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DETROIT — NIU scored on three of its four possessions and dominated time of possession, taking a 17-0 lead on Kent State Saturday in the MAC Championship Game.
Key play: With 1:25 left in the first half, Dillon Thomas came up with the second interception for the Huskies this year, ending a Kent State drive. Fifteen plays and 7:52 later, NIU had opened up a 17-0 lead.
Key stat: The Huskies absolutely dominated the time of possession, 22:51-7:09. They ran 46 plays to 20 for the Huskies.
Key to the second half: The big thing for NIU is to just not make any mistakes on offense. With the lead the size it is, and the Falcons’ ability to score points in a hurry, more prolonged drives will doom Kent State and give the Huskies a league crown. They already threw one interception at the end of the half that could have made this a 20-0 or 24-0 game.