# 2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

The 2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by third-year head coach Thomas Hammock, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 6–2 in conference playing, sharing the MAC's West Division title with Central Michigan. By virtue of a head-to-head win over Central Michigan, Northern Illinois advanced to the MAC Championship Game and defeated Kent State to win the program's six MAC championship. The Huskies invited to the Cure Bowl, where they lost to Coastal Carolina on December 17. The team played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.
On November 9, the school announced that Hammock had signed a contract extension through the 2026 season. With their win over Buffalo on November 17, the Huskies clinched the West Division championship and a berth in the MAC Championship Game.

## Offseason
### Transfers

As a result of the limited season in 2020 due to COVID-19, the NCAA granted a waiver to allow athletes to transfer to another school and be eligible immediately without having to sit out a season. In April 2021, the NCAA further made one-time transfers for all college athletes to be eligible immediately. As a result, transfers were much more common this year than in prior years.
Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi, who started six games for the Spartans in 2020, announced he would transfer to Northern Illinois.

## Preseason

In the league's annual preseason poll, the Huskies were picked to finish in last place in the West.

## Schedule

The Huskies played Maine and Wyoming at home while traveling to Georgia Tech and Michigan for non-conference games in 2021.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 6:30 p.m. | at Georgia Tech* | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA | ACCN | W 22–21 | 33,651 |
| September 11 | 12:30 p.m. | Wyoming* | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN+ | L 43–50 | 11,334 |
| September 18 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 25 Michigan* | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI | BTN | L 10–63 | 106,263 |
| September 25 | 1:30 p.m. | Maine* | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN3 | W 41–14 | 10,076 |
| October 2 | 1:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN+ | W 27–20 | 10,034 |
| October 9 | 11:00 a.m. | at Toledo | Glass BowlToledo, OH | CBSSN | W 22–20 | 21,284 |
| October 16 | 2:30 p.m. | Bowling Green | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN+ | W 34–26 | 7,854 |
| October 23 | 11:00 a.m. | at Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI | ESPNU | W 39–38 | 15,232 |
| November 3 | 6:00 p.m. | at Kent State | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN2 | L 47–52 | 6,076 |
| November 10 | 6:00 p.m. | Ball State | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL (Bronze Stalk Trophy) | ESPN2 | W 30–29 | 7,894 |
| November 17 | 6:00 p.m. | at Buffalo | University at Buffalo StadiumBuffalo, NY | ESPN2 | W 33–27 $^{OT}$ | 13,097 |
| November 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Michigan | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPNU | L 21–42 | 7,156 |
| December 4 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. Kent State | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (MAC Championship Game) | ESPN | W 41–23 | 10,317 |
| December 17 | 5:00 p.m. | vs. Coastal Carolina* | Exploria StadiumOrlando, FL (Cure Bowl) | ESPN2 | L 41–47 | 9,784 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 3) released prior to gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### At Georgia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northern Illinois | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 22 |
| Georgia Tech | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA
* Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
* Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: sunny • Temperature: 78°F
* Game attendance: 33,651
* Referee: Marcus Woods
* TV announcers (ACCN): Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Kelsey Riggs
* Pregame line: Georgia Tech -19
| Statistics | NIU | GT |
| First downs | 15 | 25 |
| Total yards | 301 | 429 |
| Rushes/yards | 42/165 | 52/273 |
| Passing yards | 136 | 156 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 11–17–0 | 15–26–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:55 | 31:05 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Rocky Lombardi | 11–17, 136 yards, 2 TD |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Harrison Waylee | 27 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Tyrice Richie | 2 receptions, 64 yards |
| Georgia Tech | Passing | Jordan Yates | 12–18, 135 yards, 1 TD |
| Georgia Tech | Rushing | Jahmyr Gibbs | 20 carries, 99 yards |
| Georgia Tech | Receiving | Malachi Carter | 6 receptions, 92 yards |

### At Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Northern Illinois | 7 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 39 |
| Central Michigan | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| CMU –6.0 | 56.0 |
| Statistics | Northern Illinois | Central Michigan |
| First downs | 25 | 25 |
| Total yards | 548 | 500 |
| Rushing yards | 197 | 189 |
| Passing yards | 351 | 311 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 36:09 | 23:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Rocky Lombardi | 17/27, 348 yards, 3 TDs |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Jay Ducker | 31 carries, 183 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Trayvon Rudolph | 6 receptions, 160 yards, 2 TDs |
| Central Michigan | Passing | Daniel Richardson | 23/36, 289 yards, 3 TDs |
| Central Michigan | Rushing | Lew Nichols III | 22 carries, 192 yards, 2 TDs |
| Central Michigan | Receiving | Kalil Pimpleton | 6 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD |

### At Kent State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northern Illinois | 7 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 47 |
| • Kent State | 0 | 31 | 14 | 7 | 52 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| KENT –3.5 | 72.0 |
| Statistics | Northern Illinois | Kent State |
| First downs | 32 | 31 |
| Total yards | 663 | 682 |
| Rushing yards | 131 | 360 |
| Passing yards | 532 | 322 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 35:04 | 24:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Rocky Lombardi | 33/57, 532 yards, 3 TDs |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Jay Ducker | 19 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Trayvon Rudolph | 14 receptions, 309 yards, 3 TDs |
| Kent State | Passing | Dustin Crum | 20/30, 322 yards, 2 TDs |
| Kent State | Rushing | Marquez Cooper | 23 carries, 173 yards, 2 TDs |
| Kent State | Receiving | Dante Cephas | 5 receptions, 124 yards |

### Ball State (Bronze Stalk Trophy)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ball State | 10 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 29 |
| • Northern Illinois | 0 | 17 | 3 | 10 | 30 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| BALL –3.0 | 59.0 |
| Statistics | Ball State | Northern Illinois |
| First downs | 17 | 26 |
| Total yards | 372 | 475 |
| Rushing yards | 246 | 211 |
| Passing yards | 126 | 264 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 23:16 | 36:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ball State | Passing | Drew Plitt | 11/26, 126 yards, 1 TD |
| Ball State | Rushing | Carson Steele | 21 carries, 109 yards |
| Ball State | Receiving | Jalen McGaughy | 1 reception, 45 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Rocky Lombardi | 23/38, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Jay Ducker | 24 carries, 155 yards, 1 TD |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Trayvon Rudolph | 8 receptions, 108 yards |

### Vs. Kent State (MAC Championship game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Kent State | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| • Northern Illinois | 10 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 41 |
| Pregame line | Over/under |
| KENT –3.5 | 75.5 |
| Statistics | Kent State | Northern Illinois |
| First downs | 24 | 28 |
| Total yards | 391 | 368 |
| Rushing yards | 195 | 266 |
| Passing yards | 196 | 102 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 19:59 | 40:01 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Kent State | Passing | Dustin Crum | 11/21, 128 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| Kent State | Rushing | Xavier Williams | 8 carries, 93 yards |
| Kent State | Receiving | Dante Cephas | 7 receptions, 102 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Passing | Rocky Lombardi | 7/15, 102 yards, 1 INT |
| Northern Illinois | Rushing | Jay Ducker | 29 carries, 146 yards |
| Northern Illinois | Receiving | Trayvon Rudolph | 3 receptions, 50 yards |