NIU football has attained the status of MAC champion for the second year in a row.

The Huskies (12-1 9-0 MAC) did not have the best start of their season against Kent State (11-2, 8-1 MAC), as the Golden Flashes opened the scoring early.

Kent State took advantage of one of its strengths, as it was able to capitalize on an Angelo Sebastiano fumble off a punt, then drove it in on a 15-yard end-around run by Dri Archer.

Kent State next scored on a field goal to go up 10-0 after a huge bounce limited NIU’s Ryan Neir’s punt to just 18 yards.

NIU answered with a touchdown near the end of the first quarter with a field goal by Mathew Sims.

NIU would tack on a touchdown to even the ledger, with a score by Martel Moore off a pass from quarterback Jordan Lynch; with this, Lynch also broke NIU’s record for most total touchdowns during a season. The scoring drive was highlighted by a 25-yard pass play to Da’Ron Brown and a tough 14-yard run by Akeem Daniels.

NIU would add one more score before halftime with a touchdown from Daniels, with defensive tackle Ken Bishop serving as the lead-blocker in a new package introduced by the Huskies.

Coming out of halftime, Kent State got some of its points back on a Freddy Cortez field goal from 24 yards out, as Golden Flashes quarterback Spencer Keith overthrew Matt Hurdle in the end zone.

The Huskies seemed to seize control of the game with another touchdown, a 2-yard run by Lynch, on a drive highlighted by Lynch as well. On fourth and inches, NIU coach Dave Doeren called Lynch’s number. Lynch got the ball and ran around the right end, making several jump cuts and ultimately running free for 43 yards before being dragged down within the five.

Sims made another field goal, this time from 29 yards out, to push the lead even further.

The Golden Flashes turned the tables in a drastic way, however, after Keith led the offense on a 96-yard drive highlighted by an incredible catch from Archer, who caught the ball on a dead run with two men covering him. The play went for 60 yards and set up back-to-back 5 yard runs by Keith to score and get within seven at 27-20.

Kent State was then able to force a fumble on the first play of the Huskies’ next drive, with second-stringer Zack Hitchens poking the ball from Lynch’s hands, scooping it up himself, and taking it to the house to tie the game by scoring a second touchdown in the matter of 15 seconds.

The Huskies answered the mad-rush of Kent State with a drive put squarely on the shoulders of Daniels. Daniels made three plays in a row for 64 yards before Lynch punched in another touchdown from 9 yards out.

Kent State would eventually force overtime as they were able to score on a pass from Keith to Tim Erjavec to tie the game, leaving the Huskies unable to answer in the last 44 seconds.

In overtime, the Golden Flashes were able to convert on a 33-yard field goal on their first possession, forcing the Huskies to answer.

With little offense coming from three plays and facing a fourth and eight, Sims hit a pressure packed 40-yard field goal to force double overtime.

Kent State chose to defend, and the Huskies showed that to be no easy task, taking just two plays to score a touchdown, with a 23-yard run by Daniels and Lynch leaping over the line to get in.

On the final possession of the game, the Golden Flashes were forced into fourth and eight, and Keith was intercepted in the end zone by Demetrius Stone, the catch signifying the end of the game, and the second MAC championship crowning of NIU in the last two years.