Those questions remain unanswered. Northern Illinois jumped into the rankings after beating Notre Dame but also had the following week off. It’s too early to tell if a close loss to Buffalo means that NIU isn’t as good as people thought. Nor does it help us determine if NIU is a playoff contender or if Notre Dame had a bad day — or both.

He became the first Huskies running back since Garrett Wolfe in 2006 with a 100-yard receiving game, with two receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. That included an 83-yard score when he broke loose between two defensive backs on a pass from Hampton.

Two weeks ago, the Northern Illinois Huskies upset a Notre Dame team then ranked #5 in the country. A bye week followed that win, but NIU returned to the field

NIU played host to the Buffalo Bulls in a MAC game and were upended, 23-20, in overtime. Buffalo’s winning margin came on a 37-yard field goal by Upton Bellenfant. The Bulls improved to 3-1 and the Huskies are 2-1. It was the second time in school history Buffalo beat a ranked opponent.

"I know to the outside world, people are still talking about that game," NIU coach Thomas Hammock said. "We moved on last week."