A three-quarter shutout boosted NIU football (4-2, 1-1 MAC) over the Bowling Green State University Falcons (2-4, 1-1 MAC) by a score of 17-7.
NIU entered Saturday’s contest with a long list of injuries, including senior running back Antario Brown, redshirt freshman running back Jaylen Poe and redshirt senior wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph.
FIRST HALF
The Huskies scored on the opening possession with a 46-yard drive capped by a 46-yard field goal from senior kicker Kanon Woodill.
The Falcons responded promptly with back-to-back plays of more than 25 yards to begin their opening drive, setting up an 11-yard touchdown from senior quarterback Connor Bazelak to junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. on third down.
NIU failed a fourth-down conversion from the Bowling Green 41 yard line, but the Falcons failed to capitalize as sophomore kicker Jackson Kleather missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, leaving the score at 7-3.
After trading scoreless drives to start the second quarter, junior defensive end Roy Williams strip sacked Bazelak and the loose ball was snatched out of the air by redshirt junior defensive end Jalonnie Williams, giving NIU possession 10 yards from the Falcons’ endzone.
After redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton left the game due to injury, Bowling Green’s special teams created a big play of its own with a blocked field goal by senior linebacker Brock Horne.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Holst entered for the injured Hampton. Holst led a 54-yard drive that ended with a field goal to narrow the Bowling Green lead to 7-6.
Bazelak also left the game to injury, leaving both teams’ starting quarterbacks in question entering the second half.
SECOND HALF
Bazelak stayed in the game entering the second half with a noticeable limp.
It appeared the Falcons would go three-and-out on the opening drive until a 23-yard fake punt kept the drive alive. After bringing the ball to the 2-yard line, the Huskies knocked the Falcons backwards on consecutive plays, leading to a missed field goal after an illegal formation penalty on the first attempt.
Hampton stayed on the sidelines for the second half as Holst took the helm. The Huskies moved the ball 20 yards on their first sequence before pinning Bowling Green on its 16-yard line on a punt.
Bowling Green went nowhere on the ensuing drive as Bazelak left the game once again as redshirt freshman quarterback Lucian Anderson III took over for the remainder of the game.
Holst used his speed to cap off a 46-yard drive with a 22-yard rush into the endzone on the first play of the fourth quarter for his first career score. On the two-point conversion attempt, senior tight end Grayson Barnes threw a pass to redshirt junior long snapper Isaac Hatfield to give NIU a 14-7 lead.
Woodill added another field goal with six minutes remaining, following a 12-play, 59-yard drive by the Holst-led Huskies.
NIU’s defense would stop the Falcons on three-straight drives, sealing the 17-7 after an interception by senior safety Nate Valcarcel.
The Huskies’ defense finished the day with 6 sacks, 210 yards allowed and no points allowed after Bowling Green’s opening drive.
