Who’s Playing
Ohio Bobcats @ Northern Illinois Huskies
Current Records: Ohio 5-1, Northern Illinois 2-4
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 4 p.m. ET
- Where: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium — DeKalb, Illinois
- TV: ESPN University
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
What to Know
The Ohio Bobcats will head out on the road to face off against the Northern Illinois Huskies at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games, so things might heat up even more against one another.
Ohio had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 16.6 points), and they went ahead and made it five. They blew past Kent State 42-17. Ohio was heavily favored coming into this match, and the results showcase why.
Kurtis Rourke looked great while leading his team to the win, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns, while also punching in a touchdown on the ground. That’s the first time this season that Rourke threw for 300 or more yards. Another player making a difference was Miles Cross, who picked up 125 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
The team’s defense also helped out by holding Kent State to a paltry 228 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Ohio’s ability to keep the quarterback under presure: the team laid him out six times before it was all said and done. Leading the way was Bradley Weaver and his two sacks.
Northern Illinois can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Saturday. They put a hurting on Akron on the road to the tune of 55-14. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-7.
Antario Brown had a dynamite game for Northern Illinois, rushing for 280 yards and four touchdowns on only 13 carries. That’s the first time this season that Brown punched in two or more rushing touchdowns. Gavin Williams was another major influence, as he rushed for 37 yards and ran in a TD.
Ohio’s win was their fifth straight at home, which bumped their overall record up to 5-1. Meanwhile, Northern Illinois’ win on Saturday bumped their record up to 2-4.
Northern Illinois is hoping to beat the odds on Saturday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs at home this season.
Ohio was able to grind out a solid victory over Northern Illinois in their previous meeting back in October of 2022, winning 24-17. The rematch might be a little tougher for Ohio since the team won’t have the home-field advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Ohio is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Northern Illinois, according to the latest college football odds.
The over/under is set at 44 points.
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Series History
Northern Illinois and Ohio both have 2 wins in their last 4 games.
- Oct 22, 2022 – Ohio 24 vs. Northern Illinois 17
- Oct 12, 2019 – Northern Illinois 39 vs. Ohio 36
- Oct 13, 2018 – Northern Illinois 24 vs. Ohio 21
- Nov 24, 2015 – Ohio 26 vs. Northern Illinois 21
