Air Force Rushes Past Northern Illinois in Mountain West Debut
Evan Medders and Owen Allen combined for more than 200 yards rushing and four scores to lead the Air Force Falcons to a 28-7 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday night in DeKalb, Illinois. The matchup marked the inaugural Mountain West Conference game for the Huskies.
Medders carried the ball 16 times for 114 yards, while Allen added 100 yards on 13 carries. The ground game propelled Air Force to a 4-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in conference play, while Northern Illinois dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-1 in the Mountain West.
Ground Game Dominates First Half and Third Quarter
The Falcons established control early on the ground. Medders and Allen each scored on short-yardage touchdown runs in the first half to build a 14-7 lead for Air Force before halftime.
The ground assault continued after the break. Allen broke free for a 33-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Medders followed with a 41-yard scoring run to extend the lead. Quarterback Kemper Hodges added 52 rushing yards on 11 carries, attempting just one pass, which fell incomplete.
Northern Illinois Offense Struggles to Find Rhythm
Northern Illinois quarterback Taron Dickens completed 13 of 20 passes for 140 yards and threw one interception in the loss. Telly Johnson Jr. provided the lone touchdown for the Huskies on a 9-yard run, finishing the game with 47 yards rushing.
The Huskies’ defense struggled to contain the dominant Air Force rushing attack, which wore down the clock and kept the ball out of Northern Illinois’ hands for long stretches of the contest.
Upcoming Mountain West Matchups
Air Force returns home next Saturday to host UNLV. Northern Illinois hits the road to face Wyoming next Saturday as the Huskies look to secure their first win of the season.
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