Nov. 24, 2009

Northern Illinois Football 2009

GAME 12 -- Northern Illinois (7-4, 5-2) at Central MIchigan (9-2,7-0)
Friday, November 27, 2009 - Noon (CST)
Mt. Pleasant, Mich. - Kelly-Shorts Stadium (30,255)
RADIO -- WNTD AM 950 and WAUR AM 930 (Chicago), WLBK AM 1360 (DeKalb), WTJK AM 1380 (Janesville, Wisc.)
TV -- ESPN360.com

Complete Release in PDF Format  | Weekly Press Conference Quotes

Huskie Facts

2009 Record: 7-4
2009 MAC Record: 5-2
Head Coach: Jerry Kill
Alma Mater/Year: Southwestern (KS)/1983
Record at NIU/Year: 13-11/2nd
Career Record/Year: 117-68/16th Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Enrollment: 24,397
Conference: Mid-American (West Division)
Colors: Cardinal and Black
Stadium: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
Surface/Capacity: Field Turf /24,000
President: Dr. John Peters
Associate VP/Athletic Director: Jeff Compher Ticket Information: 815-752-6800

NIU 2009 Schedule & Results

Chippewa Facts

2009 Record: 9-2
MAC Record: 7-0
Head Coach: Butch Jones
Alma Mater/Year: Ferris State/1990
Record at CMU/Year: 25-13/3rd
Career Record/Year: 25-13/3rd
Location: Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
Enrollment: 26,787
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Maroon and Gold
Stadium: Kelly-Shorts Stadium
Surface/Capacity: Field Turf/30,255
President: Michael Rao
Athletic Director: Dave Heeke
Ticket Information: 1-888-347-3872

CMU 2009 Schedule & Results

NIU HEAD COACH Jerry Kill

In his 16th season as a college head coach and his second season at Northern Illinois, Jerry Kill has the Huskies bowl-eligible for the second straight season; the 2009 team has already improved on NIU's 2008 win total of six and has claimed just the second win over a Big Ten team in school history with the win at Purdue earlier this year. Kill owns a career record of 117-68 for a winning percentage of .632. Prior to coming to NIU, Kill spent 14 years as head coach of programs at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Emporia State (Kansas) and, most recently, Southern Illinois.

From 2003-07, Kill led SIU to five straight appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, and overall, he compiled a mark of 55-32 in seven seasons in Carbondale. He was named the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year after leading the Salukis to a 12-2 record and the semifinals of the FCS playoffs. Kill was also honored as the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year following the 2004 season. His SIU teams won three straight Gateway (now Missouri Valley) Football Conference titles from 2004-06 and were ranked in the top 20 for 64 straight weeks beginning in 2003.

At Southern Illinois, Kill coached five first-team All-Americans and four Walter Payton Award finalists; four of his former players are currently on NFL rosters, led by N.Y. Giants tailback Brandon Jacobs and Jets linebacker Bart Scott. Prior to going to SIU, Kill spent two seasons as head coach at Emporia State in his home state of Kansas. In his first collegiate head coaching job, at Saginaw Valley State from 1994-98, he won 38 games and compiled a 9-2 record in each of his last two seasons there.

A native of Cheney, Kansas, Kill began his career at Pittsburg State, a powerhouse NAIA and then Division II program. He was offensive coordinator for the 1991 PSU team that won the NCAA title with a 13-1-1 record, while the 1992 Gorillas earned a runner-up finish with a 14-1 mark.

NIU NEWS & NOTES

Season FInale
Northern Illinois heads to Mt. Pleasant, Mich. for a "Black Friday" meeting versus 2009 MAC West Division champ Central Michigan. The Huskies will be looking to spoil CMU's undefeated MAC season and notch their eighth win of the year.

Bowl Eligible
With seven wins, Northern Illinois is bowl eligible for the second straight year under head coach Jerry Kill and has surpassed its 2008 win total. Northern Illinois also reached the six-win mark for the ninth time in the past 10 years, dating back to 2000. The Huskies have been to three bowls this decade and have played a postseason game in four of the last five seasons.

The Time for Kill Nearing the end of his second season in DeKalb, NIU's Jerry Kill is 13-11 in two seasons at Northern Illinois, and claims the Huskies' first win over a Big Ten team in 21 years. Kill led Northern Illinois to a four-game improvement and a spot in the 2008 Independence Bowl last season and has improved on that win total in 2009. Dating back to his days at Southern Illinois, a team he built into an FCS powerhouse, Kill-coached teams have made six straight postseason appearances. He was named the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, and in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach, owns a record of 116-68 and a winning percentage of .632.

Most Frequent Foe
Dating back to 1939, Northern Illinois has played Central Michigan 44 times, more than any other current FBS opponent, and owns a slim 12-11 lead in MAC games played between the schools. In Mt. Pleasant, the Chippewas own a 14-8 series lead, including a 35-10 victory the last time NIU traveled to Kelly-Shorts Stadium in 2007. CMU has won the last two games in the series thanks to a 33-30 overtime victory at Huskie Stadium last year; prior to that, Northern Illinois had won nine straight games in the series between 1998-2006.

A Thriller
A year ago, Northern Illinois scored 24 unanswered points in the final 16 minutes of the game to take Central Michigan to overtime before falling to the Chippewas, 33-30, in DeKalb. Mike Salerno's 25-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining capped the Huskies' comeback, which featured two onsides kick recoveries and three fourth down conversions, including one on a fake punt. In overtime, CMU's Josh Gordy picked off Chandler Harnish in the end zone to end Northern Illinois' possession and the Chippewas' Andrew Aguila drilled a 40-yard field goal to give Central Michigan the win. Harnish completed 18-of-36 passes for 288 yards in the game and Matt Simon caught six passes for 131 yards to lead the Huskies.

Back and Forth Battle
In its first trip to Ohio since 1998, Northern Illinois dominated the offensive and defensive stats, but the Bobcats scored the first two and last two touchdowns of the game to earn the 38-31 victory. A pair of returns led to OU's first two scores as their first TD was set up by a 64-yard kickoff return and the second came on a 91-yard punt return, putting NIU in an early 14-0 hole. The Huskies came back to tie the score before halftime and each team scored off a turnover in the third quarter, with Ohio getting a field goal before Chad Spann scored on a one-yard run to give NIU a 21-17 lead. The teams traded TD passes, with Chandler Harnish hitting Marcus Lewis for 26 of his season-high 307 passing yards. Ohio took the lead for good with 5:38 remaining as the Huskies' final-minute efforts fell short.

A Winning MAC Mark
After posting a 5-3 record in Mid-American Conference play a year ago, Northern Illinois has matched that win total in MAC games this year and is 92-88-2 all-time in league play. The 2009 campaign is NIU's 23rd overall in the Mid-American Conference as the Huskies spent 11 seasons in the league in its first stint (1975-86) and are 57-43 (.570) versus conference teams since rejoining the MAC in 1997.

The MAC Road
After dropping its second MAC road game of the season, Northern Illinois is now 19-11 (.633) versus Mid-American Conference teams on the road since 2002. Only Bowling Green (22) has more wins than NIU in MAC road games during that time, while NIU's .633 winning percentage is second only to BG's .687 mark. Here are the road records of MAC teams in conference games only since 2002:

Home for the Holiday
One player on the Northern Illinois roster will be heading "home" for the Thanksgiving holiday - or at least to his home state. Sophomore quarterback DeMarcus Grady is the only Michigan native on the NIU roster this season. In Grady's two active years on the Huskie roster (2008-09), Northern Illinois is 3-2 versus teams from his home state.

1,000 and 500
Just weeks after playing the 1,000th intercollegiate game in school history on Sept. 26 versus Idaho, Northern Illinois earned its 500th victory with its 50-6 win over Eastern Michigan. The Huskies own an all-time record of 501-455-51 for a winning percentage of .523. NIU earned its 400th win on Nov. 11, 1989 with a 39-27 victory over Toledo in the second-to-last game of that 9-2 season.

Coordinator Connected
Huskie offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Limegrover and Central Michigan head coach Butch Jones have been friends since the two coached together on the staff at Ferris State (Mich.) in 1997, where current CMU defensive coordinator Tim Banks was also on staff. Jones was a member of Limegrover's wedding party. Limegrover's familiarity with CMU offensive line coach Don Mahoney goes even further back as the two Pittsburgh prep stars competed against each other in high school where Limegrover played at Pitt Central Catholic and Mahoney starred for Hempfield Area High School.

Welcome Back
Versus Ohio, quarterback Chandler Harnish returned to the NIU starting line-up for the first time since the Toledo game after sitting out three full games (NIU wins over Miami, Akron and Eastern Michigan) with a knee injury. The sophomore returned for the second half of the Ball State contest and completed all nine of his passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. He stretched his consecutive completions to 15 by hitting his first six passes versus Ohio in what would prove to be a productive day for the sophomore.

Passing Fancy
Chandler Harnish finished the Ohio game with career highs in completions (24) and total offense (337), to record his season best numbers in those categories as well as in passing attempts (35) and passing yards (307). Harnish recorded just the second 300-yard passing day of his career, and the first since his very first start as a Huskie, in the 2008 season opener versus Minnesota (when he had a career-high 326 passing yards).

'Leven for Landon
Landon Cox was Harnish' most popular target versus Ohio as the junior from Calumet City caught 11 passes for 132 yards for his career bests in both categories. He had four catches for 10 yards or more, including a 45-yard grab to tie NIU's longest of the season. Cox recorded the first 100-yard receiving day for Northern Illinois this season and his 11 catches were the most by an NIU player since Sam Hurd caught 12 passes versus Central Michigan on Nov. 5, 2005. The 11 catches are tied for the 10th-most in Huskie history.

Top of the Charts
Wide receivers rank one through four on the Huskie receiving chart in 2009, with Cox at the top of the heap with 41 catches for 471 yards and three scores. The numbers are not only the best of his career, they have already surpassed the 2008 season catches total of Marcus Perez, NIU's leading receiver a year ago, who had 34 catches on the year. Also heralded as one of NIU's most physical receivers and a great blocker, Cox has been named the Huskies' offensive skill player of the week four times.

C-Spann Watchers
Chad Spann continues to add to his amazing season with two more touchdowns in the Ohio game. Spann scored on a pair of one-yard runs for his 18th and 19th touchdowns of the season (he has 18 rushing). Spann, the MAC's leading scorer, has at least one touchdown in nine of NIU's 11 games this year and the Ohio game was his eighth multiple touchdown game of the year. He ranks sixth in the country in scoring with an average of 10.36 points per game.

Scoring Spann
Chad Spann is scoring at a record rate and approaching the numbers of the most prolific backs in school history. The junior's 19 touchdowns already rank tied for third on NIU's single season scoring chart, one behind Michael Turner's 20 scores in 2002 and Garrett Wolfe's school record 21 in 2004. Spann's 18 rushing TDs are one off the school record of 19 shared by Turner (2002) and Stacey Robinson (1989 and 1990).

Run Stoppers
For the sixth time this season, Northern Illinois held an opponent to 100 or less rushing yards as Ohio tallied just 84 rushing yards on 28 carries. The Huskies held Miami to minus 11 rushing yards, setting a new school record for lowest rushing yards by an opponent in a game, then held Akron to just 31 rushing yards on 24 carries. Eastern Michigan finished with 100 yards on the ground, while Western Illinois (29-82) and Western Michigan (23-73) were also below the century mark. In MAC play, Northern Illinois opponents are averaging just 83.3 yards on the ground per game and less than 2.8 yards per rush.

Coffman For Loss
Junior defensive lineman Jake Coffman - the "old man" of the Huskie defense at age 25 - continues to run down (younger) opposing ballcarriers and quarterbacks. In the Ohio game, Coffman added to his team-leading totals with two sacks for minus 31 yards rushing and finished the game with three tackles for loss. He ended an OU drive by forcing Ohio quarterback Theo Scott into an intentional grounding flag for a loss of 19 yards in the third quarter. Coffman has 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss on the year. The sack total ranks ninth on the NIU single season charts and he is second in the MAC this season in sacks per game (0.75) and fourth in tackles per loss per game (1.20).

Sack Attack
Even without NIU all-time sacks leader Larry English, as well as his 2008 defensive line starting mates Craig Rusch and Alex Krutsch, the Huskies' 2009 defense has surpassed the sack total of last year's unit. English and Co. finished with 25 sacks a year ago, while this year's Huskies have combined for 28 so far this year. Jake Coffman (7.5) and fellow starters Sean Progar (5.0) and Brandon Bice (4.0) have accounted for 16 sacks, but 11 different players have contributed to the 2009 total.

Skarb Has Skills
Junior fullback Kyle Skarb, who spent his freshman year at NIU as a linebacker, caught three passes, one for a touchdown, for a career-best 57 yards at Ohio. On the 23-yard touchdown, the Huskies' first score of the game, Skarb showed his running skills, heading to the sideline and diving for the pylon for the score. On a 16-yard grab in the fourth quarter, Skarb played wide receiver, making the catch with his toes just inside the sideline. He has a career-best 11 catches for 189 yards on the year and leads all Huskie receivers in yards per catch with a 17.2 average,

Close Calls Continue
To date, Northern Illinois has been in contention in every game this season as each of the Huskies' four losses have been by eight points or less. Of the Huskies' 11 losses in the last two seasons, nine have been by eight points or less. Northern Illinois has won games by seven (Purdue), six (Ball State) and five (Miami) point margins this season and claimed four-point wins over Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green in 2008. Under Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois' only substantial defeats came at the hands of Navy (by 16) and Ball State (by 31) last year.

Seven Straight
Huskie kicker Mike Salerno made his seventh straight field goal to pull the Huskies within a touchdown at the end of the Ohio game. Salerno's streak stretches back to the Akron contest, when he missed on a 37-yard effort in the first quarter. He has made nine of his last 10 field goal tries dating back to the Toledo game and has hit 17-of-22 threes this year to rank tied for 13th in the country, and second in the league, in field goals per game. In just two seasons, the Winona State transfer ranks fifth at Northern Illinois in career field goals made (35) and attempted (46).

High Scorer
Senior Mike Salerno has nearly equalled his scoring total from a year ago with 86 points on 17 field goals and 35 extra points. His top scoring day this year came versus Eastern Michigan when he made three field goals and totaled 14 points, the most by any kicker in the MAC this year. In his two-year Huskie career, he ranks fifth in career kicking points (174), PATs made (69) and attempted (71).

Racking Up Return Yards
Freshman Tommy Davis has made an impact on the Huskies' return game as he is averaging 23.9 yards per kickoff return and 8.0 yards per punt return on the season. Davis has an 86-yard kickoff return touchdown to his credit to account for the 10th-longest kickoff return in Huskie history and the first for Northern Illinois since Aug. 29, 2002. Now he has added his name to the NIU record books for single season kickoff return yards as his 502 total KOR yards this year are the seventh-most at Northern Illinois.

Everybody Loves Chris
Cornerback Chris Smith has quietly put together a stellar season in his first season as a Huskie. The junior college transfer led Northern Illinois in tackles at Ohio with a season and career high nine stops, including six solo, and added his fourth pass break-up of the year. Smith upped his season tackle total to 56, fifth on the team and is second in pass break-ups with four.

Rhymes with Ran
Chad Spann leads NIU in rushing with 862 yards on 143 carries on the year and is averaging six yards per carry. His four 100-yard rushing games include a career-best 174-yard day versus Eastern Michigan when he scored the first two times he touched the ball on runs of 65 and 79 yards, the two longest runs of his career. After averaging 72 yards per rush on his first two carries, Spann finished the game with a 15.8 yards per rush average.

Same Starters
The same five players have started every game for Northern Illinois on the offensive line this season and NIU has had 12 players start every game on offense and defense overall. In addition to the offensive linemen, the Huskies have started the same linebacking crew of Cory Hanson, Pat Schiller and Alex Kube each game. NIU defensive linemen Brandon Bice and D.J. Pirkle have started every game as have cornerback Patrick George and strong safety Tracy Wilson.

On The O-Line
NIU's rushing offense has been powered by a pair of senior offensive linemen in center Eddie Adamski, a member of the Rimington Award Watch List, and left guard Jason Onyebuagu. Fifth-year senior Adamski ranks as NIU's most experienced player, starting all 48 of the games he has played over the last four years, while four-year man Onyebuagu has seen action in all 49 of the Huskies' games and started 36 straight. The seniors are joined by a trio of redshirt sophomores in tackles Trevor Olson and Adam Kiel, and right guard Joe Pawlak, on NIU's starting o-line.

In the Club
NIU's 2009 roster boasts three players who have gained 1,000 career rushing yards for the Huskies in Justin Anderson, Me'co Brown and Chad Spann. With a season-high 77 yards on 10 carries versus Eastern Michigan, Anderson moved up to 18th on the NIU career rushing chart with 1,707 yards. Brown passed the 1,000-yard mark earlier this season and has 1,155 yards on 258 carries in 24 career games to rank 27th all-time. With 862 yards in 2009, Spann has moved into NIU's career Top 25 with 1,352 yards on 242 totes.

Team Rushing
NIU is averaging 209.4 rushing yards per game, 22.8 yards more than the No. 2 rushing team in the Mid-American Conference (Temple). The Huskies rank 15th in the nation in rushing offense and have 2,303 rushing yards on the season, surpassing its 2008 total. Northern Illinois has not finished a season as the MAC's number one rushing team since 2004 when they averaged 232.2 rushing yards per game.

Streak Broken
For the first time in the Jerry Kill era, Northern Illinois won a game without rushing for at least 200 yards when the Huskies totaled just 134 yards on the ground versus Ball State yet earned the 26-20 triumph. Prior to that, Northern Illinois had been 12-0 when rushing for over 200 yards as a team, and 0-10 when opponents held the Huskies to less than 200 yards in the last two years. Before the Ball State win, the last time NIU won without gaining 200 yards rushing was Sept. 22, 2007 at Idaho (188 yards). The last time Northern Illinois hit the 200-yard mark in rushing yards and did not win was Sept. 29, 2007 at Central Michigan (203 yards).

Can't Get to the 'Back
While leading the way for the No. 1 rushing offense in the MAC, the Huskies' offensive line also has been effective protecting the quarterback, as the Huskies' three QBs have been sacked just 13 times for minus 109 yards so far this year. That sack total ranks second in the MAC, behind only Central Michigan, which has allowed only 12 sacks for 63 yards this year.

Cory in the House
Linebacker Cory Hanson has quietly put together a stellar senior season as he ranks second on the Huskie team with 71 tackles, including a career-best 31 solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass break-ups and three interceptions. The Minnesota native has 235 career tackles, more than any other player on the Huskie team, as well as 13.5 for loss.

More, More, More
Even before the Huskies travel to Mt. Pleasant for the regular season finale, Northern Illinois has scored more points (338-314), rushed for more yards (2,303-2,226) and scored more rushing touchdowns (26-22) than it did in all of 2008. Last year's Huskies averaged 24.2 points per game while this year's group is over the 30 points per game mark

Turnover Totals
Despite tying its season high with two turnovers at Ohio, the Huskies continue to rank among the national (FBS) leaders in fewest turnovers lost with 11 on the year on six fumbles and five interceptions. Northern Illinois and Central MIchigan are tied for ninth in the country in turnovers lost. The Huskies rank in the top 15 in interceptions thrown and fumbles lost. The Huskies did not turn the ball over versus Akron, Idaho or WMU.

Super Sophs
Members of the Huskies' 2007 signing class, the third-year players on this year's team, have made a huge impact on the 2009 squad. Included in that group of true juniors and redshirt sophomores are 10 key contributors on the Huskie offense in quarterbacks DeMarcus Grady and Chandler Harnish, running backs Chad Spann and Kyle Skarb, receivers Landon Cox, Nathan Palmer and Willie Clark and NIU's three sophomore starting offensive linemen. Defensively, starters D.J. Pirkle, Pat Schiller, Patrick George and Tracy Wilson were all part of that class as was defensive tackle Ron Newcomb.

Four Straight
Last Saturday, Northern Illinois saw its four-game winning streak snapped in a 38-31 loss at Ohio. Between Oct. 24 and Nov. 12, the Huskies claimed victories over Miami, Akron, Eastern Michigan and Ball State to post its first four-game winning streak since Sept. 18-Oct. 8, 2006. NIU has not won five games in a row since the 2004 season.

A LIttle BIt of Everything
Junior college transfer Garrett Barnas, a former quarterback at Harper College who walked on to the Huskie team for 2009, has been playing safety for NIU since his arrival, but found himself with the football on Northern Illinois' first offensive play versus Ohio as he lined up as a receiver and took the handoff for a three-yard gain. Barnas, who has also seen extensive action on the Huskies' special teams this year now has a wide-ranging stat line that includes tackles (7), an interception (vs. Eastern Michigan), two kickoff returns (for 23 yards), a rush and a pass (0-1).

Hundred Yard Huskies
Three Northern Illinois backs have combined for eight 100-yard rushing efforts in 2009 with tailback Chad Spann tallying four 100-plus yard games (vs. Western Michigan, Miami, Akron and Eastern Michigan) and Me'co Brown and quarterback DeMarcus Grady each recording a pair of 100-yard efforts. Brown's 100-yard games came versus Western Illinois and Purdue, while Grady had 100-yard rushing efforts in the Akron and Eastern Michigan games. At tailback, Spann and Brown have combined for 1,507 yards on 291carries with 22 touchdowns on the year.

Freshman Factor
Of the three freshmen regularly playing on the Huskies' defensive line this year, defensive end Sean Progar has made arguably the biggest impact while starting six games. After earning 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss versus Ball State, Progar ranks second on the NIU team in sacks with five and in tackles for loss with seven. On an 11-yard sack of BSU QB Tanner Justice in the first quarter, Progar forced a fumble that led to a Huskie safety.

Huskie Debuts
Northern Illinois has introduced a total of 26 "newcomers" to college football in 2009, including six true freshmen and six junior college transfers. Of those newcomers, five have started at least one game for the Huskies. The 2009 rookies by position (* indicates started; true freshmen underlined, 2009 signees in italics):

DL (5) - Alan Baxter, Brian Lawson*, Sean Progar*, Darnell Bolding, Nabal Jefferson LB (4) - Jordan Delegal, Victor Jacques, Tyrone Clark, Devon Butler DB (7) - Chris Smith*, Tommy Davis, Rashaan Melvin, Garrett Barnas*, Jody Van Laanen, Boone Thorgesen, Donald Smith WR (3) - Perez Ashford*, Martel Moore*, Matt Ng TE (1) - Jack Marks OL (2) - Keith Otis, Logan Pegram RB (2) - Pat McAvoy, Nick Groeniger Spec. Teams (2) - Josh Wilber, Dan Edem

Stepping Up
While starting four games in relief of Chandler Harnish at quarterback, sophomore DeMarcus Grady not only led the Huskies to victory in each contest, he posted a pair of 100-yard rushing games (versus Akron and Eastern Michigan), passed for 272 yards and totaled four scores. Grady also started one game as a freshman in 2008.

In the Red
Northern Illinois has scored on each of its last six trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line with three touchdowns versus Ball State and two TDs and a field goal in the Ohio game to up its red zone efficiency number to .95, tied for fourth in the nation. NIU ranks behind only Arkansas, Oregon and Oregon State in red zone efficiency. The Huskies have scored 40 times - on 25 touchdowns and 15 field goals - in 42 trips to the red zone. Northern Illinois' touchdown percentage in the red zone is 60 percent. One of NIU's two "non-scores" in the red zone was a kneel down at the end of the Eastern Michigan game.

When It Counts
The Northern Illinois defense has been especially stingy in the red zone this season as the Huskies are tied for fourth in the country in red zone defense, behind only Penn State, Iowa State and Alabama. NIU opponents have been stopped eight times on 28 trips inside the NIU 20, scoring 13 touchdowns and seven field goals.

Senior Day to Remember
A pair of NIU receivers had a senior night to remember versus Ball State as Preston Williams and Marcus Lewis each caught their first career touchdown passes to account for two of the Huskies' three TDs on the day. Williams' nine-yard reception, on a toss from DeMarcus Grady at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter, was also the first career catch for the fifth-year man, who has seen his most extensive playing time this season. Lewis' catch came on a six-yard fade from Chandler Harnish in the third quarter.

Safety Dance
A group of Northern Illinois defenders combined on the Huskies' first safety of the season early in the Ball State game. With the Cardinals backed up on their own 13-yard line, NIU defensive end Sean Progar sacked quarterback Tanner Justice for an 11-yard loss, causing him to fumble into the end zone. Although BSU tailback MiQuale Lewis recovered the fumble, he was tackled in the end zone by NIU's Jake Coffman for a safety, NIU's first since the 2008 Eastern Michigan game (9/2708).

Technically, They Were All Caught
Huskie quarterbacks DeMarcus Grady and Chandler Harnish combined to set the Northern Illinois record for highest completion percentage in a game versus Ball State as Grady completed four-of-five passes and Harnish hit all nine of his attempts. Their combined 13-of-14 total was good for a completion percentage of 92.8 percent, breaking the old mark of 86.4 percent set versus Miami (Oct. 5, 2005) on 19-of-22 passing. Grady's one incompletion was actually an interception, meaning NO NIU passes hit the ground in the game.

Big Numbers
As a team, Northern Illinois posted some impressive offensive numbers versus Eastern Michigan, most notably with 418 net rushing yards on 54 carries and 537 yards of total offense on 61 plays. NIU averaged 7.7 yards per rush and 8.8 yards per carry on the day. The Huskies' 418 rushing yards ties for the 11th-most at Northern Illinois all-time and the most in 14 years, since Nov. 11, 1995 when NIU totaled 426 yards on the ground against Arkansas State. The 537 yards of total offense is the 11th-most in Northern Illinois history and the most since Sept. 30, 2006 when the Huskies put up 610 yards at Ball State.

Small Numbers
The Huskie defense held Eastern Michigan in check for the entire game - allowing the Eagles just six points, 100 rushing yards and 182 total yards on the night - but EMU was completely shut down in the second half. After halftime, Eastern Michigan earned just two first downs, did not complete a pass and gained only 30 total yards. The Eagles did not advance past their own 38 yard line in the second half.

Duo Do It Again
After DeMarcus Grady and Chad Spann became the first Huskie pair to run for 100 yards in the same game since 2004 with 109 and 125 yards, respectively, versus Akron, the duo repeated the feat versus Eastern Michigan as they combined for 278 yards on the ground (174 by Spann, 104 by Grady). That total is the eighth-highest by two Northern Illinois players ever and the most since Thomas Hammock (174) and Michael Turner (140) combined for 314 yards versus Akron on Oct. 14, 2000.

Third Down Woes
The Huskie defense posted a stat versus Akron that surprised even NIU defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, who said he had never before coached a defense that held an opponent to an "oh-fer" on third down conversions. The Zips were 0-for-10 on third downs. The last time a Northern Illinois defense did not allow a third down conversion was Nov. 24, 2006, when Eastern Michigan went 0-for-9.

No Rush
Northern Illinois produced its best performance against the rush in school history against Miami, holding the RedHawks to a school-record negative 11 yards on 27 carries. That broke the record of minus six yards earned by Temple in 2006. NIU used eight sacks, its highest single game total since a school-record 10 in 2002, to subtract 66 yards off MU's rushing total.

Big Win
On Sept. 19, the Huskies broke a 19-game losing streak versus teams from the Big Ten Conference that dated back to Sept. 17, 1998 with a 28-21 upset victory over Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium. After falling behind 7-0 on a punt return touchdown, the Huskies controlled the game, racking up 454 yards of total offense, including 280 on the ground, while holding the ball for 41:40. NIU took a 28-7 lead late in the third quarter, then withstood a rally by the Boilermakers and, with the aid of an 11-yard pick-up run on a fake punt, ran out the clock to get the victory.

One for the Boneyard
NIU's win over Purdue qualified as a "boneyard" victory which has been commemorated on the wall in the Huskies' home locker room. Wins over Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams from BCS automatic qualifying conferences are designated as boneyard games. NIU's win over Purdue, just its second win ever over a Big Ten foe, was the first addition to the Huskie boneyard since 2003, when the Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State games made the wall.

Key Call
Northern Illinois' win over Purdue was sealed by a great call by the Huskie coaches. With 3:44 left in the game and NIU clinging to a 28-21 lead, the Huskies faced fourth-and-two on their own 16-yard line and lined up in punt formation. Instead of giving the Boilermakers the ball back in field position to make a game-tying drive, Nolan Owen snapped the ball to up-back Justin Anderson, who went right for 11 yards and the first down. The play energized the Huskies and demoralized Purdue, as NIU ran for two more first downs. When PU did get the ball back, they were on their own 20-yard line with only 18 seconds on the clock.

Score One for the Vet
Jake Coffman scored the first touchdown of 2009 for the NIU defense with a 79-yard interception return in the fourth quarter versus Western Michigan. Coffman tipped the ball, then caught it and took off for the end zone to record the sixth-longest interception return in NIU history. He was named the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week for his effort.

Bice a Force on the Force
Huskie senior defensive end Brandon Bice has caused four fumbles on the season with two versus Toledo and one each at Miami and versus Akron, and now ranks tied for eighth in the country in fumbles forced. He also added a quarterback sack in each game.

First Return
Freshman Perez Ashford took his first career punt return back 44 yards for a touchdown versus Miami, giving Northern Illinois a 17-0 lead. His return was the first punt return score by a Huskie since October 2, 2004, when Dan Sheldon brought a punt back 73 yards for a touchdown versus Akron. Northern Illinois played 57 games between punt return TDs.

Youngsters
When Jerry Kill calls his 2009 team "youngsters," the Huskie head coach is not exaggerating. Thirty-six players on this year's NIU roster are new to the team, while another 19 had never played a down for Northern Illinois before this year. Those 55 players make up half of NIU's roster.

Knocking 'Em Down
Northern Illinois defenders got their hands on a pair of placekicks at Miami as Chris Smith partially blocked a MU field goal attempt and D.J. Pirkle blocked a PAT attempt that kept the Huskies' lead at four (20-16) late in the game. NIU last blocked a PAT versus TCU in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl, while Mike Krause had a field goal block in last year's Independence Bowl.

Huskies in the Pros
Larry English, the highest draft choice in NIU history, joined Dallas Cowboys Sam Hurd and Doug Free, running backs Garrett Wolfe of the Chicago Bears and Michael Turner of the Falcons, Colts' lineman Ryan Diem and Hollis Thomas (Rams) on opening day NFL rosters. 2008 senior receiver Matt Simon was signed to the New Orleans Saints' practice squad and his classmate Britt Davis was re-signed to that unit by the New York Jets.

HUSKIE MULTIMEDIA

Television
The Northern Illinois-Central Michigan game will not be available on any over-the-air television broadcast, but can be viewed FREE online at ESPN360.com. ESPN's broadband access channel is available free of charge through most internet service providers, and ESPN also makes the network available to college students and faculty. Dave Weekley will handle the play-by-play call Friday while Jerod Cherry is the color analyst on Friday's webcast.

For complete game highlights as well as commentary from Head Coach Jerry Kill, watch "Inside Huskie Sports" weekly on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and on my Network TV in Rockford. The 30-minute highlight show will air Thursdays at 4 p.m on CSN. In Rockford, catch IHS at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays on myNetworkTV. Fans are also invited to the live taping of the show Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at Fatty's Pub and Grille, 1312 West Lincoln Highway in DeKalb.

Radio
The NIU-CMU game will be heard live on WTJK-AM ESPN 1380 (Janesville, Wisc.) and on WLBK-AM (1360) in DeKalb. In addition, Chicago stations WNTD 950 AM and WAUR 930 AM will carry the game this week. The broadcast kicks off with the pregame show at 11:30 a.m. (CST). Hall of Famer Bill Baker is completing his 30th year as the play-by-play voice of the Huskies and is joined in the booth by 25-year veteran Mark Lindo and sideline reporter Casey Kahler. In 2009, WSCR and WLBK also carry "NIU Live," the weekly 30-minute radio show that is all about Huskie Sports. Director of Athletics Jeff Compher joins host Andy Garcia and Huskie coaches for the show, which airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on 670 AM The Score in Chicago as well as Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. on WLBK.

Online
To hear every radio broadcast and SEE live video of select NIU home games, become a Huskies All Access subscriber at www.niuhuskies.com. Purchase the monthly package for $6.95 or a year-long pass for $49.95. Fans can enjoy more free content than ever before simply by signing up. Also go to www.niuhuskies.com for the latest statistics, feature stories, player Q&As as well as weekly and daily updates. Everything you need to know about all Huskie Athletics is at www.niuhuskies.com.