NIU holds off Western Michigan 17-14
The Northern Illinois defense came up with stops time and again Tuesday night, with no one coming up bigger than cornerback Dillon Thomas in the Huskies' 17-14 win over Western Michigan.
With just over 2 minutes remaining in the game, Western Michigan's Jon Wassink completed a pass to Dashon Bussell for 29 yards, but Dillon Thomas laid a hit and forced a fumble to get NIU the ball back and preserve the victory.
The Huskies' (5-7, 4-4 MAC) victory left Western Michigan's MAC Championship games subject to the results of Central Michigan's Friday game against Toledo. If the Chippewas win, they'll play Miami for the conference crown.
Quintin Wynne recorded 2 tackles for loss in a stingy, defensive first half, and Matt Lorbeck stripped Western Michigan quarterbak Jon Wassink of the ball twice with the Broncos deep in NIU territory.
In the fourth quarter, Jack Heflin recorded a big-time sack of Wassink that forced a WMU punt and led to the score that put the Huskies up 17-7.
Western Michigan (7-5, 5-3) quickly sped down the field to open up the second half, with LeVante Bellamy's 55-yard run setting up a 6-yard touchdown run to cut NIU's lead to 10-7 just over 2 minutes into the third quarter.
As both squads traded punts four times each after the Bellamy score, NIU's defense broke through for consecutive tackles for loss, the first from Heflin and Jordan Cole, the second Heflin's sack.
After a 13-yard Tucker punt return set up the Huskies at the WMU 30, Jordan Nettles went up the gut for a 26-yard run.
Three plays later on third and goal, an end-around Michael Love pass to a wide open Mitchell Brinkman stretched NIU's lead to 17-7 with 7:47 left in the fourth quarter.
WMU answered with a 75-yard drive of its own, capped by a 16-yard Bellamy touchdown run, his second rushing score.
With NIU leading by 3, Childers fumbled as the Broncos Ali Fayad came up with a recovery, only to lead to Thomas' forced fumble.
Tyrice Richie put the Huskies up two scores late in the second quarter, as he took a dump off, sweep pass from Marcus Childers, escaped several would-be takclers, fell over a defender, stayed on his feet and raced 71 yards for a score.
The Broncos had a chance to tie the game late in the first half, when a John Wasskin 34-yard run set the Broncos up in Huskies territory, but Gavin Peddie missed a 46-yard field goal. That was followed by Richie's touchdown romp for a 10-0 Huskies lead.
Jordan Cole came out of the gates seemingly ready to play, as his block punt and 25-yard recovery set the Huskies up in Broncos territory. Cole also recorded a tackle for loss on WMU's first drive.
The Huskies were unable to convert on the ensuing drive after Michael Love's fumble.
Wynne recorded a tackle for no gain of Western Michigan's Davon Tucker on fourth and 1 from the 50-yard line in the first quarter, settting the tone for much of the rest of the night. Wynne had 6 tackles (2 for loss) in the first half alone as the Huskies took a 3-0 lead into the break.
Wynne's stop led to points for the Huskies, as NIU moved the chains on a 16-yard Childers run and sent out John Richardson for a 44-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead with 0:25 left in the first quarter.