DEKALB, Ill. (AP)—Quarterback Chandler Harnish threw a touchdown pass in his first appearance in nearly a month as Northern Illinois topped Ball State on Thursday.
The Huskies (7-3, 5-1 Mid-American West) won their fourth straight while the Cardinals (1-9, 1-5) dropped their sixth game by seven or fewer points.
Harnish had missed three games with a knee injury. He hit wide receiver Marcus Lewis on a 6-yard scoring play late in the third quarter for a 26-13 lead.
Ball State cut it to 26-20 on Tanner Justice’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Ifft with 6:53 left in regulation.
The teams traded touchdowns on their respective first possessions. The Huskies added a safety and a six-yard Chad Spann touchdown for a 16-7 lead late in the first quarter.
A pair of second-quarter field goals by Ian McGarvey trimmed the deficit to 16-13. Huskie kicker Mike Salerno got one back with a 41-yard third-quarter field goal.
Head to Head - Week 11
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 301 | 134 | 167 | 14 | 53.8% | 9/55 | 1 | 30:58 |
| Northern Illinois | 225 | 91 | 134 | 14 | 45.5% | 3/20 | 1 | 29:02 |
