Deacons' Gamble Leads to Overtime Win For NIU
Every win helps when you're a conference that is struggling to gain respect on a national level. On opening night, the Mid-American Conference was one win shy of picking up a clean sweep.
The MAC went 6-1 in football competition Thursday night with the Northern Illinois Huskies topping the entertainment charts with a thrilling 42-41 overtime victory of the visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons before 19,653 fans at Huskie Stadium. The UB Bulls were the only MAC team to lose on a night where all of the conference's teams opened at home.
NIU's game could have been a double overtime result, had the Demon Deacons kicked an extra point rather than gone for two points, and the win, in the first overtime.
A one-yard touchdown run by Deacons' running back Ovie Mughelli countered a Huskies' touchdown on their possession in overtime. Wake Forest, however, elected to try for two points rather than kick the extra point to send the game to a second overtime, and Mughelli was stuffed on the attempt.
NIU kicker Steve Azar nailed a 46-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 35 and send it to overtime.
Huskies' running back, and All-MAC candidate Thomas Hammock rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Hammock scored from seven yards out in overtime to put NIU ahead.
MAC Champs Roll Over Cal Poly
The Toledo Rockets were not exactly facing an opponent of typical quality; nevertheless, they showed they could still put points on the board after losing their top two offensive weapons to graduation.
UT, the defending MAC champions, rolled over Division I-AA Cal Poly 44-16 in their home opener before 23,074 fans at the Glass Bowl.
The Rockets, who lost last year's MAC leading rusher Chester Taylor (currently playing for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens), ran for 262 total yards in the game. William Bratton led the way on the ground with 105 yards and one touchdown.
New UT quarterback Brian Jones threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns as he tries to replace playmaker Tavares Bolden.
Around the MAC
28,268 fans were on hand to see Western Michigan thump Indiana State 48-17. WMU backup quarterback Chad Munson threw four touchdown passes. The attendance was the largest of any MAC home game on opening night . Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs ran for 191 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden Flashes bombed New Hampshire 34-7 . Central Michigan quarterback Derrick Vickers threw for three touchdowns as he led his team to a 34-10 drubbing of Sam Houston St. . Bowling Green blew out Tennessee Tech 41-7.
