Lynch helps keep Northern Illinois perfect with la

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DEKALB, Ill. Jordan Lynch threw two touchdown pa Roberto Clemente Jersey ses and ran for two scores to help No. 20 Northern Illinois beat Ball State 48-27 on Wednesday night.Lynch threw a 36-yard touchdown pa s to Da'Ron Brown to break a tie with 5:49 left, and the Huskies (10-0, 6-0 Mid-American) ran the nation's longest active home winning streak to 25 and their conference run to 23. The 10-0 mark is their best since the 1963 team finished 10-0.Lynch added a 16-yard touchdown run with 1:26 to go, and defensive end Joe Windsor scored on a Felipe Vazquez Jersey 49-yard interception return with 46 seconds left.Lynch was 26 of 32 for 345 yards and ran for 123 yards on 20 carries. Brown had 12 receptions for 209 yards, also catching a 58-yard touchdown pa s in the first quarter.The victory preserved Northern Illinois' hopes for a second straight Bowl Championship Series appearance They played in the Orange Bowl last season and are 15th in the BCS rankings. They need to stay undefeated and pa s Fresno State in the BCS to have a shot.Keith Wenning was 35 of 49 for 324 yards for Ball State (9-2, 6-1). Willie Snead had 12 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, and Jahwan Edwards Erik Gonzalez Jersey ran for 156 yards and a score.The lo s ended the Cardinals' seven-game winning streak and 11-game MAC run.The teams combined for three scores in the final 1:28 of the first half.Edwards' 2-yard touchdown run his school record 38th gave Ball State a 21-13 lead, but Lynch and Brown combined on the 58-yard touchdown strike with 1:13 left to make it 21-20.Scott Secor lined a succe sful 43-yard field goal into the wind with 30 seconds to go, and Sims mi sed a 52-yard try with a second left, leaving the Cardinals up 24-20.Ball State had the ball to start the second half, but stalled at midfield and was forced to punt for only the second time.Northern Illinois' subsequent drive included a key third-down 10-yard pickup by Lynch as he escaped two defenders, a fourth- Sean Rodriguez Jersey down keeper for a first down at the Cardinals 47 and a fourth-and-goal touchdown run from the 1 by tailback Cameron Stingily for a 27-24 lead.Northern Illinois stopped Ball State at the 1, forcing the Cardinals to settle for a 19-yard field goal that tied it at 27 with 3:07 JB Shuck Jersey to go in the third.Lynch combined with Brown on a 54-yard pa s to the Cardinals 10 early in the fourth quarter, but Brown fumbled and Ball State safety Brian Jones recovered at the 13.Lynch and Brown teamed again for the go-ahead score with 5:49 left.The Huskies resume play next Wednesday night at Toledo.