Against Ball State Saturday afternoon, the NIU football team won 59-21 to wrap up the MAC West division title and earn a spot in the MAC Championship Game Dec. 3.

The points came early and often for NIU (9-2, 7-0 MAC) in Muncie, outscoring the Cardinals 35-7 in the first half alone.

Totaling 442 yards of offense on the day, the Huskies were in sync from their first offensive drive when NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish hit wide receiver Nathan Palmer for a 37-yard touchdown pass.

Eric Williams’ two-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter represented the Cardinals (4-8, 3-5 MAC) only offense in the first half.

Harnish would hook up with Palmer again late in the second quarter for a 47-yard touchdown. Palmer’s two first-half touchdown receptions would be his only catches on the day.

Reigning MAC West Offensive Player of the Week, Harnish ended his day with 247 yards on 15-22 passing with two touchdowns and one interception. The redshirt junior also contributed 21 yards to the Huskies 194 rushing yards on the day.

Senior running back Chad Spann led the way for NIU on the ground, rushing for 81 yards and three touchdowns of 2, 7, and 14 yards respectively.

Consistent in all phases of the game Saturday, the defense held the Cardinals under 300 total yards while forcing three turnovers.

Two fumbles and a Tyrone Clarke interception returned for a touchdown. The interception represented the sophomore linebacker’s team-leading fourth on the 2010 campaign.

Freshman Jimmie Ward continued to produce on the punt-block team Saturday afternoon. The free safety took a blocked punt back 15 yards for his first career touchdown.

“Special teams were a big part of the game,” said NIU head coach Jerry Kill. “We have some guys there that have the ability to do some things.”

Throwing his first career touchdown pass Saturday afternoon, redshirt freshman Jordan Lynch hooked up with fullback Kyle Skarb for a four-yard score.

After the game, Kill expressed relief that his team clinched a spot in the MAC Championship game.

“It’s good to get it done,” Kill said. “We were able to go on the road and get the job done, accomplish what we needed to do to get to Detroit. We’ll enjoy the win but we have to turn around and play again on Friday.”

Riding a two-game winning streak coming into Saturday, Ball State could not finish its regular season on a high note.

The Huskies will attempt to go undefeated in MAC play for the first time in its history when they visit Ypsilanti to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles next weekend.