Roy's Late TD Strike Caps a Wild Comeback Survival as FCS Illinois State Stuns FBS Northern Illinois 28-24
Photo Credit: Jess Choragwicki
A 21-Point Lead, A 24-Point Collapse, and a Storybook Finish
Illinois State needed every ounce of composure it could find on Saturday at Huskie Stadium. The No. 4 FCS Redbirds raced out to a 21-0 lead over FBS opponent Northern Illinois, watched almost all of it disappear as the Huskies reeled off 24 unanswered points, and then found a way to win anyway — a 16-yard touchdown pass from Gage Roy to Alex Herrera in the fourth quarter sealed a 28-24 victory that tested every nerve in the building.
Game Flow Recap: A Fast Start, A Furious Response, A Late Answer
Illinois State couldn't have scripted a better opening. Jack Oliver returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring, Chase Kwiatkowski added a 14-yard rushing score, and Gage Roy connected with Dylan Lord on a 6-yard touchdown pass to push the lead to 21-0 before the second quarter had even finished. It looked, for a stretch, like a laugher in the making.
Northern Illinois had other ideas. Andruw Ellis swung momentum with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown, JJ Schlenhardt added a 40-yard field goal, and Taron Dickens found DeAree Rogers for a 2-yard score to cut the deficit to 21-17 by halftime. The Huskies completed the turnaround in the fourth quarter when Telly Johnson Jr. punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to give the home team its first lead of the game at 24-21. Illinois State needed an answer, and Roy delivered it, hitting Herrera for the go-ahead score that would ultimately stand as the game-winner.
Star Performer: A First Start to Remember for Roy
Making his first career start, Gage Roy was nearly flawless under pressure, finishing 20-of-23 passing for 146 yards and both of Illinois State's second-half touchdown drives running through his arm. Dylan Lord provided a steady target all afternoon with 8 catches for 62 yards and a score, but it was Roy's poise in the face of a 24-point momentum swing that defined the win.
The defense did its part to make sure Roy's late heroics counted. Tye Niekamp terrorized the Northern Illinois backfield with 11 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 tackles for loss, Mason Kaplan added 12 tackles of his own, and Doreon Dubose delivered the exclamation point with a leaping interception that sealed the victory in the final moments.
Turning Point: Two Interceptions, Two Different Stories
This game turned on takeaways at both ends. Jack Oliver's pick-six set the tone early and gave Illinois State all the cushion it could have asked for, but Andruw Ellis's interception return for Northern Illinois flipped that same momentum squarely toward the Huskies just as quickly. It was fitting, then, that the game's final moment also came on a defensive play — Doreon Dubose's leaping interception closing the door on a Northern Illinois offense that had fought all the way back from 21 down.
What It Means: A Signature Road Win for a Rising Program
The win pushed Illinois State to 3-0 on the season, extended the program's road winning streak to 11 consecutive games, and marked the fourth FBS victory of head coach Brock Spack's tenure — a genuine measuring-stick result for a team that entered the year ranked No. 4 in the FCS. Surviving a 24-point unanswered run on the road against an FBS opponent says as much about this team's mental toughness as its talent. Illinois State returns home to host Eastern Illinois on September 19 for the 114th meeting of the Mid-America Classic during Family Weekend, carrying every bit of momentum from Saturday's escape in DeKalb.
