LEXINGTON, Ky. – A gritty Northern Illinois University football team played eighth-ranked Kentucky to the final minutes before falling, 31-23, at Kroger Field Saturday behind back-up quarterback Ethan Hampton and a valiant defensive effort.
 
Hampton completed 13-of-25 passes for 196 yards and the Huskies out-gained Kentucky on the ground 128-103, while the NIU defense sacked UK quarterback Will Levis five times. However, Levis threw four touchdown passes, including plays that went for 69, 70 and 40 yards, to lead the Wildcats to the win and a 4-0 record. The Huskies completed non-conference play with a 1-3 record.
 
"I thought we had every opportunity to go out there and win the football game," said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock. "We just have to continue to fight to get 11 guys doing their job every play, because you change three plays from that game and it takes 21 points off the board [for Kentucky]. I'm proud of our fight, proud of our effort. I thought [going in] that we could play with these guys. I believe in our football team. We have a good football team, we have to continue to get better."
 
Trailing 31-14 after Levis found Tayvion Robinson with a 40-yard touchdown pass on the Wildcats' first drive of the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored nine points in the final 5:26 of the game to make it a one score game. Kicker John Richardson made a 38-yard field goal with 5:26 on the clock to complete a seven-play, 55-yard drive that featured Hampton completions of 24 and 19 yards to Fabian McCray and Cole Tucker.
 
On Kentucky's ensuing possession, Levis was sacked for the fifth time with Cade Haberman doing the honors for NIU, forcing a UK punt and giving NIU the ball on its 32. Hampton found Kacper Rutkiewicz, who made a pair of defenders miss for a 63-yard pick-up to the Kentucky five-yard line. Four plays later, Justin Lynch faked a handoff up the middle and ran into the end zone untouched to pull the Huskies within eight, 31-23.  Hampton's two-point pass attempt fell incomplete. 
 
After recovering a bouncing onside kick, Kentucky was able to run out the clock.
 
"We have confidence in our defensive line and those guys went out there and did a great job," Hammock said. "We're only going to get stronger as the season goes along.  I loved the way Ethan managed the game and guys made plays. We didn't turn the ball over; we had to stay on the field and be effective and I thought we did that for long stretches in the game."  
 
With the score tied 14-14 at halftime thanks to a late Huskie touchdown, Kentucky scored just one minute into the second half when Levis hit Barion Brown in the middle of the field and the speedy receiver went all the way to the end zone for a 21-14 UK lead. The play came just after NIU safety C.J. Brown narrowly missed an interception.
 
After a series of punts, Kentucky drove 36 yards in seven plays to the NIU 31 where the Huskies forced a 49-yard field goal attempt by the Wildcats Mark Ruffalo, who made the kick for a 24-14 Kentucky lead.
 
The Huskies took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 11 plays and 6:07 to take a 7-0 lead. The rushing duo of Harrison Waylee and Antario Brown were joined by Justin Lynch, who carried twice on the drive from the quarterback position, before Hampton hit Tewes for a two-yard score on third and two.
 
Kentucky came back with an even longer drive as they took 8:01 to go 75 yards in 16 plays, tying the game on a 15-yard pass from Levis to Barion Brown. The two drives consumed almost the entire first quarter.
 
NIU drove from its 25 to the 49 on its ensuing possession, where on fourth and 3, Hampton showed his quick kick abilities, booting a 51-yard punt for a touchback. The NIU defense was up to the task though. On second and five from the UK 38, the Huskies got to Levis for back-to-back sacks. JaVaughn Byrd and Demond Taylor combining on the first and Devonte O'Malley and James Ester forcing the punt with the second.
 
The Huskies couldn't overcome a holding penalty on its next possession and Kentucky took just three plays to score, despite a tremendous punt by Tom Foley that bounced out of bounds at the two-yard line. After Kavosiey Smoke gained 29 yards on two rushes, Levis hit Tayvion Robinson across the middle and the speedy receiver outran the NIU defenders the remaining 53 yards to the end zone for a 14-7 Kentucky lead after the PAT.
  
With 5:08 left in the half, NIU drove from its 25 to the Kentucky 46 where its drive stalled and a Foley punt put the Wildcats on its 11-yard line with 56 seconds remaining. Two plays later, JaVaughn Byrd forced Smoke to fumble and Nick Rattin recovered at the Kentucky 34-yard line with 42 seconds to play in the half.
 
Hampton completed passes of 20 and nine yards to Tucker and McCray, respectively, to get NIU to the five-yard line. Waylee gained two yards for a first down, then was stopped for no gain. Hampton threw incomplete and on second down.  The Huskies then went into their bag of tricks as Hampton pitched to Shemar Thornton who came around and found Tewes in the end zone for a three-yard score and, following Richardson's PAT, a 14-14 score as the first half came to a close.
 
The Huskies finished the game with a season high five sacks and held the Wildcats to 103 rushing yards on 35 carries.  Daveren Rayner made 10 tackles to lead NIU, and defensive tackle Demond Taylor and safety Devin Lafayette each added seven. Tewes led NIU with a career high six catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns.
 
NIU next opens Mid-American Conference play versus Ball State in Muncie, Indiana. Kickoff for the Battle for the Bronze Stalk is at 1 pm CT/2 pm ET with the game scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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