Central Michigan vs. Northern Illinois final score: Huskies dominate late in 55-24 victory

A fake field goal touchdown run from Northern Illinois kicker Matthew Sims sealed the deal for the Huskies, who improved to 4-1 on Saturday with a 55-24 win over Central Michigan. They held the lead all throughout, with a 14-point first quarter built upon with touchdowns in each of the following three. They piled it on in the fourth, with touchdowns from Leighton Settle (a 46-yard rush) and Keith Harris Jr. (a 4-yard rush).

The big difference was in the rushing attacks, as Central Michigan only managed 57 yards total on the ground, with 48 of them coming from Zurlon Tipton, while Northern Illinois combined for 174 yards rushing on the day. Ryan Radcliff played well for Central Michigan, throwing for 214 yards and two touchdowns, which eclipsed Jordan Lynch's performance through the air at 153 yards and one touchdown. Lynch managed 96 yards rushing to go with his passing yardage to even things out, though.

Box Score Hero: Neither team had players put up huge yardage, but Northern Illinois running back Leighton Settle managed three touchdown runs, including the aforementioned 46-yard scoring rush in the fourth. Beyond that, he was primarily used as a short-yardage back so only finished with 56 yards.

Rankings Ramifications: Both teams aren't doing too well, but Northern Illinois got a boost in the MAC West. That being said, neither team is ranked and neither team looks to be ranked at this point.

But Did They Cover? Northern Illinois was favored by as much as 12 points, but most of them evened out with them as 10-point favorites, which means they did well in that regard. The over/under for the game was around 58, so if you took the over, you're doing well.

Next Week's Schedule: Central Michigan will take on Toledo for the final game of a three-game road trip on Saturday, while Northern Illinois will play Ball State.

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