NIU’s muffed punt, failed fake punt fuel loss at San Jose State

NIU interim head coach Rob Harley spent the week talking about limiting catastrophic plays by his young team. Then senior DeAree Rogers, the Huskies’ leading receiver, muffed a punt early in the third quarter. A failed fake punt followed, and winless NIU lost 30-19 Saturday at San Jose State.The two plays turned a 16-13 halftime deficit into a 17-point hole.The Huskies defense forced a three-and-out on the Spartans’ first possession of the second half. Rogers muffed the punt, and San Jose State (5-5, 3-3 Mountain West) recovered at the NIU 18.The Spartans converted a third-and-5 on a 9-yard pass from Daniel Rolovich to Carson Clark. Viliami Teu ran four straight times from the 4 and scored on fourth down from the 1, putting San Jose State up 23-13 with 9:32 left in the third quarter.“We’ll take a look at it, and we’ll continue to coach it,” Harley said. “It’s just tough in that situation, but the defense has to go out and bow up.”On its next drive, NIU (0-9, 0-5) faced fourth-and-10 at