MAC Football Week 14 Schedule:
Tuesday, November 26
Ohio 52, Akron 3
NIU 17, Western Michigan 14
Friday, November 29
Bowling Green at Buffalo, Noon ET (ESPN+)
Kent State at Eastern Michigan, Noon ET (ESPN+)
Miami at Ball State, Noon ET (CBS Sports Network)
Toledo at Central Michigan, Noon ET (ESPNU)
Game stories courtesy of MAC Athletic Communication Departments
NIU 17, Western Michigan 14
Box Score
DeKALB, Ill. -- Big plays and timely turnovers helped the Northern Illinois University Huskies earn a 17-14 Senior Night victory over Western Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Huskie Stadium. The NIU defense forced two turnovers, had a pair of sacks and seven tackles for loss to lead the Huskies to the win.
"Great win," said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock. "Won one for our seniors and I thought our young guys played inspired football. Our seniors led the way. Just a great week of practice. I couldn't be more proud of a group of men. In 17 years of coaching, this is the proudest I've ever been on the sideline because guys stuck together through adversity.
"That's what we talked about. Dealing with adversity and coming out on the other side. We certainly did that and [stopped them from clinching] the MAC Championship game and that was a great accomplishment."
With the Huskies ahead 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter, NIU went into its bag of tricks to extend the lead to 17-7. Freshman wide receiver Michael Love took an end around and found junior tight end Mitchell Brinkman wide open in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass, extending the Huskie lead to 10 with 7:47 remaining.
Western Michigan answered right back with a six-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown run from Levante Bellamy. A pair of completions from Jon Wassink to Skyy Moore for a combined 38 yards started the drive and four plays later Bellamy scored his second touchdown of the game to cut the NIU lead to 17-14 with 6:25 left to play.
After the two teams traded punts, NIU had the ball with 3:13, looking to run out the clock. Facing third-and-three at the Bronco 32, junior quarterback Marcus Childers picked up enough yards for the first down before losing the football, giving it back to Western Michigan with one more chance and just over two minutes on the clock.
On the first play of the drive, Wassink connected with Dashon Bussell across midfield but was hit by sophomore safety Dillon Thomas, who knocked the ball loose. Senior safety Mykelti Williams recovered the fumble to seal the win for the Huskies.
"What a tribute to our young men," Hammock said. "We were going to make it ugly, we were going to make it sloppy and it played right to our game plan. What a way to go out for our seniors. What a way to springboard to 2020 for our young players.
"We played the way we wanted to play, we were in four-minute offense from the opening snap and I'm not ashamed to say it. They executed our plan. [Marcus] Childers did a great job and how about the defense stepping up and creating a turnover to win us the ballgame."
Early in the game it was the Huskie special teams that kept the game scoreless as sophomore linebacker Jordan Cole blocked a 34-yard Bronco field goal attempt.
A turnover on downs by the Broncos gave NIU the ball at midfield, leading to the opening score late in the first quarter. Freshman John Richardson (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) connected on a 44-yard field goal, capping a 5-play, 24-yard drive, to give NIU a 3-0 lead with 25 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Junior wide receiver Tyrice Richie scored on a 71-yard forward toss off a jet sweep from Childers to give the Huskies a 10-0 lead. Richie appeared to be tackled near the NIU 40-yard line, but he rolled over the top of the Bronco defender, never touching the ground, before racing the rest of the way for the score with 2:15 to play in the second quarter.
On the following drive, Western Michigan marched inside the NIU 15 before junior defensive end Matt Lorbeck forced a fumble by Wassink that was recovered by senior safety Trayshon Foster, as the Huskies took a 10-0 lead into halftime.
Western Michigan needed just five plays and 81 yards to open the second half with a touchdown. Bellamy had four carries on the drive, including one for 55 yards, before finishing it with a six-yard touchdown run, cutting the NIU lead to 10-7.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos started a drive on their own 20 and a 15-yard sack by junior defensive tackle Jack Heflin pushed Western Michigan back to its own two-yard line. The Huskies had great field position at the Western Michigan 30 following the punt, setting up the Love-to-Brinkman touchdown pass.
Ohio 52, Akron 3
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -- Ohio (6-6, 5-3 MAC) closed out the 2019 regular season with a 52-3 rout of MAC East Division rival Akron (0-12, 0-8 MAC) on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at InfoCision Stadium. The victory clinched an 11th-straight of bowl eligibility for the Bobcats and a winning conference record for the fifth year in a row.
The Bobcats piled up 603 yards of total offense, with a season-high 352 through the air and 251 on the ground. Ohio recorded over 600 yards of total offense for the second week in a row and seventh time in program history after putting up a season-high 609 in a 66-24 triumph at Bowling Green on Nov. 19. Ohio's defense produced the most dominant performance in the last 15 years under the leadership of head coach Frank Solich, limiting the Zips to just 74 yards of total offense and marking the first time an opponent has failed to reach 100 yards of total offense in the last 15 years. Akron's 33 passing yards marked the fewest by an Ohio opponent since the Bobcats held Wofford to zero passing yards in a 33-10 win on Sept. 4, 2010. The Zips' 41 rushing yards marked the fewest by an Ohio opponent since the Bobcats limited Akron to just 32 in a 49-28 win in the 2018 regular season finale on Nov. 23, 2018.
"I love this football team," said Solich .They can play great football, and I'd be glad to take them anywhere and play anybody. They're an excellent group of guys. They've prepared well every week for their competition."
In his final regular season start, senior quarterback Nathan Rourke put on a show, throwing for 308 yards and matching his career high four touchdown passes. He completed 20 of his 28 passing attempts. Rourke also added a one-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, allowing him to set the program record for career touchdowns scored with his 50th, surpassing the previous high mark of 49 shared by Kareem Wilson (1995-98) and Kalvin McRae (2004-07). He gained 37 rushing yards on 10 attempts.
"We had some good drives there and some explosive plays, which is good to see," said Rourke. "Fifty two points speaks for itself."
Nine different receivers caught passes from Rourke. Rourke's first pass of the day went for 53 yards and a touchdown to redshirt senior wide receiver DL Knock, the longest reception of Knock's career. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Shane Hooks tied for the team lead with five receptions, two of them going for touchdowns as he hauled in a 39-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the second. Rourke also threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior tight end Ryan Luehrman in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Ty Walton tied Hooks for the team lead with a career-high five receptions and finished with a career-high 82 receiving yards.
On the ground, junior running back De'Montre Tuggle totaled a game-high 78 rushing yards on nine carries, with a long run of 38 yards. Redshirt freshman running back O'Shaan Allison picked up 71 yards, with a long run of 46 yards and a seven-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Redshirt junior running back Ja'Vahri Portis gained 37 yards on a team-high 10 touches and scored Ohio's seventh and final touchdown on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The Ohio defense finished with six tackles for loss and three sacks in its stifling performance. Redshirt junior linebacker Dylan Conner logged a team-high six tackles, including a sack. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Amos Ogun-Semore added a sack while redshirt freshman linebacker Jack McCrory and redshirt junior cornerback Xavior Motley each accounted for half a sack. The Bobcats produced two takeaways in the fourth quarter, with redshirt sophomore safety Alvin Floyd producing his second career interception and redshirt freshman safety Isaac Gill recording his first.
"It just feels like we're rolling and we don't want to call it quits, said Solich. "Obviously, everyone in the program would love to play another game. I know the kind of effort they'll take to the bowl site and what they'll be all about at the bowl site and will really represent Ohio and the MAC conference very strongly. In saying all of that, we just wait and see now."
