YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP)—Me’Co Brown rushed for a career-high 111 yards and a touchdown and Northern Illinois held Eastern Michigan to 259 offensive yards in a 37-0 victory Saturday.
The Huskies (2-2, 1-1 Mid-American) got a 26-yard scoring run from Brown on their second possession and never looked back. The true freshman, Northern Illinois’ leader in all-purpose and rushing yards, left the game early in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
The Eagles (1-4, 0-2) lost starting quarterback Kyle McMahon to a shoulder injury early in the game. He and backup Andy Schmitt each threw first-quarter interceptions and the latter’s set up the Huskies’ second touchdown, a 9-yard run by DeMarcus Grady. Marcus Perez later added a two-yard touchdown run to give Northern Illinois a 21-0 halftime lead.
The Huskies outgained the Eagles 235-119 on the ground, converted nine of their 13 third-down attempts and let Eastern convert just five of 15 third-down opportunities.
Eastern Michigan drove deep into Northern Illinois territory late in the first half but the drive came up empty after Joe Carithers missed a 47-yard field goal. Four drives ended with failed attempts on fourth down and D.J. Pirkle sacked Schmitt in the end zone late in the game for a safety.
Dan Nicholson was 11-for-15 for 92 yards for the Huskies, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Skarb early in the second half. Justin Anderson added an 8-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Head to Head - Week 5
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois | 339 | 104 | 235 | 21 | 64.3% | 5/50 | 0 | 31:59 |
| Eastern Michigan | 259 | 140 | 119 | 19 | 33.3% | 3/28 | 2 | 28:01 |
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