Jaylen Poe, Gavin Williams combine for 3 TDs as NIU beats UMass 34-20

Northern Illinois only gained 34 yards through the air in the win.

Ethan Hampton's 15-yard TD pass in the first minute of Saturday's game accounted for nearly half of his total passing yards. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

By Associated Press

October 5, 2024

1 minute to read

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Jaylen Poe ran for two touchdowns, Gavin Williams had 19 carries for 125 yards and a TD and Northern Illinois beat Massachusetts 34-20 Saturday.

Poe finished with 89 yards rushing on 15 carries. Ethan Hampton was 5-of-9 passing for 34 yards and added 64 yards rushing and a TD for the Huskies.

Poe ran for a 22-yard touchdown to make it 13-all after Kanon Woodill’s PAT attempt was no good with 11:23 left in the third quarter and his 3-yard scoring run about a minute into the fourth quarter capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 7-plus minutes off the clock and gave Northern Illinois (3-2) the lead for good at 20-13.

The Huskies made it 14-point game when they went 90 yards in nine plays and Williams scored on a 1-yard run with 5:29 to play. Taisun Phommachanh threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to T.Y. Harding that pulled UMass (1-5) within 27-20 about 2 minutes later but Poe returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to the 4 and three plays later Ethan Hampton’s 1-yard TD run capped the scoring with 2:05 to play.

On the game’s second play from scrimmage, Jalonnie Williams recovered a fumble by Phommachanh at the UMass 15 and Hampton threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brock Lampe that gave Northern Illinois a 7-0 just 45 seconds in to the game.

Phommachanh hit Harding for a 58-yard TD about 2 minutes later and Jacob Lurie kicked a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter and a 27-yarder just before halftime that gave the Minutemen a 13-7 lead.

Phommachanh was 15-of-30 passing for 263 yards and Harding finished with four receptions for 85 yards.