RALEIGH, N.C. — Northern Illinois lost its second consecutive game since its stunning victory against then-No. 5 Notre Dame, falling 24-17 on Saturday to former coach Dave Doeren and North Carolina State.
The Huskies (2-2) outgained the Wolfpack 283 yards to 171 and held them to 1-for-11 on third-down conversions, but they were done in by four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumbles — by quarterback Ethan Hampton.
‘‘You lose the turnover battle 4-0, and it’s hard to win,’’ NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. ‘‘They blitzed us early and often. We just didn’t make enough plays.’’
The Huskies had been on a six-game streak, dating to last season, of not allowing any sacks. But N.C. State shattered any hope NIU had of extending that run by sacking Hampton four times, matching its total from its first four games combined. All told, the Wolfpack had 12 tackles for loss.
N.C. State opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback CJ Bailey, who was making his second start as a true freshman, midway through the first quarter.
After the Huskies responded with a three-yard touchdown run by fullback Brock Lampe late in the first, the momentum shifted when Wolfpack safety DK Kaufman reached Hampton on a third-down blitz, knocked the ball out of his hand and returned the fumble two yards for a touchdown for a 14-7 lead early in the second.
N.C. State added a field goal to make it 17-7 with five minutes left in the second before Hampton (14-for-29, 159 yards) threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Cam Thompson to pull NIU to 17-14 at the break.
The Wolfpack’s defense provided another boost early in the third when defensive end Devin Vann forced Hampton into a fumble that defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland recovered and returned to the Huskies’ 1. Bailey took advantage of the field position to throw a touchdown pass to KC Concepcion that pushed N.C. State’s lead to 24-14.
Kanon Woodill — whose last-minute field goal beat Notre Dame 16-14 on Sept. 7 — made a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth to cut NIU’s deficit to 24-17, but Wolfpack cornerback Corey Coley intercepted a pass by Hampton in the end zone as time expired to end the Huskies’ hopes of another victory against a power-conference opponent.
‘‘It was a team win,’’ said Doeren, who coached NIU for two seasons (2011-12) before leaving for N.C. State. ‘‘Offensively, obviously, statistics are not good. But we did not turn the football over the whole game, we punted the football really well and we played dominant defense against a really good football team.
‘‘I know people are upset we didn’t have enough yards, this, that and the other. Don’t be mad about winning. That was a hell of a team win.’’
Antario Brown had 114 yards on 28 carries for the Huskies.
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