Sept. 18, 2010
Recap |
Final Stats
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL 2010
NIU vs. Illinois - Sept. 18, 2010
Champaign, Ill. - Memorial Stadium
HUSKIE POST-GAME NOTES
***Chandler Harnish's 19 completions was a season-high for Huskie quarterbacks as were his 208 passing yards. It was Harnish's most passing yards since last year's Ohio game (when he had 307). Harnish had a 76 percent completion percentage, the highest single game completion percentage of his career.
***Harnish posted his second straight 100-yard rushing game of the season and the fourth 100-yard effort of his career with 11 rushes for 117 yards. He averaged 10.6 yards per rush on 11 rushes.
***Harnish's 47-yard run in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career. He also scored on a 37-yard run in the first quarter. He had runs of 40 and 38 yards versus North Dakota last week and has had the four longest runs of his NIU career in the last two weeks. Harnish has eight career rushing TDs.
***Harnish totaled 325 yards of total offense in the game after compiling 324 yards of total offense a week ago with 178 rushing and 146 passing yards.
***Jasmin Hopkins became the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for Northern Illinois since wide receiver Marcus Perez hit fellow receiver Matt Simon on a 59-yard touchdown play versus Western Michigan on Oct. 14, 2007. NIU has not had a non-quarterback complete a pass since that season. Hopkins completed his first career pass as a Huskie.
***NIU held Illinois to the lowest passing yardage total by a Huskie opponent since the 2008 Navy game (Nov. 25). Illinois had just 70 passing yards on 16 attempts with eight completions. The last NIU opponent to finish with less than 100 passing yards was Eastern Michigan a year ago (82).
***Sophomore Rashaan Melvin made his first career start Saturday and finished with a career high seven tackles (all solo). He had five career stops entering the game, all in 2010. A former walk-on, Melvin replaced Chris Smith, who had a thumb injury from last week's game at North Dakota.
***Senior tailback Chad Spann scored his second rushing touchdown of the season to open the Huskies' scoring. Spann has 29 rushing touchdowns and 30 total scores for his career. His 30 total TDs is tied for sixth-most at NIU all-time and he is also sixth in rushing touchdowns at NIU for his career.
***Illinois transfer Michael Cklamovski hit his first collegiate field goal and first career collegiate PAT Saturday. After playing three years for the Illini and seeing duty only in a kickoff role, the Northern Illinois law student hit the PAT following Northern Illinois's last touchdown, and then brought NIU back within a TD with a 48-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play. Cklamovski graduated from Illinois in 3 ½ years and transferred to NIU with one year of eligibility remaining. He had missed a pair of field goals in NIU's season opener versus Iowa State.
***After catching just one pass in the Huskies' first two games, senior wide receiver Landon Cox led NIU with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown Saturday. Cox scored his sixth career receiving touchdown on a 19-yard reception from Jas Hopkins in the fourth quarter to bring the Huskies within two points (21-19).
***Nathan Palmer's 42-yard reception in the first quarter to the one-yard line was his longest catch since the 2008 season.
***Sophomores Tommy Davis (S) and Devon Butler (LB) led Northern Illinois in tackles with 10 each, establishing new single game highs for both players.
***True freshman Joe Windsor earned his first career sack when he combined with Sean Progar to take down Illinois' quarterback in the first quarter. Redshirt freshman Stephen O'Neal added his first career sack in the third quarter.
***Senior Josh Wilber had his best punting day of the season as he averaged 49 yards on five punts. Wilber had his longest punt of the season with a 56-yard boot in the third quarter, just one yard off his career best 57 yard punt versus Idaho last year. He also had punts of 51 and 55 yards in the game.
***Former walk-on tight end Jack Marks enjoyed the best receiving day of his Huskie career with five catches for 55 yards, including two on NIU's final drive. Marks came into the game with two career receptions.
