Football won its first MAC Championship in nearly 30 years last season. The Huskies didn’t wait nearly as long this time around as they returned to Detroit and defeated Kent State 44-37 in a double-overtime affair to repeat as MAC Champions.

“That was our main goal going into the season: to win the MAC Championship, and then to go back-to-back [was great],” said junior quarterback Jordan Lynch. “We had great senior leadership, and that’s how your team really takes over is when your seniors have great leadership, and I thought that’s what we had last year. It was a great experience to go to Detroit. It was a good game, and it felt good to get the victory.”

Following a fumbled punt by the Huskies that Kent State recovered, it opened up the scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run by Dri Archer. The Huskies found themselves in a rare position, trailing 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The Huskies’ offense got going in the second quarter as they scored 14 unanswered points to take a 17-10 lead into halftime. NIU scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Lynch to senior receiver Martel Moore and a 1-yard touchdown run by junior running back Akeem Daniels.

With time running down in the fourth quarter and the Huskies hanging on to their 27-13 lead, the Golden Flashes struck for 14 points in a matter of 15 seconds to tie the game.

The Huskies answered to take the lead 34-27 on a 9-yard touchdown run by Lynch, but the Golden Flashes tied the game with 44 seconds left on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Keith to Tim Erjavec.

Kent State opened the first overtime by converting on a 33-yard field goal by Freddy Cortez. Cortez was answered by the clutch leg of junior Mathew Sims, who nailed a game-tying 40-yard field goal to force a second overtime.

On the first play for the Huskies, Daniels ran for 23 yards all the way to the Kent State 2-yard line, which set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Lynch on the following play.

On the Golden Flashes’ next possession, the defense held strong and clinched the MAC Championship when senior Demetrius Stone came up with an interception.

“You know, Kent State, they came out and played us well,” Lynch said. “I think they had the lead in the first half. Then our offense started to get going, then it went to double overtime and we just persevered though that victory. Everything came together and the defense came up with a big stop at the end, and it’s one of the greatest games in MAC history.”