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The Ohio Bobcats will head out on the road to face off against the Northern Illinois Huskies at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. Ohio is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
Ohio was the big favorite in their most recent match, and for good reason. They were the clear victor by a 42-17 margin over Kent State.
Kurtis Rourke looked great while leading his team to the win, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns, while also punching in a touchdown on the ground. That's the first time this season that Rourke passed for 300 or more yards. Miles Cross also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Kent State to a paltry 228 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Ohio's ability to keep the quarterback under presure: the team laid him out six times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Bradley Weaver and his two sacks.
Meanwhile, Northern Illinois had to suffer through a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They really took it to Akron for the full four quarters, racking up a 55-14 victory on the road. With Northern Illinois ahead 35-7 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Antario Brown had a dynamite game for Northern Illinois, rushing for 280 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 carries. Brown's most impressive run was a 66 yard score in the second quarter. Gavin Williams was another major influence, as he rushed for 37 yards and ran in a TD.
Their wins bumped Ohio to 5-1 and Northern Illinois to 2-4.
Northern Illinois is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs at home this season.
Ohio was able to grind out a solid victory over Northern Illinois when the teams last played back in October of 2022, winning 24-17. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ohio since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
