Even after Adam Dach’s career-best night of rushing Saturday, a reporter still asked NIU’s preeminent football player about his subpar numbers (eight carries, 33 yards) Sept. 7 at Fresno State.

“Last week’s gone,” Dach said. “I don’t even want to talk about that.”

He didn’t have to. His achievements in the Huskies’ 22-21 victory over Arkansas State at Huskie Stadium made for more than enough conversation.

On 24 rushes, the senior fullback gained 195 yards, 25 more than his previous high.

“His performance truly won the game for us,” NIU head coach Charlie Sadler said.

Dach started the Huskies’ first offensive series with a 27-yard carry. Two plays later, he put NIU ahead 7-0 on a 52-yard touchdown run through the middle. With a little over 12 minutes left in the first quarter, Dach had already amassed 79 yards.

“I was pretty tired (after the TD) because of all the adrenaline of the game,” Dach said. “I was really pumped up. But the second quarter I got to where I was fine. I got to where I was relaxed.”

Calmly, Dach bullied his way for big gains the entire evening. But it was his shortest rumble that allowed NIU a chance to win.

Down 21-19 late in the fourth quarter, NIU had the ball at the Indians’ 32-yard line, facing fourth-and-one. Quarterback Stacey McKinney handed the ball to Dach, who fell forward for the 1st down – barely. Six plays later, Willy Roy, Jr. won the game with a 25-yard field goal.

“That was a close one,” Dach said of the fourth-and-one run. “I was kind of nervous about that. It was a lot of traffic in there. I think they ran a blitz. We were really fortunate with the spot.”

Sadler wasn’t surprised Dach made the first on that play, or that he ran over ASU’s defenders the entire game.

“We expect him to run well because he’s a good player,” Sadler said.