HUSKIE BITES

• After three consecutive road games, NIU returns home to face Ohio, the MAC East preseason favorite, in the 112th Homecoming game.     
• The Ohio contest is the only home game NIU will play between September 22, when the Huskies hosted Central Michigan, and November 7, when NIU takes on Toledo. 
• NIU leads the all-time series with the Bobcats, 11-10; the teams split the last two meetings with the Huskies winning in Athens in 2014 and Ohio taking the last meeting, in DeKalb in 2015. The four games between the teams since 2010 have all been decided by seven points or less.       
• NIU teams coached by Rod Carey own a 35-8 mark in MAC regular season games since 2013 for an .814 winning percentage. 
• MAC foes are averaging 15.0 points per game versus the NIU defense in regulation, including a Ball State touchdown on a three-yard drive.  
• 2017 Consensus All-American Sutton Smith has 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2018, while forcing fumbles on two of those sacks and adding a blocked punt. Smith has at least one tackle for loss in nine of NIU's last 10 games and in 17 of the last 19 contests. 
• Senior left tackle Max Scharping has made 45 consecutive starts, beginning with the first game of his redshirt freshman season in 2015. Scharping, a nominee for the NFF William Campbell Trophy who is in his final semester of graduate school, was named one of the 10 best offensive line prospects in the country during the preseason. 
• NIU has had a player rush for 100 or more yards in each of its three Mid-American Conference games with Marcus Jones' 130-yard performance at Ball State following Tre Harbison's 136 and 124 yard rushing games versus Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, respectively.   
• Defensively, the Huskies rank among the Top 30 teams in the FBS in five categories, including sacks (20), tackles for loss (26), turnovers gained (22) and passing efficiency defense (30).     
• The Huskies have two blocked punts and a blocked field goal already in 2018, giving them nine blocks in the last two seasons. 
• NIU is one of just three teams from a "Group of 5" conference to play in nine bowl games in the last 10 seasons.   

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
2017 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 8-5/6-2/T2nd West
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 47-27/Sixth
Career Record/Years: 47-27/Sixth
Alma Mater/Year: Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 582-491-51
Last Bowl Game: 2017 Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit)
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 12
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 7, 2015
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 54/28
Starters Returning: 17 (9 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists)
Starters Lost: 9 (3 offense, 5 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
Nickname: Huskies
Stadium: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /23,595
President: Dr. Lisa Freeman
Assoc. VP/Athletic Director: Sean T. Frazier
    Alma Mater, Year: Alabama '92
Tickets: 815-753-PACK (7225) or NIUHuskies.com
 

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OHIO FACTS
2017 Record: 9-4
MAC/Finish: 5-3/2nd East 
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Frank Solich (Nebraska, 1966) 
Record at Ohio/Years: 100-73/14th
Career Record/Years: 157-92/20th
Location: Athens, Ohio
Enrollment: 36,215
Conference: Mid-American (East)
Colors: Hunter Green and White
Stadium: Peden Stadium    
    Surface/Capacity: Field Turf /24,000
President: Dr. M. Duane Nellis (Montana State, '76)
Athletic Director: Jim Schaus (Purdue, '83)
Athletics Website: OhioBobcats.com
Twitter: @OhioBobcats
Ticket Information: 800-575-2287

Ohio Football 2018 Schedule & Results
 

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NIU-OHIO SERIES
Overall: NIU leads 11-10
In Athens: OU leads 7-4
In DeKalb: NIU leads 6-3
Neutral: NIU leads 1-0
Streak: OU, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 23, 1968; OU 28, NIU 12 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 24, 2015; OU 26, NIU 21 (H)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
TV: NIU-OHIO ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Ohio game will be available on ESPN+, ESPN's new direct to consumer video platform, accessible via the ESPN App available on both iOS and Android devices, desktop and TV-connected devices (e.g. Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV).
• ESPN+ is available at a cost of $4.99/month or $49.99/year and features a seven-day free trial. 
• Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Al Groh (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Ohio game begins at 2 p.m. CT, 30 minutes prior to kickoff. 
• 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 NIUTube (subscription), and on mobile devices via TuneIn. Download the app for free and find the NIU Huskies channel. 
• Bill Baker is in his 39th season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo joins him for the 33rd season, while Andy Garcia is in his sixth season on the NIU sidelines. 

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

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

NIU WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

• The 30-minute show features interviews with football coach Rod Carey, other NIU head coaches and guests. 
• Airs Friday at 10 p.m. CT in Chicago on AM 560 The Answer, Saturday at 9 a.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb and on Sports Fan Radio 1330 in Rockford at 6:30 a.m. Also available on-demand on NIUTube (subscription).
• Andy Garcia and NIU Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier host.

NIUTUBE (HUSKIE ALL-ACCESS)

• See weekly and post-game press conferences, video features and Huskie Olympic sports.
• 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: NIU Athletics
• See NIU Athletics' social media hub online for all the team and staff accounts.

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NEWS & NOTES

THIS WEEK'S GAME

HUSKIE HOMECOMING HISTORY: NIU plays its 112th Homecoming game Saturday. The Huskies' annual 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 71-30-10 all time in its Homecoming football games and have won 18 of their last 20 in front of the alums. NIU is 37-14-2 in Homecoming football games in Huskie Stadium following last season's 24-3 Homecoming win over Kent State (Oct. 7). 

WHEN LAST WE MET: NIU was unable to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit as Ohio scored a 26-21 victory over the Huskies at Huskie Stadium on Nov. 24, 2015. The NIU defense did not allow Ohio into the end zone after the 7:52 mark of the second quarter, holding the Bobcats to field goals of 31, 26 and 26 yards. Huskie starting quarterback Ryan Graham went out with an injury in the third quarter and fourth-string freshman walk-on Tommy Fiedler took over. Fiedler finished the game with 113 yards and a touchdown pass on 9-of-17 passing.

SERIES HISTORY: The Huskies lead the overall series history, 11-10, winning two of the last three meetings. The Huskies defeated Ohio in the 2011 MAC Championship game in Detroit and in Athens, 21-14, on Nov. 18, 2014. NIU owns a 6-3 record over Ohio in Huskie Stadium, however, the Bobcats have won the last two meetings in DeKalb, including a 26-21 triumph in their last visit to NIU on Nov. 24, 2015. The longest winning streak in the series is seven, owned by NIU, which won every game from 1977-83. 

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: Following its 24-16 victory over Central Michigan in this season's MAC opener, NIU improved to 68-21 at home since 2003. During that stretch, the Huskies have had 14 winning records at home and three undefeated seasons in DeKalb (2003, 2010 and 2013). NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 174-104-2 for a .625 winning percentage. The Huskies are 82-41-1 (.652) against MAC opponents at home.

CONFERENCE CALL

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: With its 24-16 victory at Ball State Saturday, NIU improved to 149-99-2 all-time in MAC play and 113-54 (.676) in league action since 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 57-9 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 33rd season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2018-19, including an initial stint in the league from 1975-85.

NIU VS. MAC EAST: NIU has won 23 of its last 24 regular season games over MAC East Division opponents and 28 of 30 since the 2008 season. Ohio is the only MAC East foe to defeat the Huskies during that time, posting wins in 2009 at Ohio, and 2015 in DeKalb. The Bobcat victory on Nov. 24, 2015 was NIU's last regular season loss to a MAC East foe. NIU defeated former league members Temple in 2010 and UMass in 2012 and 2013. The Huskies are 3-3 versus the MAC East in conference title games since 2010, defeating Ohio (2011), Kent State (2012) and Bowling Green (2014), while falling to Miami (2010) and Bowling Green (2013 & 2015).
 

NIU vs.	Since 2009
Buffalo	7-0
Kent State	6-0
Bowling Green	5-0
Akron	4-0
Miami	4-0
Ohio	1-2

NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: The Huskies improved to 18-4 in conference road games under NIU head coach Rod Carey and 81-90-1 all-time with their win at Ball State. NIU has won its last five games at Ball State's Scheumann Stadium. NIU's last loss in Muncie came in 2008.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK

TROPHY WIN: NIU retained the Bronze Stalk trophy for the 10th consecutive year after posting a 24-16 victory over Ball State at Scheumann Stadium. The Huskies jumped out to a 14-3 lead in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Brown and a one-yard run by Tre Harbison. Marcus Jones, who rushed for a game-high 130 yards, led an NIU rushing attack that ran for 227 yards. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Huskie linebackers Antonio Jones-Davis and Kyle Pugh combined for 26 tackles in NIU's win at Ball State. Jones-Davis tied his career best with 16 tackles, including 12 solo stops and a sack, while Pugh tallied a season-high 10 tackles. It was the third career double-digit tackle performance for Jones-Davis, all coming this season, and the most since he made 16 tackles against Central Michigan (Sept. 15). It was Pugh's third double-digit tackle game of his career and first of the season. He made a career-best 17 stops against Boston College (Sept. 1) and 11 at Nebraska (Sept. 16) last season. 

A HUSKIE DOZEN: The 12 solo stops by Jones-Davis at Ball State are the most by a Huskie since linebacker Boomer Mays made 12 against Western Michigan Nov. 18, 2015 at Huskie Stadium. Mays finished the game with 15 stops. 

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO: A week after Huskie tailback Tre Harbison amassed 136 yards at Eastern Michigan, Marcus Jones tallied 130 yards on 12 carries in the victory at Ball State. It was the first time NIU had 100-yard rushers in back-to-back games since last year when Jordan Huff gained 105 and 148 yards at Nebraska (Sept. 16) and San Diego State (Sept. 30), respectively. It's the first time two different Huskies rushed for a 100 yards in back-to-back games since Huff rushed for 173 yards at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 15) and Joel Bouagnon accounted for 133 at Kent State (Nov. 25) in 2016.

CAREY KERNELS

HUSKIE HEAD MAN RANKINGS: NIU head coach Rod Carey currently ranks fourth on NIU's all-time coaching list for wins with 47, 17 behind Joe Novak (1996-2007). George "Chick" Evans (1929-54) is NIU's all-time leader with 132 wins. Carey also ranks fourth in games coached with 74. 

MOVING UP IN THE MAC: With 47 wins on his ledger; NIU head coach Rod Carey is one win away from cracking the Mid-American Conference's Top 20 list for overall wins as Terry Hoeppner (Miami, 1999-2004) and Frank Lauterbur (Toledo, 1963-70) are tied at 20 with 48 career wins. Carey's career winning percentage of .635 currently ranks 15th in MAC history, and he needs to get to .658 to move into the top 10.

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Twenty-six players have seen their first action in a Huskie uniform this year, including nine true freshmen, 14 redshirt freshmen, a junior college transfer and a pair of senior transfers. Of that group, four have started games - junior college transfer Christopher Perez (6 starts), linebacker Vinny Labus (1), and wide receivers Leon Payne (1) and Cole Tucker (5).

SACK LUNCH: The Huskie defense recorded two sacks at Ball State, giving NIU 18 on the season. Through six games last season, the NIU defense totaled 20 sacks. Nine different Huskie defenders have recorded a sack this season with Sutton Smith leading the way with five.

SCHEDULING CHALLENGES: In addition to facing one of the toughest non-conference slates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the Huskies will face seven bowl teams from last season. Iowa (Aug. 31), Utah (Sept. 8), Central Michigan (Sept. 15), Florida State (Sept. 22), Ohio (Oct. 13), Akron (Nov. 1), Toledo (Nov. 7) and Miami (Nov. 14) all made the postseason last year.

WORKING OVERTIME: The Huskies improved to 8-4 in overtime games with their triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan. It was the third consecutive overtime game between the Huskies and Eagles, all NIU victories. The Huskies defeated EMU, 31-24, in Ypsilanti in 2016 and 30-27 at Huskie Stadium last season. This year's game was the first triple overtime contest for NIU since a 34-28 loss to Central Michigan Oct. 15, 2016.

NINE TIMES: After EMU scored on its first two possessions of the game (including a field goal after starting a drive at the NIU 28 off an interception), the Huskie defense held EMU without a first down on its next NINE possessions and on 10 of the Eagles' 12 possessions the rest of the game. The dominance continued in the second and third overtimes as, after scoring a touchdown in the first OT, EMU gained just four total yards in the second and third OTs.

MEET THE "NEW" GUYS: The NIU coaching staff features a trio of newcomers in defensive line coach Walter Stewart, safeties coach Tyler Yelk and running backs coach Jake Landry, who previously served as a graduate assistant at NIU. Dan Sabock added full-time duties as the Huskies special teams coordinator, and linebackers coach Jeff Knowles was promoted to defensive coordinator. 

SCHOOL TIES: NIU coordinators Mike Uremovich (offense) and Jeff Knowles (defense) went to high school together at Providence Catholic in New Lennox, Ill. The pair were members of the 1994 state championship team and graduated in 1995. This is the third coaching stop the two have made together. Knowles was an assistant on Uremovich's staff at St. Francis (Ill.) from 2008-11 before joining the N.C. State staff in 2014, where Uremovich was the offensive line coach.

DOGGED DEFENSE

THE OLD 96ER: The NIU defense defended a season-high 96 plays in the Huskies' victory at Ball State. The previous season-best was 89 plays by Florida State. The last time a Huskie opponent ran 96 plays in a game was Boise State in the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl.

THE LONG AND SHORT (FIELD) OF IT: Of NIU opponents' 86 drives this season, 16 have started in NIU territory. The NIU defense has allowed touchdowns on 56.3 percent of those drives and field goal attempts on 26.7 percent, while forcing two turnovers. However, of the 70 drives that start in the opposition's territory, the Huskie defense has allowed touchdowns on just 11.4 percent of those drives and field goal attempts on 15.7 percent of those drives as well, while forcing seven turnovers.
 

Starting Field Position	NIU Territory (-30)	NIU Territory (-50)	Opponents' Territory (+50)
Possessions	9	16	70
Touchdowns	4	9	8
Field Goals Made	3	3	8
Field Goals Attempted	5	5	11
Turnovers	0	2	7

THE FIRM: Antonio Jones-Davis - nicknamed "Law Firm" – leads the Huskies with 66 tackles after his game-high 16 stops at Ball State. It was the third 10-plus tackle performance of his career as he established a career-high with 16 tackles in NIU's win over Central Michigan (Sept. 15) and tallied 13 at Eastern Michigan, which earned him MAC West Defensive Player of the Year. 

HUSKIE HONOREES: Antonio Jones-Davis became the second Huskie to earn Mid-American Conference West Division Defensive Player of the Week honors this season following his performance in NIU's win at Eastern Michigan. In addition to the team-high 13 tackles against the Eagles, the Huskie linebacker recorded a pair of quarterback sacks and a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss. He also broke up a career-best two passes. Jones-Davis joined defensive end Sutton Smith, who won the same award following his game against Utah. 

FORCING THE ISSUE: The NIU defense forced a season-high four turnovers in its game at Florida State (Sept. 22), converting two of them into 13 points. The Huskies forced three fumbles and picked off a pass at FSU. The Huskies have forced 11 turnovers on the year after recovering their eighth fumble of the season at Ball State and rank second in the country in fumbles recovered. The NIU defense also tallied three interceptions, and converted the 11 turnovers into 30 points.

THREE OF A KIND: The Huskie linebacking corps of Pugh, Jones-Davis and Lance Deveaux Jr. combined for 35 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss a pass break up and fumble recovery at Ball State. In addition to Pugh's and Jones-Davis' double-digit tackle performance versus the Cardinals, Deveaux Jr. tallied nine tackles, a season-high, for the third-straight week while adding a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass break up. On the season, the Huskie trio have accounted for 11 tackles for loss, seven pass break ups and four fumble recoveries.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH PUGH: After missing the final nine games of the 2017 season, Pugh returned to the starting line-up in 2018. He is third on the team in tackles with 38 and is tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. After sitting out the FSU game due to injury, Pugh started at Eastern Michigan, recording seven stops and tallied a season-best 10 at Ball State. The Huskie redshirt junior, who made 17 tackles and an interception versus Boston College in last year's season opener, led the team in tackles with nine stops, six solo, at Iowa. 

WHAT'S THE RUSH?: The NIU defense held Eastern Michigan to 62 yards rushing on 33 carries. It was the lowest opponent rushing total of the season and the lowest since Sept. 9, 2017 when the Huskies held Eastern Illinois to 60 yards on 45 attempts. The Huskies' previous season-low opponent rushing yardage total was 68 set by Utah (Sept. 8) in the home opener. The Huskies currently rank third in the MAC in rushing defense.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: With his sack of Eastern Michigan quarterback Tyler Wiegers, Sutton Smith moved up to fifth place on NIU's all-time lists for quarterback sacks and tackles for loss. The Huskie junior has 20 career sacks and 42 career tackles for loss. Huskie great Larry English leads both categories with 31.5 sacks and 63 tackles for loss. With one more sack and tackle for loss, Smith will pass Jake Coffman for fifth on NIU's all-time sacks list and move into fourth on the all-time list for tackles for loss.

END OF THE LINE: Josh Corcoran, who missed the last five games due to injury dating back to last season, became the seventh Huskie and fifth NIU defensive end to record a sack this season when he sacked CMU's Tony Poljan on the Chippewas' first drive of the game. Huskie defensive ends have accounted for 10.5 of NIU's 18 sacks this year, with Sutton Smith leading the way with five.

ON THE OFFENSE

RUNNING TO WINS: Marcus Jones' 130 yards rushing at Ball State was part of a 227-yard rushing effort by the Huskie offense against the Cardinals. It was the second straight 200-yard rushing performance by NIU this season as the Huskies tallied a season-high 235 rushing yards in the triple overtime win over Eastern Michigan. NIU has won its last seven games when rushing for more than 200 yards, dating back to Sept. 9, 2017 when NIU rushed for 230 yards in a win over Eastern Illinois. 

QUITE THE COMPARISON: The NIU offense is averaging 14 points more a game in conference play than in its non-conference games to date. The Huskies have almost tripled their rushing average in MAC play, with 214.0 yards a game compared to 74.7 in its three non-conference games. On the season, NIU is averaging 144.3 rushing yards a game on the season.
 

	MAC Games	Non-Conference Games	All Games
Games	3	3	6
Points/Game	24.7	10.7	17.7
Points/Game Allowed	18.3	29.0	23.7
Rushing Yards/Game	214.0	74.7	144.3
Rushing Yds/Game Allowed	119.0	132.7	125.8
Total Offense/Game	336.7	220.0	278.3
Total Offense/Game Allowed	318.3	393.0	355.7

HUNDRED FOR HARBISON: NIU tailback Tre Harbison recorded his second career 100-yard game and scored the game-winning touchdown in NIU's overtime win at EMU (Sept. 29). The Huskie sophomore rushed for a career-high 136 yards on 32 carries in the victory. His previous career-best was 124 yards on 13 carries in NIU's win over Central Michigan in week three. Harbison is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season and ranks seventh in the league in rushing, averaging 69.8 yards a game.

PLAY IT AGAIN: The NIU offense ran 97 plays in its triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan with 62 rushing and 35 pass attempts.  The last time the Huskies ran 97 plays in a game was Oct. 24, 2015 in a 49-21 victory over Eastern Michigan. NIU amassed 59 rushing attempts, and 38 pass attempts in that contest. The school record for plays run in a game is 109 set against Presbyterian (Aug. 24, 2014).

TY ONE ON: Senior tight end Ty Harmston caught his first career touchdown pass in the first overtime period at Eastern Michigan on an 11-yard grab, sending the game to a second extra frame. Harmston, who made his first career reception against Utah, has four catches for 32 yards this season.

SUPERIOR PROTECTION: The NIU offensive line didn't allow a sack in the Huskies' win at Eastern Michigan. The Eagle defense had been averaging two sacks per game heading into the contest. It was the first time this season NIU hasn't allowed a sack in a game and the first time since Nov. 15, 2017 versus Western Michigan.

TOUCHDOWNS TO SHARE: Quarterback Marcus Childers has thrown touchdown passes to five different players in 2018 after connecting with Ty Harmston in overtime at Eastern Michigan. Childers completed TDs to Juaun Wesley and D.J. Brown at Florida State and threw a season-best three TD passes versus Central Michigan, hitting receivers Spencer Tears (14 yards), Dennis Robinson (seven yards) and Brown (two yards). Childers has thrown for 2,335 yards in 17 games (13 starts) over the last two seasons. 

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: Huskie wide receiver D.J. Brown, who recorded a career-high 117 yards on seven receptions, including a 66-yard touchdown catch at Florida State, scored his team-best third receiving touchdown of the season in the first quarter at Ball State. The Huskie senior leads the team in receptions (32), receiving yards (299) and receiving TDs (3). 

YOUTH IS SERVED: Wide receiver Dennis Robinson made a career-high three catches at Ball State as freshmen now rank third (Cole Tucker) and fourth (Robinson) on the Huskie receving chart this year. Tucker leads the young group with 12 catches for 81 yards, including a career-high six catches for 40 yards at FSU. Robinson, who made his first career start at Ball State, now has six catches, including a touchdown in his redshirt season.

WORKING ON THE LINE: The Huskies return every player who started a game on its offensive line a year ago, led by Academic All-American tackle Max Scharping who has started a team-leading 45 consecutive games, every game of his NIU career. NIU's returning offensive linemen have combined to make 131 starts over the last four seasons with seniors Scharping (45) and Luke Shively (31) and junior Jordan Steckler (28) leading the way. Ryan Roberts has 10 starts after taking place of the injured Steckler against Florida State and Eastern Michigan.

SPECIAL FORCES

JUST FOR KICKS: Graduate transfer Andrew Gantz improved to six-of-nine on the season when he hit a 37-yard field goal in the win at Ball State. He made a 43-yarder and a 26-yard attempt in NIU's win at Eastern Michigan and has now made six of his last seven attempts. His first field goal as a Huskie, a 49-yarder in the first quarter against Utah. It was NIU's longest field goal since Christian Hagan's 52-yard boot at Toledo in 2015. The grad transfer from Cincinnati made 39-of-50 field goals during his 29-game career at Cincinnati. he leads NIU in scoring with 28 points.

PINNING THEM DEEP: Sophomore punter Matt Ference has placed 13 of his 42 punts inside the 20-yard line this season and has seven punts of 50 yards or more. Ference outdueled Ray Guy award winner Matt Wishnowsky of Utah, averaging 46.0 yards on eight punts, and pinned Utah inside the 20 yard-line four times. It was his highest punting average in a game since NIU's win at Nebraska (Sept. 16) last season when he averaged 46.4 yards on eight punts.

BLOCK PARTY: NIU special teams have blocked three kicks this season and nine blocked kicks in the last two years. Sutton Smith joined the block party when he blocked CMU punter Jack Sheldon's third punt. It was the second blocked punt by the Huskies as Jauan Wesley blocked Iowa punter Colten Rastetter's initial punt of the season-opener. NIU also got a blocked field goal versus Utah when Jack Heflin got his hand on kicker Matt Guy's first field goal attempt. NIU ranks second in the country in blocked kicks and blocked punts.

AHEAD OF PACE: With three blocked kicks this season, the Huskies are halfway to their total of last season. NIU blocked six kicks, two field goals and four punts, in 2017. NIU leads the nation in blocked kicks and ranks second in blocked punts.

HAPPY RETURNS: NIU freshman Cole Tucker enjoyed his best day as a punt returner with a career high five returns for 44 yards to average 8.8 yards per return at Eastern Michigan. Tucker's 27-yard punt return in the first quarter was NIU's longest in three seasons – since the 2015 game versus Central Michigan (10/3/15 - Chad Beebe, 40 yards) and set up the Huskies' first score of the game – a 43-yard field goal by Andrew Gantz.

ALL ABOUT THE TEAM

ALL-AMERICA ATTENTION: In addition to being named to numerous preseason watch lists, NIU left tackle Max Scharping and defensive end Sutton Smith have also garnered preseason All-America honors. Last season, Smith became NIU's first consensus All-American since LeShon Johnson in 1993.
Sutton Smith, DE - USA Today (2nd Team), Athlon (2nd), The Athletic (2nd), The Sporting News (2nd), Phil Steele (4th)
Max Scharping, OT - USA Today (2nd), Athlon (4th)

DEGREES IN HAND: Seven players on the NIU roster are college graduates. Five have earned their degrees from NIU, while two came to DeKalb as graduate transfers. 
Andrew Gantz (K)  - Sport Administration, Univ. of Cincinnati
Ryan Graham (QB) - Leadership and Management, NIU
Ty Harmston (TE) - Biology, NIU
Max Scharping (LT) - Kinesiology, NIU
Luke Shively (C) - Chemistry-Biochemistry, NIU
Albert Smalls (CB) - Kinesiology, NIU
Jaden Huff (LB) - Finance, St. Cloud State

HONORING A LEGEND: In July, NIU and Miami (Ohio) announced that the teams will now play for The Mallory Cup, in honor of the late Bill Mallory, who coached both teams to MAC Championships during a hall of fame career and passed away over the summer. Mallory is the only man to lead two league programs to MAC titles. The first Mallory Cup game will be November 14, 2018 at Huskie Stadium.      

POLLING THE MAC: NIU was picked to finish first in the MAC West Division in 2018 by both the MAC media and MAC Coaches. The Huskies edged out Toledo by one point in the Coaches Poll and by eight in the Media Poll. Ohio was picked to win the East in both polls. This is the first time in the five years the MAC has had a Media and Coaches Poll that the Huskies were picked to win the West in both polls. The coaches picked the Huskies as the top team in the division for the third time overall.