Wildcat effective, but Rocky Lombardi loses 3 fumbles in NIU loss to Ball State

DeKALB – When the Northern Illinois University football team was in the Wildcat with Antario Brown or Trayvon Rudolph, the Huskies were able to move the ball in a 20-17 loss to Ball State on Tuesday.

And it was desperately needed in a game during which NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi fumbled three times.

The Huskies (4-6, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) led 17-10 with 7:06 left. Facing a third-and-3, Lombardi fumbled for the second time in the game, setting the Cardinals up at the NIU 32.

“When we were up seven, I thought we had control of the game,” NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. “And then we turn the ball over on third-and-3 on a play that was a very safe play.”

Six plays later, the Cardinals (3-7, 2-4) tied the game with 3:44 left. The Huskies still had a chance to march down the field and take the lead, but on the third play of the drive Lombardi fumbled again.

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Lombardi finished the game 15 of 26 for 141 yards with a long pass of 20. He also had two big runs on a scoring drive that tied the game at 7 in the second quarter. But he also had the three turnovers, off which Ball State scored 10 points in their three-point victory.

“He’s been in college football for seven years,” Hammock said of Lombardi, a transfer from Michigan State in his third year in the program. “This is your last year, your last two weeks potentially playing football. So if he bounces back the way he needs to, then we’ll be fine.”

The Huskies finished with a 315-301 edge in total yards, with the pass defense holding the Cardinals to 115 yards. But the Cardinals were able to run 44 times for 186 yards.

The Huskies ran 29 times for 174 yards, with Brown leading the way with 73 yards and Rudolph getting 69.

Rudolph had the Huskies’ second touchdown of the night. Lined up at quarterback for the first time – usually Brown takes the WIldcat snaps – Rudolph went around the right side, then accelerated into the end zone for the score on a 35-yard run.

Rudolph said he prides himself on being versatile, and the Wildcat lets him and Brown showcase multiple elements of their game.

“Brown can catch, too. I can catch, run,” Rudolph said. “You don’t really know who’s going to keep or get the ball at that point. So you’re just messing with their heads a little bit.”

The Rudolph run seemed to mess with Ball State’s heads, as the offense went just four plays before punting the ball back to the Huskies.

Hammock said the play gives the defense more to think about.

“Trayvon did a nice job today creating explosive plays and then taking it vertical,” Hammock said of Rudolph, who also had six catches for 57 yards in front of the announced crowd of 6,282.

But the last two drives of the game for NIU ended with fumbles, and the Cardinals were able to kick a field goal as time expired on the last one to escape with the 20-17 win and the Bronze Stalk traveling trophy for the fourth time in five years.

Hammock said it’s his responsibility to get the team ready to play.

“We didn’t make enough plays to get it done, it’s as simple as that,” Hammock said. “It was a humbling football game. Humbling game.

“You go through ups and downs, and today we didn’t make enough plays, and Ball State did.”