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Miami (OH) vs. Northern Illinois

Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois have 22 meetings on file, the first in 1970; Miami (OH) leads the series 13–⁠9 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Miami (OH) 6–⁠4, and Miami (OH) has won the last 5.

Miami (OH) wins
13
Northern Illinois wins
9
Ties
0
Earliest on file
1970
Longest streak
5 Miami (OH)
Current streak
5 Miami (OH)
Last 10 meetings
Miami (OH) 6–⁠4
Most recent
2025

The series at a glance

’0’1’2’3’4’5’6’7’8’9W–L
1970s1–⁠0
1980s4–⁠2
1990s2–⁠0
2000s0–⁠5
2010s3–⁠2
2020s3–⁠0
Average margin
15 points; 9 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
At Miami (OH)
6–⁠5 Miami (OH)‘s record at home
At Northern Illinois
4–⁠6 Northern Illinois’s record at home
Neutral sites
1–⁠0 Miami (OH) first
Shutouts
3

Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.

Games that tell the story

  1. Miami (OH)‘s biggest win1970: Miami (OH) 48, Northern Illinois 0by 48 points
  2. Northern Illinois’s biggest win2015: Northern Illinois 45, Miami (OH) 12by 33 points
  3. Upset1984: Miami (OH) 20, Northern Illinois 7Miami (OH) had a 27% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  4. Upset2010: Miami (OH) 26, Northern Illinois 21Miami (OH) had a 28% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
  5. Upset2018: Miami (OH) 13, Northern Illinois 7Miami (OH) had a 29% chance, by our ratings before kickoff

Coach against coach

YearsMiami (OH)SeriesNorthern Illinois
2014–⁠2018Chuck Martin1–⁠2Rod Carey
2019–⁠2025Chuck Martin4–⁠0Thomas Hammock

Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Miami (OH)‘s side (Martin 1–⁠2 against Carey). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.

Both programs through the years

End-of-season Elo ratings of Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois, 1970 on130015001700197019801990200020102020

Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.

Stars of the series

Biggest days

Sam Hurd Northern Illinois7 catches, 223 yards, 2 TD2005 Receiving
Dustin Woods Miami (OH)8 catches, 178 yards, 1 TD2006 Receiving
Armand Robinson Miami (OH)14 catches, 176 yards, 1 TD2010 Receiving

Named most valuable

Thomas Merriweather2010

Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on). Most valuable: as the games’ Wikipedia articles name them (CC BY-SA).

Every game

Oct 4, 2025Miami (OH) 25, Northern Illinois 14at Northern Illinois
Nov 19, 2024Miami (OH) 20, Northern Illinois 9at Miami (OH)
Nov 16, 2022Miami (OH) 29, Northern Illinois 23at Northern Illinois
Oct 19, 2019Miami (OH) 27, Northern Illinois 24at Miami (OH)
Nov 14, 2018Miami (OH) 13, Northern Illinois 7at Northern Illinois
Oct 17, 2015Northern Illinois 45, Miami (OH) 12at Miami (OH)
Oct 18, 2014Northern Illinois 51, Miami (OH) 41at Northern Illinois
Dec 3, 2010Miami (OH) 26, 24Northern Illinois 21Neutral siteMid-American Championship Game
Oct 24, 2009Northern Illinois 27, Miami (OH) 22at Miami (OH)
Oct 11, 2008Northern Illinois 17, Miami (OH) 13at Northern Illinois
Oct 8, 2006Northern Illinois 28, Miami (OH) 25at Miami (OH)
Oct 5, 2005Northern Illinois 38, Miami (OH) 27at Northern Illinois
Oct 12, 2002Northern Illinois 48, Miami (OH) 41at Miami (OH)
Nov 7, 1998Miami (OH) 41, Northern Illinois 10at Northern Illinois
Nov 15, 1997Miami (OH) 42, Northern Illinois 0at Miami (OH)
Oct 25, 1986Miami (OH) 20, Northern Illinois 6at Northern Illinois
Oct 26, 1985Miami (OH) 32, Northern Illinois 15at Miami (OH)
Oct 27, 1984Miami (OH) 20, Northern Illinois 7at Northern Illinois
Oct 29, 1983Northern Illinois 17, Miami (OH) 0at Miami (OH)
Nov 13, 1982Northern Illinois 12, Miami (OH) 7at Northern Illinois
Nov 14, 1981Miami (OH) 30, Northern Illinois 3at Miami (OH)
Oct 3, 1970Miami (OH) 48, Northern Illinois 0at Miami (OH)

Every game is listed as played on the field.