Oct. 30, 2010
Recap |
Box Score
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL
NIU at Western Michigan - Oct. 30, 2010
Waldo Stadium - Kalamazoo, Mich.
***With a 28-21 win over Western Michigan, Northern Illinois ran its winning streak to six straight games, the longest winning streak by the Huskies since 2004 when NIU won six straight. That season, Northern Illinois opened the year 1-2 before the six-game winning streak improved the Huskies' record to 7-2 going into a Nov. 9 match-up versus Toledo.
***Jake Coffman intercepted his second career pass to stop WMU's final offensive drive after WMU quarterback Alex Carder was hit by Demetrius Stone on a safety blitz as he let go of the ball. Coffman's last interception also came versus Western Michigan in the game at NIU a year ago.
***Willie Clark caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season and leads Northern Illinois in receiving touchdowns on the year. Clark finished with a team-leading, and career-best seven catches for 70 yards.
***On a 43-yard rush in the third quarter, Chad Spann notched his sixth 100-plus yard rushing game of the season and the 10th of his career. The league's leading rusher, Spann has run for 100 or more yards in four straight games. Spann finished the game with 146 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown.
***With 146 yards, Chad Spann hit the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive season and became the Huskies first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Garrett Wolfe in 2005 and 2006. Spann has exactly 1,000 yards on 182 carries this year. He posted the 23rd 1,000-yard season in Northern Illinois history and Northern Illinois has now had a 1,000-yard rusher in 11 of the last 12 years dating back to 1999.
***Spann also scored his 40th career touchdown, and extended his streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown to eight straight. Spann has 39 career rushing touchdowns and one receiving score. He is now alone in second place on the Huskie career charts for all-time TDs (39) and is alone in sixth on the all-time scoring chart.
***Spann passed Thomas Hammock to move into ninth place on the Northern Illinois all-time rushing list with 2,528 yards.
***NIU's Rashaan Melvin, who made his second start of the season and second career start in place of Patrick George, proceeded to make his first career interception with a grab in the second quarter. Melvin's INT was the Huskies' 13th of the year (by nine different people). On the season, Northern Illinois has its most interceptions since 2003 (23).
***Chandler Harnish scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the season and ranks behind only Chad Spann in that category on the NIU team. Harnish is responsible for 16 touchdowns (12 passing, 4 rushing) on the year.
***Harnish recorded his fourth 200-yard passing day of the season and completed 18-of-30 passes for 214 yards, two TDs and one interception. Harnish led the Huskies to the game-winning score with 3:42 left in the game, driving NIU 79 yards in seven plays and 2:14.
***In the midst of his most consistent and productive season, junior Nate Palmer caught his third touchdown pass of the year and sixth of his career. Palmer has more catches 21 and yards 319 this year than he has in any of his two previous seasons.
***Safety Tracy Wilson returned to action for the first time since the Illinois game. The Huskies' 2009 tackles leader has missed each of the last five games with a groin injury. Reserve defensive tackle Ron Newcomb also returned to the field Saturday. He suffered a foot injury in the season opener versus Iowa State and had not played since that game prior to today.
***Tommy Davis recorded his longest punt return of the year with a 32-yard return in the second quarter. Davis' career long return was 42 yards last year at Miami.
