Victory was in view many times this season for the NIU football team.

And after five home games, the Huskies were able to enjoy a victory, beating Kent State 27-20.

“We sung the fight song for the first time [after the game],” NIU head coach Joe Novak said. “I feel confident that we’ll sing that thing many, many more times in that locker room over the years.”

NIU (2-8 overall, 1-5 MAC) went into halftime holding a 21-14 lead, largely due to quarterback Dan Nicholson. The junior completed 13-17 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

However, two of Nicholson’s incompletions were intercepted by the Golden Flashes (3-7, 1-5), who were able to convert these picks into 14 points.

For the game, Nicholson contributed 275 yards of NIU’s 510 yards of offense. The quarterback left in the game in the fourth quarter as he got “his bell rung,” according to Novak.

Injuries also affected NIU’s running backs. Backup tailback Chad Spann was injured during a special teams play. This left the Huskies with only Justin Anderson and David Bryant at the position.

Anderson, who rushed for 98 yards, saw limited action in the second half due to a knee injury. However, the running back was able to pass 1,000 rushing yards for the season in the victory. Novak does expect Anderson to be able to play in next weekend’s game.

This left Bryant to carry the load for NIU. In response, the redshirt sophomore ran for 110 yards on 28 carries against KSU.

“It was a good feeling,” Bryant said. “I know [the offensive linemen] are doing the best they can. I’m trying to do the best I can for them.”

Injury also affected KSU. With 4:31 remaining in the first half, the Golden Flashes quarterback Giorgio Morgan was sacked.

The third-string quarterback injured his knee and was carried off the field by his offensive linemen.

This forced KSU coach Doug Martin to play fourth-string quarterback Jon Brown for the remainder of the game.

“He’s about all we got left at this point,” Martin said. “He responded the way you like to see a kid respond. He gave us a chance to tie the game at the end.”

Down by seven, KSU started its final drive on its own 34-yard line with 2:39 remaining. A little more than a minute later, the Golden Flashes were on the Huskie 24-yard line, looking to score.

Brown released a pass intended for KSU wide receiver Derek McBryde. However, NIU linebacker John Tranchitella intercepted the ball, sealing NIU’s first home victory.

“I talked to Larry [English] about that,” defensive end Brandon Bice said. “We were just so thankful to get off the field because we were getting pretty tired there.”

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