Nebraska’s football history with Northern Illinois
After starting 2023 with back-to-back road games, the Nebraska Cornhuskers return home to Memorial Stadium to host the Northern Illinois Huskies. NIU will enter the game with a record of 1-1 after winning at Boston College and losing to FCS opponent Southern Illinois.
The Huskies are led by head coach Thomas Hammock, who holds a record of 1-1 against Nebraska and an overall record of 17-27. Hammock’s most successful season came in 2021 when NIU finished with a 9-5 mark and won the Mid-American Conference title game.
The Cornhuskers do not have a deep history with Northern Illinois, but they have met on the field on several occasions. Scroll below to closely examine the history on the field between the Huskers and the Huskies.
Sept. 9, 1989: Nebraska 48 NIU 17
The No. 4 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers kicked off the 1989 season, welcoming Northern Illinois to Memorial Stadium. The Huskies would put a scare into the Huskers, with both teams tied at 17 at the half. Nebraska would eventually pull away in the second half. Ken Clark would lead Nebraska with 168 yards on the ground on only 14 carries.
Sept. 8, 1990: Nebraska 60 NIU 14
Nebraska’s offense was looking to rebound after a 13-point outing against Baylor to kick off the 1990 season. The Huskers would score 60 points en route to a 60-14 victory. Nebraska would total 424 yards of total offense while only surrendering 197 yards. Quarterback Mickey Joseph would finish with 103 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in the effort
Sept. 16, 2017: NIU 21 Nebraska 17
Nebraska was looking to recover after a loss at Oregon the week prior. The Huskers would tally almost 150 yards more than NIU in total offense but it didn’t matter in the end. The Huskies would use a pair of first-quarter pick sixes to propel NIU to a 21-17 victory. The loss would mark the beginning of the end of the Mike Riley era of Nebraska football.
Sept. 14, 2019: Nebraska 44 NIU 8
After a disappointing loss at Colorado the week prior, the Huskers returned to Memorial Stadium to host Northern Illinois. Adrian Martinez would total more than 300 yards of total offense in the effort. The quarterback would tally 257 yards in the air while adding another 44 on the ground.
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