DeKALB, IL - The Northern Illinois University football team got out to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter Tuesday night at Huskie Stadium against Western Michigan, but the Broncos ran away with a 35-19 win in NIU's final midweek MACtion game.

"We played decent for a half but we didn't put two halves together," said head coach Thomas Hammock following the game. "We were down a couple guys on defense. Not to make an excuse but we've got to get some of our young guys to grow up. Western Michigan played to their philosophy of what they've played all season - running the football, shortening the game and playing behind the defense."

The two teams combined for 535 rushing yards on the night with Western Michigan outgaining NIU 361-174. Chavon Wright (Opa Locka, Fla./Charleston) rushed for 92 yards on 21 carries. Telly Johnson Jr. (Augusta, Ga./Hephzibah) had 42 yards on six carries. Defensively, Jasper Beeler (Farmington, Mich./Saginaw Valley State) had 13 tackles and an interception. Quinn Urwiler (Mooseheart, Ill./North Dakota) added 11 tackles, his 10th game this season with double-digit stops.

NIU (3-8, 2-5 MAC) marched 75 yards in eight plays on the first drive of the game, capped by a 43-yard touchdown run from Johnson. The Huskies picked up all 75 yards on the ground as Wright had six carries for 32 yards on the drive before Johnson broke loose for the score with 11:21 to play in the first quarter.
 
The Huskies then forced a Western Michigan turnover on their first offensive play from scrimmage as a pass attempt was tipped by Jacob Finley (Birmingham, Ala./Hoover) and picked off by Beeler at the Broncos 19 yardline. NIU converted the turnover into points as Andrew Glass (Wheeling, W. Va./Kent State) connected on a 39-yard field goal to give NIU a 10-0 lead less than six minutes into the opening quarter.
 
On the opening drive of the second quarter, Glass added a 41-yard field goal as the Huskies extended their lead to 13-0 with 11:45 to go until halftime.
 
Western Michigan (7-4, 6-1 MAC) converted good field position into its first points of the game as an 18-yard touchdown run from quarterback Broc Lowry with 6:13 to play in the half. The Broncos had taken over on the 50-yard line following a Huskie punt and need just two plays to find the end zone.
 
Following a turnover on downs by NIU, the Broncos again had good field position at the NIU 39 and Western Michigan took the lead in the final minute of the half as Jalen Buckley scored from eight yards out with 40 seconds left to give Western Michigan a 14-13 advantage at the half. 
 
Western Michigan made it touchdowns on three consecutive drives as they opened the second half with a 12-play, 89-yard drive, finished off by an 8-yard touchdown run from Lowry as the Broncos led 21-13 with 8:11 left in the third quarter. NIU's two drives in the third quarter both resulted in punts.
 
Buckley scored his second touchdown of the contest early in the fourth quarter as Western Michigan took a 28-13 lead, capping a 15-play, 76-yard drive as the Broncos went in front by two scores with 9:46 left to play. Two minutes later, a special teams miscue gave Western Michigan the ball at the Huskie 5-yard line. Lowry scored his third touchdown of the game two plays later.
 
Brady Davidson (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) led the Huskies on a 10-play, 75-yard drive to get NIU within 16, 35-19, with 4:25 to go in the game. The freshman quarterback connected with Rickey Taylor Jr. (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice) from 18 yards out in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown, his first as a Huskie.

Western Michigan had 393 yards of total offense to NIU's 252. Buckley rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns as Lowry added 100 yards and three scores.

"We have a plan, we have a young team," Hammock added. "I've been given the resources to retain my team. I feel good about where we are headed. The future is extremely bright. We are excited about what we have and moving forward."

NIU closes the 2025 season on Friday, Nov. 28 against Kent State for Senior Day and NIU Football's last game in the Mid-American Conference. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. CT with the game broadcast on CBS Sports Network and locally on 94-9 WDKB.

Tickets are on sale now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225).

—NIU—