Oct. 14, 2014

Game Notes

HUSKIE FOOTBALL 2014

Game 7 - Miami RedHawks (1-6, 1-2 MAC) at NIU Huskies (4-2, 1-1 MAC) Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 | 4 p.m. (CT) | ESPN3 | DeKalb, Ill. | Huskie Stadium | 24,000 Radio: AM 560 WIND (Chicago) | WCPT 92.5 FM (DeKalb)

HUSKIE BITES

Saturday is the first meeting between NIU and Miami since the 2010 MAC Championship game in Detroit.

There are 16 players on both rosters, 14 from NIU and two from Miami, that were on their respective team's roster in 2010; NIU redshirt senior RB Akeem Daniels saw action is the only current Huskie who saw action in that contest.

Since 2010 NIU is 8-2 in games following a loss. The Huskies defeated Kent State after their loss to Arkansas earlier this season.

The Huskies' 17-14 victory over Kent State was NIU's first victory when scoring 17 points or less since the Huskies beat Bowling Green, 16-13, on Oct. 25, 2008.

The Huskies lead the league and are seventh in the nation in sacks allowing five sacks in six games this season.

Having lost two fumbles and thrown two interceptions, NIU ranks fourth in the country and leads the MAC in (fewest) turnovers lost.

The winningest program in Illinois and in the Mid-American Conference over the last decade, the Northern Illinois University Huskies have won two Mid-American Conference championships and four straight MAC West titles in the last four seasons, and in 2013 made a MAC-record sixth-straight bowl appearance.

The Huskies' 50 wins since 2010 ranks second among all FBS teams behind only Oregon. The Huskies are tied with Alabama and ahead of Boise State (49), LSU (48) and Oklahoma (47).

NIU head coach Rod Carey is 16-5 since taking over prior to the Huskies' appearance in the 2013 Orange Bowl.

The Huskies have won 38 of their last 39 games when allowing 24 points or less.

NIU returns four starters on the offensive line who have a combined 131 starts over the last three seasons. Juniors guard Aidan Conlon and center Andrew Ness have started every game over the last two seasons for 34 apiece, while senior tackles Ryan Brown and Tyler Loos have made 45 and 26 career starts, respectively.

-- MOST FBS WINS SINCE 2010 --
Oregon 52
Alabama 51
NIU 50
Stanford 50
Boise State 49
LSU 49
Oklahoma 48

-- HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS --
2013 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 12-2/8-0/1st West
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 16-5/2nd
Career Record/Years: 16-5/2nd
Alma Mater/Year Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 551-469-51
Last Bowl Game: 2013 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl (Utah State 21, NIU 14)
Consecutive Bowl Games: 6
MAC Championship Game Appearances: 5 (last, 2013, 47-27 L)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 48/20
Starters Returning: 16 (9 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist)
Starters Lost: 9 (3 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist)

-- NIU FACTS --
Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Founded: 1895
Enrollment: 21,138
Affiliation: NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Mid-American (West Division)
Colors: Cardinal and Black
Stadium: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /24,000
President: Dr. Douglas D. Baker
Assoc. VP/Athletic Director: Sean T. Frazier
Alma Mater, Year: Alabama `92
Ticket Information: 815-753-PACK (7225)

NIU 2014 SCHEDULE

-- MIAMI FACTS --
2013 Record: 0-12
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 0-8/7th East
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Chuck Martin (Millikin/1990)
Record at Miami/Years: 1-6/1st
Career Record/Years: 75-12/7th
Location: Oxford, Ohio
Enrollment: 17,557
Conference: Mid-American Conference
Colors: Red & White
Stadium: Yager Stadium Surface/Capacity FieldTurf /24,286
President: Dr. David Hodge
Athletic Director: David Sayler
Athletics Website: www.muredhawks.com
Twitter: @MiamiRedHawks
Ticket Information: 1-866-684-2957 or 513-529-4938

REDHAWKS' 2014 SCHEDULE

-- NIU-MIAMI SERIES HISTORY --
Overall: MU leads 8-7
In Oxford: Series Tied 4-4
In DeKalb: Series Tied 3-3
Neutral Site: Miami leads, 1-0
In MAC Games: NIU Leads 7-6
Streak: Miami, 1
Carey vs. Miami: First Meeting

-- FOLLOW THE HUSKIES --
Watch NIU-Miami on ESPN3
-- NIU's game versus Miami will be streamed live online on ESPN3 and available to mobile users via WatchESPN.
-- Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (color analyst) will call the game for ESPN3.
-- WatchESPN requires an active subscription from an affiliated provider.
-- For more information, go to www.espn3.com.
-- Get the direct link to the game stream on GameDay Central at NIUHuskies.com.

Huskies-RedHawks on Radio
-- The Huskie Sports Network broadcast begins at 3:30 p.m. CT, 30 minutes before kickoff.
-- NIU network affiliates for 2014 are WCPT 92.5 FM (DeKalb) and AM 560 The Answer (Chicago).
-- Stations will NOT be streaming the game on their websites; the NIU broadcast CAN ONLY be heard online via NIUTube.
-- Bill Baker is in his 34th season as the play-by-play voice of the Huskies and is joined by 29-year color analyst Mark Lindo and Andy Garcia, who is in his second season on the sidelines.

"Inside Huskie Football With Rod Carey"
-- Airs Mondays from 7-8 p.m. CT.
-- The hour-long live show can be heard on AM 560 The Answer in Chicago (WIND) and WCPT 92.5 FM in DeKalb.
-- Stations will NOT be streaming the game on the websites; hear the broadcast online ONLY via NIUTube.
-- Fans are invited to attend the show at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Hwy)
-- The host is Voice of the Huskies Bill Baker.
-- Hear from head coach Rod Carey, two Huskie players and other head coaches and administrators each week.

"NIU Weekly"
-- Airs Friday nights at 11 p.m. CT.
-- Half-hour show can be heard on AM 560 The Answer in Chicago and online at www.560theanswer.com.
-- The show hosts are NIU football sideline reporter Andy Garcia and NIU Associate Vice-President/Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier.
-- Features interviews with football head coach Rod Carey, as well as other NIU head coaches and administrators.

NIUTube
-- Hear all NIU live radio broadcasts, including football and basketball games and NIU radio shows.
-- See weekly and post-game press conferences, video features and special events.
-- Cost is $6.95/month or $49.95/year
-- Go to www.NIUHuskies.com/collegesportslive to sign up.

Getting Social
-- Twitter: @NIUAthletics, @NIUScores, @NIU_Football
-- Facebook: NIU Huskies, NIU Football
-- Instagram: niuhuskies, niuhuskiefootball
-- YouTube: niuhuskiesdotcom
-- See NIU Athletics' social media hub online to see all of our coaches' and teams' Facebook and Twitter accounts.

-- NIU NEWS AND NOTES --

GETTING EVEN:
Miami owns an 8-7 lead in the series with NIU all-time, however, the Huskies have won five of the last six games, including five straight regular season contests. The lone RedHawk victory came in the 2010 MAC Championship game. The series is tied 3-3 in games played at Huskie Stadium but NIU has won the last two meetings in DeKalb, including a 17-13 win on Oct. 11, 2008.

WHEN LAST WE MET:
Saturday's game between NIU and Miami is a rematch of the 2010 MAC Championship game and marks the first game between the teams since that contest, a 26-21 Miami victory. In that game, Miami rallied from a 21-20 deficit, converting a fourth and 20 on its final drive, scoring a touchdown with 33 seconds left in the game. (See full game recap on page 7.)

THEN THERE WERE TWO:
There are 16 players on NIU and Miami's rosters - 14 for NIU and 2 for Miami - that were on the rosters for both squads in 2010. However only two, the Huskies' running back Akeem Daniels and defensive lineman Mwanza Wamulumba of Miami, participated in the 2010 MAC Championship Game. Daniels had one carry for no gain, while Wamulumba did not tally stats.

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH:
All three of NIU's MAC East foes in 2014 are teams the Huskies have faced in the MAC Championship game. NIU faced this week's opponent, Miami, in the 2010 MAC Championship game, and defeated Ohio, 23-20, in the 2011 MAC title contest. The Huskies travel to Athens, Ohio Nov. 18 to take on the Bobcats in their first meeting since that game. NIU already dispatched their 2012 MAC Championship game adversary, Kent State, 17-14 earlier this year.

ON THE REBOUND:
One reason for NIU's continued success over the past five seasons has been its ability to rebound following a loss. Since the start of the 2010 season, the Huskies are 8-2 in games following a loss, including a 4-1 mark since an 18-17 loss to Iowa at Soldier Field to open the 2012 season. NIU posted a 17-14 win over Kent State on Oct. 4, 2014 following the Huskies' loss to Arkansas earlier this year. NIU has only lost back-to-back games twice since 2010, once during the 2011 season and at the end of 2013. You have to go all the way back to the end of the 2009 season to find the last time the Huskies lost three-straight games; NIU lost its last three games of the season.

DO I KNOW YOU?:
The Huskies and RedHawks recruit many of the same areas in the offseason and this is reflected in their respective rosters. Both schools have players from Aurora, Illinois, Charlotte, North Carolina, Powder Springs, Georgia and West Palm Beach, Florida. The two schools even have players from across the border as NIU's Juwan Brescacin and Miami's Mitchell Winter hail from Mississauga, Ontario. Two high schools, Chicago's Mt. Carmel and West Palm Beach's W.T. Dwyer, also are represented on both teams rosters.

MAC AT HOME:
NIU has won 17 of its last 18 MAC games at Huskie Stadium over the last four seasons, and is 70-39-1 (.647) all-time in home conference games. Central Michigan is the only MAC team to win in DeKalb since 2008. The Chippewas scored a 33-30 win in overtime on Nov. 12, 2008 and knocked off NIU 34-17 on Oct. 11, 2014. NIU has won 70.5 percent (48-20) of its league games in Huskie Stadium since starting its second stint in the MAC in 1997.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC:
NIU is 124-92-2 all-time in MAC games with an 88-47 (.652) record in league play since 1997. The Huskies have won 24 of 25 MAC regular season contests and 32 of their last 33 since Oct. 1, 2011. NIU enters its 29th season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2014-15; the 2014 season is NIU's 18th in the MAC since rejoining the league in 1997.

NOT A COINCIDENCE:
The NIU special teams, specifically the punt unit, have done an exemplary job this season. The Huskies lead the MAC and are top 10 in the country in net punting. Kicker/punter Tyler Wedel is averaging 43.1 yards a punt and has pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 10 times. Concurrently, the Huskies are also first in the MAC and third in the country in punt return defense as NIU has allowed an average of .57 yards a return.

FIRST IN THIRD (DOWN EFFICIENCY):
The NIU offense leads the league and is fourth in the nation in third down efficiency. The Huskies have converted 55 of 105 third down opportunities for a 52.4 percent clip. Third down efficiency is one of five NCAA statistical categories NIU leads the MAC and is top 10 in the nation.

SUPERIOR PROTECTION:
The Huskies lead the MAC and are seventh in the nation in sacks allowed. The NIU offensive line, which features five players with 131 combined starts, has allowed five sacks through six games this season. This is nothing new for the Huskie front five. In 2013, NIU finished second in the conference and fifth in the country in sacks allowed.

GIFT FOR SANTA:
Michael Santacaterina intercepted the third pass of his career on Saturday, picking off CMU quarterback Cooper Rush and returning it 35 yards to set up a 24-yard Tyler Wedel field goal. It was Santacaterina's first interception since Oct. 6, 2012 at Ball State and the first turnover for the Huskie defense since the fourth quarter of the Huskies' win over UNLV.

MAKING THEM COUNT:
Michael Santacaterina's interception was the sixth takeaway on the season for the Huskie defense, which has four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in its first six games. NIU has converted those six turnovers into 31 points with two touchdowns and a field goal off of its four interceptions. Both fumble recoveries eventually resulted in touchdowns. The only time NIU did not convert on a turnover was on Paris Logan's interception at Northwestern on Sept. 6.

STARTING ANEW:
The Huskies will be looking to start a new home winning streak when NIU faces off against Miami on Saturday. NIU saw its 28-game winning streak at Huskie Stadium come to an end following a 34-17 setback to Central Michigan on Oct. 11. The Huskies' last home loss came on Sept. 26, 2009 at Idaho.

THE BEST:
Since the start of the 2010 season, the Huskies are among the nation's winningest FBS teams. NIU is 50-11 (under three head coaches) over the past five seasons and is behind Alabama and Oregon for wins during that stretch. The Crimson Tide has posted a 51-8 mark since 2010, while Oregon has tallied a 52-7 record over that time. Stanford also has 50 wins over the past five years, going 50-10.

COMING INTO HIS OWN:
A week after recording his second career 100-yard receiving game in NIU's win over Kent State, wide receiver Juwan Brescacin posted the first multi-touchdown game of his career when he hauled in two TD receptions in NIU's 34-17 loss to Central Michigan. Brescacin scored his first touchdown of the season on a 20-yard reception from Drew Hare in the first quarter. He also scored the last TD of the contest when he and Hare connected on a 14-yard pass play with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter. The native of Mississauga, Ontario has eight career touchdown receptions.

ATTEMPTING TO SURPASS CAREER BESTS:
Quarterback Drew Hare attempted a career-high 33 passes, completing 18, which is also a career best, for 231 yards and two touchdowns against Central Michigan (Oct. 11, 2014). His previous career high was 29 at Arkansas (Sept. 20) and he has completed 18 passes three times this season, including at UNLV (Sept. 13) and against the Razorbacks.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING:
Drew Hare threw his first interception of the season and his career in NIU's setback to Central Michigan on Oct. 11, 2014. Dating back to last season, the sophomore had thrown 124 passes before being picked off at the end of the third quarter. He threw 115 passes before the interception in 2014. Hare is third in the league in passing efficiency with a 149.0 rating.

UP NEXT:
After three straight home games, the Huskies return to the road when NIU travels to Eastern Michigan on Oct. 25, beginning a stretch of four of five games on the road to close out the 2014 regular season. After the trip to Yspilanti, Michigan, the Huskies travel to Muncie, Ind. for a midweek MACtion showdown at Ball State Nov. 5. The Huskies close out the season on the road when they travel to Ohio (Nov. 18) and to Western Michigan (Nov. 28). The lone home game during that stretch is a Nov. 11 contest with Toledo at Huskie Stadium. It's the second straight season NIU will play four of its last five games on the road.

SCORE ONE FOR THE DEFENSE:
NIU has won 38 of its last 39 games when allowing 24 points or less. The last time the Huskies held a team under 24 points and lost was in the 2013 Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 26) when Utah State defeated NIU, 21-14. The Huskies are second in the league in scoring defense in 2014, allowing 23.6 points a game.

UNDER 18 PERMITTED:
NIU's 17-14 win over Kent State was the first win for the Huskies while scoring 17 or less points since Oct. 25, 2008, when the Huskies defeated Bowling Green, 16-13. NIU has played 75 games since that time with 55 wins. In 2008, NIU won two games while scoring 17 points or less, the Bowling Green contest and prior to that, a 17-13 win over Miami (Ohio), on Oct. 11.

WHAT'S THE RUSH:
The NIU has held three opponents to under 100 yards total yards of rushing this season. The Huskies held Kent State to just 83 yards on the ground on Oct. 4 and Presbyterian to 69 yards rushing in the first week of the season. Northwestern rushed for 72 total yards on Sept. 6 with all those yards coming in the first half.

IN A HUFF:
Redshirt freshman Jordan Huff had a pair of career firsts in NIU's 17-14 victory last week. Huff returned his first career kickoff 66 yards, the longest kickoff return of the season for NIU, to set up a Huskie field goal on the opening drive of the second half. On his only carry from scrimmage, Huff ran 18 yards for his first career touchdown to put NIU up 17-3.

RECEIVING ATTENTION:
Wide receiver Juwan Brescacin posted the second 100-yard receiving game of his career, catching three passes for 116 yards (38.7 yards per catch), in the Huskies' victory over Kent State. He recorded a career-high 121 receiving yards last year at Toledo (Nov. 20, 2013) on eight receptions. Brescacin was the second Huskie to tally a 100-yard receiving game in 2014 as Da'Ron Brown accomplished the feat twice this season.

STERLING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE:
Huskie fullback Rob Sterling has been named one of 167 semifinalists for the 2014 National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments. With the nomination, Sterling is also a semifinalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes one individual (from any level of college football) as the top scholar-athlete in the nation. The Lansing, Illinois native carries a 3.63 grade point average while pursuing his degree in accountancy.

ROAD WARRIORS:
NIU's 52-14 loss at Arkansas Sept. 20, 2014 snapped the Huskies and the nation's longest road winning streak. Since suffering a 48-41 loss at Central Michigan on Oct. 1, 2011, the Huskies had won 17 straight games at an opponent's stadium. During that stretch, NIU knocked off such opponents as Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Army. In 2013, NIU was the only FBS school to win all seven of its road games.

FILL THE BONEYARD:
With its 23-15 victory over Big Ten Conference foe Northwestern on Sept. 6, NIU will add another dog bone (stickers) to the wall in its locker room. The Huskies have 14 wins over teams from larger conferences. NIU's first boneyard win came versus Kansas on Sept. 3, 1983. (See chart on page 6 for complete listing.)

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME:
NIU sophomore wide receiver Aregeros Turner put NIU on the board in its 52-14 setback at Arkansas with his first career touchdown. The 5-11, 172-pound native of Copley, Ohio reached the end zone on an 11-yard pass from quarterback Drew Hare with 3:29 left in the first half. Turner has 10 receptions for 96 yards this season and 18 receptions for 166 yards for his career.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE PREFERRED:
NIU's starting offensive linemen -Tyler Loos, Tyler Pitt, Andrew Ness, Aidan Conlon and Ryan Brown - have played in a combined 184 games and started a total of 131 contests in their Huskie careers. Loos, Pitt and Brown are redshirt seniors, while Ness and Conlon are redshirt juniors who have started every game at guard and center, respectively, over the last two seasons.

Player Games Played/Games Started

Ryan Brown 45/30

Aidan Conlon 34/34

Tyler Loos 26/26

Andrew Ness 34/34

Tyler Pitt 48/7

HONORING BOB BRIGHAM:
Northern Illinois University student-athletes from all 17 sports will honor the memory of iconic former director of athletics Robert J. Brigham, who passed away last May at the age of 90, by wearing "RJB" patches or stickers throughout the 2014-15 academic year. Northern Illinois University will honor the memory of the late Dr. Robert J. Brigham, Sr., whose 50 years of service to the university included 19 as the Huskies' director of athletics and dated back to his time as an NIU student-athlete, on Friday, October 10, 2014 at the Barsema Alumni & Visitors Center on the NIU campus.

JUST FOR KICKS:
Kicker Tyler Wedel helped the Huskies flip the field on Kent State in NIU's win over the Golden Flashes. The senior from McFarland, Wisconsin, who is averaging 43.1 yards on 25 punts this season, averaged 43.2 yards on five punts and pinned Kent State inside the 20 five times. In addition to his punting, Wedel was two-for-two on extra points and one-for-two on field goals. He hit a 40-yarder in the third quarter, which proved to be the margin of victory for NIU.

HIGH SCHOOL REUNION:
Aurora Christian High School, a 3A school in nearby Aurora, has sent four of its recent graduates to NIU, more than any other school. Joel Bouagnon (TB) and Brandon Mayes (FS) have seen action in all six games this season, while Chad Beebe (WR) and Anthony Maddie (QB), have played in five games. Bouagnon is second on the team in rushing with 263 yards and four touchdowns, while Mayes has 14 tackles, 11 solo, and a forced fumble as the Huskies' nickelback. Maddie has rushed for 136 yards and passed for 166 and Beebe has eight receptions for 109 yards, including a season-long 32-yard reception against Central Michigan, and four punt returns for 58 yards in five games.

SUNSHINE STATERS:
The 2014 Huskie roster includes seven true freshmen from Florida. Three wide receivers, three defensive backs and linebacker Renard Cheren join four returning Florida Huskies - seniors Jamaal Bass, Akeem Daniels and Tommylee Lewis and redshirt freshman Bobby Jones IV. With memories of NIU's Orange Bowl appearance still fresh, the Huskies' Sunshine State contingent nearly tripled. The group, their positions, hometowns and high schools.

Jamaal Bass, Sr.-R, LB, Miramar (Miramar)

Akeem Daniels, Sr.-R, RB, Kissimmee (Osceola)

Tommylee Lewis, Sr., WR, Riviera Beach (W. T. Dwyer)

Bobby Jones IV, Fr.-R, LB, Miami Gardens (Monsignor Pace)

Christian Blake, Fr., WR, Ft. Lauderdale (Cardinal Gibbons)

Renard Cheren, Fr., LB, Lake Worth (Park Vista)

Shawun Lurry, Fr., CB, West Palm Beach (W.T. Dwyer)

Deion Hallmon, Fr., CB, Weston (Cypress Bay)

Ezra Saffold, Fr., WR, West Palm Beach (W.T. Dwyer)

David Senior, Fr., WR, Ft. Lauderdale (Boyd Anderson)

Albert Smalls, Fr., CB, Miramar (Monsignor Pace)

IN A RUSH:
NIU tailback Cameron Stingily posted his first 100-yard rushing game of the season and fourth of his career when the Romeoville native rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns in a 48-34 victory over UNLV. It was his first 100-yard game since Nov. 20, 2013 when Stingily rushed for 146 yards in a victory over Toledo. It was also the first time this season and the third time in his career Stingily has rushed for two touchdowns in a game. His last two-touchdown game came at Kent State Oct. 5, 2013.

PLAY IT AGAIN:
The Huskies ran a school-record 109 offensive plays in its 55-3 season-opening victory over the Blue Hose. The Mid-American Conference record for offensive plays run in a game is 114 by Toledo (Oct. 6, 1973). NIU ran the most offensive plays in the FBS in its opener and was one of 10 teams to run more than 90 plays including USC (105), which broke the Pac-12 record, Texas A&M (99), Hawai'i (97), Western Kentucky (96), Nevada (96), TCU (96), Arizona (94), North Carolina (93) and Nebraska (91).

FIRST THINGS FIRST:
The NIU defense tied the school record for first downs allowed in a game when it held Presbyterian to just six first downs in the season opener. The last time the Huskies held their opponents to six first downs was Oct. 19, 2002 in a 49-0 victory over Central Michigan. NIU also accomplished the feat against Illinois St. (Oct. 16, 1976) and against Kent State (Oct. 28, 1972).

LOOK WHAT'S NEW:
NIU will don new red and black home uniforms and white road uniforms in 2014. In addition to the new threads, the Huskies will have their choice between matte black or matte white helmets and different helmet decals in 2014. Huskies players now have a variety of uniform combinations as they can wear all one color (red, black and white) or a combination of the three (three ways). The new jerseys have the letters "NIU" on the front, while the helmets use the dog head logo or new "NIU' markings. The seniors will choose the uniform combination each week.