NIU picks up 8th win with another fourth-quarter comeback

DEKALB - Northern Illinois' 35-31 victory Wednesday night over Western Michigan was another record-setting effort for the 8-3 Huskies.

With tailback Jordan Huff rushing for 185 yards on 25 carries, NIU needed another fourth-quarter comeback to get the win and move 6-1 in the MAC and remain alive in the conference title race. Western Michigan, last year's MAC champs, fell to 6-4, 4-3.

As for the records, sophomore defensive end Sutton Smith broke the NIU single season mark for quarterback sacks and scored on a 58-yard fumble return before a crowd of 7,732 at Huskie Stadium. Smith also recorded 2.5 sacks Wednesday to break the NIU season record. He now has 13 on the year.

Huff had a 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and scored from 14 yards out to tie the game 28-28 early in the fourth quarter. The Huskies' Marcus Childers threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Brinkman with 6:20 remaining to cap the scoring. NIU ran out the last five minutes of the game.

Reece Goddard threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score for Western Michigan. Jarvion Franklin had 115 yards rushing and a touchdown. Tyron Arnett had three catches for 93 yards.

Three of Western Michigan's four touchdowns Wednesday came on short drives after NIU miscues gave WMU the ball inside the Huskie 25-yard line, including on two muffed punts and a fumble. A 20-mile-per-hour sustained wind limited the passing game and affected special teams - both kicking and returns - on both sides.

The Huskies wrap up the regular season with a game next Friday, Nov. 24, at Central Michigan. A loss by Toledo and a win by Northern Illinois would send the Huskies to the MAC title game.

Note: NIU has won at least eight games for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. … Senior Chad Beebe's 49-yard kickoff return was the longest of his career and the longest of the season for the Huskies.