2013 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

2013 Northern Illinois Huskies football
MAC West Division champion
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record12–2 (8–0 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBob Cole (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJay Niemann (3rd season)
MVPJordan Lynch
CaptainJamaal Bass, Jared Volk, Jordan Lynch, Jimmie Ward
Home stadiumHuskie Stadium
Seasons
← 2012
2014 →
2013 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Bowling Green x$   7 1     10 4  
Buffalo   6 2     8 5  
Ohio   4 4     7 6  
Akron   4 4     5 7  
Kent State   3 5     4 8  
UMass   1 7     1 11  
Miami (OH)   0 8     0 12  
West Division
Northern Illinois x   8 0     12 2  
Ball State   7 1     10 3  
Toledo   5 3     7 5  
Central Michigan   5 3     6 6  
Eastern Michigan   1 7     2 10  
Western Michigan   1 7     1 11  
Championship: Bowling Green 47, Northern Illinois 27
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

The 2013 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) member during the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Rod Carey, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 12–2 with a mark of 8–0 In conference play, they won the MAC West Division title, and advanced to the MAC Championship Game, where they lost to East Division champion Bowling Green. Northern Illinois was invited to the Poinsettia Bowl, where they lost to Utah State. The team played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.

Fresh off their Orange Bowl appearance the previous season, the Huskies went undefeated until the MAC Championship Game. This garnered national attention with the anticipation of another Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowl appearance. Starting quarterback Jordan Lynch finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy.[1] The season marked the Huskies' sixth consecutive trip to a bowl game and their second consecutive bowl game loss.

  1. ^ "Heisman finalist: Jordan Lynch". ESPN. December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2017.