AKRON, Ohio – There was nothing NIU quarterback Phil Horvath could do.

Standing on the sidelines in overtime, Horvath watched Akron’s Brett Biggs lunge over the goal line for a game-winning touchdown.

Horvath’s 486 yards passing and six touchdowns had kept NIU in the game, but it couldn’t stop the mob of Akron players celebrating in the end zone after their 48-42 overtime victory Saturday night.

In a game where NIU had virtually no running game or defense, Horvath was still able to bring his team back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to bring home a win.

“The best football team tonight won,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “Quite frankly, we didn’t play well enough to win it. We were simply fortunate to get it into overtime, but overall, Akron outplayed us and out-coached us.”

Coming into the game NIU was averaging 264.3 yards per game on the ground. But Akron wasn’t about to let Garrett Wolfe take over the game. The Zips held Wolfe to a season-low 52 yards rushing and the team to 50 rushing yards.

Despite the lackluster ground game, the Huskies were still able to take a 14-0 lead early in the first quarter behind the arm of Horvath.

But from there, things went downhill, as Akron rattled off 28 unanswered points before halftime.

Things didn’t get much better in the third quarter as NIU gave up touchdown passes of 51 and 79 yards. Akron quarterback Luke Getsy finished the game with 406 passing yards and five touchdowns.

By the time the fourth quarter started, the Huskies found themselves down 42-21.

That’s when Horvath brought his team back.

Horvath hit receiver Sam Hurd for a 15-yard score 59 seconds into the final quarter. Hurd ended the game with 14 catches for 139 yards and three touchdowns.

The gap closed to seven after Horvath found tight end Brandon Davis streaking down the middle for a 40-yard hookup.

Then, with 1:50 left, Horvath started a 96-yard drive which was capped off by a 24-yard pass to Britt Davis to tie the game with 13 seconds left.

“[Horvath] is a really good player,” Akron coach J.D. Brookhart said. “He sees things very well and kept his team in the game.”

After NIU knotted up the score, Akron huddled together as a team on the sideline before overtime.

“We knew we had to redeem ourselves,” said Akron defensive linemen Kiki Gonzalez. “We talked on the sidelines and came together.”

The Zips’ defense got their redemption when it needed it most.

Horvath threw 51 passes Saturday, but the 52nd is the one that hurt. The pass bounced out of Hurd’s hands and was intercepted by Dionte Henry, ending NIU’s chances for a score.

NIU’s defense, which gave up 525 total yards, was unable to hold the Zips when they got the ball. Biggs broke four tackles on a 24-yard run to get his team to the goal line, and one play later Akron was celebrating.

After the game Novak said Akron played as if inspired, but missed tackles and a lack of a running game came back to hurt the Huskies.

“Missed tackles? I’d guesstimate over 100,” Novak said. “The biggest difference was they got open and loose more than we did. This is a great example of being able to get 400 yards passing and you still lose the game.”