NEEDED: A BIG MAC RUN
Conference play beckons for winless Huskies, whose comeback attempt vs. WIU falls short
DeKALB — A disappointing nonconference slate came to a disappointing end.
Four weeks into the season, the Huskies remain winless after falling to FCS foe Western Illinois 28- 23 on Saturday at Huskie Stadium.
The Huskies had the ball on the Western 9- yard line but turned it over on downs in the final minute.
“They deserved to win,” NIU coach Rod Carey said. “They made one or two more plays than we did, and we got off to a horrendous start — again. That bled into the second half this time, and by the time we did get going, we didn’t have enough time to complete the comeback, even though we were down there twice.”
It’s the first loss for the Huskies ( 0- 4) against an FCS school since 2007, when they lost to Southern Illinois 34- 31. Although the Huskies have lost seven consecutive games dating to last season, Carey brushed aside a question about his job security.
For the Leathernecks, who came in ranked No. 13 in the FCS coaches’ poll, it’s the first win over an FBS school in 15 tries.
“We saw teams in our conference do it — North Dakota State beat Iowa — and we said, ‘ Why not us?’ ” WIU receiver Joey Borsellino said.
The Huskies made things interesting in the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points after trailing 28- 7 in the third quarter. The Huskies got the ball back late in the fourth quarter twice with a chance to take the lead.
The first drive ended on downs when a keeper by senior quarterback Anthony Maddie came up inches short of a first down at the Western 19 with just under three minutes left.
On the last drive of the game, the Huskies faced fourth- and- three from the Western 9, but Maddie’s pass to tight end Shane Wimann was incomplete.
“Those two fourth- down calls were my calls,” Carey said. “I made them, and they were obviously bad calls. I’ll take that and I’ll take all this, and we’re not going to flinch. We’re not going to go ahead and do anything but go back to work and get this thing ready because we have a good football team. We have to learn how to win a football game.”
Maddie, listed as the backup, was 11- for- 17 with 142 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 39 yards. Starter Ryan Graham went 14- for- 21 with 109 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
NIU junior running back Jordan Huff had nine carries for 130 yards and a touchdown, while senior Joel Bouagnon had 75 rushing yards. Senior receiver Kenny Golladay had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, while Aregeros Turner added seven receptions for 59 yards.
WIU was led by quarterback Sean McGuire, who went 21- for- 37 with 315 yards. Borsellino had nine catches for 148 yards.
The Leathernecks opened a two- touchdown lead in the first quarter after running back Steve McShane rushed for an 11- yard score and Gilmore punched in a one- yard run.
After coming up scoreless in their first three drives, the Huskies finally scored on a two- yard pass from Graham to Wimann on a fourth- and- goal.
WIU scored on their first two possessions of the second half to take a 28- 7 lead.
A Christian Hagan field goal preceded two late NIU touchdown drives: a two- play, 61- yard drive that consisted of a 38- yard reception by Golladay and a 23- yard touchdown run by Huff; and a sixplay, 60- yard drive that was capped with a 39- yard touchdown catch by Golladay.
“I think we got complacent with the scoreboard,” WIU linebacker Brett Taylor said.