HUSKIE BITES

• NIU and Toledo, the originators of #MACtion, meet in another pivotal MAC West showdown as both teams enter the game 4-0 in the MAC.
• By notching its sixth win of 2017 last week versus Eastern Michigan, NIU is bowl eligible for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons. The Huskies' had their MAC and school record eight consecutive bowl appearances streak snapped last year.   
• Toledo owns a 30-14 lead in the all-time series; the Rockets' 31-24 win at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago last year snapped NIU's six-game winning streak over UT. 
• In his five seasons at the helm, Head Coach Rod Carey has led NIU to a 30-6 regular season record versus MAC foes for an .833 winning percentage, and a 42-21 (.677) overall mark.   
• One of the most remarkable aspects of the Huskie's defensive performance this year has been the improvement from a year ago. NIU is holding opponents to more than 20 points and more than 170 yards BELOW their seven game averages from a year ago. (See chart p. 4)   
• With three tackles for loss last week, sophomore defensive end Sutton Smith has tied NIU's 33-year-old school record for TFLs in a season with 20. Smith leads the FBS in tackles for loss (2.5/game), and is tied for second in quarterback sacks with 9.5 (1.19/game).   
• For the second consecutive year, NIU senior Shane Wimann has tied the NIU single season record for touchdown catches by a tight end with six. Wimann has caught a TD pass in each of the last four games; he continues to add to his career record 16 tight end touchdowns. 
• D.J. Brown became the fourth different NIU receiver to surpass the 100-yard mark in a game this season when he caught seven passes for 104 yards versus Eastern Michigan. That is the most different 100-yard receivers in a season for NIU in school history. 

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 42-21/5th
Career Record/Years: 42-21/5th
Alma Mater/Year: Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 577-485-51
2016 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 5-7/5-3/3rd West
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 7, 2015
Bowl Appearances (Major College): 11
Last Bowl Game: 2015 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 50/31
Starters Returning: 15 (5 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialist)
Starters Lost: 12 (5 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist)

NIU FACTS
Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Founded: 1895
Enrollment: 19,015
Affiliation: NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Mid-American (West Division)
Colors: Cardinal and Black
Stadium: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /23,595
Acting President: Dr. Lisa Freeman
Assoc. VP/Athletic Director: Sean T. Frazier
    Alma Mater, Year: Alabama '92
Ticket Information: 815-753-PACK (7225)

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ROCKETS' FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Jason Candle (Mt. Union/2003)
Record at Toledo/Years: 16-5/2nd
Career Record/Years: 16-5/2nd
2016 Record: 9-4
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 6-2/2nd MAC West 
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Enrollment: 20,579
Conference: Mid-American, West Division
Colors: Midnight Blue and Gold
Stadium: Glass Bowl    
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /26,038
PresidentL Dr. Sharon Gaber
Athletic Director: Mike O'Brien
Athletics Website: utrockets.com
Twitter: @ToledoFB 
Ticket Information: 419-530-4653

Toledo Schedule & Results

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NIU-TOLEDO SERIES FACTS
Overall: UT leads 30-14
In Toledo: UT leads 18-5
In DeKalb: UT leads 11-9
In Chicago: UT leads 1-0
In MAC Games: UT leads 19-11
Streak: UT, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1967; UT 35, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 9, 2016 UT 31, NIU 24 (N)

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-TOLEDO ON ESPNU

• The NIU-Toledo game will air on ESPNU, marking the Huskies' fifth appearance on a broadcast network so far in 2017. 
• The game will also be available online at ESPN.com and on mobile devices via the ESPN App.
• The announce crew is Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and Tom Luginbill (color analyst).

RADIO: NIU SPORTS NETWORK

• The NIU Sports Network broadcast for the Toledo game begins at 4:30 p.m. CT, 30 minutes prior to kickoff from the Glass Bowl. 
• The game will be carried on NIU network affiliates WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 (DeKalb), AM 560 The Answer (Chicago) and SportsFan Radio AM 1330 (Rockford). 
• Hear the broadcast online via NIU All-Access (subscription), and on mobile devices via TuneIn. Download the app free and find the NIU Huskies channel. 
• Bill Baker is in his 38th season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo joins him for the 32nd season, while Andy Garcia is in his fifth season on the sidelines. 

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

• Fans are invited to attend the one-hour show every Monday at Noon at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Hwy).
• Listen live with the TuneIn app; hear it Monday at 7 p.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb, 8 pm Mondays on 560 AM The Answer in Chicago and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on SportsFan Radio 1330 AM in Rockford.
• Hear from host Bill Baker, NIU Head Coach Rod Carey, Huskie players and athletic department guests. 

NIU WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

• Airs Friday at 10 p.m. CT in Chicago on AM 560 The Answer, Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb and on SportsFan Radio AM 1330 in Rockford at 6:30 a.m Saturdays.
• Also hear it on NIUTube (subscription).
• Hosts are Andy Garcia and Sean T. Frazier, NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics.
• The 30-minute show features interviews with football coach Rod Carey, other NIU head coaches and guests. 

NIUTube (HUSKIE ALL-ACCESS)

• See weekly and post-game press conferences, video features, Huskie Olympic sports and special events.
• Hear all NIU live radio broadcasts, including football and basketball games and NIU radio shows.
• Purchase a daily, monthly or annual subscription.
• Go to NIUHuskies.com for rates and information.

GETTING SOCIAL

• Twitter: @NIUAthletics, @NIUScores, @NIU_Football 
• Facebook: NIU Huskies, NIU Football
• Instagram: niuhuskies, niufootball
• YouTube: niuhuskiesdotcom
• See NIU Athletics' social media hub online to see all of the Huskie team and coaching staff accounts.

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NEWS & NOTES

SERIES HISTORY: Toledo holds a 30-14 advantage in the series between the two schools, winning last year's contest, 31-24, at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. The Rocket win snapped a six game winning streak by the Huskies, the longest for NIU in the series. NIU won its last contest at the Glass Bowl, 32-27, when Ryan Graham came in for an injured Drew Hare and orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback. The Huskies have won their last three meetings at Toledo.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: Toledo overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat NIU, 31-24, at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 9. Kareem Hunt scored a touchdown with 1:15 left to complete the Toledo comeback and defeat the Huskies for the first time since 2009. Kenny Golladay led the way for NIU with a career high 14 catches for 143 yards, while Ryan Graham finished the night 24-of-43 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns.

MIDWEEK MACTION: With its win over Eastern Michigan, NIU has posted a 17-2 record in league games played from Tuesday to Thursday since 2010. Toledo and Ohio are the only two schools to defeat the Huskies during midweek MACtion. The Huskies fell to the Rockets last year at Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 9, while Ohio scored a 26-21 win over NIU on Nov. 24, 2015 at Huskie Stadium. Toledo is NIU's most frequent opponent in MACtion games as the Huskies and Rockets will face off for the eighth time in primetime.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: With its 30-27 overtime win over Eastern Michigan, NIU improved to 145-97-2 all-time in MAC play and to 109-52 (.677) in league action since 1997, when NIU rejoined the league. Since 2010, NIU is 53-7 and has recorded three undefeated campaigns and two one-loss seasons in league play, winning six-straight division championships during that stretch. The Huskies are in their 32nd season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2017-18, including an initial stint in the league from 1975-85.

BOWL-ELIGIBLE HUSKIES: After improving to 6-2 on the season following its victory over Eastern Michigan, NIU is bowl eligible for the ninth time in 10 seasons. The Huskies appeared in eight straight bowl games from 2008-15, including the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl.

STREAKING HUSKIES: NIU enters Thursday's contest at Toledo riding a four-game winning streak. It is the Huskies' first four-game winning streak since 2015 when NIU won six straight. 

DECADE OF DOMINANCE: With its win over the Eagles last Thursday night, NIU extended its winning streak over the Eagles to a series-high 10 straight games. The Huskies last loss to Eastern Michigan was a 21-19 decision Sept. 15, 2007 at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies have now won 16 of the last 17 meetings with EMU.

WORKING OVERTIME: NIU improved to 7-4 in overtime games with its 30-27 win over Eastern Michigan. It was the Huskies first overtime game this season. Last year, the Huskies played in a school-record three overtime contests, including a pair of triple overtime games.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The Huskies rallied from a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Eastern Michigan, 30-27, at Huskie Stadium last week. It was the second straight overtime victory for NIU over the Eagles. Last year, Eastern Michigan jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead before the Huskies mounted a furious second half comeback to win 31-24. 

DEJA VU PART II: NIU's victory over Eastern Michigan was the first win for the Huskies this season when trailing heading into the fourth quarter. The last time NIU won when trailing heading into the fourth quarter was Nov. 16, 2016 when the Huskies trailed 21-17 at Eastern Michigan.

FINAL FRAME 14: The Huskies' 14 points scored in the fourth quarter against Eastern Michigan are the most scored by NIU in the final frame of a game this season. The Huskies scored a total of 17 points in their previous six fourth quarters this season. The last time NIU scored 14 points in the fourth quarter was in a 31-21 victory over Kent State (Nov. 25) in last year's finale.

BLOCK PARTY: The Huskies blocked a punt for the first time since Oct. 8, 2011 (Kent State) when Mitchell Brinkman blocked Jake Julien's punt late in the fourth quarter. The block, which was returned 11 yards by Jauan Wesley, set up the game-tying score. Conversely, NIU had its first punt blocked for a touchdown since Sept. 18, 2004 (Iowa State) when EMU blocked Matt Ference's punt earlier in the game. 

ALL MY CHILDERS: In his third career start at quarterback, Marcus Childers threw for a career-high 278 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-40 passing, also setting career bests for completions and attempts. He accounted for 332 yards of total offense as the redshirt freshman rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. 

MORE THAN A BLOCKER: Shane Wimann established a career high in receiving yards in a single game when he tallied 70 yards on four catches, which ties his career best, against Eastern Michigan. He also made a career-long 50 yard grab in the contest. The Huskie senior has 225 yards receiving on 21 receptions on the season and needs 30 yards and four catches to surpass his career highs in both categories set last year.

TE FOR THE TD: Shane Wimann, who entered the season as the school record holder for career touchdown receptions by a tight end, made it four straight games with a TD catch, when he reached the end zone on a five-yard pass from Marcus Childers in the fourth quarter against EMU. The Huskie senior now has six TD grabs on the year to lead NIU and tie his own single season mark for TDs by a tight end, and has 16 career scores. He has a touchdown grab in every game except Nebraska or San Diego State. Wimann is the only player on the current roster to have caught a touchdown pass from each of the last five NIU starting quarterbacks. 

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU: Wide receiver D.J. Brown recorded his first 100-yard receiving game when he tallied 104 yards on seven receptions, including a touchdown, against Eastern Michigan. The redshirt junior scored the initial touchdown of the game on a career-long 69-yard pass from Marcus Childers in the second quarter. 

FOUR FOR 100: D.J. Brown became the fourth Huskie receiver this season to record a 100-yard receiving game with 104 yards versus Eastern Michigan, joining Chad Beebe who tallied 124 yards at Bowling Green and Christian Blake and Spencer Tears, who recorded 160 and 105 yards, respectively, at San Diego State. It's the first time in NIU's FBS history that four different Huskie receivers have tallied a 100-yard receiving game in the same season. In 2015, three different Huskies (Kenny Golladay, Tommylee Lewis and Jawaun Brescacin) each had 100-yard receiving games.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER: NIU has three receivers with 300 yards or more receiving through the first eight games this season for the first time since Perez Ashford (356), Nathan Palmer (329) and Martel Moore (310) hit the mark in 2011. Christian Blake leads the way with 335 yards, while Spencer Tears is next with 330. Both Tears and Blake each have 29 receptions, while D.J. Brown leads the Huskies in receptions with 32 for 323 yards.

RUSHING TO A RECORD: Tailback Jordan Huff is averaging 6.45 yards a carry for his career, rushing for 1,877 on 291 carries. He is nine carries away from qualifying for NIU's all-time list for yards per carry. Jordan Lynch is NIU's leader in career yards per carry with 6.56, while Garrett Wolfe is second with a 6.40 yard per carry average.

THE DEFENSE DOES NOT REST: NIU's defense allowed 403 yards of total offense to Eastern Michigan, the highest by an NIU opponent this season, and is averaging 307.1 yards per game, which ranks 15th in the nation and leads the MAC. Last year, the Huskies finished the season ranked 98th nationally in total defense, allowing 451.5 yards a game. NIU's defense allowed a season-low 131 yards of total offense versus Kent State (Oct. 7), the lowest total versus an FBS team since the Huskies allowed 64 versus the Golden Flashes on Oct. 8, 2011.

MODEL OF EFFICIENCY: The NIU defense held Eastern Michigan to 5-of-20 on third down for a 25 percent conversion percentage. The Huskies lead the MAC and rank sixth in the country in third down efficiency. The Huskies held San Diego State to a season-low 1-of-14 on third down conversions, the Golden Flashes to 2-of-16 and Buffalo to 2-for-14 on third down. 

GETTING OFF THE FIELD: The Huskie defense ranks third in the country in defensive three-and-outs after recording six against Eastern Michigan. NIU's season-best is eight three and outs against San Diego State and Kent State. NIU is averaging 6.375 three and outs a game. The Huskies have either forced teams to punt or forced a turnover in the first three plays of a drive in 51 of 122 drives by their opponents. The Huskies also tallied six three-and-outs versus Eastern Illinois, five at Nebraska and four in the season opener against Boston College.
 

Team (Games)	Avg.	3&Outs-Total Drives	Pct.
1. Michigan (8)	6.75	54-100	54.0
2. Indiana (8)	6.75	54-1212	44.6
3. NIU (8)	6.38	51-122	41.8
4. Alabama (8)	5.88	47-98	48.0

HOLD THEM UNDER 100: NIU's defense held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing for the fourth time this season when Eastern Michigan finished with 96 yards on the ground. The Huskies' held Buffalo to a season-low 39 yards, including just one net yard in the second half. Eastern Illinois and Nebraska tallied 60 and 85 yards on the ground, respectively. 

AT A LOSS: The Huskie defense leads the MAC and is third in the country in tackles for loss, averaging 8.6 tackles for loss per game after amassing seven against Eastern Michigan. NIU tallied a season-high 14 against Kent State, which ties for the third-most in an FBS game this year. NIU has 69 TFLs on the season. The Huskies recorded 49 TFLs through the first eight games last year before finishing with 73. The school record for tackles for loss in a season is 104, set in 2008.

THREE OF A KIND: The Huskie defense currently has three different defenders with double digit tackles for loss. Sutton Smith leads the way with his school record-tying 20 TFLs, while Bobby Jones IV and Jawuan Johnson each have 11. The last time multiple NIU players finished the season in double digits in tackles for loss was when Alan Baxter (11.5), Sean Progar (10.5), Joe Windsor (10.5) and Tyrone Clark (10) did it in 2012.

WORKING ON THE LINE: The NIU defensive line has accounted for 17 of NIU's 25 sacks, 35.5 of the Huskies' 69 tackles for loss and three of NIU's 11 forced turnovers, including a fumble return for a touchdown by Sutton Smith at Bowling Green and an interception by Josh Corcoran (DE) at Nebraska. Defensive tackles William Lee, Ben LeRoy, and Devin Webster and defensive end Drequan Brown have each recorded at least one sack. LeRoy, Sutton Smith and redshirt freshman Jack Heflin are all first-time starters. 

NATIONAL LEADER: Redshirt sophomore Sutton Smith maintained his national lead in tackles for loss after recording three TFLs against Eastern Michigan. His career-best for tackles for loss in a game is five, set in the season opener with Boston College, while he recorded a season-best three sacks against Kent State. The Huskie defensive end has 20 tackles for loss on the year which tied the school record set in 1984 by Scott Kellar. 

SUTTON ON THE SACK: Sutton Smith recorded a sack of Brogan Roback in the second quarter to give the Huskie defensive end 9.5 on the season, which is tied for sixth on NIU's all-time single-season list. Smith ranks second in the nation in sacks, averaging 1.19 a game. The school record for sacks in a season is 12, set by Larry English (2006) and Scott Kellar (1984). 

SACK STREAK: The NIU defense extended its sack streak to 18 games when Sutton Smith sacked Brogan Roback in the second quarter of the Huskies' win over the Eagles. The streak dates back to the Huskies' Sept. 17, 2016 contest against the Aztecs. The Huskies lead the MAC and are fifth in the country with 3.29 sacks a game.

SACK ATTACK: The Huskies tallied two sacks versus Eastern Michigan with Jawuan Johnson and Sutton Smith each recording a sack. NIU has 25 sacks on the year, surpassing last season's total of 22. The Huskies' single game-high in sacks is seven, set against Kent State, which are the most recorded by a Huskie defense since Sept. 14, 2013 when NIU amassed nine at Idaho.

SCORE ONE FOR THE DEFENSE: The Huskies rank fifth in the country in defensive scores. Sutton Smith's 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown was the third defensive score of the season for NIU. It is the most defensive touchdowns scored by a Huskie defense since 2001 when NIU returned four interceptions for touchdowns. Shawun Lurry and Jawuan Johnson scored touchdowns on 87 and 25-yard interception returns, respectively, at Nebraska.

TURNING OVER POINTS: After turning three turnovers of its five into 17 points at Bowling Green, the Huskies have converted 10 of the 16 turnovers forced on the season into 62 points. Last season, NIU tallied 33 points off 15 turnovers. The Huskies scored a field goal on the first turnover forced this season by NIU, a Kyle Pugh interception against Boston College. NIU has turned two fumble recoveries into a touchdown and five other interceptions into touchdowns.

BALL-HAWKING HUSKIES: NIU has 13 interceptions on the season to rank fifth in the country and lead the MAC. The Huskie defense tallied their fourth multi-interception game of the season when they intercepted three Bowling Green passes, including Trayshon Foster's first career INT. NIU had three interceptions versus Kent State (Oct. 7) and at Nebraska (Sept. 16) and two against Eastern Illinois (Sept. 9). The Huskies had 14 interceptions all of last season and the school record for interceptions in a season is 29 set in 1951, while the modern day record is 24 set in 1987.

HUSKIE SEE HUSKIE DO: Nine different Huskie defenders have accounted for NIU's 13 interceptions this season. Linebacker Jawuan Johnson leads the way with three, while safety Mycial Allen and cornerback Shawun Lurry each have two. Linebackers Bobby Jones IV and Kyle Pugh, safeties Jackson Abresch, Mykelti Williams and Trayshon Foster and defensive end Josh Corcoran each have one.

SECOND WIND: The Huskie defense has allowed fewer total yards in the second half in six of their eight games this season and fewer points in the second half in five contests. NIU has allowed just 23 second half points in its last five contests.
 

	2nd	Half	Final	Total
Opponent	Yards	Points	Yards	Points
Boston College	127	10	339	23
Eastern Illinois	129	7	187	10
Nebraska	269	17	384	17
San Diego State	104	3	263	34
Kent State	8	0	131	3
Buffalo	115	0	383	13
Bowling Green	173	10	367	17
Eastern Michigan*	200	13	403	27

* - Includes eight yards and three points in overtime

HUSKIE HARDWARE: At least one NIU player has garnered Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors following each of the last six games. NIU claimed both the offensive and defensive awards following its win over Eastern Michigan as quarterback Marcus Childers and defensive end Sutton Smith were honored, giving NIU eight awards by seven different players this year. Smith is the only player to repeat. Childers accounted for 332 yards of total offense and three TDs on 23-of-40 passing for 278 yards and 54 rushing yards with a 10-yard TD, while Smith had six tackles, three for loss, with a sack versus EMU.

Defense: Jawuan Johnson (LB)  - Nebraska (Sept. 16)
Offense: Christian Blake (WR) - San Diego State (Sept. 30)
Specialist: Matt Ference (P)  -  San Diego State (Sept. 30)
Defense: Sutton Smith (DE) - Kent State (Oct. 7)
Defense: Bobby Jones (LB)  - Buffalo (Oct. 14)
Specialist: Christian Hagan (K)  - Bowling Green (Oct. 21)
Offense: Marcus Childers (QB) - Eastern Michigan (Oct. 26)
Defense: Sutton Smith (DE) - Eastern Michigan (Oct. 26)

CONSISTENT CHRISTIAN: Christian Hagan, who has hit 72 straight point-after attempts, including six at Bowling Green, ranks eighth on NIU's all-time scoring list. The Huskie senior, who connected on a 25-yard field goal against EMU, has 271 career points. He's 17 points behind Michael Turner. Hagan needs four more PATs to move past Steve Azar for third place. He is fourth on NIU's list for most points kicking, fifth in field goal attempts (61) and tied for fifth in field goals made (41). 

SPECIAL FORCES: NIU freshmen punter Matt Ference is averaging 41.4 yards a punt and has landed 19 punts inside the 20-yard line. Last season, NIU had only eight punts inside the 20 and Jake Ambrose averaged 38.1 yds/punt. The last Huskie punter to average more than 40 yards a punt was Tyler Wedel who posted a 41.7-yard average in 2014.

PINNING THEM DEEP: Of NIU punter Matt Ference's 19 punts that have dropped inside the 20-yard line, 12 have landed on or inside the 10-yard line. Ference and the NIU punt team placed a season-high three punts on or inside the 10-yard line at Nebraska and at San Diego State.

FINISHING THE JOB: With its 48-17 victory at Bowling Green, NIU has won 51 of 52 games when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter. The Huskies took a 38-20 lead into the final quarter of play against the Falcons. The last NIU loss when leading after three quarters was a 31-24 setback to Toledo at Guaranteed Rate Field on Nov. 9, 2016. The Huskies led the Rockets, 21-17, after three quarters.

NIU VS. MAC EAST: NIU's 48-17 win over Bowling Green wrapped up a 3-0 record versus the MAC East this season. NIU has won 23 of its last 24 regular season games over MAC East Division opponents and 28 of 30 since the 2008 season with its win over the Falcons. NIU's last regular season loss to a MAC East foe was on Nov. 24, 2015 when the Huskies fell to Ohio, 26-21, in Huskie Stadium. 

WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING AT?: NIU scored its fourth touchdown of the game against Bowling Green on a six-play, 95-yard scoring drive, culminating on a Marcus Childers to Chad Beebe 73-yard touchdown strike. It was the longest scoring drive of the season and the longest since the Huskies marched 96 yards for a touchdown in a 43-39 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 21, 2013.  

MISTER MAKES HIS MARK: Huskie tailback Tommy Mister established career highs in three categories at Bowling Green in his first career start at NIU. Mister rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. The redshirt sophomore scored his first career touchdown on a 30-yard run on the opening drive of the game.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: A trio of Huskies achieved career firsts at Bowling Green. Trayshon Foster made his first career interception when he picked off James Morgan in the second quarter. Redshirt freshman receiver Andrew Parchment made his first career reception on a three-yard pass from Marcus Childers in the third quarter, while receiver Jauan Wesley scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter.

BEEBE HITS 100: NIU wide receiver Chad Beebe tallied the first 100-yard receiving game of his career when he recorded 124 yards, including a touchdown, on six catches at Bowling Green. His previous career-high in receiving yards was 81 yards set on one play at Massachusetts on Nov. 2, 2013. Beebe is third on the team in yards receiving with 296 on 19 receptions.

SUDDEN SMITH: Sutton Smith became the first Huskie since Craig Rusch to return a fumble for a touchdown when he ripped the ball out of Bowling Green running back Andrew Clair's hands and ran it 16 yards for the score. Rusch recovered a fumble and ran it back 60 yards at Kent State on Nov, 18, 2008.

THREE FOR THREE: Marcus Childers became the third quarterback to start a game for NIU this season when he took the first snap at Buffalo. It is the third-straight year the Huskies have started at least three different starting quarterbacks in the same season. In 2015, Drew Hare, Ryan Graham and Tommy Fiedler each started a game for the Huskies, while Hare, Graham, Anthony Maddie and Daniel Santacaterina all started at least one game for NIU in 2016. Graham (1), Santacaterina (4) and Childers (2) have the starts this year.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT: Shawun Lurry added to his school record for career interception return yards when he ran back a pass 45 yards versus Kent State. He ranks second in the nation with 132 interception return yards this season and has 435 in his NIU career to rank as the NCAA active career leader. Lurry set the NIU single season record in 2015 with 273 interception return yards.

CLOSING IN ON A RECORD: Shawun Lurry tallied his second interception of the season and 14th of his career when he picked off a Kent State pass in the second quarter. The school record for career interceptions is 16 set by Dan Meyer (1964-66), while Lurry is one away from the FBS mark of 15 by Vince Thompson (1999-2002). Lurry had three interceptions last season and a personal best nine in his All-American season of 2015.

EYES ON ISAAC: Right tackle Isaac Hawn is the first true freshman offensive linemen to start for the Huskies since Jason Onyebuagu in 2006. Onyebuagu made five starts, four at right guard and one at center that season. Hawn has started four games at right tackle this season, splitting time with redshirt freshman Ryan Roberts.

GETTING THE POINT: The three points scored by the Golden Flashes were the fewest allowed by a Huskie defense in a MAC game since NIU shut out Massachusetts on Nov. 3, 2012, a span of 59 games. It's the fewest in a game overall since a 55-3 victory over Presbyterian on Aug. 28, 2014.

NO PASSING ZONE: Kent State's 29 yards passing are the fewest passing yards allowed by the Huskies since Sept. 26, 2015 when NIU held Boston College to 92 yards passing, and are the 13th lowest passing yardage total by an FBS team this year. The Huskies lead the league and rank eighth in the country in pass defense, allowing 156.4 yards a game.

CONVERTING INTs INTO TDs: With his 87-yard interception return for a touchdown at Nebraska, Shawun Lurry tied the school record for career interception returns for a touchdown with two. His first came in the 2015 MAC Championship game against Bowling Green (Dec. 4) when he ran a Matt Johnson pass back 64 yards for a score.

MAKING HISTORY: The NIU defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a game for the first time in school history in its victory at Nebraska. Shawun Lurry ran the first interception of the day back 87 yards in the first quarter, while Jawuan Johnson followed suit with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown for a 14-0 NIU lead.

ADDING TO THE BONEYARD: NIU improved to 15-61-1 all-time versus teams that were in an autonomous conference (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC & Pac-12) at the time the Huskies played them with its 21-17 victory at Nebraska. Of those 15 wins, nine have come in the last 15 years, beginning with NIU's 42-41 victory over Wake Forest Aug. 29, 2002. The Huskies have played a team from one of those five conferences 34 of the last 35 years. The only year the Huskies didn't face one of those teams was 2016.

TWO FOR 100: Wide receivers Christian Blake and Spencer Tears amassed career-bests of 153 and 105 receiving yards, respectively, at San Diego State, becoming the first NIU receiving duo to tally 100 yards receiving in the same game since Nov. 3, 2015 when current NFL receivers Kenny Golladay (128) and Tommylee Lewis (125) accomplished the feat in a 32-27 win at Toledo. The pair also became the first Huskies since Golladay to tally 100 yards receiving in a game since last season's meeting with Toledo (Nov. 9).

FROSH FACES: Nine redshirt and four true freshmen have made their Huskie debuts this season. Linebackers Andrew Gregory and Corey Lersch and offensive lineman Ezekiel Gueths all saw their first action of the season at Bowling Green. They join fellow redshirt freshmen Marcus Childers (QB), Tre Harbison (TB), Jack Heflin (DT), Andrew Parchment (WR), Benn Olson (OL) and Austin Warner (OL) in seeing their first playing time this year. Freshmen Matt Ference (P), Isaac Hawn (OL), Matt Lorbeck (DE) and Weston Kramer (DT) have all seen action as well, with Hawn (OT) and Ference (P) earning starting roles.

WELCOME NEWCOMERS: NIU has also had six newcomers see their first action as Huskies in 2017. Grad transfer Jonathan Parker and transfers Drequan Brown (DE), Jalen Embry (CB), Devin Webster (DT), Jauan Wesley (WR) and Mykelti Williams (S) have all stepped in to play significant roles. Williams, who starts at one of the safety spots had a career-best 10 tackles at Nebraska and ranks fourth on the team in stops.

DEGREES IN HAND: Eight players on the NIU roster are college graduates. Six have earned their degrees from NIU, while two others came to DeKalb as graduate transfers. 

Jackson Abresch (S) - Business Administration
Ty Harmston (TE) - Biology
Jordan Huff (TB) - Studio Art-Design & Media Arts
Bobby Jones IV (LB) - Sociology
William Lee (DT) - History
Max Scharping (LT) - Kinesiology
Jaden Huff (LB) - Business Administration    St. Cloud State
Jonathan Parker (CB) - Biology     Iowa

 

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