DEKALB, Ill. – In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, Northern Illinois triumphed over Akron with a score of 29-16, showcasing a dominant performance, particularly in the second half where they held their opponents scoreless.

Telly Johnson Jr. and Gavin Williams each made significant contributions on the ground, both surpassing the 100-yard mark in rushing. Johnson accumulated 104 yards after carrying the ball 21 times, while Williams managed to achieve 101 yards on just nine carries, highlighted by a spectacular 71-yard touchdown run that capped off the scoring with under eight minutes remaining in the game.

Wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph also played a pivotal role in the team’s success, scoring two touchdowns early on. He executed a 58-yard reverse for one score and later completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge, both of which took place in the first quarter. Just before halftime, Ethan Hamilton added to the lead with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Grayson Barnes, bringing the score to 23-16 as the second quarter drew to a close.

Hamilton’s performance was solid as he completed 9 of his 16 passing attempts for a total of 105 yards. Northern Illinois improved their season record to 6-4 and 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference with this victory.

On the other side, Akron’s quarterback Ben Finley threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Norton, contributing to their scoreline. Finley finished the game with 19 completions out of 52 attempts, totaling 205 yards. The Zips also managed to block a punt, which turned into a touchdown, but this was not enough to shift the momentum in their favor, leaving them with a 2-8 record and 1-5 in the conference for the season.