Northern Illinois Stuns No. 5 Notre Dame: Antario Brown Leads Huskies in Major Upset
South Bend, IN – In one of the biggest shockers of the year, Coach Thomas Hammock and the Northern Illinois Huskies stunned the 5th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 16-14. This was a total team effort, led by a defense that suffocated Notre Dame’s offense, allowing just 163 passing yards and picking off quarterback Riley Leonard twice. The Huskies’ front seven also dominated the run game, holding the Irish to 123 yards on the ground.
Senior defensive tackle Devonte O’Malley had a standout performance, racking up four tackles, including three for a loss, along with two sacks and a forced fumble. O’Malley set the tone early, keeping Notre Dame’s offense off balance the entire game.
But the real star was senior running back Antario Brown, who delivered one of the best performances of his career. Brown rushed 20 times for 99 yards and caught two passes for a staggering 126 yards, including a pivotal touchdown. He racked up 199 total yards from scrimmage in just the first half, making Notre Dame’s defense struggle to contain him.
This victory will be remembered as a signature moment for the Huskies, who came into South Bend as heavy underdogs but walked away with one of the season’s most stunning upsets.
