 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 23, OHIO 20 The win was a satisfying one for first year NIU head coach Dave Doeren, whose squad was able to avenge losing a late lead – along with the MAC title - to Miami in last year’s championship game.
“I am so proud of this team,” he said. “These guys have dealt with a lot losing this game last year and losing their coaches. That’s why we came back tonight.”
OHIO DOMINATES EARLY
NIU stared defeat in the eye early as the Bobcats got out to a fast start on both sides of the ball. On defense, Ohio was able to shut down playmaking quarterback Chandler Harnish, holding him to just 37 yards passing and 23 yards rushing in the first half.
“They like to utilize the downhill running game,” Ohio head coach Frank Solich said. “We geared our plan around that. Our guys were very good at being assignment oriented.”
Harnish felt he was a part of the problem, as well.
“I was playing too fast, trying to do too much,” he said “The coaches did a great job sitting me down and helping me hit the re-record button to start over.”
Harnish’s first mistake, an interception to Noah Keller, gave the Bobcats a great chance to do damage early in the game. The offense couldn’t capitalize, and the Bobcats had to settle for a field goal to open the scoring.
POTENTIAL POINTS LOST
The inability of Ohio to take full advantage of its opportunities became a pattern throughout the game.
“We had plenty of chances,” Solich said. “We did not play well enough with those chances to make it work for us.”
Ohio sustained its first touchdown drive, making it 10-0, on its next possesion, as Phil Bates found Donte Foster on a reverse pass for a 24-yard touchdown.
However, another missed chance for Ohio came on a 69-yard drive that came to an abrupt halt before the Bobcats settled for another field goal.
TRADING TURNOVERS
The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by Tommylee Lewis and recovered by the Bobcats, but Ohio gave the ball right back on a Tyler Tettleton interception.
It was a rough passing night for Tettleton, who threw three interceptions that came at key junctions of the game.
Harnish commited another huge mistake as the Huskies best drive of the first half was derailed when he fumbled at the Ohio 13. The Bobcats then went to work with their best drive of the night, storming 87-yards down the field to make it 20-0 after an 18-yard scamper by Tyler Tettleton.
In the second half, a refocused Huskies team looked to smother the red-hot Bobcats.
“I told the seniors this week, this is where we leave our legacy,” Harnish said. “We didn’t want to go out like we played in the first half.”
HUSKIES DEFENSE TURNS THE TIDE
The NIU defense would be the spark needed as they held Ohio to just 70 yards of offense in the second half. After pulling in seven catches for 118 yards in the first half, Ohio wide receiver LaVon Brazill saw the ball just once.
“There was a time we couldn’t get drives going in the second half,” Solich said. “We didn’t put ourselves in a position to make the plays that we did in the first half.”
After Ohio failed to take advantage of another turnover on the Huskies’ opening drive of the second half, and NIU finally got on the board with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter when Harnish found Nathan Palmer for a 39-yard touchdown.
PALMER THE PLAYMAKER
Palmer’s big play ability was on full display as he registered 115 yards receiving with two touchdowns on just four catches. His effort earned him West Division MVP honors for the game.
“I just knew at halftime I needed to make plays,” Palmer said. “I told them if you throw the ball anywhere, I was going to go catch it.”
Perhaps the biggest turning point of the game came early in the fourth quarter. With Ohio driving, Tyler Tettleton threw a pass on 3rd and 12 from the NIU 19-yard line, but it slipped through the hands of Brazill in the end zone. The next play, Matt Weller missed a 36-yard field goal attempt, his first miss from inside 40 yards all season.
“We needed a break, and we got it there,” Harnish said. “It created the confidence we were looking for.”
THIRD TETTLETON INTERCEPTION
Ohio got a stop after a lengthy Huskies drive, but after Tettleton’s third interception of the night, NIU pulled within seven points on a four-play, 63-yard drive that took just 1:13 off of the clock. A missed PAT by All-MAC kicker Mathew Sims left the score 20-13 with 7:36 remaining.
After another stop, the Huskies offense stormed back down the field. Harnish hooked up with Palmer again, this time from 22-yards, out, to tie the game at 20 with 2:52 remaining.
With the game in the balance, a botched snap by Tettleton set the Bobcats back and Ohio punted the ball back to the Huskies.
Harnish then led a final drive down to the Ohio 16. Sims made up for his missed PAT by sneaking the game winning field goal inside the goal posts as time expired.
OHIO - LAST MAC TITLE IN 1968
The loss was a crushing one for the Bobcats, who have not won a MAC title since 1968. The defeat was especially painful for linebacker Noah Keller, who along with his fellow seniors, fell short again after losing to Central Michigan in the 2009 title game.
“It’s hard going back to the same room going through the same feelings again,” he said. “It’s difficult.”
As for NIU, Doeren was happy to help bring the Huskies their first title in nearly 30 years.
“I’m proud for what we did for our fans and former players,” he said. “I’m glad we could raise a banner for a 28-year void that so many of them wanted. It’s an awesome feeling.”
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