DeKALB | NIU wide receiver Nathan Palmer made his second career start Saturday.

Palmer started ahead of senior Britt Davis, who has 31 starts in his NIU career and ranks ninth on NIU’s all-time list in career catches.

Palmer, a redshirt freshman, had a breakout performance in his first career game at Minnesota in the team’s first contest of the year. Palmer had three catches for 170 yards and two touchdowns at the Metrodome, and followed that up with four catches for 78 yards against Western Michigan.

Saturday, the Elkhart, Ind., native was shutout in the Huskies 48-3 win over Indiana State.

After missing the Western Michigan game due to health reasons, Davis caught one pass for five yards in the fourth quarter.

Injury updates

Quarterback Chandler Harnish was on crutches watching the team’s victory Saturday. Chandler sprained his foot in the Huskies week two loss at Western Michigan.

“He’s in a boot right now and will be probably until Tuesday,” NIU head coach Jerry Kill said at the team’s weekly press conference last week. “I imagine I’ll have an update then.”

Also missing the game was starting cornerback Melvin Rice, who was out with a pulled hamstring. Bradley Pruitt filled in for Rice and had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Indiana State

Saturday’s loss marked the 17th consecutive defeat for Indiana State.

The Sycamores have lost 41 out of their last 42 games and have now lost their first three games by a combined score of 118-6.

“We were beat by a better team,” said ISU head coach Trent Miles, who was NIU’s wide receiver coach from 1991-93 and coached defensive backs in 1994. “We were no match for them.”

Around the MAC

The MAC lost one of its best wide receivers for the season Saturday when Ball State wideout Dante Love suffered a cervical spine fracture and a spinal cord injury in the team’s 42-40 victory at Indiana Saturday.

“Due to the nature of Dante Love’s injury during ball State’s football game at Indiana Sept. 20, his football playing career is expected to be over,” according to a statement on the Ball State athletics Web site. “However, after a rehabilitation period, he is expected to live a normal and healthy life.”