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HUSKIE BITES

• The NIU Huskies and Western Michigan Broncos meet for the 44th time Tuesday night in Kalamazoo to close out the 2018 regular season. WMU owns a 24-19 edge in the all-time series with NIU winning eight of the last nine meetings. 
• NIU has clinched the MAC West Championship and will play in the Marathon MAC Championship game at Ford Field in Detroit versus the East Division Champ (TBD) on Friday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m CT. 
• The Huskies will make their seventh appearance in the MAC Championship in the last nine years; since the advent of FBS conference championship games, only one other school - Florida (1992-96, 1999-2000) in the SEC - has had a similar stretch of success.    
• The Huskie defense held an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing in a game for the fifth time when Miami netted just 94 yards on 41 carries.NIU opponents are averaging 2.7 yards per rush in 2018.   
• Rod Carey's NIU teams own a 38-9 mark in MAC regular season games since 2013 for an .808 winning percentage; his 51 total wins are tied for 18th all-time among MAC coaches. 
• Left tackle Max Scharping, who will start his 51st game Tuesday night, is one of 13 finalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the top Scholar-Athlete in college football and will travel to New York on Dec. 4 for the NFF Honors Dinner. 
• Tre Harbison recorded his third consecutive 100-yard rushing day, and fifth of the season versus Miami, the most consecutive 100-yard rushing games by a Huskie since Jordan Lynch ran for 100 yards in four consecutive games in 2013  
• Sutton Smith continues to rank among the national leaders, and climb the Huskie record books, in sacks and tackles for loss with season totals of nine sacks and 16 TFLs while attention on him has allowed the NIU defensive line to rack up 30.5 sacks on the year.
• After last week's loss to Miami, NIU is 21-4 in weeknight #MACtion games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010.

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years:51-28/Sixth
Career Record/Years: 51-28/Sixth
Alma Mater/Year: Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 586-492-51
2017 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 8-5/6-2/T2nd West
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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WESTERN MICHIGAN FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Tim Lester (Western Michigan/2000)
Record at WMU/Years: 12-11/Second
Career Record/Years: 52-34/7th
2017 Record: 6-6
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 4-4/4th
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Enrollment: 23,252
Conference: Mid-American, West Division
Colors: Brown & Gold 
Stadium: Waldo Stadium    
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /30,200
President: Dr. Edward B. Montgomery
Athletic Director: Kathy Beauregard
Athletics Website: wmubroncos.com
Twitter: @WMU_Football
Ticket Information: 888-4WMU-TIX

WMU Schedule & Results
 

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NIU-WMU SERIES
Overall: WMU leads 24-19
In Kalamazoo: WMU leads 13-8
In DeKalb: Tied 11-11
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: Sept. 23, 1950; WMU 40, NIU 13 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 15, 2018; NIU 35, WMU 31 (H)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-WESTERN MICHIGAN ON ESPNU

• The NIU-WMU game is the eighth of at least 10 NIU games to be nationally televised on a broadcast network in 2018, is the sixth to air on an ESPN network, and marks the Huskies' fourth appearance on ESPNU.
• In addition to ESPNU, watch the game on mobile devices via the ESPN App or online (with appropriate provider login) at ESPN.com. 
• Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Ray Bentley (color analyst) will call the game on ESPNU with Quint Kessenich on the sidelines.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS RADIO NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Western Michigan game begins at 5:30 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 on 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 wrapping up 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 Mondays at Noon 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 AND NOTES

THIS WEEK'S GAME

SERIES HISTORY: Western Michigan holds a 24-19 advantage in the all-time series with NIU, including a 13-8 mark in games played in Kalamazoo, Mich. However, the Huskies have won three of the last four games in Waldo Stadium and eight of the last nine overall. The Broncos won the last meeting on their home turf, 45-30, on Oct. 8, 2016, while NIU's last victory in Kalamazoo was a 31-21 decision on Nov. 28, 2014. 

THE LAST TIME WE MET: Trailing 31-28 in the fourth quarter, NIU quarterback Marcus Childers connected with tight end Mitchell Brinkman on a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Huskies the lead. The NIU defense, led by Sutton Smith, held the Broncos the final six and a half minutes to give NIU the 35-31 win at Huskie Stadium on Nov. 15, 2017. Smith broke the NIU single season record for quarterback sacks and recorded a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the contest.

BOWL-ELIGIBLE HUSKIES: After earning its sixth win of the season at Akron on Nov. 1, NIU is bowl eligible for the 10th time in 11 seasons. The Huskies appeared in eight straight bowl games from 2008-15, including the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl. The only other Group of Five team to qualify for 10 bowls in the last 11 years is Boise State.

MIDWEEK MACTION: With its 13-7 setback to Miami last Wednesday, NIU fell to 21-4 in league games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010. Miami, Toledo and Ohio are the only schools to defeat the Huskies during midweek MACtion. The Huskies fell to the Rockets in 2016 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago and in 2017 at Toledo, while Ohio scored a 26-21 win over NIU in 2015 at Huskie Stadium.

HEADED HOME: Senior cornerback Jalen Embry, freshman special teamer Zhamaine March and freshman wide receiver Rodney Hall are returning to their home state as all three Huskies hail from Detroit, Mich. Embry went to King High School, while Hall is a product of Cass Technical and March attended East English Village Prep. 

DO I KNOW YOU?: Four common high schools featuring eight former teammates are represented on both NIU and Western Michigan's rosters. Of the four schools, two are from the state of Illinois with one each from Florida and Michigan.

High School    NIU    Western Michigan
Cass Technical (Michigan)  --  Rodney Hall-Andre Carter
Marmion Academy (Illinois) --   Weston Kramer-Luke Juriga
Vero Beach (Florida)  --  Antonio Jones-Davis-Corvin Moment
Wheaton-Warrenville South (Illinois)  --  Ryan Graham-Keishawn Watson

CONFERENCE CALL

HOW THE WEST WAS WON: NIU won its seventh MAC West Division title in the last nine years and eighth overall before it took the field against Miami Wednesday night. It was the earliest the Huskies, who are 6-1 in league play this year, have clinched a division crown. The Huskies clinched the MAC West in the second to last game with wins over Toledo in 2012 and 2013 and in the final game of the season in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015. 

UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS: With its 2018 division title, NIU will represent the MAC West in the 2018 MAC Championship game for a league-record eighth time and for the seventh in the last nine years. Since 2010, no other Football Bowl Subdivision school has advanced to its conference title game seven times. The only other FBS program to advance to their conference's title game seven times in nine years is Florida, who appeared in the SEC Championship game from 1992-96 and 1999-2000. 

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: With its loss to Miami, NIU fell to 152-100-2 all-time in MAC play and 116-55 (.678) in league action since 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 60-10 and has recorded three undefeated campaigns and two one-loss seasons in league play, winning six-straight division championships and seven overall 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 WEST: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 72-38 versus teams from the MAC West, including a 36-8 mark in the division since 2010 following the win over the Rockets. Under Carey, NIU is 22-7 versus divisional foes. NIU is 4-0 this season versus its divisional brethren, with wins over Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Toledo. The Huskies face their final division opponent, Western Michigan, in the regular season finale.

NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: The Huskies are 19-4 in conference road games under NIU head coach Rod Carey and 82-90-1 all-time. NIU won its last league road contest, a 36-26 victory at Akron (Nov. 1). NIU has won three of the last four games in Waldo Stadium, suffering a 45-30 loss in its last visit to Kalamazoo. NIU's last victory at Western Michigan came on Nov. 28, 2014.

NIU VS. MAC EAST: NIU finished 2-1 this season versus the MAC East division following its loss to Miami Wednesday night. NIU has won 25 of its last 27 regular season games over MAC East Division opponents and 30 of 33 since the 2008 season. Miami joined Ohio as the only MAC East foes to defeat the Huskies during that time, with the Bobcats posting wins in 2009 at Ohio and 2015 in DeKalb. 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).

CAREY KERNELS

FASTEST TO FIFTY: NIU's victory over Akron was the 50th of NIU head coach Rod Carey's 78-game NIU career making him the fastest Huskie head coach to win 50 games, surpassing George "Chick" Evans, who won his 50th game as NIU head coach in his 80th game. Evans (1929-54) is NIU's all-time leader with 132 wins. Carey, who currently ranks fourth on NIU's all-time coaching list for wins with 51, is 12 behind Joe Novak (1996-2007). He also ranks fourth in games coached with 79.

CAREY-ING THE MAC: One of the longest tenured coaches in the MAC with six years in the conference, Carey's .646 winning percentage is the highest among league active coaches with a minimum of five years coaching in the MAC. His 51 wins trail only Frank Solich, the MAC's longest tenured coach, who has amassed 104 wins in 14 seasons at Ohio.
 

Coach (School)	Seasons	Record	Pct.
Rod Carey (NIU)	6	51-28	.646
Frank Solich (Ohio)	14	104-75	.581
Terry Bowden (Akron)	7	35-49	.417
Chris Creighton (EMU)	5	21-39	.350
Chuck Martin (Miami)	5	21-39	.350

MOVING UP IN THE MAC: Carey's 51st career win moved the sixth-year head coach to No. 18 on the Mid-American Conference's Top 20 list for overall wins, tying Bill Cubit (WMU, 2005-12). Don Nehlen (BGSU, 1968-76) ranks 17th with 53 victories. Carey's career winning percentage of .646 currently ranks 13th in MAC history, and he needs to get to .658 to move into the top 10.

PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES: Carey owns a 38-9 (.809) record in conference-only games in his six-year career at NIU and is 15th in MAC wins. He needs two more to pass Tom Amstutz (Toledo, 2001-08) for 14th. His winning percentage ranks fifth among coaches that coached at least three years in the league.
 

Coach	School	Years	W-L	Pct.
Sid Gillman	Cincinnati	1949-52	13-1	.929
Ara Parseghian	Miami	1951-55	19-2-1	.886
Bob Pruett	Marshall	1997-2004	54-10	.844
Doyt Perry	Bowling Green	1955-64	46-9	.836
Rod Carey	NIU	2013-present	38-9	.809

RECAPPING

HUNDRED FOR HARBISON: NIU tailback Tre Harbison recorded his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance and sixth of his career with 103 yards on 16 carries against Miami. Harbison became the first Huskie to record three straight 100-yard games since Heisman Finalist Jordan Lynch posted four straight in 2013. He is the first Huskie since Joel Bouagnon in 2015 to amass five 100-yard games in a season. Harbison tallied a career-high 169 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown in the 36-26 victory at Akron (Nov. 1) and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry this season. He ranks third in the league in rushing, averaging 82.5 yards a game.

GROUNDED: The NIU defense held its sixth opponent to under 100 rushing yards this season when Miami gained just 94 yards on 41 carries. The last time an NIU defense held six opponents to under 100 yards rushing in a game was 2010. NIU's season-low for rushing yards allowed is 35 by Akron, which was the lowest rushing total by an opponent since Arkansas State rushed for 28 yards on 29 carries in the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl (Jan. 8). NIU, which leads the MAC and ranks 16th in the nation in rushing defense, is 4-2 this season when holding an opponent under 100 yards. 
 

Opponent	Rushing Yards	W-L	Score
Utah	68	L	17-6
Eastern Michigan	62	W	26-23 (3OT)
Ohio	46	W	24-21
BYU	93	W	7-6
Akron	35	W	36-26
Miami	94	L	7-6

SEASON LOW: In addition to not allowing Miami to score an offensive touchdown, the Huskie defense allowed a season-low 201 yards of total offense in the setback to Miami. They were the fewest total yards allowed in a game by the Huskies since NIU held Kent State (Oct. 7) to 131 yards of total offense last season. They are the fewest yards allowed in a loss since NIU gave up 228 yards in a 38-31 loss at Ohio (Nov. 21) in 2009.

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

SCHARP-ING AS A TACK-LE: Senior offensive tackle Max Scharping became NIU's first three-time academic all-district selection when he earned Google Cloud Academic All-District 5 First Team honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America. Scharping previously earned second team honors in 2016 and first team accolades in 2017. He was a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American last year.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: NIU played its sixth game decided by eight points or less when it fell to Miami 13-7. The Huskies are 5-1 in such games this season having defeated both Central Michigan (Sept. 15) and Ball State (Oct. 6) by identical scores of 24-16, Eastern Michigan (Sept. 29) 26-23 in triple overtime, Ohio (Oct. 13), 24-21, and BYU (Oct. 27), 7-6. The Huskies are 18-12 in games decided by eight points or less since 2013. 

ACADEMIC HEISMAN CANDIDATE: Max Scharping is one of 13 student-athletes across all divisions of college football to be named a finalist for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy, one of the most prestigious awards in college football, which annually recognizes the best scholar-athlete in the nation and is presented by the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame. Scharping is the fifth NIU player all-time to earn the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award, joining Nabal Jefferson (2011), Chandler Harnish (2010), Josh Haldi (2004) and Patrick Stephen (1998).

SUTTON ON THE SCORE: Sutton Smith scored his third career touchdown when he scooped and scored after blocking Toledo's Baily Flint's punt. Smith returned a pair of fumbles for scores last year. He scored his first career touchdown on a fumble he forced, running it back 16 yards at Bowling Green (Oct. 21, 2017), and his second against Western Michigan (Nov. 15, 2017).

GAINING GROUND: The Huskies tallied more than 400 yards of total offense for the third time this season, and tied its season high in rushing yards in NIU's victory over Toledo. NIU gained 427 yards of total offense, including 296 yards on the ground, in the win over the Rockets. The NIU offense amassed a season-high 484 yards of total offense in the victory over Akron the previous week, including a season-best 296 rushing yards. The Huskies gained 400 yards in a 24-21 win over Ohio on Oct. 13. 

IMPRESSIVE STRETCH: From Sept. 22 to Nov. 1, the Huskies played a stretch of five of six games away from Huskie Stadium. NIU went 5-1 in those games, with NIU's only loss coming at Florida State on Sept. 22, which was also the Huskies' last loss this year. NIU posted wins at BYU and at Akron in the final two games of that stretch.

HUSKIE HONOREES: Two Huskies were named MAC West Players of the Week after NIU's win over Toledo as tailback Tre Harbison and defensive end Sutton Smith earned the Offensive and Special Teams honors, respectively. Harbison rushed for 139 yards on 21 carries in NIU's victory over the Rockets, while Smith recorded his second career punt block and returning it 27 yards for a touchdown.

Player (Honor) - Game    
Sutton Smith (Defense) - Utah
Antonio Jones-Davis (Defense) - Eastern Michigan
Sutton Smith (Defense) - Ohio
Mykelti Williams (Defense) - BYU
Matt Ference (Special Teams) - BYU
Jalen McKie (Defense) - Akron
Tre Harbison (Offense) -  Akron
Tre Harbison (Offense) - Toledo
Sutton Smith (Special Teams) - Toledo

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: A year after becoming the first MAC team to win at Memorial Stadium in Nebraska, NIU achieved another first for a league member when the Huskies became the first MAC team to defeat BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium with their 7-6 victory over the Cougars on October 27. Western Michigan is 0-2 in its visits to Provo (1964 and 1967), while Bowling Green (1983) and Toledo (2016) each lost games at BYU. 

NIU vs. THE POWER FIVE: NIU's victory over BYU on Oct. 27 is considered a "Boneyard Win," as Huskie victories over prominent opponents from larger conferences are characterized. The BYU win was NIU's 16th versus such an opponent in 88 games. Of those 16 wins, eight have come in the last nine years and five have occurred under Rod Carey. The Huskies' entire 2018 nonconference schedule was made up of "Boneyard" opponents, and the Huskies have faced at least one larger conference school in 35 of the last 36 seasons.

LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: NIU's 7-6 victory at BYU was the Huskies' first win when scoring seven points or less since Sept. 3, 1988 when NIU defeated Akron, 7-6, at Huskie Stadium. 

NO TDs ALLOWED: The Huskie defense held BYU to two field goals in the win in Provo. The last time NIU did not allow a touchdown in a game was on Oct. 7, 2017 when the Huskies defeated Kent State, 24-3, in the 111th Homecoming Game. The last time the Huskie defense limited an opponent to less than six points in a victory on the road was Nov. 26, 2010 when NIU defeated Eastern Michigan, 71-3.

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO: NIU's seven points scored against BYU are the lowest total by a Football Bowl Subdivision team in a win since Old Dominion defeated Charlotte, 6-0, on Nov. 4, 2017.

MAX SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Max Scharping was named MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week following his performance in NIU's victory over Ohio. Scharping, who is scheduled to graduate in December with his master's degree in exercise physiology and fitness leadership, took a lateral into the end zone on a two-point conversion and led the Huskies to a 400-yard day on offense. He is the first Huskie, male or female, to earn the MAC's weekly academic award this year and the first football player since Jackson Abresch last season. 

WORKING OVERTIME: NIU improved to 8-4 in overtime games with their triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan on Sept. 29. 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 NIU's first triple overtime contest 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.

DOGGED DEFENSE

GETTING DEFENSIVE: In addition to some outstanding individual performances, the NIU defense has turned in some spectacular efforts as a unit. From tallying a season-high seven sacks against Utah, to forcing a season-high four turnovers at Florida State, the Huskie defense has stepped up each week. 

DYNAMIC DUO: Huskie defensive ends Josh Corcoran and Sutton Smith rank first and third in the MAC, and seventh and 13th in the nation, respectively, in sacks per game. Smith, is averaging 0.82 sacks a game, while Corcoran tallies 0.89 a game. Smith leads NIU with nine sacks on the year, while Corcoran is second on the team with eight.

STRIPPING AGENT: Josh Corcoran became the latest Huskie to join this strip sack list when he recorded one against Gus Ragland of Miami. Sutton Smith leads the team in strip sacks this season with four and has five for his career. Smith recorded a strip sack in the season opener at Iowa (Sept. 1), at Florida State (Sept. 22) and versus Ohio (Oct. 13) this year, and had a half sack and forced fumble last season at Buffalo (Oct. 14). Smith has seven career forced fumbles. The school record for forced fumbles in a career is 12 set by C.J. Rose (1992-95).

AT A LOSS: With a tackle for loss against Miami, Sutton Smith moved into third place on NIU's all-time list. Smith's 47.5 career tackles for loss also is third among FBS active players in tackles for loss in a game. The Huskie defensive end sits second in the MAC and ranks 17th in the nation, averaging 1.5 tackles for loss a game. Larry English holds the school record for career tackles for loss with 63.

UN-CORKED-ORAN: Josh Corcoran, who recorded two sacks against Miami, has tallied seven of his career-high eight sacks this season in five of the last six games and currently leads the MAC and ranks seventh in the nation in sacks per game. He also contributed two sacks at BYU and at Akron and one against Ohio. Corcoran, who ranks second on the team in sacks, has 13 for his career and needs two more more to move into the top 10 on NIU's all-time sack list.

SACK LUNCH: The Huskie defense recorded five sacks for the third consecutive game in their win over Toledo, and with two against Miami, NIU has 39 on the season. Cornerback Jalen McKie became the 12th different Huskie to record a sack when he tallied his first career sack in the win over BYU (Oct. 27). As a team, the Huskies lead the nation in quarterback sacks with 39 and average 3.55 a game. The school record for sacks in a season is 47 set in 2002.

SUTTON ON THE SACK: Sutton Smith moved up to third place on NIU's all-time list for quarterback sacks after recording a sack versus Toledo. The Huskie junior, is second in the MAC and ranks 19th in the country in quarterback sacks. He has 24 for his career, tying him with Sean Progar (2009-12). Huskie great Larry English amassed a school record 31.5 sacks from 2004-08. Smith needs seven more sacks to move into second place on NIU's all-time list with Cary Caliendo (1987-90).

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK: Defensive tackle Jack Heflin recorded 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and seven tackles, five solo, all career highs, in NIU's win over Toledo. The redshirt sophomore has 15 tackles, seven for loss, and five sacks in NIU's last five games. Heflin also returned to the starting line-up for the first time this year versus Toledo. He has already almost tripled his tackle total from a year ago. 

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Jalen McKie sealed the Huskie victory over Akron when he made his second career interception nine plays after his first. The Huskie walk-on intercepted Akron QB Alex Ramart on fourth down. McKie, the son of former Chicago Bears fullback Jason McKie, is the first Huskie to intercept two passes in a game since Mayomi Olootu versus Buffalo on Oct. 22, 2016. His returned his first career INT 23 yards for the Huskies' first defensive touchdown of the season and their first since Nov. 24, 2017.

QUITE THE NIGHT: In addition to his two interceptions, McKie became the first Huskie to score on a defensive PAT since Sept. 20, 2003 when he ran Ben LeRoy's blocked PAT back 86 yards for two huge points, as the play turned a potential tie score into a three-point Huskie lead. Kevin Woods scored the Huskies' last defensive PAT in NIU's historic 19-16 win at Alabama. McKie accounted for NIU's last eight points at Akron.

THE FIRM: Antonio Jones-Davis – nicknamed "Law Firm" –  ranks 48th in the nation and seventh in the MAC in total tackles with a team-best 98 tackles after recording a team-high 10 against Miami. Jones-Davis has four double-digit tackle performances this season, tallying a career-high 16 twice, against Central Michigan (Sept. 15) and at Ball State (Oct. 6). Jones-Davis' 13 stops at Eastern Michigan helped him earn MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

A HUSKIE DOZEN: The 12 solo stops by Antonio 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. 

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH PUGH: After missing the final nine games of the 2017 season, Kyle Pugh returned to the starting line-up in 2018. He is second on the team in tackles with 81 after amassing nine tackles against Miami and is tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. Pugh also recorded his first career solo sack versus Toledo and has 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the last two games, while leading or tying for the team lead in tackles in the last four games.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

MILLENIAL: With his 139 yards against Toledo, Tre Harbison became the 41st Huskie to rush for 1,000 yards in his career. The redshirt sophomore has 1,201 for his career following his performance against Miami, which ties him with Drew Hare (2012-16) for 35th. Harbison is 93 yards from reaching 1,000 for the season, and would become the first Huskie to hit the mark for a season since Joel Bouagnon went for 1,285 yards in 2015. 

MR. JONES: After rushing for 45 yards and a touchdown on six carries, tailback Marcus Jones is 18 yards from 1,000 career rushing yards. Jones has tallied 982 yards on 179 carries during his three-year career at NIU.

RUNNING TO WINS: For the first time in 10 games, the NIU offense rushed 200 yards in a game and lost when it tallied 212 yards against Miami. The last time the Huskies rushed for 200 yards or more in a loss was against Toledo on Nov. 9, 2016 when NIU gained 214 yards on the ground and dropped the game in Chicago. The Huskies have rushed for 200 yards or more in six games in 2018 and have won 10 of their last 11 games when rushing for more than 200 yards, dating back to Nov. 25, 2016 when NIU rushed for 215 yards in a win over Kent State. The NIU offense rushed for a season-high 296 yards in its victories over Toledo, and Akron. 

QUITE THE COMPARISON: The NIU offense is averaging 15.8 points more a game in conference play than in its non-conference contests. The Huskies have almost tripled their rushing average in MAC play, with 243.0 yards a game compared to 78.2 in its four non-conference games. On the season, NIU is averaging 183.1 rushing yards a game.
 

	MAC Games	Non-Conference Games	All Games
Games	7	4	11
Points/Game	25.6	9.8	19.8
Points/Game Allowed	18.6	23.2	20.3
Rushing Yards/Game	243.0	78.2	183.1
Rushing Yds/Game Allowed	99.9	122.8	108.2
Total Offense/Game	384.3	216.0	323.1
Total Offense/Game Allowed	324.1	370.0	340.8

CHILDERS IN THE BOOKS: Quarterback Marcus Childers currently ranks sixth on NIU's all-time list for passing yards per game, averaging 139.7 yards. Chris Finlen is fifth on the list with a 159.8 average. Childers' 329 completions rank eighth all-time at NIU and trails Phil Horvath, who ranks seventh with 397. Childers has also completed 56.8 percent of his passes for his career, which ranks seventh, behind Dan Nicholson, who completed 59.2 percent of his passes.

TOUCHDOWNS TO SHARE: Quarterback Marcus Childers has thrown touchdown passes to six different players in 2018 after hitting tight end Corey Lersch on a 19-yard pass on the opening drive at Akron. Childers connected with Ty Harmston in overtime at Eastern Michigan, completed TDs to Jauan 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 2,738 yards in 20 games (16 starts) over the last two seasons. 

TWO FOR 100: Tre Harbison (139) and Marcus Jones (103) became the first Huskie duo to rush for 100 yards in the same game since Oct. 1, 2016, when Joel Bouagnon (153) and Anthony Maddie (160) accomplished the feat at Ball State. It is the 26th time NIU has had two 100-yard rushers in the same game. 

ALL'S WESLEY THAT ENDS WELL: Huskie wide receiver Jauan Wesley leads the Huskies in receiving yards (511), yards per catch (11.4) and yards per game (46.5). He has more than doubled his receiving yards from last season, and passed his 2017 reception total of 10 against Utah in the second game of the year.

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 50 consecutive games, every game of his NIU career. NIU's returning offensive linemen have combined to make 155 starts over the last four seasons with seniors Scharping (50) and Luke Shively (36) and junior Jordan Steckler (31) leading the way. Nathan Veloz (23) started at right guard against Miami, while Isaac Hawn, who started four games last year, started at right tackle against Ohio and BYU. Ryan Roberts, who started at right tackle at Florida State and Eastern Michigan, has 10 career starts. 

TACKLING A TWO-POINT CONVERSION: NIU converted its first two-point conversion attempt since Oct. 1, 2011 when left tackle Max Scharping took a lateral pass into the end zone to give NIU a 24-21 lead over Ohio. Scharping's score came in his 46th start and marked the first time the offensive tackle has handled the football in his college career.

SPECIAL FORCES

PINNING THEM DEEP: Sophomore punter Matt Ference has placed 26 of his 73 punts inside the 20-yard line and has 12 punts of 50 yards or more on the season. Ference landed three of his nine punts at BYU inside the 10-yard line, including one that landed at the one foot-line, to eventually earn MAC West Specialist of the Week honors. He 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. 

ON THE RIGHT FOOT: Punter Matt Ference's 40.8 yards per punt career average ranks second on NIU's all-time list for punting average, while his 6,369 punting yards ranks ninth all-time behind Jimmy Erwin's 6,594 punting yards. Ference's 156 career punts ranks ninth all-time, 11 punts shy of Jimmy Erwin for eighth place. 

NINE IS FINE: Ference booted a season-high nine punts for 421 yards, also a career best, for an average of 46.8 yards in NIU's victory at BYU, the second-highest single game punting average of his career. His career best came in the 2018 season opener at Iowa when he averaged 47.2 yards on six punts for 283 yards. He ranks seventh in the MAC and 63rd in the country with a 41.2 yard average.

SUTTON SPECIAL: Sutton Smith recorded his second career punt block in NIU's victory over Toledo and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown to turn a 10-9 NIU lead into a 17-9 halftime margin. Smith's first career punt block occurred in the Huskies' win over Central Michigan (Sept. 15) in the third game of the season.

BLOCK PARTY: With Sutton Smith's punt block in the second quarter against Toledo, NIU special teams have blocked five kicks this season and 11 in the last two years. It was Smith's second punt block this season and the third for NIU this year. Smith blocked a punt against CMU (Sept. 15), while Jauan Wesley blocked recorded a block in the season opener at Iowa. Ben LeRoy blocked an extra point attempt in the win at Akron, while Jack Heflin had a blocked field goal versus Utah. The complete list: 

Jauan Wesley, Punt vs. Iowa
Jack Heflin, Field Goal vs. Utah
Sutton Smith, Punt vs. Central Michigan
Ben LeRoy, PAT vs. Akron
Sutton Smith, Punt vs. Toledo

ON PACE: With five blocked kicks this season, the Huskies are one way from their total of last season. NIU blocked six kicks, two field goals and four punts, in 2017. NIU ranks second in the nation in blocked kicks and blocked punts.

ALL ABOUT THE TEAM

ABOVE THE AVERAGE: Eighty-three players have suited up and taken the field for the Huskies this season, the most since 2014 when 78 players saw action in a contest. Since 2013, NIU has played an average of 77.3 players a season.

ALL-AMERICA ATTENTION: In addition to being named to numerous preseason watch lists, NIU left tackle Max Scharping and defensive end Sutton Smith garnered multiple 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