2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

The 2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies were led by third-year head coach Thomas Hammock and played their home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football
MAC champion
MAC West Division co-champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
2021 record9–5 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorEric Eidsness (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorDerrick Jackson (3rd season)
Home stadiumHuskie Stadium
(Capacity: 23,595)
2021 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Kent State xy  6 –2   7 –7  
Miami (OH)  5 –3   7 –6  
Ohio  3 –5   3 –9  
Bowling Green  2 –6   4 –8  
Buffalo  2 –6   4 –8  
Akron  1 –7   2 –10  
West Division
Northern Illinois xy$  6 –2   9 –5  
Central Michigan x  6 –2   9 –4  
Toledo  5 –3   7 –6  
Ball State  4 –4   6 –7  
Eastern Michigan  4 –4   7 –6  
Western Michigan  4 –4   8 –5  
Championship: Northern Illinois 41, Kent State 23
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant

With a win over Buffalo on November 17, the Huskies clinched the West division championship and a place in the MAC Championship Game.[1] In the MAC Championship, the Huskies defeated Kent State to win the MAC championship, their first since 2018.[2] The team was picked to play in the Cure Bowl against Coastal Carolina on December 17.[3][4]

On November 9, the school announced that Hammock had signed a contract extension through the 2026 season.[5]

Previous season

In a season initially canceled and then reinstated with a limited schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,[6] the Huskies finished the 2020 season 0–6 in a conference-only schedule to finish in last place in the West Division.[7]

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.[8] In April 2021, the NCAA further made one-time transfers for all college athletes to be eligible immediately.[9] 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.[10][11]

Preseason

In the league's annual preseason poll, the Huskies were picked to finish in last place in the West.[12]

Schedule

The Huskies played Maine and Wyoming at home while traveling to Georgia Tech and Michigan for non-conference games in 2021.[13][14]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 46:30 p.m.at Georgia Tech*
ACCNW 22–2133,651
September 1112:30 p.m.Wyoming*
ESPN+L 43–5011,334
September 1811:00 a.m.at No. 25 Michigan*
BTNL 10–63106,263
September 251:30 p.m.Maine*
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN3W 41–1410,076
October 21:30 p.m.Eastern Michigan
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN+W 27–2010,034
October 911:00 a.m.at Toledo
CBSSNW 22–2021,284
October 162:30 p.m.Bowling Green
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN+W 34–267,854
October 2311:00 a.m.at Central Michigan
ESPNUW 39–3815,232
November 36:00 p.m.at Kent State
ESPN2L 47–526,076
November 106:00 p.m.Ball State
ESPN2W 30–297,894
November 176:00 p.m.at Buffalo
ESPN2W 33–27 OT13,097
November 236:00 p.m.Western Michigan
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPNUL 21–427,156
December 411:00 a.m.vs. Kent State
ESPNW 41–2310,317
December 175:00 p.m.vs. Coastal Carolina*
ESPN2L 41–479,784

Source[15][16]

Rankings
Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP——————————————RV
Coaches———————————————
CFPNot released——————Not released

Game Summaries

vs. Georgia Tech
See also: 2021 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
Northern Illinois Huskies (0–0) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (0–0)
1 2 34Total
Northern Illinois 7 7 0822
Georgia Tech 0 7 01421

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
Game information
First Quarter
  • (1:56) NIU – Harrison Waylee 35 yard rush, John Richardson kick (Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:42; NIU 7–0)
Second Quarter
  • (10:17) NIU – Miles Joiner 5 yard pass from Rocky Lombardi, John Richardson kick (Drive: 12 plays, 66 yards, 5:22; NIU 14–0)
  • (0:47) GT – Kyric McGowan 22 yard pass from Jordan Yates, Brent Cimaglia kick (Drive: 17 plays, 97 yards, 6:00; NIU 14–7)
Fourth Quarter
  • (7:44) GT – Dontae Smith 15 yard rush, Brent Cimaglia kick (Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:23; 14–14)
  • (6:32) GT – Jordan Yates 4 yard rush, Brent Cimaglia kick (Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 0:54; GT 21–14)
  • (0:38) NIU – Clint Ratkovich 3 yards pass from Rocky Lombardi, Tyrice Richie pass from Rocky Lombardi (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:04; NIU 22–21)
StatisticsNIUGT
First downs1525
Total yards301429
Rushes/yards42/16552/273
Passing yards136156
Passing: Comp–Att–Int11–17–015–26–0
Time of possession28:5531:05
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Northern IllinoisPassingRocky Lombardi11–17, 136 yards, 2 TD
RushingHarrison Waylee27 carries, 144 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingTyrice Richie2 receptions, 64 yards
Georgia TechPassingJordan Yates12–18, 135 yards, 1 TD
RushingJahmyr Gibbs20 carries, 99 yards
ReceivingMalachi Carter6 receptions, 92 yards

References
  1. "NIU Huskies Beat Buffalo, Clinch Mac West Division". 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  2. "Northern Illinois easily beats Kent State to win fifth MAC championship". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  3. Helwick, Steve (2021-12-05). "Northern Illinois will play Coastal Carolina in the 2021 Cure Bowl". Hustle Belt. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  4. "MAC Champion NIU Huskies to play in Tailgreeter Cure Bowl". MyStateline.com. 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  5. "Northern Illinois extends Hammock thru 2026". ESPN.com. 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  6. Petzold, Chris Thomas and Evan. "Mid-American Conference football to return Nov. 4 with 6-game schedule". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  7. "2020 Northern Illinois Huskies Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  8. Coleman, Madeline. "NCAA to Grant D-I Transfer Athletes Immediate Eligibility This Year". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  9. Dellenger, Ross. "The NCAA's Transfer Revolution Is Here". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  10. "Michigan State transfer QB Rocky Lombardi leads Northern Illinois to upset win over Georgia Tech". 247Sports. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  11. "QB Lombardi transfers to N. Illinois from MSU". ESPN.com. 2020-12-27. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  12. "MAC Announces 2021 Preseason Media Football Poll". getsomemaction.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  13. Kelley, Kevin (2018-03-09). "NIU to play at Kentucky in 2022, adds games vs. Maine and EIU". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  14. "NIU's 2021 Football Schedule Features Six Home Games". NIU Athletics. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  15. "2021 Northern Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  16. "2021 Northern Illinois Huskies Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
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