TOLEDO, Ohio — In one moment, Ryan Graham watched his best friend hobble off the field — likely for the last time this season — and found himself thrust into a starring role in a nationally televised game.

Everything turned out just fine.

The freshman quarterback led Northern Illinois on two fourth-quarter scoring drives, and the Huskies rallied to beat No. 20 Toledo 32-27 on Tuesday night.

“I hate to see Drew go out like that, he’s my best friend and we do everything together,” Graham said. “I gave him a hug and he said `You can do this. You got this.’ And it really helped me get through it. I was doing it for him. I was doing it for his team and I was excited to do it.”

Joel Bouagnon’s 2-yard touchdown with 1:59 remaining lifted the Huskies (6-3, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) to their sixth consecutive victory against the Rockets (7-1, 4-1).