***NIU lost its season opener for the second consecutive season after winning three straight lid-lifters from 2013-15. The Huskies are now 18-31 in season openers as an FBS program.
 
***The Huskies lost to a team from an "autonomous" conference (a.k.a. Power 5) in Huskie Stadium for the first time since 1997 after winning each of its four previous games versus teams from those leagues.
 
***NIU sophomore linebacker Kyle Pugh recorded the first interception of the 2017 season, and the first of his career, in the first quarter.
 
***NIU quarterback Ryan Graham's 60-yard rush on the last play of the first quarter was the longest of his career.
 
***D.J. Brown's touchdown reception in the second quarter was his first career touchdown catch and the second TD overall of his career (rushing TD in 2015).
 
***True freshman punter Matt Ference punted eight times for a 40.9 yard average in his Huskie debut with a long punt of 51 yards and a coffin corner effort that pinned BC inside its five-yard line.
 
***Redshirt sophomore Kyle Pugh came into the game without a career tackle but made a mark in his starting debut with a team-leading 17 tackles and his first career interception. 
 
***True freshmen who played: P Matt Ference, OT Isaac Hawn, DT Weston Kramer.
 
***Redshirt freshmen who played (first career action): OG Austin Warner, DT Jack Heflin, WR Andrew Parchment
 
***Defensive end Sutton Smith entered the game with two career tackles for loss of minus seven yards in 12 games a year ago and by the end of the night had five career tackles for losses of minus 23 yards as he was a disruptive force throughout the game. Smith also recorded a quarterback sack, matching his career total.  
 
***Spencer Tears came into the game with one career catch but finished the game with three catches for 29 yards.
 
***Ryan Graham ran for a career high 99 yards on 12 carries and averaged 8.2 yards per carry.
 
***Chad Beebe, who returned as a redshirt senior after missing the 2016 season with a knee injury, caught a career high six passes for 93 yards, also a career high.  His 46-yard catch was his longest since an 81-yard TD as a true freshman.
 
***Christian Blake is now 2-for-2 in his career as a passer with both completions going to quarterbacks.  Blake hit QB Ryan Graham for 13 yards in the third quarter Friday.  His first career completion was to Anthony Maddie versus Western Michigan last year.   
 
***Shane Wimann pulled down his 11^th career touchdown catch in the third quarter. Wimann already owns the NIU career record for TD catches.   
 
***NIU did not allow a sack in the game, and recorded more passing and more rushing yards than Boston College.
 
***Senior linebacker Bobby Jones had a career best 16 tackles in the game, including a career high 10 solo stops.  
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video