Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Recap: Last Second Field Goal Gives Northern Illinois 2011 MAC Championship

Redemption came quick for Northern Illinois' kicker Mathew Sims. Sims booted a game winning 33-yard field goal as time expired on Friday night to give the Huskies the MAC Championship after missing a crucial extra point early in the fourth quarter. In fact, Sims was only in position to kick the game winner over the Ohio Bobcats because of that missed extra point.

If not, the Huskies might have won the game when QB Chandler Harnish connected with Nathan Palmer on a 22-yard touchdown with just over three minutes to play in the game. But that touchdown, and ensuing extra point, only tied the game at 20. Sims' missed extra point came on the previous touchdown, when Harnish found Martel Moore for a 32-yard touchdown to cut the Bobcats' lead to 20-13. Harnish stared in the second half, throwing three touchdowns as the Huskies furiously tried to make up a 20-0 halftime deficit. Harnish finished the game with 251 yards and three touchdowns, but it was the Huskies defense that led the way in the second half.

After putting up 20 points in the first half, the Bobcats offense only gained 75 yards in the second half. The Huskies forced Ohio into three-and-outs on four of their six drives; the other two ended in a punt after six plays and 13 yards gained and a missed field goal on what was the Bobcats' best drive of the second half.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: Huskies Come Back To Win 2011 MAC Championship

The comeback is complete, and then some. Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Mathew Sims, who seemed potentially destined for the role of goat after missing a crucial extra point earlier in the second half, connected on a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give the Huskies the 2011 MAC title.

That missed extra point came after the Huskies cut the Ohio Bobcats' lead to 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter. The Huskies would tie the game with three minutes left in the fourth, but that missed extra point meant that they would obviously have to score once more to defeat the Bobcats. The Huskies received the ball with 1:26 left the play and 48 yards in five plays before setting up for Sims' field goal.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: Chandler Harnish Touchdown Pass Ties Game at 20

Thanks to QB Chandler Harnish, the Huskies have come all the way back. Ohio's 20-0 halftime lead is now a 20-20 tie late in the fourth quarter thanks to Harnish's third touchdown of the night, which was reeled in by WR Nathan Palmer. The 22-yard touchdown was Harnish and Palmer's second scoring connection of the night.

The Huskies would've likely taken the lead after the score, but kicker Mathew Sims missed an extra point on Northern Illinois' second score of the night, just five minutes prior. At worst, it looks like the Huskies will get a chance to win in overtime, although they are driving to the win with less than two minutes left.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: Huskies Cut Bobcat Lead To 20-13 In Fourth

Chandler Harnish's second touchdown pass of the second half brought the Northern Illinois Huskies into within one score of the Ohio Bobcats in the fourth quarter of the 2011 MAC Championship. Harnish hit wide receiver Martel Moore for a 32-yard touchdown with just over 7:30 to go in the fourth, although the impact of the score was dulled slightly when kicker Mathew Sims missed the ensuing extra point.

The Huskies are still within one score of the Bobcats, but will no longer be able to win the game in regulation with just a touchdown and an extra point. Harnish now is 10-19 on the game for 167 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: Huskies On The Board, Down 20-7

After being shut out in the first half of the 2011 MAC Championship, the Northern Illinois Huskies finally put points on the board with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Chandler Harnish to WR Nathan Palmer with just under seven minutes to go in the third quarter.

The reception for Palmer gave him 93 yards on the night, and brought his average yards per catch for the game to even 31. Though Palmer is the only Husky with more than one catch tonight, it's been the rushing game that has held Northern Illinois back for most of the night, as they've run the ball 25 times for only 94 yards. The Husky defense was also able to hold the Ohio Bobcats to a three-and-out following the touchdown, and Northern Illinois will get the ball back with a chance to cut into the lead even further.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: NIU Down 20-0 At The Half

Northern Illinois' offense came into tonight's MAC championship game averaging almost 40 points per game, but they've been bottled up by the Ohio defense on Friday night. They've also turned the ball over three times.

The Huskies were sluggish enough in the first quarter, but the second proved more of the same, as Ohio continued to move the football with relative ease and put points on the scoreboard. The Bobcats opened up the second quarter scoring with a short field goal; fortunately for NIU, they were able to stop Ohio once the Bobcats got inside the 10.

Ohio scored their second touchdown of the game when quarterback Tyler Tettleton eluded the NIU pass rush, broke contain, and scrambled for an 18-yard score.

Unofficially, Ohio has out-gained Northern Illinois 302-92. But if there's an offense that can dig its way out of this hole, it's Northern Illinois' offense.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Score Update: Bobcats Ahead 10-0 After 1st Quarter

The Northern Illinois Huskies entered Friday night's Mid-American Conference title game against Ohio as the favorites, but it's the Bobcats who have had the better of the proceedings to this point.

The game got off to a rough start for both teams, as they each committed turnovers in the first five minutes. Ohio was driving before QB Tyler Tettleton threw into double coverage around the goal line and was picked off. Not long after that, Northern Illinois gave the ball back after a ball thrown over the middle went off an NIU receiver's hands for an interception. That turnover gave Ohio the ball in good field position, but the Huskies were able to limit them to a field goal.

Later in the quarter, Ohio got its first touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Phil Bates to Donte Foster. Unofficially, the Bobcats outgained Northern Illinois 150-33 in the first quarter.

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Northern Illinois Vs. Ohio Preview: 2011 MAC Championship On The Line Friday Night

The MAC conference title is on the line Friday night at Ford Field, when QB Chandler Harnish and the NIU Huskies take the field against QB Tyler Tettleton and the Ohio Bobcats.