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Data updatedOct 30, 2026
Mountain West

Northern Illinois football stats, 2026

0–7 (0–3 Mountain West). 2026 season, games through Oct 24, 2026.

SP+ rating-25.4137th of 138
SP+ offense13.5134th of 138
SP+ defense38.4136th of 138
PRIME-27.9137th of 138
Elo1065132nd of 138

Northern Illinois football rankings: how good is Northern Illinois?

SP+, PRIME and Elo agree: Northern Illinois is a bottom-20 team (137th, 137th and 132nd). Northern Illinois has 0 wins on 1.4 SP+ expected wins, so it's been unlucky.

What is Northern Illinois good at, and what is it bad at?

Good at

  • Nothing ranks that high.

Bad at

  • Northern Illinois can't get off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 56.4% of their 3rd downs, 137th of 138.
  • Northern Illinois' defensive front gets pushed around: a Big Uglies rating of 37.2, where 50 is average, 134th of 138.
  • Northern Illinois can't stop the run: 0.17 EPA per rush allowed, opponent-adjusted, 133rd of 138.

Good at means top 25 in FBS; bad at means 91st or worse. Turnovers swing a lot from week to week.

Week 9

Northern Illinois at UNLV

Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET. SP+ projection: Northern Illinois 13, UNLV 39. The numbers' pick: UNLV (95%).

Full head to head

Northern Illinois football schedule, 2026

Next: at UNLV, Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET on CBSSN.

WeekDateOpponentResult or kickoff (ET), TV
1Sat, Sep 5at IowaL 0–40
2Sat, Sep 12vs. Illinois StateL 24–28
3Sat, Sep 19at ArizonaL 17–42
4Sat, Sep 26at Georgia StateL 14–35
6Sat, Oct 10vs. Air ForceL 7–28
7Sat, Oct 17at WyomingL 23–41
8Sat, Oct 24vs. Hawai'iL 21–56
9Sat, Oct 31at UNLV10:30 PM ET, CBSSN
10Sat, Nov 7at San José StateTBA, MW+
11Sat, Nov 14vs. NevadaTBA, MW+
12Sat, Nov 21at North Dakota State4:00 PM ET, ESPN Unlmtd, The CW Network, CW
13Sat, Nov 28vs. UTEPTBA, MW+

Kickoff times are Eastern. TV from CollegeFootballData.com; networks are set a week or two ahead.

Northern Illinois's 2026 record: the wins and losses

Record0–7
Strength of record−3.7135th of 138
Schedule so far−1.359th of 138
Average margin−23.4
In wins—
In losses−23.4
Worst loss
vs. Illinois State (FCS), 24–28, Week 2

Wins (0)

None yet.

Losses (7)

  1. at Arizona 6–1, SP+ 14th, AP No. 22 17–42
  2. at Iowa 5–2, SP+ 23rd 0–40
  3. vs. Air Force 5–2, SP+ 73rd 7–28
  4. at Wyoming 5–3, SP+ 98th 23–41
  5. at Georgia State 4–3, SP+ 105th 14–35
  6. vs. Hawai'i 2–6, SP+ 107th 21–56
  7. vs. Illinois State FCS 24–28
Record
Against the AP Top 250–1
Against the SP+ top 250–2
Against the SP+ top 500–2
Against Power 4 teams and Notre Dame0–2
Against teams with winning records0–5
In one-score games (8 points or fewer)0–1
At home0–3
Away0–4
Against FCS teams0–1

Opponents are judged by where they stand now: their record, their SP+ rank out of 138 and the latest AP poll. Wins and losses are listed best opponent first. Strength of record and schedule are PRIME's, on its points scale, where higher is better.

How many championships has Northern Illinois won?

Northern Illinois hasn't won a major-college national championship, though it has 1 small college / College Division title (1963).

Northern Illinois has won 12 conference championships, most recently the MAC in 2021.

MAC
6: 1983, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2021
IIAC
6: 1938, 1944, 1951, 1963, 1964, 1965

Through the 2025 season. National titles are the ones the school claims; conference titles include shared ones. From each program's records as collected on Wikipedia.

Northern Illinois offense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points per game15.1135th
Yards per play5.55110th
Success rate40.4%100th
Explosive play rate10.6%104th
Yards per carry4.8095th
Yards per pass attempt6.74107th
Sack rate allowed9.8%122nd
3rd down conversion30.9%129th

Northern Illinois defense: stats and national ranks

StatValueRank
Points allowed38.6136th
Yards per play allowed6.49109th
Success rate allowed49.8%134th
Explosive plays allowed13.2%106th
Yards per carry allowed5.97126th
Yards per attempt allowed7.4479th
Sack rate3.9%121st
3rd downs allowed56.4%137th

How good is Northern Illinois's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Northern Illinois at 44.8, 113th of 138 (50 is average). It's 50th in adjusted line yards per carry (3.00), gets stuffed on 21.8% of runs (118th fewest) and converts 72.7% of short-yardage runs (67th).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: offensive line44.8113th
Line yards per carry (adjusted)3.0050th
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)21.8%118th
Power success (short yardage)72.7%67th
Sack rate allowed9.8%122nd
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)1.0884th

How good is Northern Illinois's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Northern Illinois's defensive front at 37.2, 134th of 138. It gives up 3.13 adjusted line yards per carry (117th), stuffs 12.4% of runs (134th) and gets a sack on 3.9% of dropbacks (121st).

StatValueRank
Big Uglies: defensive front37.2134th
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.13117th
Stuff rate (defense)12.4%134th
Power success allowed80.5%120th
Sack rate3.9%121st
Front-seven havoc5.7%138th

Are Northern Illinois's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Northern Illinois's line is 50th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (3.00), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 84th in adjusted open-field yards (1.08), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

Northern Illinois football players: the stat leaders

Andruw Ellis (S), Avery Jones (DB), Brady Kerperin (LB), Cam Thompson (WR), DeAree Rogers (WR), Elijah Porter (RB), George Dimopoulos (WR), Jack Murray (LB), Jay'Shon Thomas (DE), Jordan Bellamy (DT), Kole Sneed (DE), Kyon Conyers (S), La'Don Bryant (WR), Taron Dickens (QB), Telly Johnson Jr. (RB), Yassine Falke (CB).

Northern Illinois football results, 2026

WeekOpponentResult
1at IowaL 0–40
2vs. Illinois StateL 24–28
3at ArizonaL 17–42
4at Georgia StateL 14–35
6vs. Air ForceL 7–28
7at WyomingL 23–41
8vs. Hawai'iL 21–56

Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams. Stats from play-by-play; scoring counts FBS opponents only. Compare Northern Illinois with any team.

Questions about Northern Illinois

What is Northern Illinois's record?

Northern Illinois is 0–7, 0–3 in the Mountain West, with games through Oct 24, 2026.

Is Northern Illinois good this year?

Northern Illinois is 137th of 138 in SP+, Bill Connelly's rating (bottom 20), 137th in PRIME and 132nd in Elo. They aren't in the AP Top 25.

Who does Northern Illinois play this week?

Northern Illinois visits UNLV, Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET. The numbers' pick: UNLV.

What is Northern Illinois's 2026 football schedule?

Week 1: at Iowa (L 0–40); Week 2: vs. Illinois State (L 24–28); Week 3: at Arizona (L 17–42); Week 4: at Georgia State (L 14–35); Week 6: vs. Air Force (L 7–28); Week 7: at Wyoming (L 23–41); Week 8: vs. Hawai'i (L 21–56); Week 9: at UNLV; Week 10: at San José State; Week 11: vs. Nevada; Week 12: at North Dakota State; Week 13: vs. UTEP.

When does Northern Illinois play next, and what channel is it on?

At UNLV, Sat, Oct 31, 10:30 PM ET, at Allegiant Stadium. It's on CBSSN.

What was the score of Northern Illinois's last game?

Northern Illinois lost to Hawai'i 56–21 on Sat, Oct 24 at home.

Who is Northern Illinois's quarterback?

Taron Dickens has thrown the most for Northern Illinois this season: 1,378 passing yards through Oct 24, 2026.

Where does Northern Illinois play its home games?

Huskie Stadium.

Where is Northern Illinois ranked?

Unranked in the latest AP poll. 137th of 138 in SP+, 137th in PRIME and 132nd in Elo.

How many national championships has Northern Illinois won?

Northern Illinois hasn't won a major-college national championship, though it has 1 small college / College Division title (1963).

How many conference championships has Northern Illinois won?

Northern Illinois has won 12 conference championships, most recently the MAC in 2021. Northern Illinois has 6 MAC titles.

How good is Northern Illinois?

SP+, PRIME and Elo agree: Northern Illinois is a bottom-20 team (137th, 137th and 132nd). Northern Illinois has 0 wins on 1.4 SP+ expected wins, so it's been unlucky.

What is Northern Illinois bad at?

Northern Illinois can't get off the field on 3rd down: opponents convert 56.4% of their 3rd downs, 137th of 138. Northern Illinois' defensive front gets pushed around: a Big Uglies rating of 37.2, where 50 is average, 134th of 138. Northern Illinois can't stop the run: 0.17 EPA per rush allowed, opponent-adjusted, 133rd of 138.

How good is Northern Illinois's offensive line?

Big Uglies, our offensive line rating, has Northern Illinois at 44.8, 113th of 138 (50 is average). It's 50th in adjusted line yards per carry (3.00), gets stuffed on 21.8% of runs (118th fewest) and converts 72.7% of short-yardage runs (67th).

How good is Northern Illinois's defensive line?

Big Uglies has Northern Illinois's defensive front at 37.2, 134th of 138. It gives up 3.13 adjusted line yards per carry (117th), stuffs 12.4% of runs (134th) and gets a sack on 3.9% of dropbacks (121st).

Are Northern Illinois's backs actually good, or is it all the offensive line?

Northern Illinois's line is 50th of 138 in adjusted line yards per carry (3.00), the part of each run it earns. Its backs are 84th in adjusted open-field yards (1.08), the part they earn past 10 yards. It's mostly the line: the backs aren't adding much once they're past it.

Who is Northern Illinois's head coach?

Rob Harley, in his first season.

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