NIU’s win creates logjam atop MAC West

TOLEDO, Ohio – Garrett Wolfe rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Northern Illinois defeated Toledo 35-17 Wednesday night to create a three-way tie atop the Mid-American Conference West Division.

The Huskies (6-4, 5-2) are tied with the Rockets (7-3, 5-2) and Western Michigan with one game to play. Northern Illinois hosts Western Michigan Wednesday and Toledo travels Tuesday to Bowling Green, which needs to win to clinch the MAC East.

The division winners meet in the conference championship game Dec. 1 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Northern Illinois’ win was marred by an injury to Toledo wide receiver Nick Moore, who lay on the field for several minutes late in the fourth quarter after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from a defender on an incompletion.

Moore could be seen shaking his fist in the air as he was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to Toledo Hospital. Moore has 20 receptions for 251 yards this season, including one for 12 yards in the game.

Wolfe’s first touchdown, a 3-yard run with 4:55 left in the third quarter, snapped a 14-all tie. After Jason Robbins kicked a 22-yard field goal for Toledo, the Huskies broke it open on quarterback Dan Nicholson’s 1-yard TD run and a 64-yard score by Wolfe.