While one star had a career day, another was relegated as a spectator.

Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris threw for a career-high 438 yards, while NIU running back Michael Turner carried just 18 times and spent most of the second half blocking.

It has been this way before.

When the Huskies fell behind to Ohio on Oct. 4, Turner became a non-factor, carrying 15 times for 43 yards.

The script read the same on Saturday.

BGSU was up 14 points before Turner had his second carry.

“We felt we’d come out and run the ball early,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “We get behind and we lose our best weapon.”

Falling behind is something NIU has been accustomed to this year. The Huskies have trailed in seven of their eight games this season.

However, when NIU falls behind as quickly as it did on Saturday, the Heisman trophy candidate becomes the nation’s most prominent blocking back.

Turner carried five times after halftime.

Last season, Turner had only two games where he didn’t carry at least 20 times. In last season’s season opener against Wake Forest, NIU running back Thomas Hammock carried 38 times for 172, yards while Turner carried eight times. And against Western Michigan, Turner sprained an ankle and was limited to 11 carries.

Turner has two games this year with less than 20 carries. No one was playing in front of him, and he wasn’t injured.

“Mike ran the ball great tonight,” wide receiver P.J. Fleck said. “But there is a point where you got to say we got to throw it and score fast. That’s not good for Mike. We should have started better.”

In the overtime win against Ohio and the loss to BGSU, Turner didn’t make an impact.

“It hurts,” Turner said. “We went from playing our best football to our worst. We have other guys capable of making plays on this team.”

But none that have run for 1,915 yards in a season.