Northern Illinois played without injured star sophomore tailback Garrett Wolfe on Tuesday night, but that wasn’t what beat the Huskies 31-17 before 27,719 fans in their home stadium.
The absence of Wolfe, who had scored 15 touchdowns in nine games, did not jeopardize Northern’s twin goals of winning the Mid-American Conference title and a bowl bid.
Instead, quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, his tailback Scooter McDougle, his receivers and his blockers beat the Huskies on the game’s big plays.
Toledo converted 13 of 19 third-down opportunities, 8 of 11 in the second half when the Rockets outscored NIU 17-0 in their 11th straight victory over Northern. Toledo also went 2-for-3 on fourth-down tries.
“Third downs are money downs,” said Gradkowski, who completed 28 of 37 passes for 297 yards. “We came after it. When that happens to a defense, it’s discouraging.”
Huskies coach Joe Novak agreed.
“We couldn’t stop them in the second half,” he said. “We got our butts whipped.”
Speaking of his team’s success converting third downs, Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said, “our philosophy is always to attack. We’re not cautious and don’t take the safe route. We go for the first downs.”
Northern’s hopes for a MAC title and/or bowl bid depend upon winning its last game and then having Bowling Green beat Toledo.
Novak said Wolfe was sidelined by an eye injury that was not football related.
“It happened during the week,” Novak said.
Wolfe ranked sixth in the nation with an average of 175.4 all-purpose yards per game, 138.6 on rushing yards. Before Tuesday, A.J. Harris averaged 4.3 yards per rush and 71.3 rushing yards per game for Northern.
Tuesday night Harris rushed for 95 yards, 85 of them in the first half. He spent most of the second half on the sideline watching Gradkowski&Associates convert third-down plays.
Toledo took a 24-17 lead with 1 minute 6 seconds left in the third quarter when McDougle ran 10 yards for his second touchdown of the night after a 40-yard pass from Gradkowski to Lance Moore.
McDougle rushed for a career-high 133 yards. Freshman Jalen Parmele scored his second touchdown to bump the lead to 31-17.
The Huskies led 17-14 when the first half came to a bizarre conclusion. Facing fourth-and-2 from the NIU 21 with 42 seconds left in the half, Toledo called timeout three times in a row after it lined up in field-goal formation, shifted into a spread shotgun set and saw that the Huskies adjusted to the shift.
The fourth time the Rockets tried this gimmick, Gradkowski tried to run up the middle for the first down. Martin Wilson and Javan Lee nailed him 1 yard shy.
The Huskies scored on their first two possessions, including Chris Nednick’s career-best 47-yard field goal.
The Huskies didn’t need Wolfe on their two touchdown drives in the first half. After Lionel Hickenbottom intercepted a Gradkowski pass, Harris rushed 29 yards on four carries and caught a 6-yard pass on a 72-yard scoring drive. Adrian Davis, Harris’ backup, scored on a 1-yard smash behind left tackle Doug Free’s block.
The Rockets began an 11-play 80-yard drive that ended when Jalen Parmele smashed 2 yards into the end zone on the first play of the second quarter.
NIU roared right back for its second touchdown and a 17-7 lead. Harris rushed 53 yards on five carries. Quarterback Josh Haldi capped the 80-yard drive when his 18-yard pass bounded off defender Antonio Malone’s hands in the end zone and NIU’s Shatone Powers clutched it for the score.
Once again, the Rockets fought back. They gambled on fourth-and-1 from their 28, and Parmele made the first down. They gained 41 yards on Gradkowski’s pass to Terrance Hudson. McDougle then banged the final 2 yards of the 80-yard drive, and NIU’s lead was 17-14.
