MUNCIE, Ind. – Tailback Erin Collins scored a pair of touchdowns and quarterback Ross Bowers threw for 300 yards on 27-of-40 passing as the Northern Illinois University Huskies put together their best performance of the season, but it was not enough to reclaim the Bronze Stalk Trophy as NIU fell to Ball State, 31-25, Wednesday night at Scheumann Stadium.
 
Ball State (2-1) used back-to-back scores in the second half to break a 14-14 tie and take a 28-14 lead, and got a boost from its defense, which scored on a 71-yard interception return in the second quarter.  The Huskies (0-3) twice led by seven points in the first half, but could not overcome a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.  
 
"We are fighting to get better," said NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock. "Credit to Ball State, they are a veteran team. They have 23 seniors and we had six or seven true freshmen playing on defense most of the night. I liked the effort, I liked the energy, we gave ourselves a chance. I thought the defense contained [Ball State] for the most part. We have to come up with a critical stop when we need it, and we can't give anybody anything. We have to figure out a way when you get up by seven points to find a way to go up by 14 or 10. We've got to find those moments."
 
Bowers' 300-yard game was the second of his NIU career and his 27 completions marked a career-high at NIU. Tyrice Richie recorded his second 100-yard receiving game of the season with a career high 11 catches for 108 yards. Freshman Harrison Waylee led NIU with 63 rushing yards on 17 carries.
 
Defensively, Jordan Gandy led the Huskies with 11 tackles while freshman Devin Lafayette's 10 stops were the Georgia native's career high. NIU had five tackles for loss and three sacks in the game. 

Ball State looked to take its first lead of the game on the opening possession of the second half but were thwarted when NIU junior Dillon Thomas intercepted Drew Plitt in the end zone. The interception came after the Cardinals drove to the NIU three-yard line. The Huskie offense, though, could not make anything happen and Ball State started from its 41 with 9:43 left in the third quarter. They proceeded to drive 59 yards in nine plays, with most of the yards coming via the rush. Caleb Huntley carried six times on the possession and scored from three yards out. He finished the game with 103 yards on 23 carries. A bad snap on the PAT left Ball State with a 20-14 lead with 5:12 on the clock.
 
After an exchange of punts, Ball State extended the lead to 28-14 with a five-play, 80-yard drive. The Cardinals used a big play – a 64-yard pass from Plitt to Yo'Heinz Tyler, who earned most of the yardage after the catch to put BSU on the NIU 13-yard line. Two plays later, Plitt hit Tyler for the seven-yard score and his two-yard PAT pass to Antwan Davis was good.
 
As they did all night, NIU answered. Bowers drove the Huskies down the field.  A Bowers to Daniel Crawford completion gave the Huskies a conversion on third and 10, and he hit Trayvon Rudolph with a six-yard pass on fourth and three to give NIU a first down at the Ball State eight. Three plays later, Collins scored his second touchdown of the night on a three-yard run. Bowers' two-point pass attempt to Crawford was good. With 7:09 to play, NIU trailed 28-22.
 
Ball State extended the lead to 31-22 with an 11-play, 59-yard drive that – most importantly – took 4:55 off the clock. Jack Knight hit a 33-yard field goal when the BSU drive stalled at the NIU 16 to provide the Cardinals' final points.
 
The Huskies were not done, though. Bowers completed passes to Cole Tucker and Richie before connecting with Rudolph for 25 yards to the Ball State 23. After a five-yard rush, Hammock elected to go for the field goal and John Richardson's field goal was good from 41 yards out to pull the Huskies within six points.
 
Richardson got a nice bounce on his ensuing onside kick, but it fell into the hands of Ball State's Chris Albright and the Cardinals ran out the clock.   
 
NIU scored on its first possession of the game for the first time this season, driving 75 yards in seven plays and 2:56 to take a 7-0 lead.  Bowers hit Richie for 17 yards to the corner of the end zone for the score, Richie's first of the season. Waylee recorded a 28-yard rush on the second play of the drive.
 
Ball State drove to the NIU 26 on its ensuing possession, where the Huskie defense held and Knight's 42-yard field goal was missed wide right.
 
The teams traded punts, with Matt Ference's effort pinning Ball State on its four-yard line, where the NIU defense forced a three-and-out. The Huskies could not get anything going and returned the ball to BSU with 2:02 left in the quarter. 
 
On second and 15 from the Ball State 45 after Pierce Oppong and Miles Baggett combined on a sack, BSU's Tye Evans broke free for a 46-yard run to the NIU nine-yard line. Two plays later, Plitt hit Davis for a five-yard touchdown and the PAT tied the game at seven with 14:40 left in the half.
 
The Huskies responded with a six-play, 74-yard drive to take a 14-7 lead with 11:39 to play before half. A short pass to Rudolph turned into a 47-yard play and Bowers hit Daniel Crawford on a 21-yard reception to the 21. Erin Collins rushed for 11 yards on third and two from the 19 and scored from two yards out two plays later.
 
NIU got the ball back after the NIU defense came up with a big fourth down stop after BSU drove to the NIU 40-yard line. James Ester and Rashein Thomas combined on the fourth down tackle for loss and NIU took over with 8:15 left in the half.
 
After picking up a couple of first downs, including one when back-up quarterback Andrew Haidet converted on fourth and one, Bowers was picked off by BSU's Amechi Uzodinma, who returned the ball 71 yards for the score and a 14-14 halftime tie.
 
The Huskies drove to the Ball State 27 at the end of the half, but Richardson's 45-yard field goal was wide left.
 
NIU next faces Western Michigan on Saturday, November 28 at 11 a.m. (CT). The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.  
 
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