TOLEDO, Ohio – Freshman John Richardson made a 25-yard field goal with 41 seconds to play to give the Northern Illinois University Huskies a 31-28 victory over Toledo Wednesday night in the Glass Bowl.
 
The field goal concluded a 13-play, 68-yard drive that took 4:26 off the clock after Toledo had staged a 21-point, fourth-quarter comeback to tie the game at 28.  Big plays by Cole Tucker, Tre Harbison and Marcus Childers, as well as a pass interference call on the Rockets, set up Richardson's game-winner.
 
"Obviously this was a big win for us," said NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock. "We talked about bringing a physical mentality, we practiced outside all week in weather colder than this, and I think our guys came out and responded. I'm certainly excited about the way our kids played, the resiliency, dealing with adversity, all those things it takes to win games."
 
NIU improved to 4-6 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference with the victory in its seventh road game of the year.  The Huskies return home for the final two games of the season, beginning next Tuesday, November 19, when NIU faces Toledo at Huskie Stadium.
 
Harbison ran for 158 yards on 32 carries with a score and quarterback Childers scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, including one on a 40-yard scamper, as the Huskies totaled 222 yards on the ground and 222 through the air on the night. Ross Bowers completed 15-of-26 passes for 193 yards and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Crawford.
 
"I told Tre be the better player," Hammock said. "I wanted him to be the best back on the field and I think he got that done tonight.  Great play by Childers to pull that ball down. They were really playing downhill and we were able to be successful with the misdirection."
 
The Huskies were playing behind a rebuilt offensive line that featured a pair of freshmen starters, including true freshmen Logan Zschernitz who made his first career start at guard, and guard Brayden Patton making his first ever start at center in place of Christopher Perez, who was injured at Central Michigan on November 2. Guard Benn Olson was also out with injury, and was replaced by senior Nathan Veloz.
 
"We played with three new starters on the inside of the offensive line and those guys got the job done," Hammock said. "Our defense has to be opportunistic to help our offense, and they got two turnovers in the red zone which was big."
 
NIU took a 28-7 lead with one minute to play in the third quarter on Childers' second touchdown run, a one-yard sneak, that completed an eight-play, 65-yard drive. Bowers hit Harbison for 43 yards on the wheel route and Childers came in to complete the drive with passes of 10 and six yards to Tyrice Richie, a one-yard run by Harbison and the sneak for the score. Richie finished the game with six catches for 54 yards.
 
Toledo stormed back, with Eli Peters hitting Bryce Mitchell for a 34-yard score just 1:05 into the quarter, and then taking advantage of a special teams miscue when punter Matt Ference dropped the ball after the Huskies went three-and-out, giving the Rockets possession at the Huskie 17-yard line.  They scored two plays later with Peters and Mitchell again hooking up, this time from 13 yards out. The PAT narrowed the Huskies' lead to seven, 28-21, with 12:23 to play.
 
The Rockets tied the score on their next drive, taking 10 plays to go 91 yards in just 3:38 with Peters and Mitchell again connecting on the big play, a 37-yard completion to the Huskie 10-yard line. Peters completed 26-of-38 passes for 300 yards, while Mitchell had 125 yards on six catches.
 
The Huskies extended their lead to 21-7 with 6:10 to play in the third quarter on a one-yard Harbison run that completed a 12-play, 88-yard drive that took 6:15 off the clock. Marcus Jones' 23-yard catch, in traffic, at the one-yard line set up Harbison's score.
 
NIU took a 14-7 halftime lead on a perfectly executed RPO by Childers, who faked the handoff and took off to his right untouched for the 40-yard rushing score.  By the time the Toledo defense realized Childers had the ball, he was 20 yards downfield as he gave the Huskies a 14-7 lead with 13:16 to play in the second quarter.
 
Toledo drove to the Huskie 26 on its next possession but on fourth down, Marcus Kelly and Vinny Labus dropped Bryant Koback for a loss and the Huskies took over.  NIU went three and out and on its next possession and on Toledo's drive, an illegal touching call and a sack by Jack Heflin that also caused a fumble halted the Rockets.
 
Three Huskies finished the game in double figures in tackles, led by cornerback Dillon Thomas with 12, followed by Labus (11) and Mykelti Williams (10).  NIU held Toledo to 4-of-13 on third down conversions.  
 
Each team got on the board for seven in the first quarter. The Huskies turned the ball over on downs on the Toledo 41-yard line and the Rockets drove 59 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead with 5:44 to play in the first.  The score came on a four-yard completion from Peters to Devin Maddox.
 
NIU tied it with a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Bowers hit a wide-open Crawford down the left sideline for the 36-yard score as the senior tight end recorded his first career touchdown.   
 
The Huskies return home for the final two regular season games of 2019, beginning Tuesday, November 19 when NIU takes on Eastern Michigan for Military and First Responders Appreciation Night at Huskie Stadium. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.
 
-- NIU --