Football (3-3, 1-1 MAC) will face off against Miami (Ohio) (1-5) after winning its first game in four weeks last weekend against Ball State.

The Huskies remain winless on the road through six games this year, posing an 0-3 record thus far. All three of their road losses came in consecutive weeks by a total of 20 points.

“We traditionally — in at least my time here — have been really, really good on the road,” said head coach Rod Carey. “So we’ll get on the road, and we’ll dot our I’s and cross our T’s and go down there and try to put ourselves in a position in the fourth quarter.”

The Huskies bursted for 59 points last week after scoring just 46 in three games prior.

“We’re working hard in practice,” Carey said. “That’s the key to this whole thing. We have to get better day by day. I don’t know if it’s a mental hurdle. I think it’s more of an execution hurdle. On the road, we can’t be turning the ball over.”

Miami has lost five straight games since winning its season opener 26-7 against Presbyterian, highlighted by a 58-0 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Redhawks have been outscored by a total of 141 points during their current losing streak, scoring just 64 points and giving up 205.

“They can easily be 5-1 if a few plays here and there went their way,” Carey said. “Very competitive team.”

The last matchup between the teams resulted in a 51-41 win for NIU as its offense posted 658 yards total, 225 through the air and 443 on the ground.

Junior quarterback Drew Hare totaled 365 yards in that game, throwing for 185 and running for 180 more and picking up three touchdowns on the day. Six different players scored rushing touchdowns for NIU.

“We want more; we’re never satisfied,” Hare said. “We had a good offensive showing last week. We look to build off that. We don’t overlook anyone no matter the record. No team from the MAC should be overlooked.”

Hare is coming off a week where he went 29 out of 32 passes, setting an NIU-record 90 percent for passing completions and earning MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.

“It feels good to have the single-game completion percentage record,” Hare said. “I’m just glad that I can effectively give the guys the ball.”

With six games remaining in the season, the Huskies still have an opportunity to grasp first place in the MAC as they currently sit at second place behind 5-0 Toledo.

The two don’t meet up until week nine when NIU will travel up to Toledo, Ohio for a potentially big matchup. NIU won the last contest between the teams in 2014 27-24 and has beaten Toledo fives times in a row dating back to teh 2010-11 season.

The game against Miami will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Oxford, Ohio.