DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Ethan Hampton ran for a touchdown and engineered a pair of 66-yard touchdown drives, all in the first quarter, and Northern Illinois held on to earn a 24-16 win over long-time rival Central Michigan in the regular-season finale on Saturday.
The game was the 60th renewal of the oldest rivalry for both schools and the Chippewas came in having won four of the last five meetings and eight of the last 10, After honoring a group of 30 seniors prior to kick-off the Huskies jumped to a 19-0 lead by scoring three first-quarter touchdowns.
Gavin Williams got the Huskies (7-5, 4-4 Mid-American Conference). on the board with a 24-yard run on fourth down barely four minutes into the game, but a two-point conversion attempt failed. Hampton covered the final 16 yards to cap a five-play, 36-yard drive, but missed the PAT attempt for a 12-0 lead midway through the quarter. Telly Johnson scored from the 4 with 2:23 left in the quarter for a 19-0 lead after Kanon Woodill converted the PAT.
Central Michigan (4-8, 2-6) scored on a three-yard Jadyn Glasser pass to Jesse Prewitt III barely a minute into the second quarter but JaVaughn Byrd ran the blocked kick back for a defensive PAT and a 21-6 lead. Tristan Mattson kicked a 40-yard field goal and Glasser hit Prewitt a second time in the quarter to make it 21-16 at the half.
Woodill’s 26-yard field goal accounted for all of the second-half scoring and Northern Illinois clinched the victory by stopping the Chippewas on fourth down at the Northern Illinois 46 with 1:39 left.
Hampton was 19 of 29 passing for 169 yards and carried twice for 13. Johnson gained 84 yards on 20 carries and Williams added 65 yards on six. Trayvon Rudolph caught nine passes for 97 yards.
Glasser was 12 of 25 passing for 92 yards and two touchdowns but threw an interception. Marion Lukes had 13 carries for 78 yards but Central Michigan was held to just 112 yards on the ground.
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