CMU 37, NIU 31: Five takeaways as the Huskies frantic comeback attempt falls short

Northern Illinois University’s three-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday with a 37-31 loss at Central Michigan despite the Huskies’ frantic fourth-quarter comeback attempt.

Central Michigan (5-4 overall, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) led by as much as 37-11 in the second half. The Huskies (4-5, 2-3) amassed 496 yards of total offense in their quest to get over .500 but fell short.

Here are five takeaways from the loss.

NIU rally comes too late

Down 24-3 at halftime, the Huskie offense finally produced, with Antario Brown breaking off a 61-yard run to cut the score to 24-11 after a successful NIU 2-point conversion on the first drive of the half.

But the momentum was short-lived. Central Michigan needed less than three minutes to go 70 yards against a suddenly porous NIU defense. Quarterback Jase Bauer scored on a 9-yard run.

Down 37-11, the comeback began in earnest when Trayvon Rudolph turned a screen pass into a 72-yard touchdown with 5:56 left in the third quarter. CMU missed a field goal, and NIU answered when Grayson Barnes turned another screen into a 22-yard touchdown, making the score 37-24 with 13:53 left in the fourth.

The Huskies added another score after a stop on a 6-yard pass from Rocky Lombardi to Dane Pardridg, closing the gap to 37-31 with 3:30 left. That capped a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ate up just less than four minutes.

The Huskies got the ball back after another defensive stop with just less than two minutes left and got down to their own 41, but Nahree Biggins picked off Lombardi to seal the win.

Central Michigan ground game dominates

The Chippewas had problems running the ball all year. They didn’t Tuesday. They finished with 331 rushing yards, including 202 for Marion Lukes and 106 for Bauer. They matched their season best with 248 yards as a team with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

They amassed 191 yards by halftime, including 114 for Lukes and 78 for Bauer, who each had a touchdown on the ground. Lukes had a season-best, 46-yard run and Bauer had a 29-yard run against a previously stingy NIU defense. Most of that yardage came before a heavy snowfall that blanketed the field until halftime.

Offense declines throughout the first half

Early in the game, NIU was moving the ball. But as the Chippewas got more and more yards and points, the Huskies continued to decline.

NIU gained 94 yards in the first quarter but managed only one field goal. In the second quarter, the Chippewas out-gained the Huskies 272-159 en route to building a 24-3 halftime lead.

The turning point came with just less than eight minutes left in the second quarter, when the Huskies went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 49. Lombardi fumbled the snap and CMU recovered.

Four plays later, Bauer found Mitchel Collier for a 20-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead.

Penalty bails out NIU

It didn’t take long for the Huskies to make an even bigger miscue on their ensuing possession.

A bad snap went back toward the end zone and was recovered by the Chippewas for an apparent touchdown. But CMU was called for illegally batting the ball toward the end zone. The Huskies were able to retain possession.

On the next play, Lombardi ran for 33 yards. But as the drive went on, the snow got stronger and stronger. The Huskies attempted a 31-yard field goal by Kanon Woodsill, but it missed and the Chippewas maintained their 24-3 lead into halftime.

NIU defense disappears in first quarter

On CMU’s second drive, the Huskies forced a three-and-out. On the other two first-quarter drives, things didn’t go as smoothly for NIU.

The Chippewas steamrolled the Huskies on the first drive, needing only 2:32 to go 68 yards on seven plays. Bauer did most of the damage on the ground, culminating with a 9-yard touchdown run. CMU never faced a third down on the drive.

With a 7-3 lead and time running out in the first quarter, the Chips took over and got to the NIU 21 as the quarter ran out. When play resumed, the Chippewas couldn’t finish the drive, settling for a 35-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead.

CMU was aided by a 15-yard penalty on the Huskies on the kickoff after a field goal. The Huskies were called for penalties on the first three kickoffs in the game.