Game Notes

HUSKIE FOOTBALL 2014

Boca Raton Bowl Game Notes
Marshall Thundering Herd (12-1, Conference USA Champions)
vs.
NIU Huskies (11-2, MAC Champions)
Tuesday, December 23, 2014 | 5 p.m. (CT) | ESPN | Boca Raton, Fla. | FAU Stadium | 29,419
Radio: AM 560 WIND (Chicago) | WCPT 92.5 FM (DeKalb)

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HUSKIE BITES

The NIU Huskie football team won its third MAC Championship in four years and fourth overall with a 51-17 win over Bowling Green.

NIU is one of only two teams in the country (along with Oregon) to win 11-or-more games in each of the last five seasons.

NIU is bowl eligible for the seventh straight season (a MAC record) and carries a seven-game winning streak into the game.

NIU's 2014 senior class has tied the 2013 seniors for most wins by a class with 46. They can become the winningest senior class of all-time at NIU with a bowl victory.

NIU played three of its first four and four of its last five games of the season on the road, and played seven road games in 2014 (for the second consecutive year). NIU is 6-1 on the road in 2014.

NIU owns a 6-0 record in games decided by 10 points or less this season. Florida State is the only other team in the FBS with a perfect record in games decided by 10 points or less and at least six wins of that variety.

The Huskies rank fourth among all FBS teams in victories since 2010 with 57, behind Oregon (59), Alabama (58) and Florida State (58).

Northern Illinois is the winningest program in Illinois and in the Mid-American Conference over the last decade.

NIU Head Coach Rod Carey owns a 23-5 record as the Huskies head coach since taking over prior to NIU's appearance in the 2013 Orange Bowl.

The Huskies have won 44 of their last 45 games when allowing 24 points or less, including a 8-0 mark in 2014.

Behind a veteran offensive line with 166 career starts, NIU leads the league and is fifth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed, giving up 11 sacks in 13 games this season.

Four Huskies were named first team All-MAC and 10 were honored as all-conference players, including six defenders.

-- MOST FBS WINS SINCE 2010 --
Oregon 59
Alabama 58
Florida State 58
NIU 57
Boise State 54
Stanford 53
LSU 53

-- HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS --
2013 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 12-2/8-0/1st West
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 23-5/2nd
Career Record/Years: 23-5/2nd
Alma Mater/Year Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 558-469-51
Last Bowl Game: 2013 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl (Utah State 21, NIU 14)
Consecutive Bowl Games: 7
MAC Championship Game Appearances: 6 (last, 2014, 51-17 W)
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

-- MARSHALL FACTS --
2014 Record: 12-1
Conference USA Record/Finish: 7-1/1st
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Doc Holliday (West Virginia/1979)\
Record at Marshall/Years: 39-25/5th
Career Record/Years: 39-25/5th
Location: Huntington, West Virginia
Enrollment: 13,718
Conference: Conference USA
Colors: Kelly Green and White
Stadium: John C. Edwards Surface/Capacity FieldTurf /38,016
President: Dr. Stephen J. Kopp
Athletic Director: Mike Hamrick
Athletics Website: herdzone.com
Twitter: @herdzone
Ticket Information: 800-843-4373

MARSHALL 2014 SCHEDULE

-- NIU-MU SERIES HISTORY --
Overall: NIU leads 4-3
In DeKalb: MU leads 2-1
In Huntington: NIU leads 3-1
In MAC Games: MU leads 2-0
First Meeting: Oct. 4, 1969; MU 17, NIU 18 (A)
Last Meeting: Oct. 6, 2001; NIU 15, MU 37 (H)

-- FOLLOW THE HUSKIES --
ESPN TO TELEVISE THE 2014 BOCA RATON BOWL
-- The Boca Raton Bowl will air nationally on ESPN.
-- The Huskies will appear on an over-the-air ESPN Network for the sixth consecutive game and the seventh time in 2014.
-- Dave Lamont will handle play-by-play duties with College GameDay's Desmond Howard alongside as the color analyst and Quint Kessenich on the sidelines.
-- The game is also available on WatchESPN (requires an active subscription from an affiliated provider).

ESPN RADIO TO CARRY NIU-MARSHALL NATIONALLY
-- The Boca Raton Bowl game will air nationally on stations across the country on ESPN Radio.
-- Mark Kestecher will handle the radio play-by-play call of the game with Jon Congemi serving as color analyst and Ian Fitzsimmons working as the sideline reporter.
-- Check your local listings for the ESPN Radio outlet that will carry the game in your area.

HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK BROADCAST
-- The Huskie Sports Network broadcast of the Boca Raton Bowl game begins at 4:30 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 online; the NIU broadcast CAN ONLY be heard online via NIUTube.
-- Bill Baker is completing his 35th season as the play-by-play voice of the Huskies and is joined by 29-year color analyst Mark Lindo and Andy Garcia, who wraps up his second season on the sidelines.

BOWL CENTRAL ON NIUHuskies.com
-- Bowl Central on NIUHuskies.com is the online home for all of the lastest information and complete "insider" coverage on the Huskies' trip to south Florida for the Boca Raton Bowl.
-- The page includes links to buy tickets, travel packages, the bowl website and more.
-- Check out the Huskies' Boca Raton Bowl Guide and find the rosters, stats and news on both teams to get you ready for the game.
-- Check out the latest video updates, Facebook posts and the coverage on Twitter and instagram.
-- Direct link - http://www.niuhuskies.com/bowlcentral/

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.

-- NEWS AND NOTES --

LET'S GO BOWLING!:The NIU football program is playing in a league and school record seventh consecutive bowl game. The first league team to earn bowl eligibility this season, the Huskies are 4-4 in major college bowl games. NIU suffered a 21-14 setback to Utah State last season in the Poinsettia Bowl. NIU's last bowl victory came in the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl where the Huskies defeated Arkansas State, 38-20.

SERIES HISTORY:
The Boca Raton Bowl will mark the eighth meeting all-time between NIU and Marshall, with the Huskies holding a 4-3 lead in the series. Marshall has won each of the last two contests and three of the last four. The Huskies and Herd met twice as Mid-American Conference foes, with Marshall winning 41-9 in 1999 in Huntington and 37-15 in 2001 in DeKalb. NIU's victories in the series came in 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1974.

THE BEST:
NIU has won 57 games over the past five seasons, and is one of only two teams in the country to win 11 games or more every year. The Huskies win total ranks behind only 2014 College Football Playoff teams Oregon (59), Florida State (58) and Alabama (58) in victories since 2010, and have more wins than every other team in the country. Oregon is the only other program to win 11-or-more contests in each of the last five seasons.

RETURN TO SOUTH FLORIDA:
The Huskies' bid to the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl won't be the first time they have made a trip to south Florida. Just two years ago, NIU was in Miami for the 2013 Orange Bowl against Florida State. Tuesday's game will take place just a short drive from the site of the that game. FAU Stadium and Sun Life Stadium are only 35 miles apart.

NIU AND CONFERENCE USA:
NIU is 0-1 all-time versus Conference USA teams. The Huskies lost to former C-USA member Louisville, 27-3, on Oct. 19, 1996. NIU is a combined 7-14 against C-USA's current membership, with victories over Marshall, Middle Tennessee State and Southern Miss.

I'LL BE HOME RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS:
Several members of the NIU football team will be returning home when NIU plays in the Boca Raton Bowl, as 10 Huskies hail from Florida. Three Huskies - seniors Jamaal Bass, Akeem Daniels and Tommylee Lewis - were on the team when NIU played in the 2013 Orange Bowl and will be making their second bowl trip back home. However, seven players - redshirt freshman Bobby Jones IV and true freshmen Christian Blake, Renard Cheren, Deion Hallmon, Shawun Lurry, Ezra Saffold, and Albert Smalls - will get their first chance to return home in a Huskie uniform. Blake, Lurry, Saffold and Smalls have all seen action for NIU this year, Smalls as a starter in the Huskie secondary.

RUN RUN RUDOLPH:
Tuesday's game between the Huskies and Thundering Herd will boast two of the nation's most prolific running attacks. Marshall ranks sixth in the country in rushing offense with 275.6 yards per game, while NIU is 13th nationally at 252.9 yards per game. Combined, the two sides have churned out 6,871 yards and 72 rushing touchdowns on 1,159 attempts. The Huskies (Cameron Stingily and Drew Hare) and Herd (Devon Johnson and Steward Butler) each have two players in the top 90 in the country in rushing yards.

ALL I DO IS WIN:
NIU and Marshall have combined for 23 victories in 2014. No other college bowl game this year outside the College Football Playoff can boast a matchup between two teams with more combined wins. Only Oregon and Florida State (25) in the Rose Bowl and Alabama and Ohio State (24) in the Sugar Bowl - both of this year's CFP semifinal matchups - feature teams with more triumphs on the year.

PUNTS, PUNTS AND MORE PUNTS:
A big part of NIU's success this season has been the play of the defense. In fact, with one more punt by the opposition, the 2014 Huskies will have set a new school record for most opponent punts in a season. Currently, the 2014 team is tied with the 2012 squad with 73 punts forced.

SECOND TO NONE:
The Huskies' 2014 senior class is now tied with its 2013 counterparts as the winningest class in NIU history. NIU's 51-17 win over Bowling Green in the MAC Championship was the seniors' 46th career victory (2011-14). The 2013 seniors went 46-9 from 2010 to 2013. The 19 members of NIU's senior class are also 46-9 for a winning percentage of .836. The 2014 seniors have been on teams that won 11 games in 2011, and 12 games in 2012 and 2013.

2014 NIU Senior Class
No. Name Pos. Cl. GP/GS Hometown (High School)
1 Dechane Durante S Sr.-R 48/38 Charlotte, N.C. (Vance)
3 Akeem Daniels TB Sr.-R 47/13 Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola)
4 Da'Ron Brown WR Sr.-R 52/34 Chicago, Ill. (Morgan Park)
6 Jamaal Bass LB Sr.-R 39/35 Miramar, Fla. (Miramar)
7 Michael Santacaterina LB Sr.-R 47/26 Geneva, Ill. (Geneva)
26 Tyler Wedel P/K Sr. 53/-- McFarland, Wis. (McFarland)
42 Cameron Stingily TB Sr.-R 32/11 Romeoville, Ill. (Romeoville)
47 Rob Sterling FB Sr. 49/6 Lansing, Ill. (T.F. South)
48 Ricky Connors FB Sr.-R 20/1 Powder Springs, Ga. (Harrison)
49 Jason Meehan DE Sr. 53/12 St. Louis, Mo. (Webster Groves)
59 Michael Gegner OL Sr.-R 24/0 Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central)
65 Wes Ott OL Sr.-R 12/0 Western Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township)
67 Tyler Pitt OL Sr.-R 52/12 McRae, Ga. (Telfair County)
75 Tyler Loos OL Sr.-R 33/33 Sterling, Ill. (Sterling)
78 Ryan Brown OL Sr.-R 49/38 Elburn, Ill. (St. Charles North)
83 Luke Eakes TE Sr.-R 53/33 St. Marys, Kan. (St. Marys)
84 Brian Mayer LS Sr.-R 52/-- Orland Park, Ill. (Carl Sandburg)
88 Tim Semisch TE Sr.-R 45/5 Omaha, Neb. (Millard North)
94 Donovan Gordon DT Sr.-R 37/7 Kansas City, Mo. (Raytown South)

HITTING THE BOOKS:
NIU's success on the field has been well-documented, however, the Huskies are equally successful in the classroom. NIU is one of eight FBS bowl eligible teams to graduate 90 percent of its players with a 91 percent graduation rate. It is the highest Graduation Success Rate among the NCAA's public institutions, just ahead of UCF. The Huskies are second to only Northwestern in Illinois, and NIU has a commanding lead in the Mid-American Conference, with Miami's GSR second in the league at 77 percent. As a whole, NIU's combined GSR for all 17 teams was 89 percent - a school record and the top mark in the MAC.

PLAY IT AGAIN:
A major facet of the Huskies' offensive approach in recent years is running more plays in less time. As a result of the no-huddle approach, NIU is five offensive snaps away from reaching 1,000 plays for the fourth consecutive season. Currently, the Huskies have run 995 plays from scrimmage to put them at fourth-most in a single season. With 29 more snaps, the 2014 team will rank second all-time, while it needs 79 snaps to eclipse the 2013 squad for most offensive plays run in a single season.

EVERY DAY BUT SUNDAY (AND MONDAY):
Tuesday night's Boca Raton Bowl game against Marshall is the sixth consecutive weekday game NIU has played this season. The Huskies defeated Ball State, 35-21, Wednesday, Nov. 5; Toledo, 27-24, Tuesday, Nov. 11; Ohio Tuesday, Nov. 18; Western Michigan, 31-21, Friday, Nov. 28, and Bowling Green in the MAC Championship, 51-17, Friday, Dec. 5. The Huskies began the season on a Thursday night with a 55-3 victory over Presbyterian on Aug. 28 and played games on five different days of the week in 2014.

STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH:
One possibly overlooked, but critical matchup in the Boca Raton Bowl will be the Huskies' offensive line against Marshall's defensive line. Both units are very experienced, as NIU's five starting offensive linemen have combined for 214 career games played and Marshall's defensive line has 154 combined career games played. The Thundering Herd are 10th and 28th nationally in tackles for loss and sacks, respectively, while the Huskies rank fifth in fewest sacks allowed and 20th in fewest tackles for loss allowed.

PROUD ALUMS:
On December 13, 11 current members of the NIU football team -- Jamaal Bass, Dechane Durante, Luke Eakes, Michael Gegner, Tyler Loos, Brian Mayer, Andrew Ness, Wes Ott, Michael Santacaterina, Tim Semisch, and Cameron Stingily -- earned their undergraduate degrees from Northern Illinois University. They join teammates Da'Ron Brown, Ryan Brown, Ricky Connors and Akeem Daniels who earned their degrees last year from NIU. Of the group, Ness is the lone junior.

THIRD DOWN FOR WHAT:
NIU's third down efficiency has been critical to the Huskies' offensive success in 2014. NIU leads the MAC and is ninth in the nation, converting on 48.6 percent of its third downs. The Huskies have converted 50 percent or more of their third downs in five games this season, including a 15-of-19 (78.9%) showing against UNLV. NIU will face a stiff challenge from the Marshall defense, which leads Conference USA and is seventh in the country, holding opponents to a 30.3 percent conversion rate.

YOU FIRST:
Comebacks have become routine the 2014 Huskies, but rallying is also a part of NIU's bowl history. In seven of their nine major college bowl appearances, the Huskies' opposition has put the first points on the board, with the exceptions being the 1983 California Bowl (a 23-yard Vince Scott field goal) and the 2008 Independence Bowl (an eight-yard TD pass from Chandler Harnish to Kyle Skarb). However, three of NIU's four major bowl wins have come after surrendering an early lead, as Troy scored the first 14 points in the 2004 Silicon Valley Classic (NIU 34, Troy 21), Fresno State got the opening touchdown in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl (NIU 40, FSU 17) and Arkansas State put 13 early points up in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl (NIU 38, ASU 20).

RARE ACCOMPLISHMENT:
NIU won the MAC West title and played in the conference championship game for the fifth-straight year in 2014, scoring a 51-17 victory over Bowling Green Dec. 5 at Detroit's Ford Field. Only two other FBS teams all-time have played in as many or more consecutive conference championship games. Marshall made six-straight MAC Championships from 1997-2002, while Florida played in five straight SEC title tilts from 1992-96.

QUITE A START:
Drew Hare has continued the Huskies' history of solid quarterback play by turning in a strong season in his first year as NIU's starting signal-caller. He has rushed 145 times for 850 yards and completed 59.9 percent of his passes (179-of-299) for 2,097 yards. Hare has rushed for eight touchdowns and passed for 17. While his numbers don't quite match up with thos of Heisman Trophy finalist Jordan Lynch in his first year as a starter (2012), it does compare favorably to Chandler Harnish. Harnish played in 10 games in 2008 as a redshirt freshman, starting nine. He rushed for 539 yards and four touchdowns on 118 carries while passing for 1,528 yards and eight TDs.

HARE RAISING SEASON:
NIU quarterback Drew Hare has had an impressive first year as the Huskie starting quarterback. Since taking over as the starter against UNLV, Hare has rushed for 768 yards and seven touchdowns on 129 carries and thrown for 1,888 yards on 165-of-276 passing with 14 TDs. Add his numbers from the first two games and those numbers jump to 850 yards rushing and 2,097 yards passing. His 2,947 yards of total offense ranks fifth on NIU's all-time list, ahead of George Bork (2,945) and behind only his immediate predecessors, Jordan Lynch (2012, 2013) and Chandler Harnish (2011).

BEST IN THE WEST:
With a fifth-straight West Division title in 2014, the Huskies have now won more division crowns (six) than any other current member of the Mid-American Conference. Trailing NIU is Toledo and Miami with five and four division titles, respectively. Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Ohio have each won three division championships, while Akron, Ball State, Buffalo and Kent State each have one first-place finish to their credit. Since the MAC split into divisions in 1997, only Marshall (now a member of Conference USA) has won as many titles as NIU.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY:
With its 51-17 win over Bowling Green, NIU is 3-3 in its six MAC Championship games in Detroit and has won three of the last four championships. NIU has won four Mid-American Conference titles all-time, as the Huskies' first MAC crown came in 1983 under head coach Bill Mallory (Rod Carey's college coach). That season, NIU went 8-1 versus league teams and clinched the championship with a 26-14 win over Toledo before the days of conference championship games. NIU won its next MAC title game 28 years later, with a 23-20 victory over Ohio in the 2011 MAC Championship game.

FOOT LOOS AND FANCY FREE:
For the first time in his career, NIU offensive tackle Tyler Loos will not only start every game of a season, but finish the season on the field as well. The Huskie senior, who has played in 33 games in his career, missed each of NIU's last three MAC Championship games, along with multiple other games at the end of the years, due to injury. Loos missed the entire 2011 campaign due to a knee injury and suffered broken legs in the last month of both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Tuesday's Boca Raton Bowl will be the final game as a Huskie for the two-time All-MAC left tackle.

ELEVEN TO TWELVE:
With its win over Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game, NIU improved to 11-2 to record its third straight 11-win season in school history. Only three other schools, Alabama, Oregon and Florida State, can boast that accomplishment. Should NIU defeat Marshall, only the Huskies and Florida State will claim three-straight 12-win seasons.

UNFLAPPABLE DOGS:
The NIU football team rallied from a 14-point second-quarter deficit at Western Michigan to defeat the Broncos, 31-21, on November 28th to clinch the MAC West title. It was the largest deficit the Huskies had come back from since falling behind Eastern Illinois, 20-0, in the first quarter on Sept. 21, 2013. NIU went on to win that game by four points, 43-39. Overall, the 2014 Huskies have trailed or been tied in the second half in six of its wins.

AND YOUR POINT IS?:
NIU continued its strong defensive play in Detroit, limiting Bowling Green - a team that averaged 30.8 points per game - to just 17 in the MAC Championship Game. The week before at Western Michigan, which averaged a MAC best 34.6 points a game, the Huskies surrendered just 19 points, shutting out the Broncos in the second half. It was the first time NIU shut out an opponent in the second half this season and the first time since blanking Eastern Michigan in the second half on Nov. 23, 2012. Since allowing 41 points in a 51-41 victory over Miami, the NIU defense has allowed just 112 points for a 18.7-point average.

HOW THE WEST WAS WON:
One of the keys to NIU winning the MAC West Division over the past five years has been defeating its divisional foes. Since 2010, the Huskies are 23-2 against their West brethren. NIU has won five-straight contests versus Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan. The only West team to defeat the Huskies in the last five seasons is Central Michigan, which beat NIU in 2011 and 2014. NIU has also posted an impressive 15-0 mark in its regular season crossover games with the MAC East and is 38-2 in MAC play the last five years.

SECOND HALF SURGING:
In its seven-game winning streak, NIU has dominated the second half of games, outscoring opponents 129-62. The NIU defense has given up 31 points fewer in the second half than in the first half during the team's winning streak, allowing just 42 points combined in the second half over the past six contests. NIU has not been outscored in the fourth quarter of a game during its winning streak.

HUSKIES CLUTCH IN CLOSE GAMES:
NIU owns a 6-0 record in games decided by 10 points or less this season, including close victories in three of its last four contests. No. 3 Florida State is the only other team in the FBS with a perfect record in games decided by 10 points or less and at least six wins of that variety in 2014. Winning close games is nothing new to NIU. The Huskies are 14-1 in their last 15 games decided by 10 points or less stretching back to the 2012 season. Moreover, NIU is 11-1 in its last 12 games decided by one score (eight points or less).

MAKING THE GRADE:
While the Huskies have been successful on the field for the past several seasons, they have been pretty good in the classroom, too. In the most recent Graduation Success Rate report released by the NCAA on Oct. 28, NIU is ranked eighth in the nation among all FBS programs with a 91 percent mark.

UNDEFEATED AT 45:
Since the beginning of the 2010 season, NIU is 33-0 when the Huskies rush the ball 45 times or more in a game and the Huskies are nearly as effective when rushing the ball 40 times or more. The Huskies are 7-0 this season when rushing the ball 45 times or more. The Huskies rushed 77 times against Presbyterian (in the 2014 season opener), four attempts shy of the school record 81 set in 1987. It was the most rushing attempts by NIU in a game in the last five seasons. Over the last five seasons, NIU is 12-10 when rushing less than 40 times a game.

Record Scoring Average
Rushing 40 or more times 44-2 41.2
Rushing 45 or more times: 33-0 42.2
Rushing 50 or more times: 23-0 36.8
Rushing 55 or more times: 9-0 34.3
Rushing 60 or more times: 4-0 44.0

LEAGUE HONOREES:
Six Huskies have taken home seven MAC Player of the Week awards in 2014. Punter Tyler Wedel is the only Huskie to earn the honor twice this year as he earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week accolades following his performances at UNLV (as a kicker) and Ohio (as a punter).

The Complete List:
Rasheen Lemon (LB) Defense vs. Northwestern, Sept. 8, 2014
Drew Hare (QB) Offense vs. UNLV, Sept. 15, 2014
Tyler Wedel (K/P) Special Teams vs. UNLV, Sept. 15, 2014 and Special Teams vs. Ohio, Nov. 24, 2014
Anthony Brooks (CB) Defense vs. Ball State, Nov. 6, 2014
Christian Hagan (K) Special Teams vs. Toledo, Nov. 17, 2014
Dechane Durante (S) Defense vs. W. Michigan, Dec. 1, 2014

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU:
NIU wide receiver Da'Ron Brown has already made his mark on the Huskie record book and continues to climb the charts. With 151 career receptions, the Huskie senior is fifth on NIU's career catches list. His 19 career TD receptions are just two shy of fourth on NIU's career touchdown receptions list. He can move into third in career receiving yards with 90 yards in his final game. Brown became just the seventh Huskie player all-time to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards for a season with 1,002 yards on 64 catches in 2014.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO:
Cornerback Paris Logan is quickly making a name for himself in the Huskie record book. The junior from Columbia, Missouri, is tied for second with Randee Drew and Chris Smith on NIU's single season list for pass break ups with 15. He is also two PBUs from tying Lionel Hickenbottom for sixth on the school's career list. Logan has made 22 career pass break ups. He has at least one pass break up in each of the Huskies' last 12 games.

QUITE A PICK:
With three interceptions in the last two games, including two in the MAC Championship game, Dechane Durante has intercepted a team-high four passes in 2014. Durante has 11 picks in his career, which ranks 16th among FBS active players, with four of those interceptions in MAC Championship games.

FAMILIAR GROUND:
NIU defensive line coach Brett Diersen is no stranger to FAU Stadium. The second-year Huskie assistant spent the 2012 season as the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator at Florida Atlantic.

HUSKIE HOMECOMING:
In addition to NIU's 10 Floridians returning to play in their native state, it is a homecoming of sorts for a pair of Huskie assistant football coaches - running backs coach Kelton Copeland and wide receivers coach Thad Ward. Copeland hails from Miami and went to high school at Miami Southridge. Ward is originally from Tallahassee and graduated from the University of Central Florida where he played defensive back for the Knights.

THE 500 CLUB:
The NIU offense tallied 552 yards of total offense in the Huskies' 51-17 victory over Bowling Green, the fourth time this season and the 57th time in school history NIU has gained 500 or more yards in a single game. The Huskies racked up 635 yards in the season opener against Presbyterian on Aug. 18 and at UNLV on Sept. 13. NIU earned a season-high 658 yards against Miami on Oct. 18, 2014. NIU's total against the Falcons was the 29th most in school history.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER:
Since its 65-30 win over Toledo on Nov. 9, 2010, the NIU football team is 19-0 in regular season games played in November. If you throw in the Huskies' 2012 MAC Championship victory over Kent State on Nov. 30, the number improves to 20-0. By comparison, Alabama has five November losses during that same stretch, while Oregon has dropped four November games.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TAKEAWAYS:
The NIU defense upped its season total to 24 takeaways - 14 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries - after forcing four turnovers against Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game. NIU has converted 15 of those turnovers into 76 points with five touchdowns and two field goals off of 10 of its interceptions, and five touchdowns off of five fumbles. The Huskies rank first in the MAC and ninth in the country in turnover margin with 12 more takeaways than turnovers.

PLAYING KEEP AWAY:
On the flip side, NIU ranks sixth in the nation in turnovers lost. The Huskies have lost 10 fumbles, which ranks fifth in the league, and thrown three interceptions, behind only Oregon and Army for fewest in the country, with only two picks thrown by starting quarterback Drew Hare.

SCORE ONE FOR THE DEFENSE:
The NIU defense held its sixth consecutive opponent to 24 points or less when the Huskies limited Bowling Green to 17 points in the MAC Championship game on Dec. 5. NIU has won all of its games this season when allowing 24 points or less and is 44-1 over its last 45 such games. 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 third in the league in scoring defense in 2014, allowing 23.6 points a game.

CAREER HIGH FOR CAMERON:
NIU tailback Cameron Stingily has scored 11 of his career high 13 touchdowns this season in the Huskies' last seven games, and has at least one score in six of those contests. Stingily rushed for a career-high three touchdowns in NIU's 35-21 victory at Ball State and scored two TDs in the Huskies' wins over Toledo and Bowling Green. The Huskie senior has 22 career touchdowns in 34 games played, with at least one score in six of NIU's last seven games.

THAT STINGS:
With 895 yards rushing in 2014, Cameron Stingily has 2,019 yards in his career to rank 16th on NIU's all-time rushing yardage list. He needs four more yards to surpass Carl Fisher for 15th on the list and 173 yards to claim 14th. The Romeoville, Illinois, native is the 16th Huskie to run for 2,000 yards in a career. Stingily has seven career 100-yard rushing games with four in 2014 and three in 2013. Akeem Daniels is also in the NIU 1,000-yard club with 1,220 yards on 203 carries, 30th all-time.

SACK IT TO ME:
Named the team's Defensive MVP and first team All-MAC, defensive end Jason Meehan leads NIU and ranks second in the MAC in sacks with seven on the season and has 14 career quarterback sacks despite never starting a game until this year. He ranks 10th on the Huskies career sack list. The senior also has a career-high 48 tackles in 2014.

STARTING ANEW:
With its 31-21 win at Western Michigan on Nov. 28, NIU has rattled off four-straight road wins after a loss to Arkansas (Sept. 20) ended the Huskies' 17-game road-winning streak. The Huskies began a new streak with a 28-17 win at Eastern Michigan on Oct. 25 and continued it with a 35-21 victory at Ball State on Nov. 5 and a 21-14 triumph at Ohio on Nov. 18. During its 17-game road winning streak, NIU defeated Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Army. NIU is 13-1 in road games over the last two years.

JUST KICKING IT:
NIU punter Tyler Wedel was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award on Nov. 14. The only semifinalist from the MAC, Wedel has been an effective weapon for the Huskies all season, and especially since giving up kicking duties to freshman Christian Hagan. The native of McFarland, Wisconsin, has pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 27 times on 59 punts for a 41.7 percent mark to rank third in the country. He has NO touchbacks on the year. Wedel has landed five punts inside the 20 in a game twice this season - at Ball State (Nov. 5) and against Kent State (Oct. 4). He has also dropped 15 punts inside the 10-yard line in 2014 and booted a career-long 66-yard punt against Bowling Green in the MAC Championship game.

INSIDE-THE-20 (minimum 3.6 punts/game)
Player, Team G No. In20 Pct (In10)
J.K. Scott, Alabama (Fr.) - 12 G, 48 P, 26 (In20) for 54.2%, 8 (In10)
Will Gleeson, Mississippi (Fr.) - 10 G, 50 P, 23 (In20) for 46.0%, 12 (In10)
Tyler Wedel, NIU (Sr.) - 13 G, 59 P, 27 (In20) for 45.8%, 15 (In10)
Tom Hackett, Utah (Jr.) - 12 G, 77 P, 35 (In20) for 45.5%, 19 (In10)
Nick O'Toole, West Virginia (Jr.) - 12 G, 52 P, 23 (In20) for 44.2%, 6 (In10)

PRIOR EXPERIENCE PREFERRED:
NIU's starting offensive linemen -Tyler Loos, Tyler Pitt, Andrew Ness, Aidan Conlon and Ryan Brown - have played in a combined 214 games and started a total of 166 contests in their Huskie careers. Loos, Pitt and Brown are redshirt seniors, with 33, 14 and 37 starts, respectively. Ness and Conlon are redshirt juniors who have started 41 consecutive games at guard and center, respectively, over the last three seasons. Loos was named to the first team All-MAC squad for the second consecutive season in 2014, while Ness was a first team selection for the first time in his career.

SUPERIOR PROTECTION:
The Huskies lead the MAC and rank fifth in the country in sacks allowed, having given up only 11 sacks through 13 games this season. The NIU offense has not allowed a sack in six games this season, most recently in NIU's victory over Western Michigan on Nov. 28. This is nothing new for the Huskie front five. In 2013, NIU finished second in the conference and fifth in the country in fewest sacks allowed.

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

HUSKIES IN THE MAC:
NIU is 130-92-2 all-time in MAC games with a 94-47 (.667) record in league play since 1997 (when NIU rejoined the league). The Huskies have won 30 of 31 MAC regular season contests and 38 of their last 39 since Oct. 1, 2011, a streak marred only by a loss to Central Michigan earlier this year. NIU completed its 29th season overall as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2014-15.

STERLING SCHOLAR-ATHLETE:
Huskie fullback Rob Sterling added CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 first team honors to his list of academic achievements in 2014. The Lansing, Illinois native, who carries a 3.63 grade point average in accountancy, was named one of 167 semifinalists for the 2014 National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments earlier this season. It is the second time in his career Sterling earned Academic All-District honors as he was also named to the squad as a sophomore in 2012.