Fresh off their
Orange Bowl appearance the previous season, the Huskies went undefeated until the MAC Championship Game. This garnered national attention with the anticipation of another
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl appearance. Starting quarterback
Jordan Lynch finished third in voting for the
Heisman Trophy.[1] The season marked the Huskies' sixth consecutive trip to a
bowl game and their second consecutive bowl game loss.
Erik Lora 14 Yd Pass From
Jimmy Garoppolo (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
Eastern Illinois 6–0
1
12:08
Eastern Illinois
Adam Drake 43 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Eastern Illinois 13–0
1
7:36
Eastern Illinois
Keiondre Gober 13 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Eastern Illinois 20–0
1
5:17
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 5 Yd Run (Pat Failed)
Eastern Illinois 20–6
2
14:08
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 5 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Eastern Illinois 20–13
2
9:18
Northern Illinois
Luke Eakes 3 Yd Pass From Jordan Lynch (Mathew Sims Kick)
Tied 20–20
2
0:05
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 18 Yd
Northern Illinois 23–20
3
10:17
Northern Illinois
Keith Harris Jr. 9 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Northern Illinois 30–20
3
7:45
Eastern Illinois
Erik Lora 33 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)
Northern Illinois 26–20
3
2:50
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 33 Yd
Northern Illinois 33–26
4
14:55
Eastern Illinois
Adam Drake 15 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Tied 33–33
4
11:24
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 37 Yd
Northern Illinois 36–33
4
9:53
Eastern Illinois
Erik Lora 10 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Pat Failed)
Eastern Illinois 39–36
4
8:25
Northern Illinois
Keith Harris Jr. 8 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Northern Illinois 43–39
Jordan Lynch threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns, and Northern Illinois scored on a kickoff return and an interception return to rout Purdue 55–24.
It's the first time a Mid-American Conference team has beaten two Big Ten foes during the same regular season, and the Huskies made it look easy, tying the MAC record for victory margin over a Big Ten school. Toledo beat Minnesota by 31 in 2001.
Tommylee Lewis 9 Yd Pass From Jordan Lynch (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Tied 7–7
1
0:13
Central Michigan
Andrew Flory 36 Yd Pass From Cooper Rush (Ron Coluzzi Kick)
Central Michigan 14–7
2
8:11
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 5 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Tied 14–14
3
11:01
Northern Illinois
Tyler Wedel 34 Yd
Northern Illinois 17–14
3
3:22
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 1 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 24–14
4
14:50
Central Michigan
Ron Coluzzi 38 Yd
Northern Illinois 24–17
4
6:11
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 3 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 31–17
4
1:32
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 19 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 38–17
Lynch had three rushing touchdowns and was 20 for 30 through the air for 155 yards and another score to help Northern Illinois (7–0, 3–0 Mid-American) extend the nation's best conference winning streak to 20 games. Lynch rushed for 316 yards, an FBS record for a quarterback, and the 23rd-ranked Huskies stayed unbeaten with a 38–17 victory at Central Michigan.
Fresh off their
Orange Bowl appearance the previous season, the Huskies went undefeated until the MAC Championship Game. This garnered national attention with the anticipation of another
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl appearance. Starting quarterback
Jordan Lynch finished third in voting for the
Heisman Trophy.[1] The season marked the Huskies' sixth consecutive trip to a
bowl game and their second consecutive bowl game loss.
Erik Lora 14 Yd Pass From
Jimmy Garoppolo (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
Eastern Illinois 6–0
1
12:08
Eastern Illinois
Adam Drake 43 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Eastern Illinois 13–0
1
7:36
Eastern Illinois
Keiondre Gober 13 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Eastern Illinois 20–0
1
5:17
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 5 Yd Run (Pat Failed)
Eastern Illinois 20–6
2
14:08
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 5 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Eastern Illinois 20–13
2
9:18
Northern Illinois
Luke Eakes 3 Yd Pass From Jordan Lynch (Mathew Sims Kick)
Tied 20–20
2
0:05
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 18 Yd
Northern Illinois 23–20
3
10:17
Northern Illinois
Keith Harris Jr. 9 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Northern Illinois 30–20
3
7:45
Eastern Illinois
Erik Lora 33 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)
Northern Illinois 26–20
3
2:50
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 33 Yd
Northern Illinois 33–26
4
14:55
Eastern Illinois
Adam Drake 15 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Cameron Berra Kick)
Tied 33–33
4
11:24
Northern Illinois
Mathew Sims 37 Yd
Northern Illinois 36–33
4
9:53
Eastern Illinois
Erik Lora 10 Yd Pass From Jimmy Garoppolo (Pat Failed)
Eastern Illinois 39–36
4
8:25
Northern Illinois
Keith Harris Jr. 8 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick)
Northern Illinois 43–39
Jordan Lynch threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns, and Northern Illinois scored on a kickoff return and an interception return to rout Purdue 55–24.
It's the first time a Mid-American Conference team has beaten two Big Ten foes during the same regular season, and the Huskies made it look easy, tying the MAC record for victory margin over a Big Ten school. Toledo beat Minnesota by 31 in 2001.
Tommylee Lewis 9 Yd Pass From Jordan Lynch (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Tied 7–7
1
0:13
Central Michigan
Andrew Flory 36 Yd Pass From Cooper Rush (Ron Coluzzi Kick)
Central Michigan 14–7
2
8:11
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 5 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Tied 14–14
3
11:01
Northern Illinois
Tyler Wedel 34 Yd
Northern Illinois 17–14
3
3:22
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 1 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 24–14
4
14:50
Central Michigan
Ron Coluzzi 38 Yd
Northern Illinois 24–17
4
6:11
Northern Illinois
Jordan Lynch 3 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 31–17
4
1:32
Northern Illinois
Cameron Stingily 19 Yd Run (Tyler Wedel Kick)
Northern Illinois 38–17
Lynch had three rushing touchdowns and was 20 for 30 through the air for 155 yards and another score to help Northern Illinois (7–0, 3–0 Mid-American) extend the nation's best conference winning streak to 20 games. Lynch rushed for 316 yards, an FBS record for a quarterback, and the 23rd-ranked Huskies stayed unbeaten with a 38–17 victory at Central Michigan.