2. Utah defense rendered the NIU offense one-dimensional
What ultimately undid NIU in their upset bid against Utah was an inability to control the clock and keep drives moving on the ground. While Ross Bowers and the passing game looked solid against the Utes secondary, the backfield was never able to get anything going in the rushing game. That lack of balance proved costly in the long run.
On the day, NIU managed only 67 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The Huskies struggled against a much stronger Utah defensive front, with their longest run of the day a 17-yard burst by Tre Harbison. And Harbison didn’t even lead the team in rushing, finishing with only 32 yards on his six carries.
Instead the dubious honors went to Jordan Nettles, who carried the ball 10 times for 37 total yards. It was an anemic performance all around, as the offensive line struggled to generate holes and the running backs struggled to make any room of their own.
A large part of that was due to the Utes, who won the battles in the trenches all day long. Because they knew Northern Illinois was unable to run the ball effectively, they could key in on the pass even more. In the process, Bowers suffered four sacks and was knocked down several other times.