DEKALB, Ill. – A week before taking the field at Northern Illinois, Ball State coach Pete Lembo said he, along with his assistants, would have to decide whether to engage the Huskies' high-powered offense in a shootout or "play the tortoise" and attempt to slow the game's pace down.
Whether by design or necessity, Ball State ultimately found itself in a shootout Tuesday night at Northern Illinois. The Huskies kicked a field goal with eight seconds left to beat the Cardinals 41-38. It was the third straight game Northern Illinois scored at least 40 points, a total it has surpassed 10 times this season.
The Huskies twice overcame deficits of at least two touchdowns Tuesday.
"The caliber of the athletes they have speaks for themselves," Lembo said. "I never felt comfortable against this team."
Ball State's defense gave up a school-record 710 yards of total offense to Northern Illinois. Quarterback Chandler Harnish accounted for a Northern Illinois-record 519 yards of offense himself, 338 through the air and 181 on the ground.
Harnish, a Fort Wayne native, has been a thorn in Ball State's side his whole college career. Tuesday's victory improved his record against the Cardinals to 3-1, with his only loss coming as a redshirt freshman in 2008.
Safety Josh Howard, also a senior, played in all four games against Harnish. Howard said Harnish has progressed every year.
"He's a true general of that offense," Howard said. "He knows where to go with the football."
Despite not scoring in the first quarter and a fumble by Harnish that Howard returned 92 yards for a touchdown, the Huskies were still able to match their season average for scoring.
Ball State matched Northern Illinois' offensive output for almost a full 60 minutes. The Huskies didn't hold a lead in the game until the fourth quarter and at times struggled to stop the Cardinals. But Northern Illinois stopped Ball State in the game's closing minutes when it mattered most, rendering another efficient performance by sophomore quarterback Keith Wenning moot.
Wenning completed 23 of his 43 passes for 245 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 18 yards and a touchdown.
But Ball State couldn't overcome its inability to run the ball and convert third downs. Without a 68-yard run on a fake punt by junior punter Scott Kovanda, the Cardinals had just 85 rushing yards, led by freshman running back Jahwan Edwards' 45.
Ball State converted just three of 14 third downs, making it difficult to sustain drives and keep Northern Illinois' talented offense off the field.
"We have to play next to perfect to beat people like that," Lembo said. "We came close, but that doesn't get us anywhere."
Read More
'We have momentum on our side:' Ball State softball advances to MAC Tournament after defeating Central Michigan
By Zach Carter / 6 hours agoIn its final regular season series of the 2024 season, Ball State defeated Central Michigan 2-1. The win gave the Cardinals a berth into the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The Cardinals win on the road against NIU
By Trinity Rea / 8 hours agoWith just two more series and two solo games remaining in Ball State Baseball's regular season, the team is attempting to fight its way up the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings.
Yorktown softball defeats Wes-Del in 2024 Delaware County Tournament Final
By David Moore / YesterdayThe championship game was set, Tigers vs. Warriors for the 2024 Delaware County crown. By the end of the afternoon, it was Yorktown running away, taking a 10-0 victory over the Warriors.
