Huskies stall late in Vegas

Northern Illinois dropped to 0-8 after a 31-24 loss to UNLV on Saturday in Las Vegas. The Huskies held the lead for much of the first half and cut the deficit to seven points late in the third quarter, but defensive stops sealed the game.

The Huskies entered the contest averaging 100.1 rushing yards per game. They matched that pace, finishing with 240 total rushing yards. Elijah Porter carried the ball 21 times for a season-best 113 yards. Telly Johnson Jr. added 113 yards on eight carries and scored a touchdown.

Offensively, the Huskies generated 493 total yards, a season high. George Dimopoulos caught seven passes for 127 yards, while DeAree Rogers hauled in seven receptions for 96 yards. UNLV finished with 468 total yards but managed only 168 in the second half. NIU outgained the Rebels 264-168 in the second half.

The game began with a 75-yard touchdown pass from UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold to Kayden McGee. The score gave UNLV a 7-0 lead after just 11 seconds. The Huskies responded methodically, converting five third downs on their opening drive to tie the game at 7-7.

Northern Illinois took its first lead in a Mountain West game when Tyger Dickens threw a touchdown pass to Rogers. The score made it 14-10 with 53 seconds left in the first quarter. It was the first time the Huskies led in a conference game this season. They had not led in a game since September 9 against Arizona.

UNLV regained the lead on a 20-yard field goal by Ramon Villela. The Huskies scored on their next three drives. A 21-yard interception return by linebacker Brady Kerperin set up a 27-yard field goal by JJ Schlenhardt. The kick off the upright pushed NIU ahead 14-10, though UNLV tied the game on a 31-yard pass to Keyan Burnett.

The Rebels pulled away at the end of the first half. An 11-play, 71-yard drive ended with a touchdown, giving UNLV a 24-17 lead. The Huskies forced a punt on their first drive of the second half. UNLV capitalized with a 60-yard rushing touchdown by Jai'Den Thomas, extending the lead to 31-17.

NIU answered with its longest offensive play of the year. Dickens threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Dimopoulos with 9:31 remaining in the third quarter. The score cut the UNLV lead to 31-24. Neither team scored again after that touchdown.

The Huskies drove to the UNLV 13-yard line with 2:53 left in the third quarter. Quarterback Tyger Dickens completed a pass to Mumu Bin-Wahad, ending the drive. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the contest.

With 6:30 left, NIU started a final drive at its own 31-yard line. The Huskies reached the UNLV 26-yard line but faced a fourth-and-9 situation. Dickens picked up the first down, but a holding penalty on Chevy Trask pushed the team back. Schlenhardt attempted a 54-yard field goal from the 36-yard line with 2:06 remaining. The kick went wide right, and UNLV ran out the clock to secure the victory.