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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio football team returns to Athens for its 2025 Homecoming game, hosting the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+ with Doug Sherman and Jerod Cherry on the call. 
 
The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for more than two decades. 
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. NIU
The Bobcats and the Huskies have met 25 times since 1968, posting an 11-14 record. This matchup marks the last time Ohio and Northern Illinois will meet as conference opponents. 
 
The pair last faced off in 2023 at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Ill.  After taking a 13-7 lead with seven seconds remaining in the first half, the Bobcats were unable to strike again and ultimately fell, 23-13. 
 
SCOUTING NIU 
The Huskies are currently 1-5 overall, posting a 0-2 record against MAC opponents. As a team, NIU averages 10.83 points on 157.8 rushing yards and 99.83 passing yards per game. 
 
The Huskies are coming off a 16-10 loss to the Eastern Michigan Eagles (Oct. 11). They rushed for a season-high 216 yards on Saturday, but EMU outscored NIU 10-0 in the fourth quarter. Individually, sophomore running back Telly Johnson Jr. rushed for a season-high 137 yards on 12 carries, including an 80-yard touchdown run to highlight his third career 100-yard rushing game. Freshman quarterback Brady Davidson threw for 96 yards in his second consecutive start. Sophomore wide receiver Gary Givens led the Huskies with three receptions for 42 yards. Defensively, Jasper Beeler led NIU with a career-high 11 tackles. Senior defensive end Roy Williams and redshirt senior safety Muhammed Jammeh each had a career-high nine tackles, with Williams adding a tackle for loss.
 
In the air, both Davidson and redshirt sophomore quarterback Josh Holst have appeared in four games. Holst is currently 46-for-77 with two interceptions and one touchdown on 376 yards, while Davidson is 26-for-58 with three interceptions and one touchdown on 215 yards. Johnson Jr. leads the rushers, owning 67 carries and two touchdowns on 417 yards so far this season. Redshirt senior running back Chavon Wright leads the team in carries (82) and trails Johnson Jr. by a little over 100 yards, scoring once on 314 yards.
 
Junior wide receiver DeAgree Rogers has 28 receptions on the season, recording 289 yards and one of NIU's two receiving touchdowns, with the other going to redshirt junior tight end Jake Appleget. Givens claims 6 receptions on 87 yards, half of which were logged against EMU. A dual threat, Johnson Jr. is responsible for 11 receptions on 61 yards so far this season. 
 
On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt senior linebacker Quinn Urwiler leads the team in total tackles (70), solo tackles (36), assisted tackles (34) and tackles for loss (5).  Redshirt sophomore linebacker Filip Maciorowski has 46 tackles on the season—including 20 solo stops and 2.5 tackles for loss—while redshirt sophomore Mark Hensley has the second-most tackles for loss (3.5). Jammeh owns two of NIU's four interceptions; junior safety Jasper Beeler and senior cornerback Donte Harrison snagged one pick each as well. Harrison also leads the team in pass break-ups (3) and has recorded 20 tackles.
 
Senior kicker Andrew Glass is the Huskies' leading scorer, responsible for 23 points on the season. Currently, Glass is 5-for-6 on PATs and 6-for-8 on field goals, with his longest clocking in at 39 yards. Additionally, he has amassed 1,114 yards on 19 kickoffs, averaging 58.6 yards per kick. Redshirt freshman punter Danny Vuckovic has 25 punts on the season, averaging 42.28 yards per punt. 

To read this week's complete game notes, click here. 

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