Wyoming topped Northern Illinois behind Tyler Hughes’ big day

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Tyler Hughes led Wyoming to a 41-23 win over Northern Illinois by rushing for a career-high 183 yards and scoring four rushing touchdowns while also passing for 196 yards. The victory improved Wyoming's record to 4-3 and kept Northern Illinois winless at 0-6 this season.

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Tyler Hughes powered Wyoming to a 41-23 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday, delivering a standout performance with 379 yards of total offense and four rushing touchdowns. Hughes completed 16 of 19 passes for 196 yards and rushed for a career-high 183 yards on 12 carries, narrowly missing a rare 200-yard mark in both passing and rushing.

Hughes opened the scoring with a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and added a 24-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, helping the Cowboys (4-3, 3-1 Mountain West) build a 20-6 lead at halftime. He further extended the advantage with touchdown runs of 6 yards in the third quarter and 11 yards in the fourth. Landon Sims also contributed with an 11-yard rushing touchdown, and Erik Sandvik provided two field goals, rounding out Wyoming’s scoring.

The Cowboys dominated on the ground, amassing 314 rushing yards and outgaining Northern Illinois 510-392 in total offense. Northern Illinois quarterback Taron Dickens threw for 216 yards and connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass to La’Don Bryant. On the ground, Telly Johnson Jr. carried 139 yards and scored a 13-yard rushing touchdown for the Huskies.

With the win, Wyoming improved to 3-0 all-time against Northern Illinois. The Huskies (0-6, 0-2) remain without a victory this season and will next face Hawaii in their upcoming game.

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