HUSKIE BITES

• NIU returns to Huskie Stadium to take on Toledo carrying a five-game winning streak, despite playing five of its last six games on the road. 
• With its sixth win of the season, NIU is one of only two Group of 5 teams to achieve bowl eligibility 10 times in the last 11 seasons.
• NIU and Toledo meet for the 46th time Wednesday night; the Rockets own a 31-14 series lead and have won the last two contests after NIU defeated UT six straight times from 2010-15.  
• Defensively, the Huskies rank among the Top 30 teams in the FBS in sacks (second), tackles for loss (12th), rushing defense (13th) and scoring defense (29th).
• Rod Carey's NIU teams own a 37-8 mark in MAC regular season games since 2013 for an .822 winning percentage; his 50 total wins are tied for 19th all-time among MAC coaches, and his .649 career winning percentage ranks him in the Top 30 FBS coaches (minimum five seasons). 
• Left tackle Max Scharping, a 48-game starter, is one of 13 finalists for the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the top Scholar-Athlete in college football. He will receive an $18,000 scholarship and represent NIU at the National Football Foundation Dinner in New York this December.
• Tre Harbison has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing yards three times this season after gaining a career high 169 yards at Akron. NIU has had a 100-yard rusher in each of its five MAC games: Marcus Childers (169 yards) vs. Ohio, Marcus Jones (130) at Ball State, and Harbison at EMU (136) and vs. CMU (124) in addition to Akron.   
• NIU is 20-3 in weeknight #MACtion games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010. 
• Jalen McKie's defensive two-point conversion off of Ben LeRoy's blocked kick at Akron was the first by a Huskie since Kevin Woods returned a Jason Frank block at Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003 in a 19-16 NIU win, and was the fourth blocked kick by NIU this season. 

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years:50-27/Sixth
Career Record/Years: 50-27/Sixth
Alma Mater/Year: Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 584-491-51
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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TOLEDO FACTS
2017 Record: 11-3
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 7-1/1st MAC West 
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year):  Jason Candle (Mt. Union/2003)
Record at Toledo/Years: 26-11/Third
Career Record/Years: 26-11/Third
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Enrollment: 20,579
Conference: Mid-American, West Division
Colors: Midnight Blue and Gold
Stadium: Glass Bowl    
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /26,038
President: Dr. Sharon Gaber
Athletic Director: Mike O'Brien
Athletics Website: utrockets.com
Twitter: @ToledoFB 
Ticket Information: 419-530-4653

Toledo Football 2018 Schedule & Results
 

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NIU-TOLEDO SERIES
Overall: UT leads 31-14
In Toledo: UT leads 19-5
In DeKalb: UT leads 11-9
In Chicago: UT leads 1-0
In MAC Games: UT leads 20-11
Streak: UT, 2
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1967; UT 35, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 2, 2017 UT 27, NIU 17 (A)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-TOLEDO ON ESPN2

• The NIU-Toledo game is the sixth of at least eight NIU games to be nationally televised on a broadcast network in 2018, is the fourth to air on an ESPN network, and is the Huskies' first appearance on ESPN2.
• In addition to ESPN2, watch the game on mobile devices via the ESPN App or online (with appropriate provider login) at ESPN.com. 
• NIU welcomes ESPN broadcasters Chris Cotter (play-by-play) and Desmond Howard (color analyst), who will call the game on ESPN2.
• The NIU-Toledo match-up returns to ESPN2, where the game was seen for seven consecutive seasons (2010-16) before last year's airing on ESPNU.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS RADIO NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Toledo game begins at 6:30 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 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 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: Toledo holds a 31-14 advantage in the series between the two schools, and has won the last two contests. The Rockets defeated NIU, 27-17, at the Glass Bowl in last year's meeting. Toledo leads the all-time series in games played at Huskie Stadium, 11-9, however, the Huskies have won the last four meetings in DeKalb.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: A 14-point fourth quarter by the Rockets proved too much for the Huskies to overcome as Toledo posted a 27-17 victory over NIU in the Glass Bowl on Nov. 2, 2017. The Huskies took a 14-10 lead early in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Marcus Childers. However, the NIU offense was held to a field goal the rest of the way. Terry Swanson rushed for two TDs and Jameson Vest hit a 34-yard field goal for the win.

BOWL-ELIGIBLE HUSKIES: After improving to 6-3 on the season following its victory at Akron, 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 achieve that is Boise State.

STREAKING HUSKIES: NIU enters Thursday's contest versus Toledo riding a five-game winning streak. It is the Huskies' first five-game winning streak since 2015 when NIU won six straight from Oct. 10-Nov. 18. 

SOME STRETCH: The Huskies return home Wednesday night versus Toledo after completing a stretch of five of six games away from Huskie Stadium. The Huskies went 5-1 in those games, with NIU's only loss coming at Florida State on Sept. 22. NIU posted wins at BYU and at Akron in the final two games of that stretch.

MIDWEEK MACTION: With its 36-26 win at Akron last Thursday, NIU improved to 20-3 in league games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010. Toledo and Ohio are the only two schools to defeat the Huskies during midweek MACtion. The Huskies fell to the Rockets in 2016 at Guaranteed Rate Field and in 2017 at Toledo, while Ohio scored a 26-21 win over NIU in 2015 at Huskie Stadium.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK

HUSKIE HIGHS: NIU set season highs in points (36), total yards (484) and rushing yards (296) in its victory at Akron. The Huskies' previous high in points was 26 in the triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 29), while the previous rushing yards (255) and total yards (400) marks were set in the 24-21 victory over Ohio (Oct. 13).

HUNDRED FOR HARBISON: NIU tailback Tre Harbison recorded his third career 100-yard game and scored a touchdown in NIU's triumph at Akron. The Huskie sophomore rushed for a career-high 169 yards on 23 carries in the victory. His previous career-best was 136 yards on 32 rushes in NIU's triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 29). Harbison is averaging 5.4 yards per carry this season and ranks third in the league in rushing, averaging 73.9 yards a game.

EERIE ACCOMPLISHMENT: The Huskies blocked their first extra point kick in exactly two years when defensive tackle Ben LeRoy blocked Akron's point after try in the third quarter. The last Huskie to block a PAT was defensive tackle William Lee, who achieved the feat in NIU's 45-20 win over Bowling Green on Nov. 1, 2016.

CAREER NIGHT: Cornerback Jalen McKie made his first career interception when the redshirt freshman stepped in front of an Alex Ramart pass and returned it 23 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter of the win at Akron. The touchdown was his first and NIU's first defensive score of the season. NIU's last pick six was by linebacker Jawaun Johnson at Central Michigan (Nov. 24) last season.

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: McKie sealed the Huskie victory over Akron when he made his second career interception nine plays after his first. The Huskie walk-on intercepted 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 accomplished the feat against Buffalo (Oct. 22) in 2016.

GAINING GROUND: The Huskie offense amassed a season-best 484 yards of total offense in the victory over Akron, including a season-high 296 rushing yards. It was NIU's second 400-yard performance of the season, topping the previous high of 400 yards gained in a 24-21 win over Ohio on Oct. 13. 

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 the 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 accomplished the feat in NIU's 19-16 win at Alabama. McKie accounted for NIU's last eight points at Akron.

GROUNDED: The NIU defense held its fifth opponent to under 100 rushing yards this season when the Huskies limited Akron to a season-low 35 yards on 28 carries. It 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 19th in the nation in rushing defense, is 4-1 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

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.

CONFERENCE CALL

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: With its 36-26 win at Akron, NIU improved to 151-99-2 all-time in MAC play and 115-54 (.680) in league action since 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 59-9 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 WEST: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 71-38 versus teams from the MAC West, including a 35-8 mark in the division since 2010. Under Carey, NIU is 21-7 versus divisional foes. NIU is 3-0 this season versus its divisional brethren, with wins over Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Following Wednesday night's game versus Toledo, the Huskies face their final division opponent, Western Michigan, in the regular season finale, Tuesday, Nov. 20.

NIU VS. MAC EAST: With its win at Akron, NIU has won 25 of its last 26 regular season games over MAC East Division opponents and 30 of 32 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).

CAREY KERNELS

FASTEST TO FIFTY: NIU's victory over Akron was the 50th of NIU head coach Rod Carey's 77-game NIU career. Carey, who currently ranks fourth on NIU's all-time coaching list for wins, 13 behind Joe Novak (1996-2007), is 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 also ranks fourth in games coached with 77.

MOVING UP IN THE MAC: Carey's 50th career win moved the sixth-year head coach to No. 19 on the Mid-American Conference's Top 20 list for overall wins, surpassing Dan Simrell (Toledo, 1982-89). Bill Cubit (WMU, 2005-12) is 18th with 51 wins, while Don Nehlen (BGSU, 1968-76) ranks 17th with 53. Carey's career winning percentage of .649 currently ranks 13th in MAC history, and he needs to get to .658 to move into the top 10.

CAREY-ING THE MAC: Carey owns a 37-8 (.822) record in conference only games in his six-year career at NIU and is tied with Terry Hoeppner (Miami, 1999-2003) in MAC wins. He needs three 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	37-8	.822

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

HUSKIE HONOREES: Two Huskies were named MAC West Players of the Week as tailback Tre Harbison and cornerback Jalen McKie earned the Offensive and Defensive honors, respectively. Harbison rushed for a career-high 169 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in NIU's victory at Akron. McKie had a career night against the Zips, intercepting two passes, running his first career INT back for a touchdown, and retuning a blocked PAT 86 yards for two points.

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

ACADEMIC HEISMAN CANDIDATE: Senior offensive tackle 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).

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 BYU. 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. 

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. 

INTERCEPTING A WIN: Mykelti Williams' fourth-quarter interception at BYU, which clinched the win with 1:47 to play, was his first of the season and second of his career. Williams made the fifth interception of the season for NIU and the second game-clincher, joining Vinny Labus' late interception in the victory over Central Michigan (Sept. 15).

NO TDs ALLOWED: The Huskie defense held BYU to two field goals in their 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 points scored by a Football Bowl Championship team in a win since Old Dominion defeated Charlotte, 6-0, on Nov. 4, 2017.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: NIU won its fifth game this season in games decided by eight points or less following its one-point victory at BYU. The Huskies lead the nation with a 5-0 record in such contests, while  Notre Dame is 4-0. NIU defeated both Central Michigan (Sept. 15) and Ball State (Oct. 6) by identical scores of 24-16, posted a 26-23 win over Eastern Michigan (Sept. 29) in triple overtime and scored a 24-21 win over Ohio. The Huskies are 18-11 in games decided by eight points or less since 2013. 

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: The Huskies 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 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.

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

DYNAMIC DEFENSIVE END DUO: Huskie defensive ends Sutton Smith and Josh Corcoran rank No. 1 and 2 in the MAC and 11th and 13th in the nation, respectively, in sacks per game. Smith, is averaging 0.89 sacks a game, while Corcoran tallies 0.86 a game. Smith leads NIU with eight sacks on the year, while Corcoran is second on the team with six.

UN-CORKED-ORAN: Corcoran, who recorded a pair of sacks at Akron, has tallied five of his career-high six sacks this season in the last three games. He also recorded two at BYU and one against Ohio. Corcoran, who ranks second on the team in sacks this season, has 12.5 for his career and needs 2.5 more to move into the top 10 on NIU's all-time sack list.

SACK LUNCH: The Huskie defense recorded five sacks at Akron, giving NIU 32 on the season. Through nine games last year, the NIU defense totaled 26 sacks. Cornerback Jalen McKie became the 12th different Huskie to record a sack when he tallied his first career sack in the win over the Cougars. The Huskies rank second in the nation and lead the MAC in quarterback sacks, averaging 3.56 per game. The school record for sacks in a season is 47 set in 2002.

SUTTON ON THE SACK: Sutton Smith moved up to fourth place on NIU's all-time list for quarterback sacks after recording a sack at Akron. The Huskie junior, who leads the MAC and ranks 11th in the country in quarterback sacks, has 23 career sacks, tying him with Scott Kellar (1982-84). Huskie great Larry English amassed a school record 31.5 sacks from 2004-08. With one more sack, Smith with move into third place on NIU's all-time list with Sean Progar (2009-12).

THE FORCE IS WITH US: Jalen McKie's game-clinching interception at Akron was NIU's 17th forced turnover on the year. The NIU defense has forced a turnover in all nine games this season and in each of its last 14 games dating back to last year's game at Toledo (Nov. 2). The last time NIU didn't force a turnover was on Oct. 26, 2017 in a 30-27 overtime win over Eastern Michigan.

GAME OF TAKE AWAY: With Jalen McKie's two interceptions at Akron, NIU won the turnover battle for the fifth time this season. The Huskies are 4-1 in those contests with their only loss coming at Florida State when NIU won the turnover battle, 4-0. NIU ranks third in the league and 15th in the nation in turnover margin.

FORCING THE ISSUE: The NIU defense forced two turnovers, both interceptions, in the Huskies' win at Akron. NIU is third in the MAC and ranks 23rd in the country in turnovers gained. The Huskies also rank second in the MAC and sixth in the country in fumble recoveries with 10 on the season after recovering two versus the Bobcats. NIU has converted its 17 turnovers into 47 points. NIU forced a season-high four turnovers in its game at Florida State (Sept. 22), converting two of them into 13 points.

STRIPPING AGENT: Sutton Smith's strip sack of Ohio's Nathan Rourke in the fourth quarter was his third of the season and fourth of his career. Smith recorded a strip sack in the season opener at Iowa (Sept. 1), and at Florida State (Sept. 22) this year, and had a half sack and forced fumble last season at Buffalo (Oct. 14). Smith has six career forced fumbles.

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. 

SACKING THE BEEHIVE STATE Twelve of NIU's 32 sacks this season have come against teams from the state of Utah. The Huskie defense tallied five sacks at BYU, which were the most since NIU amassed a season-best seven in the home opener against Utah. 

ECONOMICAL EFFORT: A week after defending a season-high 96 plays in NIU's victory at Ball State, the NIU defense limited Ohio to 55 in the Huskies' 24-21 win over the Bobcats. The previous season low was 70 plays by Utah (Sept. 8). The last time NIU held an opponent to 55 plays or less was Aug 28, 2014 when Presbyterian ran 49 plays.

AT A LOSS: With a tackle for loss at Akron, Smith ranks fourth on the Huskie all-time list for tackles for loss with 45.5 and is third among active players in tackles for loss in a game. The Huskie defensive end sits second the MAC and ranks 14th in the nation, averaging 1.6 tackles for loss a game. Larry English holds the school record for career tackles for loss with 63. With two-and-a-half more tackles for loss, Smith will move up to third place on NIU's all-time list.

THE FIRM: Antonio Jones-Davis - nicknamed "Law Firm" –  ranks 32nd nationally in solo tackles and 40th in total stops. He led the Huskies in tackles for the fourth time this season with seven stops at BYU. His 84 tackles, are 20 more than No. 2 tackler Kyle Pugh and include a season-high 16 stops at Ball State. It was the third 10-plus tackle performance of his career and tied his career high, set in NIU's win over Central Michigan (Sept. 15). 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 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, Pugh returned to the starting line-up in 2018. He is second on the team in tackles with 64 after amassing a team-best 10 tackles at Akron and is tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. 

ON THE OFFENSE

RUNNING TO WINS: The NIU offense rushed for a season-high 296 yards in its victory at Akron, topping the previous season best of 255 yards versus Ohio. NIU has rushed for 200 yards or more in four games in 2018. The Huskies have won their last 10 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 last time the Huskies rushed for 200 yards or more and lost was against Toledo on Nov. 9, 2016 when NIU gained 214 yards on the ground.

CHILDERS BOOK: Quarterback Marcus Childers currently ranks sixth on NIU's all-time list for passing yards per game, averaging 139.3 yards. Chris Finlen is fifth on the list with a 159.8 average. Childers' 301 completions rank ninth all-time at NIU and trails Dan Nicholson, who ranks eighth with 312. Childers has also completed 57 percent of his passes for his career, which ranks seventh, behind 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. 

QUITE THE COMPARISON: The NIU offense is averaging 17 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 238.6 yards a game compared to 78.2 in its four non-conference games. On the season, NIU is averaging 167.3 rushing yards a game.
 

	MAC Games	Non-Conference Games	All Games
Games	5	4	9
Points/Game	26.8	9.8	19.2
Points/Game Allowed	20.4	23.2	21.7
Rushing Yards/Game	238.6	78.2	167.3
Rushing Yds/Game Allowed	87.6	122.8	103,2
Total Offense/Game	378.8	216.0	306.4
Total Offense/Game Allowed	327.4	370.0	346.3

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 for NIU and marked the first time the offensive tackle has handled the football in his college career.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: Huskie wide receiver D.J. Brown tallied his first rushing touchdown and third of his career when he rushed for a 28-yard score in the second quarter of NIU's win over Ohio. Brown's last rushing touchdown came against Ball State (Nov. 9) last year on a six-yard run. The Huskie senior is tied for the team lead in receptions (40), leads in receiving TDs (3) and is second in receiving yards (348). He recorded a career-high 117 yards on seven receptions, including a 66-yard touchdown catch at Florida State and ran for a season best 30 yards on five carries at Akron. 

YOUTH IS SERVED: Wide receiver Dennis Robinson made a career-high three catches at Ball State as freshmen now rank fourth (Cole Tucker) and fifth (Robinson) on the Huskie receiving chart this year. Tucker leads the young group with 13 catches for 91 yards, including a career-high six catches for 40 yards at FSU. Robinson, who made his first career start at Ball State, now has 11 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 48 consecutive games, every game of his NIU career. NIU's returning offensive linemen have combined to make 144 starts over the last four seasons with seniors Scharping (48) and Luke Shively (34) and junior Jordan Steckler (29) leading the way. Isaac Hawn, who started four games last year, started at right tackle against Ohio and BYU, while Ryan Roberts started at right tackle at Florida State and Eastern Michigan

SPECIAL FORCES

PINNING THEM DEEP: Sophomore punter Matt Ference landed three of his nine punts at BYU inside the 10-yard line, including one that landed at the one foot-line. On the season, Ference has placed 22 of his 62 punts inside the 20-yard line and has 12 punts of 50 yards or more. 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 41.2 yards per punt career average ranks No. 1 on NIU's all-time list for punting average, while his 5,968 punting yards ranks ninth all-time behind Jimmy Erwin's 6,594 punting yards. Ference's 145 career punts ranks 10th all-time, seven punts shy of Dave Jansen for ninth 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 65th in the country with a 41.1 yard average.

BLOCK PARTY: NIU special teams have blocked four kicks this season and have 10 blocked kicks in the last two years. Ben LeRoy blocked an extra point attempt in the win at Akron, while Sutton Smith and Jauan Wesley blocked punts against CMU and Iowa, respectively. NIU also got a blocked field goal versus Utah when Jack Heflin got his hand on the Utes' first field goal attempt.

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

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 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

HONORING A LEGEND: Next week, NIU and Miami (Ohio) will 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. Coach Mallory's wife and daughter will be on hand for the game.      

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.