After being sacked and having the football stripped from him inside his own 10-yard line for a second time Saturday, redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton watched helplessly from the ground as the defense recovered his fumble and celebrated another takeaway.

Again, he’d committed a costly turnover at a crucial point in the game. And for a second-straight week, Hampton’s turnovers allowed the Huskies to be bested in a game where they were the best team on the field.

In Saturday’s 24-17 loss at North Carolina State University, the Huskies finished with nine more first downs, 108 more yards and nearly five more minutes of possession than the Wolfpack. But Hampton’s four sacks and two lost fumbles were the crux in another one-score loss that dropped NIU to .500 after a 2-0 start.

Hampton’s first fumble led to a scoop-and-score touchdown that ultimately played the difference. His second set the Wolfpack up for an easy 3-yard touchdown.

“We gave up 14 points on offense, basically,” head coach Thomas Hammock said after the game.

With NIU’s defense allowing the fewest yards in a game this season and just one third-down conversion from a Power Four offense, giving away two scores on the side of the ball that’s supposed to be doing the scoring is inexcusable.

Hampton also threw a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions – and could’ve had three total if not for a lucky drop by the defender on NIU’s first possession.

The blame for NIU’s miscues doesn’t fall solely on Hampton, though. On the first strip-sack, a missed blocking assignment allowed a blitzing safety to go untouched as he slammed into Hampton’s blind side. On his first interception, the receiver failed to make a play to prevent the cornerback from catching the ball.

But at the end of the day, turnovers are turnovers, and Hampton’s tendency to commit them only seems to be building, making him a major threat to NIU’s chances at Mid-American Conference Championship contention.

As the main stretch of conference play approaches, something has to change at the quarterback position. But unlike some users on social media, I’m not calling for Hampton to be demoted from the starting role four games in. At least not yet, anyway.

ON THE DECLINE

The Ethan Hampton we’ve seen play these past two games isn’t the same one we saw in Weeks 1 and 2. The difference is subtle in the statline, but obvious in the way he plays.

The version of Hampton that led NIU to a dominant victory over Western Illinois University and arguably the biggest upset in school history against then-No. 5 University of Notre Dame a week later was composed, methodical and effective. So much so that he held the best passer efficiency rating and most yards per passing attempt in the country through the first two weeks of the season.

Now, we’re seeing a Hampton that struggles to push the ball downfield – save for an impressive 42-yard snag by senior wide receiver Andrew McElroy on Saturday. He tries to do a little too much, leading to risky plays that lead to turnovers.

WASTING GREAT DEFENSE

What’s even more frustrating than Hampton’s regression is the fact that it’s squandering the brilliant efforts of NIU’s top-10 defense to keep the Huskies in games.

Through Week 5, NIU has the seventh-ranked defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision after holding opponents to an average of 234.8 yards through four games. And yet, NIU is one of two schools in the top 25 in total defense without a winning record – the other being the University of Minnesota (2-3).

With one of the most experienced rosters in college football and an elite defense making plays on the other side of the ball, NIU can’t afford to waste a potentially great season with subpar QB play.

MOVING FORWARD

During a press conference Tuesday, Hammock reaffirmed the Huskies’ commitment to Hampton as their starting quarterback, adding that Hampton understands what’s expected of him. 

“Ethan knows he needs to play better,” Hammock said. “He’s our quarterback. We’re comfortable with him.”

So what does playing better look like for Hampton? It boils down to having better accuracy, knowing when to abort and protecting the football above all else.

But for Hampton to succeed, the players around him need to uphold the same standard of play. Blockers need to follow their rules of protection. Receivers need to make come down with the catchable passes that fly their way.

“We have to play better around him,” Hammock said. “And then when we do play better around him, he can’t make silly mistakes.”

If those silly mistakes continue on Saturday at home against a 1-4 University of Massachusetts team, then it might be time for a tougher conversation. But for Hampton’s and NIU’s sake, let’s hope the former can return to his previous form.