What happened: The Huskies (2-0) defeated the Northwestern Wildcats (0-2), 23-15, Saturday at Ryan Field in Evanston.

How it happened: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Hare led four second-half scoring drives, propelling the NIU offense, which was held scoreless in the first half. Hare completed six of his 10 pass attempts for 109 yards and two touchdowns: an 18-yard pass to senior Da’Ron Brown and a 59-yard toss to Brown. He carried the ball 11 times for 31 yards and one touchdown.

Hare came in in relief of Anthony Maddie, who relieved starter Matt McIntosh, to open the second half. Carey said the plan was to play all three quarterbacks, although McIntosh was named the starter for the Northwestern game. Maddie was put in second to ensure he got reps with the first-team offense, which he didn’t get against Presbyterian.

Tyler Wedel got the Huskies on the board, connecting on a 32-yard field goal with 11:55 to play in the third quarter.

The defense forced eight punts, snagged one interception and caused a turnover on downs. The Huskies seemingly knew exactly what plays the Wildcats were running as the game went on.

What it means: The Huskies still may have a quarterback battle on their hands. Head coach Rod Carey said the plan going in was to play all three quarterbacks, and Matt McIntosh, Anthony Maddie and Drew Hare knew that.

“We got 24 hours to enjoy a victory,” Carey said. “We’ll get back, we’ll watch some film … and we’ll go forward from there.”

The defense showed it could stand up against a bigger, faster team like Northwestern after manhandling Presbyterian in the season opener.

The Huskies start the season 2-0 for the second-straight year. They earned their third win over a Big Ten team dating back to last season’s opener against Iowa.

Three stars:

3. Defense: 77 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception

2. Senior wide receiver Da’Ron Brown: six receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns

1. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Hare: 6-of-10 for 109 yards and two touchdowns; 11 carried for 31 yards and one touchdown.

Up next: The Huskies continue their three-game road trip with a visit to Las Vegas to take on the UNLV Rebels 6 p.m. Saturday.