TOLEDO, Ohio – Running back Antario Brown rushed for 152 yards and Rocky Lombardi completed 21-of-31 passes for 258 yards to lead the Northern Illinois University offense to its best performance of the season, but time ran out on the Huskies' final drive for a game-winning field goal as NIU fell to the Rockets, 35-33 Saturday at the Glass Bowl.
 
"I'm proud of the effort," said NIU head coach Thomas Hammock. "You have to give credit to Toledo, that's a good football team and they played well. We'll regroup, we'll get better offensively. We did some positive things, now the defense got challenged and now they have to respond."
 
NIU falls to 1-4 overall, 0-1 in the MAC with the loss while Toledo improved to 4-1, 2-0 in the MAC.
 
Trailing 14-7 at halftime and 21-7 after Toledo opened the second half with an eight-play, 68-yard touchdown drive, the Huskies kept battling back. Kanon Woodill's 32-yard field goal at 8:04 of the third period capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive that featured a 28-yard completion from Lombardi to Grayson Barnes while Brown opened the drive with a 15-yard gain.
 
On Toledo's ensuing drive, Amariyun Knighten and Devin Lafayette forced UT running back Peny Boone to fumble at the 50-yard line and safety Nate Valcarcel picked up the ball and ran untouched for the Huskie touchdown. Woodill's PAT made it 21-17 at 7:20 on the clock.
 
Toledo came back with a 12-play, 85-yard drive with Connor Walendzak scoring from two-yards out to put the Rockets up 28-17.
 
Woodill hit a career long 49-yard field goal as NIU started the fourth quarter with a 10-play, 38-yard drive highlighted by a 21-yard connection from Lombardi to Kacper Rutkiewicz. The field goal once again made it a one score game at the 11:35 mark, but the margin was short-lived. On its first play after the kickoff and return, UT quarterback Dequan Finn connected with Junior Vandeross for a 68-yard touchdown as the Rockets extended the lead to 35-20 with 11:17 to play.
 
The Huskies responded again, driving from their 32 to the Toledo 24 on a combination of Brown runs – of eight and 15 yards – a Lombardi to Travyon Rudolph completion and a pass interference call on Toledo. One play later, Lombardi hit redshirt-freshman Jalen Johnson who snagged the ball as he crossed the goal line for his first career touchdown. Trailing 35-26, NIU went for two but Rudolph's pass fell incomplete.
 
Toledo used a 48-yard kickoff return by Jacquez Stuart to earn a field position advantage as the NIU defense forced a punt that was downed at the four-yard line. NIU was unable to record a first down and Tom Foley's punt put Toledo at its 48-yard line with 5:33 to play.
 
The Huskie defense quickly forced a Toledo punt and Lombardi completed six consecutive pass attempts to six different receivers, along with an eight-yard run, to drive NIU 76 yards in seven plays and 2:16, punctuating the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Carter. Woodill's PAT made it 35-33 Toledo with 2:24 to play.
 
A third three-and-out by the NIU defense and the Huskies took over at their 14 with 44 seconds on the clock after the Toledo punt, its fifth of the game. With time running out, Lombardi hit Rudolph for 16 yards and Davis Patterson for 13 yards to the NIU 48, before two incompletions left just 10 seconds to play. Lombardi's last rush attempt was stopped at the Toledo 45 before he could get out of bounds to stop the clock.
 
For the game, Finn completed 16-of-20 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns while running for 61 yards and a score on seven carries. Boone rushed for 113 yards on 16 carries to lead UT's rushing attack.
 
"The [Toledo] quarterback is a problem," Hammock said. "He can extend plays, it[s hard to get pressure on him and when you do get pressure he steps up and he runs.  He's a tremendous player, we have a lot of respect for him."  
 
Brown's 80-yard rush, the longest play of the season for the Huskies, set up NIU's first score after Toledo had taken a 7-0 lead on the preceding possession when Finn hit Jerjuan Newton who went in from 42 yards.  
 
From the NIU 15, Brown took the snap and ran down the right sideline until getting knocked out of bounds at the five-yard line.  After Gavin Williams picked up four yards on first down, Lombardi faked to fullback Brock Lampe, then strolled into the end zone to tie the score at seven with 1:15 to play in the first quarter.
 
Toledo scored on its next drive, traveling 70 yards in eight plays to take a 14-7 lead on Finn's 13-yard rushing touchdown with 12:38 on the clock in the second quarter.
 
The teams traded punts before the Huskies put together a seven-play, 63-yard drive to the Toledo three-yard line. Lombardi hit Billy Dozier for 26 yards and completed a pass to a wide open Lampe for 24 yards to the UT seven. His four-yard run put NIU on three, but Lampe fumbled on the next play to end the Huskie threat.
 
Ten players caught passes for NIU, topped by Rutkiewicz' five receptions for 45 yards. The Huskies' 444 yards of total offense were a season high.
 
"It was good to see the offense get some confidence," Hammock said. "I thought Antario ran hard; he had that spark. We have to continue to find ways to get him involved in the game plan. The offensive line did a great job creating some holes, some separation. We have playmakers and it was good to see guys like Greyson Barnes and Jalen Johnson make plays."
 
 NIU returns to Ohio next Saturday, October 7 when the Huskies travel to Akron to take on the Zips. Kickoff is at 3:30 pm and the game will air on ESPN+.  The Huskies return home on Saturday, October 14 when Ohio comes to Huskie Stadium for the 116th Homecoming game. Tickets are on sale anytime online at NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies or by calling 815-753-PACK (7225) Monday through Friday between 9 am-5 pm. Purchase tickets in advance for the best prices and to select specific reserved seats.
 
NOTES
Antario Brown's 80-yard run was the Huskies' longest of the year.
Nate Valcarcel's 50-yard fumble return score was the first defensive score of the year for the Huskies and the first fumble return for a touchdown since Izayah Green-May had a 57-yard return for a TD versus Central Michigan on November 2, 2022.
 
 
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