Oct. 7, 2014

Game Notes

HUSKIE FOOTBALL 2014
Game 6 - Central Michigan Chippewas (3-3, 1-1 MAC) at NIU Huskies (4-1, 1-0 MAC) Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014 | 4 p.m. (CT) | ESPN3 | DeKalb, Ill. | Huskie Stadium | 24,000 Radio: AM 560 WIND (Chicago) | WCPT 92.5 FM (DeKalb)

HUSKIE BITES

NIU plays host to Central Michigan Saturday in the school's 108th Homecoming game.

Saturday is the 50th meeting between the two schools. NIU has played Central Michigan more times than any other FBS opponent. The Chippewas hold a 25-23-1 edge in the all-time series history, while NIU is 14-9-1 against CMU in DeKalb.

NIU's 28-game winning streak in its home stadium leads the FBS; the Huskies have not lost in Huskie Stadium since Sept. 27, 2009.

The Huskies have won 24 straight Mid-American Conference regular season games since a 40-10 victory over Kent State on Oct. 8, 2011.

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 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 16-4 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 126 starts over the last three seasons. Juniors guard Aidan Conlon and center Andrew Ness have started every game over the last two seasons for 33 apiece, while senior tackles Ryan Brown and Tyler Loos have made 44 and 25 career starts, respectively.

-- MOST FBS WINS SINCE 2010 --

Oregon 51
NIU 50
Alabama 50
Stanford 49
Boise State 49
LSU 48
Oklahoma 47

-- ACTIVE STREAKS --

Wins at Home Stadium

NIU** 28
NIU* 13
Auburn 13
Baylor 12

*Wins at Huskie Stadium; **Wins at home recognized by NCAA

-- HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS --
2013 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 12-2/8-0/1st West
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 16-4/2nd
Career Record/Years: 16-4/2nd
Alma Mater/Year Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 551-468-51
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

-- CENTRAL MICHIGAN FACTS --
2013 Record: 6-6
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 5-3/T-3rd West
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Dan Enos (Michigan State/1991)
Record at C. Michigan/Years: 22-33/5th
Career Record/Years: 22-33/5th
Location: Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Enrollment: 26,902
Conference: Mid-American Conference
Colors: Maroon and Gold
Stadium: Kelly/Shorts Stadium Surface/Capacity FieldTurf /30,255
President: Dr. George Ross
Athletic Director: Dave Heeke
Athletics Website: www.cmuchippewas.com
Twitter: @CMUAthletics
Ticket Information: 989-774-2472

CMU 2014 SCHEDULE

-- NIU-CMU SERIES HISTORY -- Overall: CMU leads 25-23-1
In DeKalb: NIU leads 14-9-1
At Mount Pleasant: CMU leads 16-9
In MAC Games: NIU leads, 15-13
Streak: NIU, 2
First Meeting: Sept. 30, 1939; CMU 6, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Oct. 19, 2013; NIU 38, CMU 17

-- FOLLOW THE HUSKIES --
Watch NIU-CMU on ESPN3

-- NIU's game versus Central Michigan will be streamed live online on ESPN3 and available to mobile users via WatchESPN.
-- Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Bob Chmiel (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-Chippewas 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"
-- The Huskie Sports Network broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. CT, 30 minutes before kickoff.
-- 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/allaccess 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 --

HOME SWEET HOME: NIU celebrates its 108th Homecoming when it welcomes Central Michigan to Huskie Stadium in NIU's third home game of 2014, and in the second of three-straight October home contests.

HUSKIE HOMECOMING HISTORY: The Huskies' annual Homecoming celebration dates back to an alumni football game played Oct. 10, 1903. NIU's Homecoming is the oldest major college alumni gathering in the state and the Huskies have one of the longest celebrated Homecoming traditions in the country. The Huskies are 68-29-10 all time in its Homecoming football games and have won 15 of its last 16, including the last six contests, in front of the alums. NIU is 34-13-2 in Homecoming football games in Huskie Stadium.

HOME SWEET HOME: With victories over Presbyterian and Kent State at Huskie Stadium this season, NIU extended the nation's longest winning streak by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team in its home stadium to 28. It is a school and Mid-American Conference record. None of the players on NIU's 2014 team has ever lost on Brigham Field. NIU went 5-0 at home in 2013 to record its fourth straight unbeaten campaign in DeKalb. The Huskies' last loss in DeKalb occurred Sept. 26, 2009, 34-31, to Idaho. The current senior class were juniors and seniors in high school, and the true freshmen were in eighth grade in 2009.

MOST FREQUENT FOE: The Huskies have played Central Michigan 49 times since 1939, more than any other current NCAA FBS team. The Chippewas lead the all-time series 25-23-1. In 28 games as MAC opponents, NIU owns a 15-13 series advantage and have won three of the last four meetings. The Huskies own a 14-9-1 record over Central Michigan in DeKalb and have won nine of the last 10 games played at Huskie Stadium.

NEMESIS FROM THE NORTH: NIU and Central Michigan share a unique history. The Huskies broke their 23-game losing streak with a 16-6 victory over the Chippewas on Oct. 17, 1998. Central Michigan owns the distinction of being the only Mid-American Conference team to defeat the Huskies at Huskie Stadium and on the road since 2008. The Chippewas posted a 33-30 overtime victory over NIU in DeKalb on Nov. 12, 2008 and knocked off the Huskies, 48-41, on Oct. 1, 2011 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich. NIU has rattled off 17 straight league victories at home since the loss to CMU and have won 11 consecutive league games on the road.

MAC AT HOME: NIU has won 17 consecutive MAC games at Huskie Stadium over the last four seasons, and is 70-38-1 (.647) all-time in home conference games. NIU has won 71.6 percent (48-19) of its league games in Huskie Stadium since starting its second stint in the MAC in 1997. Central Michigan was the last MAC team to win in DeKalb, 33-30, in overtime on Nov. 12, 2008.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU is 124-91-2 all-time in MAC games with an 88-46 (.657) record in league play since 1997. The Huskies have won 24 straight MAC regular season contests and 31 of their last 32 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.

THE BEST: Since the start of the 2010 season, the Huskies are among the nation's winningest FBS teams. NIU is 50-10 (under three head coaches) over the past five seasons and is tied with Alabama for wins as the Crimson Tide have posted a 50-8 mark during that stretch. Only one FBS team in the country, Oregon, has won more games than NIU with a 51-7 record over that time.

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.

THIRD DOWN SUCCESS: The Huskie offense leads the MAC and ranks fourth in the country in third down efficiency, converting 56 percent of their third downs into first downs. The Huskies have converted 51 of 91 third down attempts for a first down.

WHAT'S THE RUSH: The NIU held its third opponent to under 100 yards rushing as Kent State gained just 83 yards on the ground. The Huskies, who lead the league and are 19th in the country in rushing defense, held Presbyterian to 69 yards rushing in the first week of the season and allowed 72 rushing yards to Northwestern, with all of those yards coming in the first half.

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.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: With a defense featuring five first-year starters and seven freshmen on the Huskie depth chart, NIU boasts the No. 1 defense and the top rushing defense in the MAC. The Huskies are allowing 354.8 yards a game, including 107.6 yards rushing a game, which also leads the league.

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 is the second Huskie to tally a 100-yard receiving game in 2014 as Da'Ron Brown accomplished the feat twice this season.

QUITE A RUN: The Huskies have won 27 of their last 29 regular season games since the start of the 2012 season. The only two regular season losses NIU suffered during that stretch were to Iowa (Sept. 1, 2012) in the season opener at Soldier Field and at Arkansas (Sept. 20, 2014). NIU posted a 12-0 regular season in 2013, completing the school's first undefeated regular season as an FBS team.

SELECT COMPANY: NIU is one of six schools in the country with four rushers with more than 200 yards rushing. New Mexico and Navy have five rushers with 200 or more yards this season, while NIU joins Army, Middle Tennessee State and Oregon with four rushers with 200 or more yards. Cameron Stingily (234), Joel Bouagnon (223), Akeem Daniels (210) and Drew Hare (207) have all surpassed the 200-yad mark, while Anthony Maddie is 64 yards away from joining them.

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 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 179 games and started a total of 126 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 44/29
Aidan Conlon 33/33
Tyler Loos 25/25
Andrew Ness 33/33
Tyler Pitt 47/6

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.

UP NEXT: NIU wraps up its three-game homestand when it welcomes Miami to Huskie Stadium on Oct. 18. It will be the first meeting between the two schools since the 2010 MAC Championship game, a 26-21 victory for the Redhawks. It will be Miami's first visit to DeKalb since Oct. 11, 2008 when NIU posted a 17-13 victory.

JUST FOR KICKS: Kicker Tyler Wedel helped the Huskies flip the field on Kent State in Saturday's win over the Golden Flashes. The senior from McFarland, Wisconsin, who is averaging 43.4 yards on 19 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.

MODEL OF EFFICIENCY: NIU sophomore quarterback Drew Hare leads the league and is 18th in the nation in passing efficiency with a 156.6 rating. Hare is 58-for-95 passing for 766 yards, eight touchdowns with no interceptions.

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. Three of the four, Anthony Maddie (QB), Joel Bouagnon (TB) and Brandon Mayes (FS) have seen action in all five games this season, while Chad Beebe (WR) has missed only one game. Bouagnon is second on the team in rushing with 223 yards and four touchdowns, while Maddie has rushed for 136 yards and passed for 166. Mayes has seven tackles, six solo, and a forced fumble as the Huskies' nickelback. Beebe has five receptions for 64 yards and four punt returns for 58 yards in four games.

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.

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)

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).

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).

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.