For nine consecutive seasons, the NIU football team has won its Homecoming Game, but that streak ended Saturday evening.

Western Michigan (3-4, 2-1) topped the Huskies 17-13, handing them their first Homecoming loss since 1996. The loss dropped NIU to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in conference.

Bronco tight end Brandon Ledbetter pulled down a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Hiller with 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter that proved to be the game winner. Hiller, who finished the night 22 of 29 passing with 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception, threw the ball high and Ledbetter wrestled the ball away from the NIU defender as the two fell to the ground.

“You just got to want it more,” Ledbetter said. “You got to have the mentality that it’s your ball.”

NIU got on the board early after a Bronco fumble on the 29-yard line led to a 22-yard field goal by kicker Chris Nendick. On the ensuing drive, WMU quarterback Hiller launched a 77-yard pass to wide receiver Juan Nunez who was brought down at the two-yard line. After a couple of solid defensive plays by the Huskies, the Broncos were held to only a field goal.

With 5:32 remaining in the first quarter, the Huskies added a little trickery as wide receiver Marcus Perez threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Matt Simon that put the Huskies up 10-3. With the ball spotted at NIU’s 41-yard line, Perez took the handoff from quarterback Ryan Morris, rolled right, eluded a couple of defenders and launched the ball to the wide open Simon for his second career touchdown pass.

“We felt this week with not having [Dan Nicholson] and not having our key receivers, we’d have to try and generate a little bit more,” said NIU head coach Joe Novak. “When you’re struggling to score points, you try to come up with a way to get a big play.”

The teams then traded field goals, and with 4:49 left in the first half the Huskies were up 13-10.

NIU had a chance to get a last-minute score before the half as Justin Anderson rumbled down the field for 59 yards, placing the ball on WMU’s 10-yard line. Three rushing attempts later, Nendick came on for a 25-yard field goal that sailed wide of the uprights.

NIU couldn’t do anything else offensively for the rest of the night. On their first drive of the second half, Anderson, who finished with 141 rushing yards on 29 attempts, fumbled on the NIU 40-yard line. That turnover led to the winning score.

“The fumble was costly, a couple of holding penalties were costly, and we didn’t make a couple of plays that we needed to,” Novak said. “That’s been the story of the season, but I’m proud of the kids for going out there swinging and staying in there.”

Morris, who started in place of junior Dan Nicholson, tried to bring the Huskies back late in the game, but they were unable to convert on the big plays. The sophomore finished the day 13 of 25 passing for 144 yards.