Last season, the nationally-ranked Northern Illinois Huskies were dreaming of a BCS bowl bid as they entered the MAC Championship Game. Those dreams came crashing down around the Huskies as the Bowling Green Falcons secured a 47-27 upset victory to win their first MAC title since 1992.
Northern Illinois learned its lesson, and the Huskies are taking this year’s meeting in the championship game far more seriously.
The Huskies lead the Falcons 20-10 at halftime. But North Illinois head coach Rod Carey isn’t comfortable with the two-score lead as the team’s went to the locker room for the intermission.
“Both offenses can go at any moment,” Carey told ESPN at the end of the second quarter. “It’s tough. It’s been back-and-forth. It’s going to be a fourth quarter game.”
Both offenses already flashed at points in the first two quarters.
Northern Illinois’ Drew Hare opened the scoring on a five-yard quarterback draw for a touchdown. Hare was also 19-of-30 passing for 127 yards and another touchdown pass.
The scoring toss came late in the first half when the Huskies drove 68 yards in 1:06 before Hare found senior tight end Luke Eakes in the corner of the end zone.
The Falcons’ lone touchdown came on a spectacular catch from wide receiver Gehrig Dieter. The sophomore rose above the Huskies cornerback with the safety looming to snag a moonshot thrown by Bowling Green quarterback James Knapke for a 41-yard score.
Bowling Green will likely up the tempo and the intensity during the second half. Northern Illinois has a nice lead, and it’s the more talented squad. A sound second-half effort should be enough to earn the school’s third MAC title in four years.
But one can never truly know what to expect during some weekday MACtion.