What many thought would be a close game between hapless teams turned into a common sight for UMass’ season. Northern Illinois dominated from start to finish in a 45-3 victory. Jalen Macon won his first
start of the year at quarterback with 98 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and a 3-of-4 showing in the passing game for 73 yards and another touchdown. Leading the offense to its highest output of the year at 45 points, Macon made his case to be NIU’s frontrunner in a loaded quarterback race for 2026.
An early blocked punt set NIU up to take its first lead. The Huskies got the ball at the UMass 25 on their first drive and turned it into a field goal for the first points of the day. The Huskies then drove 66 yards on their next drive to take a 10-0 lead on a Macon 13-yard run.
UMass then squandered its only two opportunities to make the game competitive on its next two drives. Derek Morris missed a 49-yard field goal after Macon’s first touchdown run and then turned the ball over on downs at the NIU 21. The Huskies scored touchdowns on their last three drives to end the half, creating a commanding 31-0 advantage heading into the break — when their largest lead of the season prior to Wednesday was 14. The second half became a mere formality soon after.
NIU played its brand of tough, downhill football, racking up 318 rushing yards and only needing eight pass attempts. This could not be further from the case for UMass. The Minutemen threw the ball 41 times for 191 yards between AJ Hairston and Brandon Rose. With UMass exhausting its first three options without any luck, one has to wonder if there is anyone other than the triumvirate of Rose, Hairston, and Grant Jordan that the Minutemen can try at quarterback.
Safety Zeraun Daniel and linebacker Donovan Dyson were the lone bright spots for UMass. Daniel had 14 tackles, while Dyson showed the Minutemen’s outstanding depth at linebacker with 1.5 tackles for loss. The Minutemen finally notched their first points with 6:13 left on a 44-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 42, ending the shutout, and allowing the stadium to unload its allotment of fireworks.
NIU ends the series with UMass with a perfect 4-0 record before moving to the Mountain West this summer. The 3-7 Huskies are not eligible for a bowl but can build momentum in their final two games before beginning a new era. UMass drops to 0-10 with Ohio and Bowling Green remaining, still in search of that elusive first win. The Minutemen’s first non-pandemic long season since 1927 inches closer to reality after each game.
