Kickoff set for NIU-Toledo game on ESPN2

DeKALB — Northern Illinois and Toledo will have a national audience when the two MAC football powers meet next Wednesday, Nov. 14, at at Huskie Stadium will.

Officials for ESPN2 and the Mid-American Conference Office announced the kickoff time will be 8 p.m.

The Huskies plan to honor their 2012 seniors, the winningest class in school history, and hold their annual “Black Out” game with all NIU fans encouraged to wear black.

Toledo (8-2, 5-1), saw its eight-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night when it suffered a 34-27 loss to Ball State (7-3, 4-2).

With a win over the Rockets, NIU (9-1, 6-0 MAC) would clinch its third straight MAC West title and travel to Detroit's Ford Field for the Mid-American Conference Championship game for the third straight season.

The Huskies defeated the Rockets 63-60 in Toledo last year when NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish completed his sixth touchdown pass of the game, a 4-yarder, to Perez Ashford with 19 seconds on the clock.

Northern Illinois has won nine straight since a one-point setback to Iowa in the 2012 season opener. The Huskies own the nation's longest home winning streak at 20 games and have won more consecutive conference games — 14 — than any school in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

To purchase tickets to the Toledo game, go online to www.NIUHuskies.com or Ticketmaster.com, call the NIU Ticket Office at 815-752-6800 or stop by the Ticket Office in the NIU Convocation Center Monday-Friday between 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

NIU is also offering a coupon good for a $10 ticket with a donation of cash or canned goods to the Salvation Army at the red kettles and boxes located on the West Side of Huskie Stadium on game day.

Members of NIU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representing every Northern Illinois team will be in the DeKalb-Sycamore community beginning Sunday, Nov. 11, collecting donations of canned food for the annual drive. Anyone who makes a donation will receive a coupon good for a $10 ticket to the football game.