Football (3-3, 1-1 MAC) ended its three-game losing streak with a 59-41 victory against the Ball State Cardinals (2-4, 1-1 MAC).

Both offenses had slow first quarters as Ball State led 3-0 after the period. Things picked up in the second quarter for both the Huskies and the Cardinals. NIU scored 28 points in the quarter and Ball State put up 17 for a total of 45 points between the teams to end the half as NIU led 28-20.

Quarterbacks Riley Neal and Drew Hare were the focal points of their respective offenses in the first half. Neal threw for 201 yards and one touchdown and Hare completed 15 of his 16 pass attempts for 169 yards and a touchdown pass. Both teams totaled 250 yards each.

The Huskies raised their lead in the second half as they took a fast-paced approach to their offense. The team went on to score 31 points in the second half, holding the Cardinals to just 21 points for an 18-point lead to end the game.