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:22; Miami (OH) 10–0)
(3:50) MIA – Reggie Virgil 30-yard pass from Javon Tracy, Dom Dzioban kick (Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:01; Miami (OH) 17–0)
(0:04) NIU – Kanon Woodill 47-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:41; Miami (OH) 17–3)

Third quarter

No scoring plays

Fourth quarter

(11:51) NIU – Telly Johnson Jr. 2-yard run (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:07; Miami (OH) 17–9)
(2:25) MIA – Dom Dzioban 27-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 3:21; Miami (OH) 20–9)

Statistics	NIU	M-OH
First downs	19	17
Total yards	242	324
Rushing yards	128	87
Passing yards	114	237
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	32:56	27:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	10/25, 70 yards, INT
	Rushing	Telly Johnson Jr.	15 carries, 47 yards, TD
	Receiving	Andrew McElroy	5 receptions, 38 yards
Miami (OH)	Passing	Brett Gabbert	14/23, 207 yards, INT
	Rushing	Keyon Mozee	14 carries, 91 yards
	Receiving	Reggie Virgil	4 receptions, 107 yards, TD

Central Michigan

Central Michigan Chippewas at Northern Illinois Huskies – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	0	16	0	0	16
Huskies	19	2	3	0	24

at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois

Date: November 30
Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT
TV announcers (CBSSN): TBD

Game information

First quarter

NIU – Gavin Williams 24-yard run (2-point conversion pass failed), 10:42. Huskies 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 2:47.
NIU – Ethan Hampton 16-yard run (PAT failed), 6:55. Huskies 12–0. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:11.
NIU – Telly Johnson Jr. 4-yard run (Kanon Woodill kick), 2:23. Huskies 19–0. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 2:24.

Second quarter

CMU – Jesse Prewitt III 3-yard pass from Jadyn Glasser (PAT blocked), 13:44. Huskies 19–6. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:34.
NIU – JaVaughn Byrd defensive PAT conversion, 13:44. Huskies 21–6. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:34.
CMU – Tristan Mattson 40-yard field goal, 6:24. Huskies 21–9. Drive: 10 plays, 34 yards, 5:10.
CMU – Jesse Prewitt III 6-yard pass from Jadyn Glasser (Tristan Mattson kick), 1:56. Huskies 21–16. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:59.

Third quarter

NIU – Kanon Woodill 26-yard field goal, 6:13. Huskies 24–16. Drive: 17 plays, 66 yards, 8:47.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays

Statistics	CMU	NIU
First downs	15	22
Total yards	204	332
Rushing yards	112	163
Passing yards	92	169
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	26:23	33:37

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Michigan	Passing	Jadyn Glasser	12/25, 92 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Marion Lukes	13 carries, 78 yards
	Receiving	Jesse Prewitt III	5 receptions, 37 yards, 2 TD
Northern Illinois	Passing	Ethan Hampton	19/30, 169 yards
	Rushing	Telly Johnson Jr.	20 carries, 84 yards, TD
	Receiving	Trayvon Rudolph	9 receptions, 97 yards

Fresno State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)

2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Northern Illinois Huskies (7-5, 4-4) at Fresno State Bulldogs (6-6, 4-3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
Huskies	3	0	10	0	7	8	28
Bulldogs	13	0	0	0	7	0	20

at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

Date: December 23rd, 2024
Game time: 1:30 p.m. CST/11:30 a.m. PST
TV announcers (ESPN): Lowell Galindo, Fozzy Whittaker and Tori Petry

Game information

First Quarter

(11:29) FRES – Bryson Donelson 1 yard run, two-point pass conversion failed (Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:58; Fresno State 6–0)
(2:45) NIU – Fresno State 26 yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 63 yards, 8:44; Fresno State 6–3)
(1:08) FRES – Joshua Wood 13 yard run, Dylan Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 90 yards, 1:37; Fresno State 13–3)

Second Quarter

No scoring.

Third Quarter

(11:22) NIU – Grayson Barnes 26 yard pass from Josh Holst, Kanon Woodill kick (Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:38; Fresno State 13–10)
(7:39) NIU – Kanon Woodill 34 yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 2:11; Tied 13–13)

Fourth Quarter

No scoring.

Overtime

FRES – Bryson Donelson 9 yard pass from Joshua Wood, Dylan Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards; Fresno State 20–13)
NIU – Grayson Barnes 3 yard pass from Josh Holst, Kanon Woodill kick (Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards; Tied 20–20)

Second Overtime

NIU – Dane Pardridge 25 yard pass from George Dimopoulos, George Dimopoulos two-point pass conversion from Josh Holst (Drive: 1 plays, 25 yards; Northern Illinois 28–20)

Statistics	NIU	FRES
First downs	24	17
Total yards	368	328
Rushing yards	161	117
Passing yards	207	211
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	19-31-1	19-29-1
Time of possession	39:14	20:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Illinois	Passing	Josh Holst	18/30, 182 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Josh Holst	16 carries, 65 yards
	Receiving	Dane Pardridge	3 receptions, 59 yards, TD
Fresno State	Passing	Joshua Wood	16/23, 180 yards, TD
	Rushing	Bryson Donelson	15 carries, 82 yards
	Receiving	Mac Dalena	6 receptions, 118 yards

References

^ "2024 Football Coaching Staff". NIU Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ Williams, James H. "Notre Dame upset by NIU: Instant reactions to historic Northern Illinois win". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
^ Wiles, Ethan (September 9, 2024). "No. 25 Ranked NIU Named Cheez-It Team of the Week". 13 WREX. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
^ "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
^ "2024 Northern Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
^ Bromberg, Nick (September 8, 2024). "Northern Illinois stuns No. 5 Notre Dame for first-ever win over a top-10 team". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2024.

[1] "2024 Football Coaching Staff". NIU Athletics. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[2] Williams, James H. "Notre Dame upset by NIU: Instant reactions to historic Northern Illinois win". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 11, 2024.

[3] Wiles, Ethan (September 9, 2024). "No. 25 Ranked NIU Named Cheez-It Team of the Week". 13 WREX. Retrieved September 11, 2024.

[4] "Miami Selected as Favorites in Head Coaches Preseason Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Mid-American Conference. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[5] "MAC football preseason poll: Toledo picked 2nd, BGSU 3rd". wtol.com. WTOL 11. July 19, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

[6] "2024 Northern Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

[7] Bromberg, Nick (September 8, 2024). "Northern Illinois stuns No. 5 Notre Dame for first-ever win over a top-10 team". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 8, 2024.

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