2025 Week 14 Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes @ Northern Illinois Huskies

Game notes

• Time and date: Friday, November 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET

• Network: CBS Sports Network

• Location: Huskie Stadium — DeKalb, IL

• Spread: Northern Illinois (-5.5)

• Over/under: 44.5

• All-time series: Northern Illinois leads, 23-8

• Last meeting: Northern Illinois 37, Kent State 27 — November 25, 2023

• Current streak: Northern Illinois, 2 (2021-23)

Setting the scene

We bid farewell to thee, Northern Illinois Huskies. NIU served the MAC exceptionally well, tying fellow departed member Marshall for the most MAC Championship Game victories at five. The Huskies qualified for the 2012 Orange Bowl and sent a Heisman finalist to New York (Jordan Lynch in 2013) during a highly-successful stint in the MAC. But that MAC patch fades from the uniform after Friday, as it will be exchanged for a Mountain West emblem.

This is Northern Illinois’ final game during its 29-year stretch in the conference, and it will face its most recent MAC Championship Game opponent Kent State, in a rematch of the 2021 battle in Detroit. Neither team can qualify for bowl eligibility, but both teams are heavily motivated to send their seniors off on the right foot on Friday afternoon in DeKalb.

Kent State Golden Flashes outlook

Kent State (4-7, 3-5 MAC) exceeded all expectations coming off an 0-12 season, keeping bowl eligibility in play until last week. After running through a gauntlet in the non-conference slate, the Golden Flashes have been largely competitive in MAC play — only losing one of their seven conference games by more than 12 points.

Kent State’s offense is largely big play or bust. The Golden Flashes generate some of the most explosives in the MAC, as quarterback Dru DeShields has thrown four 75+ yard touchdown strikes this year. Kent State’s leading receiver Cade Wolford averages 25.8 yards per reception, and he has seven touchdowns on just 19 receptions. They can truly score from anywhere on the field as a passing offense, but when those plays don’t arrive, the offense can struggle — as evidenced by the last game vs. Central Michigan.

The Golden Flashes have the fewest red zone appearances in the FBS at 18 and offer the second-worst third down conversion rate in the FBS at 27.2 percent. In order to improve upon those metrics, they’ll need stronger showings from the run game, which ranks 132nd in the FBS, to become more multifaceted on offense. But one thing the offense does exceptionally well is avoid turnovers. DeShields has 16 touchdowns compared to two interceptions on the year, taking excellent care of the ball on a consistent basis.

Kent State’s defensive numbers were extremely skewed due to the three blowouts in took in non-conference play, but the unit has performed to an adequate standard in MAC play, limiting four of seven opponents to under 30 — a drastic improvement from 2024. The defense doesn’t force turnovers often, only acquiring nine on the year, but it can produce stops through an effective run defense. Linebackers Mason Woods and CJ Young, as well as defensive end Jamond Mathis, all have at least 8.0 tackles for loss, putting substantial pressure in opposing backfields.

Defending the run is of utmost importance against NIU, but in passing situations, Terrell Miller will be the Golden Flash to watch, picking off passes in each of his last two games as the team’s top cover corner.

Northern Illinois Huskies outlook

Northern Illinois (3-8, 2-5 MAC) will not go bowling for the first time since 2022, so the Huskies need a bowl game approach to this senior day as they prepare to flee the MAC.

The Huskies continue their season-long quest to figure out the offense. NIU has shuffled through three different starting quarterbacks, and the in-game QB changes are still transpiring in late November. One week ago, the more run-oriented Jalen Macon earned his second start but was swapped for Brady Davidson in effort to spark the passing game. NIU may change quarterbacks based on the situation, and there are plenty of options on the table this Friday.

But the Huskies really want to attack opponents using the run game. Chavon Wright has 696 yards on the year and Telly Johnson Jr. has 676 in an effective one-two punch, manufacturing the FBS’s 47th-ranked rushing attack. Wright is the workhorse back that often finds for the tough yardage, and Johnson adds tremendous color as a breakaway touchdown specialist, scoring all four of his touchdowns this season from 40+ yards out.

The other skill position player to keep tabs on is wide receiver DeAree Rogers. Despite a recent production dip, Rogers is NIU’s unquestionable No. 1 receiver, handling a bulk of the production with 44 receptions for 494 yards in his first year as a Huskie.

NIU ranks 130th nationally in scoring offense and 132nd in total offense, and the signature of this team is the defensive side of the ball. Despite a 3-8 record, the Huskies are top 60 in the FBS in both scoring defense and run defense, headlined by a ferocious linebacking group. Inside linebacker Quinn Urwiler is third in the FBS with 129 tackles, while Filip Maciorowski complements him with 84 stops and 6.5 tackles for loss.

The Huskies don’t get beat through the air too often, and that’s a credit to safeties Jasper Beeler and Muhammed Jammeh, who combine for five interceptions and 126 tackles.

Prediction

Like many MAC games in 2025, this one will be of the lower-scoring variety. Northern Illinois’ defense matches up exceptionally well against Kent State’s offense. There may be a couple home run plays by the Golden Flashes, but the Huskies should be able to force routine stops to send the punting team out. Kent State’s defense also matches up favorably against NIU’s run-oriented attack.

This will be a close finish, but the deciding factor will be former Kent State and current NIU kicker Andrew Glass, who sinks a game-winning field goal on senior day, sending the Huskies off victorious in their final-ever MAC matchup.

Prediction: Northern Illinois 17, Kent State 14