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3rd Quarter Report
N. Illinois needs a victory to get to even, but right now it's anybody's game. They have jumped out to a 24-20 lead against Kent State.
If N. Illinois keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 6-6 in no time. On the other hand, Kent State will have to make due with a 1-11 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Preview
Northern Illinois has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Dix Stadium. Kent State took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Northern Illinois, who comes in off a win.
Last Tuesday, while Northern Illinois put up some points, the same sure can't be said for Western Michigan. Everything went Northern Illinois' way against Western Michigan as Northern Illinois made off with a 24-0 win.
Northern Illinois can attribute much of their success to Antario Brown, who rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Brown was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 66 yards. Dane Pardridge also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Meanwhile, Kent State's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their eighth straight loss. They took a serious blow against Ball State, falling 34-3.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Golden Flashes weren't very productive on the ground and finished the game with only 29 rushing yards. Kent State is winless (0-3) when they've run for less 60 yards.
Northern Illinois' win bumped their record up to 5-6. As for Kent State, their loss was their seventh straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 1-10.
Going forward, Northern Illinois is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 18.5 points. For those looking to play the spread, watch out: Northern Illinois is expected to win, but their 2-5 record against the spread as such isn't exactly encouraging.
