Northern Illinois receiver Martel Moore caught eight passes for 224 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies came back from a daunting early deficit to beat Arkansas State in college football's GoDaddy.com Bowl Sunday. The Huskies trailed 13-0 late in the first quarter, but the Mid-American Conference champions scored 31 unanswered points on the way to their ninth straight victory. It was the third time this season Northern Illinois (11-3) rallied from a double-digit deficit to win. Arkansas State (10-3) had its nine-game winning streak snapped. The Sun Belt champions couldn't overcome five turnovers – including three interceptions thrown by quarterback Ryan Aplin. NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish completed 18 of 36 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns in his final college game. He came into the game as the nation's top rushing quarterback, averaging 106.3 yards per game, but was limited to minus-3 on the ground after being slowed by an ankle injury in the second quarter. Harnish might not have been able to run, but Moore could. His 224 yards receiving were the third-most in a game in school history. Arkansas State jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, but that was almost disappointing considering the Red Wolves had to settle for two short field goals instead of touchdowns. Brian Davis connected on field goals from 32 and 36 yards before Aplin found the end zone on a 2-yard run. The missed opportunities kept Northern Illinois close, and after some early trouble on offense, the Huskies made their move. Harnish hit Perez Ashford on a 9-yard touchdown pass two plays after a disputed spot on fourth down kept the drive alive, pulling the Huskies to within 13-7 just before the end of the first quarter. Harnish led Huskies on another touchdown drive just before halftime. Coach Dave Doeren gambled on the final play of the drive, going for the touchdown with 2 seconds remaining instead of a point-blank field goal try. It worked, with Jamal Womble plowing forward for a 1-yard touchdown to give Northern Illinois a 21-13 halftime lead. Arkansas State had been called for a crucial roughing-the-kicker penalty on a fourth down that extended the drive.
