Kent falls to N. Illinois; Golden Flashes are 3-7

Kent’s quarterback was injured in the second quarter.

DEKALB, Ill. (AP) — Tailbacks Justin Anderson and David Bryant combined for 208 yards rushing to help Northern Illinois snap a five-game losing streak in a 27-20 win over Kent State on Saturday.

Anderson cracked the 1,000 yard rushing mark on the season and had one touchdown rushing and one receiving. Bryant ran for a career-high 110 yards on 28 carries, while Dan Nicholson was 21-of-28 for 275 yards with 2 TDs and 2 interceptions.

The Huskies (2-8, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) held on to win despite three first half turnovers, a botched snap on a field goal attempt seconds before halftime and a missed field goal in the fourth.

Kent State (3-7, 1-5) dropped its fifth straight game despite Eugene Jarvis’ 170 yards on 20 carries. Jarvis broke the school’s single-season rushing record with the performance and has 1,429 yards with two games remaining.

Kent State quarterback Giorgio Morgan ran for a touchdown in the first quarter but was injured in the second quarter and did not return.

Backup quarterback Jon Brown led the Golden Flashes to a score on his first drive, connecting with halfback Alan Vanderink on a 1-yard pass to bring Kent State to within a touchdown.

The Golden Flashes had an opportunity to tie in the game’s final minutes, but Northern Illinois linebacker John Tranchitella intercepted a Brown pass on the Huskies’ 10-yard line.