DeKALB – Fueled by a dominant second half performance, NIU football (3-4, 2-1 MAC) came back to defeat the Ohio University Bobcats (5-2, 2-1 MAC) 23-13 Saturday.
“We knew it was going to take everything we had to give ourselves a chance,” said NIU head football coach Thomas Hammock. “The way our players have been practicing, the way they’ve been working together as a team, I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Redshirt senior quarterback Rocky Lombardi completed 15 of his 23 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown, and redshirt junior running back Gavin Williams rushed 10 times for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Saturday’s win was the Huskies’ second consecutive victory and their first home win since Week 1 of the 2022 season. The Huskies also snapped the Bobcats’ five-game winning streak.
“I feel like today was a great win,” Williams said. “These are the dogfights we’re going to be in this year, it’s just pushing through. We’ve been close a bunch of weeks just push through and lean on each other. We know the defense has our back, the offense has the defense’s back and special teams has both of our backs. If one needs a little more help, lean on the other two, that’s just a great way to play team football.”
The Huskies played their cleanest game of the 2023 season Saturday, committing just one penalty, allowing just one sack, and committing no turnovers.
“To win the game I thought we had to have great ball security, which we did, we had to have the ability to run the ball a little bit to keep the pressure off the quarterback, and then we had to make smart decisions in the throw game,” Hammock said. “This is two games in a row we haven’t turned the ball over. If we can continue that trend – the way our defense is playing, the way our offense is starting to roll a little bit, and the way our special teams is playing – we will have a chance in every game we play.”
Going up against the fourth-ranked defense in the country, the Huskies managed just 7 points in the first half, digging themselves a 13-7 hole after the first 30 minutes.
NIU’s only first half points came from a 53-yard touchdown rush from Williams on the Huskies’ first drive. Williams’ touchdown was the Huskies’ sixth touchdown of 40 yards or more over the last two weeks.
“Coach Ham (Hammock) has been harping on us running backs about taking out the hesitation and the waiting for things to set up and just go,” Williams said. “I feel like that was a great example of what he’s been telling me all week; just go, and that was the result.”
NIU’s defense was dominant in the second half, intercepting 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Ohio graduate student quarterback Kurtis Rourke three times in the fourth quarter. Redshirt sophomore safety Cyrus McGarrell had the first of the three interceptions.
“Coach Hammock always says ‘win the fourth quarter,’” McGarrell said. “I think momentum is a big thing in this game, so I feel like my interception made our defense and our offense know how to shut out the game and take home the win in the end.”
In addition to the three interceptions in the second half, the Huskies defense did not allow a point over the final thirty minutes.
“Our defensive staff made great adjustments,” Hammock said. “Our players were able to handle those adjustments and go out there and play and execute.”
The big scoring plays continued for NIU’s offense in the second half. Lombardi hooked up with junior wide receiver Grayson Barnes for a 58 yard score to give the Huskies a 14-13 lead, a lead they would not relinquish.
“We have dynamic players on offense, and it can come from a variety of people,” Hammock said. “When you have that type of unpredictability, it makes you more dynamic on offense.”
LOOKING FORWARD
The Huskies next game will be against the Eastern Michigan University Eagles at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium. Live stats will be available via SideArm Stats.
