Nov. 07--The Huskies (7-2, 4-1) handled their business at Ball State with a 35-21 victory to set up Tuesday night's Mid-American Conference West showdown with first-place Toledo (6-3, 5-0) in DeKalb.
Offense: B
Cameron Stingily rushed for 148 yards, including 117 in the second half when the Huskies needed to protect their lead. The 240-pound tailback from Romeoville also scored three touchdowns. Quarterback Drew Hare turned the ball over with a fourth-quarter fumble, but otherwise managed the game well.
Defense: B
NIU intercepted three passes from Ball State freshman Jack Milas and the defensive unit came up strong at the end of the game to rebuff the Cardinals for the sixth straight time.
Special teams: A
Tyler Wedel landed five punts inside the Ball State 20. One of Josh Orne's effectively placed kickoffs was recovered by Jamaal Payton. And freshman kicker Christian Hagan converted all five of his PATs in his first collegiate game.
Coaching: A
Coach Rod Carey and his staff had their team prepared for a MAC road contest that could have been a trap game with the Toledo showdown looming.
