Northern Illinois Huskies at Massachusetts Minutemen
· NCAA - Football
Macon scores 4 TDs in first start as NIU downs UMass 45-3
Macon, an FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer, became the first NIU quarterback to win his debut start with the program since Rocky Lombardi, who led a 22-21 upset of Georgia Tech in 2021.
Macon ran for three scores and threw another, steering an NIU offense that piled up 318 rushing yards while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He finished with 98 yards on 12 attempts, including a 36-yard touchdown burst early in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 38-0. He also hit Elijah Porter for a 67-yard touchdown in the second quarter for the Huskies (3-7, 2-4 MAC).
Chavon Wright added 86 yards and a 1-yard touchdown, and backup Brady Davidson found Gary Givens for a 31-yard score to cap NIU’s output with 8:16 left in the third. The Huskies scored on seven of their first eight possessions and recorded six plays of 20 yards or more.
NIU’s defense controlled every phase, holding UMass to 65 rushing yards on 25 carries and surrendering points only on a 44-yard field goal by Derek Morris with 6:13 left. The Minutemen (0-10, 0-6) managed just one red-zone trip and averaged 4.7 yards per pass attempt.
Macon and Brady Davidson were 3-for-4 passing for the Huskies, combining for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
UMass quarterbacks Brandon Rose and AJ Hairston combined for 197 yards, with Jacquon Gibson leading the receiving corps at 64 yards.
How To Watch
How can I watch Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Massachusetts Minutemen?
- TV Channel: Huskies at Minutemen 2021 College Football, week 12, is broadcasted on ESPNU.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
FG | 1st Period 10:41 | Andrew Glass 37 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 1st Period 4:53 | Jalen Macon 13 Yd Run (Andrew Glass Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 11:42 | Elijah Porter 67 Yd pass from Jalen Macon (Andrew Glass Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 2:29 | Chavon Wright 1 Yd Run (Andrew Glass Kick) |
|
TD | 2nd Period 1:20 | Jalen Macon 1 Yd Run (Andrew Glass Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 12:05 | Jalen Macon 36 Yd Run (Andrew Glass Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 8:16 | Gary Givens 31 Yd pass from Brady Davidson (Andrew Glass Kick) |
 |
FG | 4th Period 6:13 | Derek Morris 44 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
 NIU |
 MASS |
|
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1st Downs | 17 |
| 5-11 | 3rd down efficiency | 6-15 |
| 3-3 | 4th down efficiency | 1-3 |
| 433 | Total Yards | 262 |
| 115 | Passing | 197 |
| 6/8 | Comp/Att | 25/42 |
| 14.4 | Yards per pass | 4.7 |
| 318 | Rushing | 65 |
| 55 | Rushing Attempts | 25 |
| 5.8 | Yards per rush | 2.6 |
| 3-35 | Penalties | 3-35 |
| 0 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 0 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
| 0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 33:41 | Possession | 26:19 |
Game Information
Location: Amherst, MA
Attendance: 6,155 · Capacity:
College Football News
NFeLementary, the football-based curriculum taking over Mary Crippen's classroom
Mary Crippen, a third grade educator based in Florida, built NFeLementary by expanding on a football-based curriculum her mother created decades earlier.
Fernando Mendoza: 2026 NFL draft scouting report, QB ranking
Mendoza is the top quarterback in the 2026 draft class. What are his strengths and weaknesses, and will he go No. 1?
Ranking the best players in the college football transfer portal
The transfer portal closed Jan. 16. Here's your guide to the best players on the move this offseason.
Clendon Thomas, Hall of Fame RB for Oklahoma in 1950s, dies at 90
Clendon Thomas, a Hall of Fame running back who helped Oklahoma win two national titles in the 1950s, died Monday night. He was 90.
Northern Arizona AD Farkas resigns to focus on health, family
Uri Farkas resigned as Northern Arizona's athletic director on Tuesday, saying he wanted to focus on his "physical and mental health, as well as the overall well-being of my family."