DEKALB, Ill. – Freshman Antario Brown (Savannah, Ga./Beach HS) made his collegiate debut count as the heralded tailback rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries in the second half, leading the Northern Illinois University Huskies to a 27-20 Mid-American Conference victory at Huskie Stadium Saturday.
 
As a team, the Huskies gained 242 yards on 55 carries to earn the victory on NIU's 114th Homecoming, while the NIU defense held Eastern Michigan to just 38 rushing yards on 24 carries while collecting five sacks.
 
The Huskies (3-2, 1-0 MAC) won their MAC opener for the first time since 2018 in a game that was delayed for nearly three hours by lightning at the end of the first quarter. Eastern Michigan fell to 3-2, 1-0.
 
"I love the resolve of our football team. We're used to playing tough football games and this was another tough one," Hammock said. "I said all week we were battle-tested.  We didn't flinch. Our defense got off to a fast start and then they did a great job coming out of the delay."
 
NIU took a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter as the Huskies converted an Eastern Michigan turnover into points. Lance Deveaux Jr. (Pompano Beach, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) forced a fumble from Eagles quarterback Ben Bryant and Ray Thomas (Racine, Wis./Washington Park) recovered, giving the Huskies the ball at the EMU 34. Eight plays later, Rocky Lombardi (Clive, Iowa/Valley/Michigan State) scored from five yards out as the Huskies led 7-0.
 
After Dillon Thomas (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill South HS) collected the first of his two sacks on the day on third-and-four from the EMU 42 to force an Eagles' punt, the Huskies put together a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal by John Richardson (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice HS). With two minutes to play in the opening quarter, NIU led 10-0.
 
The stadium was cleared at 2:15 p.m. with lightning in the area. After coming close to bringing the teams back onto the field several times, more weather cells would come through before the skies finally cleared allowing play to resume at 5 p.m.  
 
Following the delay, the Huskies converted another Eastern Michigan turnover into a touchdown as second-year freshman Jaden Dolphin (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West HS) intercepted an Eagle pass and took it back 59 yards for the score, giving NIU a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
 
The Eagles' Chad Ryland missed a 34-yard field goal on their next possession and after each team punted, the Huskies were on the move again before a fumbled exchange gave EMU the ball on their 46-yard line. A Devonte O'Malley (Midlothian, Ill./Bremen HS) sack forced the Eagles to attempt a 47-yard field goal, which Ryland converted to put EMU on the board before halftime.
 
At the half, Eastern Michigan had rushed 13 times for minus 15 yards while the Huskies' Harrison Waylee carried 13 times for 87 yards in the first two quarters before leaving the game with an injury.
 
After Eastern Michigan drove 94 yards in seven plays and 2:17 on their first possession of the third quarter, scoring on a 42-yard completion from Bryant to Bryson Cannon, NIU turned to Brown.
 
"He's going to be a heck of a player for us," Hammock said. "What a start. I've been telling people about him for a long time. What a performance for a true freshmen to walk out there, having not played a snap up to this point. We leaned on him as an offense in the second half and he came through for us."
 
The Huskies went 11 plays in 75 yards to answer the Eagles' score. The freshman rushed for 42 yards on seven carries and quarterback Rocky Lombardi (Clive, Iowa/Valley HS) completed a pass for 13 yards to senior Tyrice Richie (Chicago, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor HS), before turning to tailback Clint Ratkovich (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee HS/Western Illinois), who powered in for the two-yard score. With 5:18 to play in the third quarter, NIU led 24-10.
 
Eastern Michigan answered with a 75-yard drive of their own, Bryant connecting with Dylan Drummond from 17 yards out to once again pull the Eagles within seven late in the third quarter.
 
After NIU punted into the end zone, EMU drove to the NIU 38-yard line before Thomas' second sack pushed them back to the 44-yard line.  Dennis Smith picked up nine yards on third down and Bryant threw what was initially called a completion to Drummond at the first down marker.  After review, the pass was called incomplete and NIU took over.
 
With 10:15 to play and NIU on its 35-yard line, Brown and Ratkovich carried the ball seven times to the EMU 42. Lombardi completed a seven-yard pass to Richie, bringing up fourth-and-three. He then connected with Richie again for the first down conversion and NIU drove all the way to the EMU seven-yard line. From there, Richardson connected from 26 yards out giving the Huskies a 27-17 lead. The 14-play, 58-yard drive consumed 6:50 on the clock and provided the Huskies with a two-score margin with 3:25 to play.
 
EMU drove to the NIU 12 where Ryland's 31-yard field goal closed the margin to 27-20 with 1:12 to play. NIU's Myles McGee (Canton, Ga./Sequoyah HS) recovered the onside kick attempt to seal the Huskies' victory.
 
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