Northern Illinois @ Eastern Michigan preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2011 ) Eastern Michigan 12, Northern Illinois 18

Northern Illinois will try to tie a school record with its 11th consecutive victory Friday when it visits Eastern Michigan in a Mid-American Conference game. The 23rd-ranked Huskies, back in the top 25 for the first time in two years, joined Oregon last week as the only FBS teams with three consecutive 10-win seasons. Northern Illinois has won 15 straight against MAC opponents, the longest active conference winning streak in the nation, and has taken four in a row and 10 of the last 11 against Eastern Michigan.

TV: 1 p.m. ET. ESPN3. LINE: Northern Illinois -20.

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (10-1, 7-0 MAC): Jordan Lynch continues to put up numbers never before seen by a Division I quarterback. He passed for 407 yards and rushed for 162 in a 31-24 victory Saturday against Toledo, becoming the first quarterback in FBS history to pass for at least 400 yards and rush for at least 150 in a game. He joined Denard Robinson of Michigan as the only quarterbacks to surpass 2,500 yards passing and 1,500 yards rushing during the same season. Lynch needs 199 rushing yards to break Robinson’s FBS single-season rushing mark by a quarterback, set in 2010.

ABOUT EASTERN MICHIGAN (2-9, 1-6): The Eagles employ a two-quarterback system that’s unique in that both players are usually on the field at the same time. Alex Gillett displayed his versatility Saturday in a 29-23 victory against Western Michigan, rushing nine times for 60 yards, catching five passes for 45 yards and a touchdown and throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass. His rotation partner, Tyler Benz, threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Their favorite target has been tight end Garrett Hoskins, who leads the team with 36 receptions for 529 yards and three touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Northern Illinois lost starting left tackle Tyler Loos to a season-ending broken leg against Toledo.

2. The Huskies have outscored their opponents 220-93 in the second half this season.

3. Eastern Michigan running back Bronson Hill needs 86 yards to reach 1,000 for the season. He’s averaging 6.9 yards a carry.

PREDICTION: Northern Illinois 35, Eastern Michigan 10.