Dustin Crum passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two scores, and Kent State used a 31-point second quarter to beat Northern Illinois 52-47 on Wednesday night.
Kent State ended a 10-game losing streak in the series, getting its first win against the Huskies since 2001.
NIU led 7-0 after the first quarter, but Kent State had four straight touchdown drives in the second quarter, each taking less than 75 seconds, to build a 31-21 lead at the break. The Golden Flashes finished with seven touchdowns, the drives averaging 1:12.
Nykeim Johnson added a rushing and receiving touchdown in the third quarter for a 45-27 lead, and Marquez Cooper’s 36-yard touchdown made it 52-40. After NIU’s touchdown to get within five points, Kent State chewed up the final 5:07 for its longest drive of the game.
Crum was 20 of 30 for 322 yards and carried four times for 72 yards for Kent State (5-4, 4-1 Mid-American Conference). Cooper finished with 173 rushing yards and two scores, and Xavier Williams ran for 103. Dante Cephas had five catches for 124 yards.
Rocky Lombardi and Trayvon Rudolph each set program records for NIU (6-3, 4-1). Rudolph, who scored a 75-yard touchdown for the second straight week, had 309 receiving yards to pass Sam Hurd’s record of 266 in 2005. Lombardi became the first player in program history to pass for 500 yards, completing 33 of 57 for 532 yards and three scores.
Lombardi was helped off the field with 5:15 left after a helmet-to-helmet hit near the goal line. When play resumed, Clint Ratkovich took a direct snap and scored a 1-yard touchdown to pull NIU within 52-47. Lombardi was later seen on the sideline talking with teammates.
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