Football | September 25
HUSKIE BITES
- NIU travels to Ypsilanti, Michigan for the second of three straight road games, and its first Mid-American Conference road trip of 2018.
- The Huskies have dominated the series with the Eagles, especially in MAC competition. NIU is 23-4-2 versus EMU as a league member, including an 18-3 mark since rejoining the MAC in 1997.
- NIU teams coached by Rod Carey own a 33-8 mark in MAC regular season games since 2013 for an .805 win percentage.
- Huskie defensive end Sutton Smith, a 2017 Consensus All-American who ranks sixth in the FBS in tackles for loss (2.1/game) added his fifth career forced fumble on a fourth-quarter sack at Florida State.
- Senior left tackle Max Scharping will make his 44th consecutive start Saturday at Eastern Michigan. Scharping, a nominee for the NFF William Campbell Trophy, is in his final semester of graduate school.
- While filling in for injured starter Kyle Pugh at Florida State, NIU's freshmen middle linebacking duo of Vinny Labus and Cortez Hogans combined for 11 tackles, one-half tackle for loss, a forced fumble and an interception.
- The Huskie defense forced four Florida State turnovers, including three fumbles, and have now recovered six opponents' fumbles this year. In 13 games last season, NIU only totaled seven fumble recoveries.
- After facing teams from the Big Ten (Iowa), Pac-12 (Utah) and ACC (Florida State) during non-conference play for just the second time in school history (1996), NIU will play three straight MAC opponents and have a week off before closing out non-league play Oct. 27 at BYU.
- 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.
HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
2017 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 8-5/6-2/T2nd West
Head Coach:
Rod Carey
Record at NIU/Years: 45-27/Sixth
Career Record/Years: 45-27/Sixth
Alma Mater/Year: Indiana/1993
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 580-491-51
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
EAGLES' FACTS
2017 Record: 5-7
MAC Record/Finish: 4-4/4th
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Chris Creighton (Kenyon, 1991)
Record at EMU/Years: 17-36/Fifth
Career Record/Years: 156-82/22nd
Location: Ypsilanti,Mich.
Enrollment: 21,105
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Green and White
Stadium: Rynearson Stadium
Surface/Capacity: Field Turf /30,200
President: James M. Smith
Athletic Director: Scott Wetherbee
Athletics Website: emueagles.com
Twitter: @EMUFB
Ticket Information: 734-487-3669
2018 EMU Schedule & Results
NIU-EMU SERIES
Overall: NIU leads 32-14-2
In Ypsilanti: NIU leads 16-7-1
In DeKalb: NIU leads 16-7-1
In MAC Games: NIU Leads 22-4-2
Streak: NIU, 10
Carey vs. EMU: 5-0
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
TV: NIU-EMU ON ESPN+
- The NIU-Eastern Michigan 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.
- Chris Vosters (play-by-play) and Marcus Ray (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.
RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS RADIO NETWORK
- The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Eastern Michigan game begins at 4:30 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 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.
NEWS & NOTES
THIS WEEK
THREE OF A KIND: NIU's trip to Ypsilanti is the second game of the Huskies' current three-game road trip, which began at Florida State Sept. 22. Following the contest with the Eagles, NIU travels to Muncie, Ind. for an Oct. 6 date at Ball State.
SERIES HISTORY: NIU holds a 32-14-2 advantage in the all-time series with EMU and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings, including the last 10 games. The only Huskie loss to Eastern Michigan in the last 15 games was 2007, when EMU posted a 21-19 victory in DeKalb. Since 2006, NIU has outscored Eastern Michigan, 322-99, while the Huskie defense has pitched two shutouts (2006 and 2008).
WHEN LAST WE MET: The Huskies rallied from a 14-point deficit with under a quarter remaining to defeat Eastern Michigan, 30-27, in overtime at Huskie Stadium on Oct. 26, 2017. After the Eagles kicked a field goal in their possession in overtime, tailback
Marcus Jones scored the game-winning touchdown on a nine-yard run. NIU quarterback
Marcus Childers rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for a career-high 278 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-40 passing.
WORKING OVERTIME: Each of the last two meetings between the Huskies and Eagles has gone into overtime. In 2017, the Huskies rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Eastern Michigan at home. Two years ago in Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead before NIU scored 24 unanswered points to take a three-point lead. An EMU field goal with 43 seconds left sent the game into overtime. A two-yard touchdown run by
Jordan Huff and a stop on fourth and two by
Alex Schwab sealed the win for NIU.
HEADED HOME: Senior cornerback
Jalen Embry and freshman wide receiver
Rodney Hall are returning to their home state as both Huskies hail from Detroit, Mich. Embry went to King High School, while Hall is a product of Cass Technical.
DO I KNOW YOU?: One common high school, Cass Tech, is represented on the rosters of both NIU and Eastern Michigan. Huskie wide receiver
Rodney Hall, a redshirt freshman, Eastern Michigan freshman linebacker Desean Boyd and quarterback Aaron Jackson all prepped at the Detroit school.
COACHING CONNECTIONS: Eastern Michigan tight ends coach Rob Reeves spent three years (2008-10) as the running backs coach at NIU. Both Reeves and NIU offensive line coach/run game coordinator
Joe Tripodi were together on former NIU head coach Jerry Kill's staff in 2010.
CONFERENCE CALL
HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU is 147-99-2 all-time in MAC play and 111-54 (.673) in league action since 1997, after defeating Central Michigan, 24-16, in the conference opener on Spet. 15. Since 2010, NIU is 55-9 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 ON THE MAC ROAD: The Huskies are 16-4 in conference road games under NIU head coach
Rod Carey and 79-90-1 all-time. NIU's last league road win was a 48-17 victory at Bowling Green (Oct. 21) last season. The Huskies have won their last eight games at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson's Stadium. NIU's last loss in Ypsilanti came Nov. 11, 2000, a 39-32 setback to the Eagles.
RECAPPING
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?: Huskie wide receiver
D.J. Brown recorded a career-high 117 yards on seven receptions, including a 66-yard touchdown catch at Florida State. It was Brown's second career 100-yard game. His previous career best was 104 yards set in NIU's win over Eastern Michigan last season (Oct. 26, 2017), which included a career-long 69-yard reception.
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Tight end
Corey Lersch, cornerback
Tifonte Hunt and linebacker
Vinny Labus all made their first career starts in NIU's game at Florida State. Lersch finished with two catches for seven yards for the first receptions of his career, while Labus and Hunt tallied seven and three tackles, respectively. Labus also forced fumble a week after his game-changing interceptionversus Central Michigan.
FORCING THE ISSUE: The NIU defense forced a season-high four turnovers in its game at Florida State, converting two of them into 13 points. The Huskies forced three fumbles and picked off a pass at FSU.
CAREY KERNELS
HUSKIE HEAD MAN RANKINGS: NIU head coach
Rod Carey currently ranks fourth on NIU's all-time coaching list for wins with 45, 19 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 72.
MOVING UP IN THE MAC: With 45 wins on his ledger; NIU head coach
Rod Carey is three wins 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 .625 currently ranks 14th in MAC history, and he needs to get to .658 to move into the top 10.
HUSKIE HEADLINERS
EXPERIENCE LEVELS: Of the 73 players who have seen action in at least one game all-time on the current NIU roster, there are 28 players who have played in four games or less, 34 players with less than 10 games experience and just 14 players with more than 25 games played (equal to approximately two seasons). Among players who have made at least one start, 17 have started four or less games and 26 have made less than 10 starts in their Huskie careers, including this season.
OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM: Only six players on the NIU roster have played in more than 30 games (a little less than three seasons) in their NIU careers. Two of those players - defensive end
Josh Corcoran (38 games) and cornerback
Albert Smalls (45) - play on the Huskie defense and one, long snapper
Hayden Sak (41) on special teams. The remaining three are offensive linemen
Max Scharping (43) and
Luke Shively (36) and wide receiver
D.J. Brown (42). Only one NIU player - Scharping - has started more than 30 games in his career and just four (Scharping, Smalls, Shively and
Jordan Steckler) have started as many as 20.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Twenty-three players have seen their first action in a Huskie uniform this year, including seven true freshmen, 13 redshirt freshmen, a junior college transfer and a pair of senior transfers. Of that group, four have started games - junior college transfer Christopher Perez, linebacker
Vinny Labus (RS-Fr.), and wide receivers
Leon Payne (Fr.) and
Cole Tucker (RS-Fr.).
SACK LUNCH: The Huskie defense recorded two sacks at Florida State, giving NIU 13 on the season. Through four games last season, the NIU defense totaled nine sacks. Eight different Huskie defenders have recorded a sack this season with
Sutton Smith leading the way with four.
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.
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
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE: 2017 All-American
Sutton Smith ranks in the top five nationally in career sacks, sacks per game and tackles for loss per game among active players. The junior ranks third in tackles for loss per game with 1.38, fourth in career sacks with 19, and is fifth in sacks per game with 0.66 in 29 career games played.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: With his sack of Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois
Sutton Smith moved up to sixth place on both NIU's all-time list for quarterback sacks and tackles for loss in a career. The Huskie junior has 19 career sacks and 40 career tackles for loss. Huskie great Larry English leads both categories with 31.5 sacks and 63 tackles for loss. With two more sacks, he will pass Jake Coffman for fifth on NIU's all-time sacks list and two more tackles for loss moves him to fifth on the all-time list in that category.
SUTTON ON THE SACK: Smith recorded his second forced fumble of the season and fifth for his career on his sack of FSU quarterback Deandre Francois. He ranks first in the MAC and ninth in nation in forced fumbles with 0.5 per game.
FROM LONG SNAPPER TO LINEBACKER: Vinny Labus, who spent last season as a long snapper and made the full-time move to linebacker last spring, made his first career start for NIU at Florida State. He sealed NIU's win over Central Michigan when he grabbed a deflected pass at the NIU six-yard line for his first career interception and forced a fumble at FSU. Labus is the second player to make the move from long snapper to middle linebacker in recent history as Boomer Mays successfully made the transition to become a three-year starter and All-MAC linebacker for NIU.
THE FIRM: Linebacker
Antonio Jones-Davis - nicknamed "Law Firm" – leads the Huskies with 37 tackles after recording a game-high nine tackles, recovering a fumble, breaking up a pass and registering 1.5 tackles for loss at Florida State. The previous week, he tallied a career and team-high 16 tackles in NIU's win over Central Michigan, which were the most stops by a Huskie since
Kyle Pugh made 17 in last year's season opener versus Boston College.
SECONDARY TO NONE: Three of the five seniors playing on the Huskie defense reside in the NIU secondary in cornerbacks
Albert Smalls,
Jalen Embry and
Tifonte Hunt. Both Smalls and Embry are starters, while Hunt made his first career start at Florida State. Smalls tallied a first quarter interception at Iowa, while Embry has 21 tackles, including two for loss, and Hunt has 10 stops on the year.
GARNERING LEAGUE HONORS: Following his team-high eight-tackle, two-sack and 4.5 tackles for loss performance against Utah,
Sutton Smith was named the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week. It was the fourth honor for Smith in his career, having earned it three times in 2017 en route to MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
CORCORAN'S COMEBACK: 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 9.5 of NIU's 13 sacks this year, with
Sutton Smith leading the way with three.
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 before sitting out the FSU game due to injury. 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 and followed that with six stops versus Utah. He is tied for fourth on the team in tackles with 21 and has a fumble recovery.
ON THE OFFENSE
HUNDRED FOR HARBISON: NIU tailback
Tre Harbison turned in his first career 100-yard rushing game, amassing 124 yards on 13 carries in NIU's win over Central Michigan. He also broke off a 48-yard run in the third quarter to set up a Huskie touchdown. Harbison is averaging 6.5 yards per game.
TOUCHDOWNS TO SHARE: Quarterback
Marcus Childers has thrown touchdown passes to four different players in 2018 after connecting Juaun Wesley and
D.J. Brown for TDs at Florida State. Childers 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 2,214 yards in 16 games (12 starts) over the last two seasons.
YOUTH IS SERVED: Wide receiver
Dennis Robinson became the latest Huskie freshman to record his first career catch when
Marcus Childers hit the Hollywood, Fla. native with a seven-yard touchdown pass versus Central Michigan. Redshirt freshmen
Cole Tucker and
Rodney Hall and freshman
Leon Payne have all each tallied their first career receptions this season. Tucker leads the young group with eight catches for 55 yards, including a career-high six catches for 40 yards at FSU.
ROLE REVERSAL: Wide receiver
D.J. Brown completed his first career pass when he connected with
Marcus Childers on NIU's first drive of the game at Iowa. It was the second career reception for Childers, who had a 10-yard catch from wide receiver
Christian Blake at Toledo (Nov. 2) last year. The Huskie signal caller has two career receptions for 15 yards.
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 43 consecutive games, every game of his NIU career. Scharping is a two-time All-MAC selection. NIU's returning offensive linemen have combined to make 127 starts over the last four seasons with seniors Scharping (43) and
Luke Shively (28) and junior
Jordan Steckler (27) leading the way.
Ryan Roberts (9) returned to the starting line up in place of the injured Steckler.
SPECIAL FORCES
PINNING THEM DEEP: Sophomore punter
Matt Ference has placed nine of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard line this season and has six punts of 50 yards or more. He dropped one punt inside the four-yard line at Florida State. Ference outduelled 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 already this season and has nine blocked kicks in the last two years.
Sutton Smith is the latest Huskie to join the block party when he blocked CMU punter Jack Sheldon's third punt of the game. 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.
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 blocked punts.
ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
ALL-AMERICAN 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 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.
HUSKIE SUNSHINE STATERS: Seven players on the 2018 NIU roster hail from the state of Florida. Freshman
Kewan Parker joined six returning Florida Huskies – redshirt senior
Albert Smalls, redshirt juniors Antonio Davis-Jones and
Trequan Smith, junior Lance Deveaux and redshirt freshmen
Jalen McKie and
Dennis Robinson. The seven – all from the southeast coast of the state – represent seven different Florida high schools.
