The Huskies should have been licking their chops waiting for this one.

The NIU football team was averaging 233 rushing yards per game coming into Saturday’s game with Ball State at Huskie Stadium, and the Cardinals were allowing 256 on the ground.

The Cardinals had just allowed 414 yards rushing at Ohio a week earlier, which is twice the Bobcats’ average output.

But NIU coach Joe Novak could sense early his team wasn’t focused on BSU.

“I didn’t have a good feeling all week and I didn’t have a good feeling in the locker room [before the game], but that’s my responsibility,” Novak said.

And his feeling was right on. The Huskies managed just 66 yards rushing against the nation’s 117th-ranked defense, and only 23 of those yards came from their running backs in a 31-17 loss.

The Cardinals’ defensive line dominated NIU’s front five and not only shut down the run game, but also put pressure on quarterback Phil Horvath all day.

The Huskies’ lack of a running game led to just 33 total yards offense in the first quarter and more importantly kept the NIU defense on field for most of the quarter.

Down 3-0 in the second quarter with a fourth-and-two on the BSU 26-yard line, NIU running back A.J. Harris tried to pound out a first down but was stopped just short. The turnover on downs led to a Cardinals touchdown.

Novak said his decision to go for it on fourth down rather than attempting a field goal was based purely on emotion.

“I probably let my emotions get away from me a little bit,” Novak said. “It’s one of those old stubborn things. The way things were going I should have known better.”

Horvath said his team was prepared for a defense geared to stop the run.

“We knew they were going to pack the box, and they blitzed almost every time into our runs,” Horvath said. “We couldn’t execute and get them off of us.”

The Huskies’ lack of focus may have been attributed to their upcoming road games with Central Michigan and Toledo, but Ball State linebacker Brad Seiss said his team was prepared.

“Northern is definitely known for pounding the ball, and we haven’t been able to stop it all season,” Seiss said. “Coach [Brady] Hoke really challenged the front seven’s manhood this week. He really didn’t know what kind of heart we had.”

The Huskies’ trouble with the run game was not limited to the offensive side of the ball.

Ball State’s running game, which ranks ninth in the MAC, gained 196 yards and added a touchdown.

Senior NIU running back Adrian Davis rushed for 252 yards in his first start against Kent State on Oct. 22, but managed just six yards on four carries Saturday.

Saturday’s game also marked the return of Harris, who missed the Kent State game with a shoulder injury.

Harris netted just 17 yards on nine carries. The Huskies averaged 2.4 yards per carry after averaging 5.8 coming into the game.