Oct. 12--Northern Illinois (3-3, 1-1) cleaned up its act Saturday, eliminating turnovers while jump-starting the offense after a sluggish start in a 59-41 Mid-American Conference victory over visiting Ball State.
Offense
A. Drew Hare had a quarterback's dream day as he set a school record for completion percentage (90.2), passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns while completing passes to 10 receivers. He also rushed for a touchdown. Joel Bouagnon rushed for two touchdowns while running for 149 yards while Jordan Huff also rushed for a pair of TDs.
Defense
C. The Huskies gave up 503 yards and 41 points but also made some key stops, including Shawun Lurry's sixth interception of the season. And once NIU grabbed the lead, the defense made sure Ball State never got it back.
Special teams
B. Kicker Christian Hagan was perfect (8-for-8) on extra points, hit a 38-yard field goal and averaged 56.3 yards on seven kickoffs. Aregeros Turner had 114 yards on five kickoff returns, including a 59-yarder.
Coaching
B. Coach Rod Carey wanted to hit Ball State hard and play fast. It took a while, but the plan played out as the Huskies scored on nine of 10 possessions after a scoreless first quarter.
