DEKALB, Ill. – The Western Michigan football team closed its regular season with a 17-14 setback Tuesday at Northern Illinois. The Huskies led 10-0 at halftime and put the game out of reach on a seven-yard touchdown pass from running back Michael Love to Mitch Brinkman with 7:47 to go in the fourth quarter.

Senior running back LeVante Bellamy highlighted the Bronco offense, galloping into the end zone from six yards away in the third frame and from 16 yards out in the final frame. Bellamy now has 23 rushing touchdowns this season, the second most in a year in program history.

Freshman wide receiver Skyy Moore also aided the offense with nine receptions for 125 yards. Despite rainy conditions, senior Jon Wassink ended the game with 185 passing yards to go along 26 yards rushing.

Defensively, WMU was led by junior defensive end Ali Fayad, who booked a career-high 4.5 tackles for lost yardage, 1.0 sack, one caused fumble, one fumble recovery and a team-high seven tackles. Junior defensive tackle Ralph Holley also contributed backfield pressure with a season-high 2.5 TFL. Sophomore cornerback Patrick Lupro chipped in with a career-high tying 1.5 TFL and a pass breakup.

With the loss, the Broncos end the regular season at 7-5 and 5-3 in MAC play. WMU can advance to the Marathon Mid-American Conference Football Championship Game with a Central Michigan loss to Toledo on Friday. Regardless of the outcome of the Chippewas' contest, the Broncos will learn their bowl destination on Sunday, December 8.

In the opening quarter, the Broncos forced NIU's opening drive to end on downs. Western Michigan than marched down to the Huskie 17-yard line before a blocked field goal ended up with Northern Illinois taking over at the WMU 44. Four plays later, however, redshirt freshman Braden Fiske recovered his first career fumble to give it right back to the Broncos. A turnover on downs, this time by WMU, allowed Northern Illinois to score the only points of the opening frame as John Richardson nailed a 44-yard field goal with 25 seconds left in the period.

The second frame had Western Michigan gain 12 yards on its first drive before reaching the NIU 29-yard line and missing a 46-yard field goal with 2:31 left in the half. On the first play after the missed field goal, Tyrice Richie's incredible balance led to a 71-yard touchdown pass. Richie seemed to be tackled after a 10-yard gain, but kept his balance, bounced off a Bronco defender, never touched the ground and scampered into the end zone for a 10-0 Huskie lead at the 2:15 mark. WMU responded and marched to the NIU 13-yard line, aided by 46 receiving yards by Moore and a five-yard reception on fourth-and-three from Keith Mixon Jr., but a sack and fumble on the ensuing first down allowed Northern Illinois to take over with 37 seconds to play and run out the half.

Western Michigan answered quickly in the third quarter, taking the opening drive 81 yards and capping it with a six-yard Bellamy touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-7. Bellamy accounted for the final 68 yards on the drive on four consecutive rushing plays. Following that opening drive, the two teams combined for 48 yards of total offense in the remainder of the quarter.

A trick play in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach in favor of the Huskies. After a sack on third down had the Broncos punting out of their own end zone, Northern Illinois took over at the Western Michigan 30-yard line. A 26-yard rush by Jordan Nettles ended up with first-and-goal from the five-yard line. On third-and-goal, Love took a pitch and tossed to an uncovered Brinkman in the end zone.

The Broncos answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive as Bellamy punched it in from 16 yards away to cut the NIU lead down to three with 6:25 remaining. After punts from both teams, NIU possessed the ball with 3:13 to go before Justin Tranquill forced NIU's fifth fumble of the night, recovered by Fayad to give WMU the ball back with 2:10 remaining.

On the first play of the Bronco drive, Wassink connected with redshirt freshman DaShon Bussell for 26 yards before WMU's fourth fumble of the game gave the Huskies the ball back. NIU secured the 17-14 victory three plays later after three kneel downs.

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