DEKALB, Ill. (AP)—Quarterback Austen Everson threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns Saturday to lead Ohio to a 35-23 victory over Northern Illinois.
Everson, who was 23-of-31, had the most yards for an Ohio quarterback since 1986. He connected on scoring plays of 63 yards to William Norwood, 16 yards to Rudy Sylvan and 58 yards to halfback Kalvin McRae.
McRae rushed for 106 yards as the Bobcats (2-0), relying heavily on the option play, racked up 509 yards in total offense
Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak later said it was hard to distinguish between the performance put on by Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, frequently mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and that of Everson. The Huskies (0-2) dropped their season opener at Ohio State, surrendering as many points to the Buckeyes as they did to the Bobcats.
The Huskies took a 17-7 lead midway though the second quarter on Chris Nendick’s 36-yard field goal, but the Bobcats later countered with a 10-play drive that ended with Sylvan’s score with 20 seconds remaining in the period.
A rushing score by McRae put the Bobcats ahead, 21-17, midway through the third, and McRae’s touchdown reception gave Ohio an 11-point lead.
NIU found some momentum when Dustin Utschig forced a fumble, and three plays later NIU quarterback Phil Horvath found Marcus Perez for a 14-yard score early in the fourth.
A 24-yard touchdown run by McRae gave Ohio its final margin.
Huskies tailback Garrett Wolfe rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
Head to Head - Week 2
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 509 | 332 | 177 | 24 | 68.8% | 6/65 | 2 | 36:49 |
| Northern Illinois | 462 | 261 | 201 | 22 | 35.7% | 3/34 | 0 | 23:11 |