Instant replay: Main takeaways from NIU’s 47-41 loss to Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Northern Illinois football team went from an 0-6 team last year to winning a MAC championship and reaching the Cure Bowl, the Huskies’ first bowl appearance since 2018.

Searching for their first bowl victory since 2011, Northern Illinois brought along strong fan support and an even stronger run game to Orlando.

The Huskies came up just short in ending what has been a 10-year drought since their last bowl win, losing a heartbreaker 47-41 to Coastal Carolina.

Here are the main takeaways from the game:

Drives that could have ended bowl drought

Northern Illinois certainly had an opportunity to put together a signature drive that could’ve won the Cure Bowl and snap a bowl winless drought that dates back to 2011.

NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi was orchestrating what looked to be potentially a touchdown drive and on a crucial third and 14 play, he decided to use his legs like he had done all night. Except the only issue is he forgot to secure the rock, as Lombardi fumbled and Coastal Carolina recovered with 3:21 left in the game.

Though NIU had another shot to win with 2:29 left, the Huskies couldn’t finish a promising drive that could’ve won them a bowl game. Time expired in their final drive just inside the 5-yard line on a controversial play as the clock ran while the referee was still setting the ball.

That’s the way to start the game

Northern Illinois (9-5) got the ball to start the game via Coastal Carolina (11-2) deferring to the second half and the Huskies obliged happily on offense.

The Huskies kicked the Cure Bowl off with a scintillating drive, highlighted by a 28-yard quarterback sneak by Lombardi and ended on a touchdown pass from Lombardi to tight end Cole Tucker. The drive started on the 25 and ended in pay dirt.

Former DeKalb standout shines

There’s not a lot of opportunities to score touchdowns for Northern Illinois’ tight end Cole Tucker, but he got his chance to show his stuff 1,214 miles away from home.

Lombardi (20-of-33, 181 yards) found Tucker on a 6-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive and he had multiple other catches throughout the game.

Heading into the game, Tucker had caught 35 passes for 488 yards and had two touchdowns. The former DeKalb High School standout was a difference-maker in Orlando and finished with six catches for 87 yards.

Defensive woes continue for Huskies

There were no illusions that Northern Illinois was going to stop the high-powered Coastal Carolina offense, but optimism remained they could get a turnover or two.

Instead, the Huskies found themselves scrambling when the Chanticleers were on offense, as Coastal Carolina displayed why they had one of the country’s most exciting spears offenses. On Coastal Carolina’s second touchdown in the second quarter, Chanticleer quarterback Grayson McCall found a wide-open Aaron Bedgood on a 40-yard score.

The question was how did Bedgood become that wide open, which added to the defensive woes NIU already had going in. It was a recurring theme all evening. The 88 combined points is a Cure Bowl game record and the Huskies yielded 514 total yards while gaining 516 total yards.

Huskies stay exclusively on the ground early

Not to anyone’s surprise, head coach Thomas Hammock and his staff made sure they stuck with what got them to Orlando and that was the ground game. From Lombardi to Jay Ducker to Antario Brown, all three had themselves big nights in the rushing attack. Lombardi had himself a few spirited runs along with Ducker and Brown providing highlight reel dashes.

Ducker’s highlight of the evening was a 60-yard scamper in the third quarter that placed the Huskies right at the 1-yard line before Lombardi pulled one of the best zone-read pulls you’ll ever see.

Ducker rushed for 146 yards on 24 carries and Brown finished with 105 on 12 carries.

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [ mailto:andyvillamarzo@gmail.com ]andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.

--

Andy Villamarzo Phone- 727.946.5950Email- [ mailto:andyvillamarzo@gmail.com ]andyvillamarzo@gmail.com Twitter- @avillamarzo