HUSKIE BITES

• The NIU Huskies play on the road for the fifth time in the last six games when they head to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami Saturday.  
• The game will mark the second between the teams to be played for the Mallory Cup, a trophy created to honor the late Bill Mallory, who coached both NIU and Miami to MAC Championships during a hall of fame career. 
• The NIU-Miami series is tied 9-9 after the RedHawks claimed the inaugural Mallory Cup with a 13-7 win over the Huskies in DeKalb last year.    
• NIU is coming off its first MAC win of the season after defeating league preseason favorite Ohio, 39-36, in Athens on John Richardson's game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expired.   
• In the Ohio game, NIU had a 300-yard passer (Ross Bowers, 338), a 100-yard rusher (Tre Harbison, 113) and two 100-yard receivers (Cole Tucker, 118; Mitchell Brinkman 100) for just the second time in school history.
• Brinkman became just the sixth Huskie tight end all-time, and the first since Brad Cieslak in 2004, to post a 100-yard receiving game.  
• Transfer quarterback Ross Bowers (Cal), who won the job over incumbent Marcus Childers during preseason camp, ranks 15th nationally and second in the MAC in passing yards with 272.5 per game and leads a Huskie offense that leads the league in that category.
• Conversely, the Huskie defense ranks first in the MAC and 30th nationally in fewest passing yards allowed at 195.2 per game.  
• Thomas Hammock was named head coach at his alma mater in January 2019 after five years coaching running backs for the Baltimore Ravens. Hammock, the only two-time first-team Academic All-American in NIU football history, recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a player. He coached at Wisconsin and Minnesota prior to going to the NFL.  
• Twenty-three newcomers, including 11 true freshmen and three transfers, have seen action in at least one of NIU's first four games. 
• NIU blocked its 15th kick in the last three seasons when Corey Lersch blocked an Ohio punt on the Bobcats' first drive and veteran safety Adam Buirge scored on a three-yard return. It was the Huskies' first blocked punt of the season to go along with two field goal and one PAT block. 

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS

Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 1-2/First
Career Record/Years: 1-2/First
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
2018 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 8-6/6-2/1st
All-Time Record: 588-495-51
Last Bowl Game: 2018 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 13
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 8, 2018
MAC Championships, Last: 5, 2018
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 52/24
Starters Returning: 16 (7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists)
Starters Lost: 10 (5 offense, 4 defense, 1 specialist) 
 

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MIAMI FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Chuck Martin (Milikin/1990)
Record at Miami/Years: 24-43/Six
Career Record/Years: 98-50/12
2018 Record: 6-6
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 6-2/2nd East
Location: Oxford, Ohio
Enrollment: 17,557
Conference: Mid-American, East Division (MAC)
Colors: Red & White
Stadium: Yager Stadium    
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /24,286
President: Dr. Gregory Crawford
Athletic Director: David Sayler
Athletics Website: MiamiRedHawks.com
Twitter: @MiamiOHFootball 
Ticket Information: muredhawks.com/tickets

Miami Football Schedule & Results
 

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NIU-MIAMI SERIES
Overall: Tied, 9-9
In Oxford: NIU leads, 5-4
In DeKalb: Tied 4-4
Neutral Site: MU leads, 0-1
In MAC Games: NIU leads 9-6
Streak: MU 1
First Meeting: Oct. 3, 1970 - MU 48, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 14, 2018 - NIU 7, MU 13 (H)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-MIAMI ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Miami game will be available on ESPN+, ESPN's 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 can be used on up to five streaming devices simultaneously. 
• Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and John Gregory (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Network broadcast for the Miami game begins at 1 p.m. CT, 30 minutes before kickoff. 
• The game will be carried on NIU network affiliates WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 (DeKalb), AM 560 The Answer (Chicago) and Sports Fan 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 40th season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo joins him for the 34th consecutive season, while Andy Garcia is in his seventh season on the NIU sidelines. 

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

• Fans are invited to attend the one-hour weekly show every Monday this season at Noon at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Highway).
• Listen live with the TuneIn app. Hear the show Monday at 7 p.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb, 8 p.m. Monday on 560 AM The Answer in Chicago and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on SportsFan Radio 1330 AM in Rockford.
• Host Bill Baker welcomes NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock, Huskie players and special guests, including NIU head coaches. 

NIU WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

• Andy Garcia and NIU Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier host the 30-minute show with interviews with coach Thomas Hammock, other NIU coaches and guests. 
• Airs Friday at 10 p.m. CT in Chicago on AM 560 The Answer, Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb and on Sports Fan Radio 1330 in Rockford at 6:30 a.m. Also available on-demand on NIUTube (subscription).

NIUTUBE (HUSKIE ALL-ACCESS)

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

GETTING SOCIAL

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

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NEWS & NOTES

THIS WEEK'S GAME

HONORING A LEGEND: 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 in the summer of 2018. Mallory is the only man to lead two league programs to MAC titles. Mallory coached at NIU from 1980-83 and finished with a 25-19 record after leading the Huskies to the 1983 MAC Championship. Miami won the inaugural Mallory Cup game last season, 13-7, in DeKalb.

SERIES HISTORY: The all-time series between the two schools, which began on Oct. 3, 1970 with a 48-0 win by Miami is tied 9-9. NIU has won seven of the last nine meetings dating back to a 48-41 win by the Huskies in Oxford on Oct. 12, 2002. The RedHawks defeated the Huskies, 26-21 in the 2010 MAC Championship Game (Dec. 3, 2010) and last season at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies own a 5-4 record in Oxford, winning their last meeting with Miami in Yager Stadium, 45-12, on Oct. 17, 2015.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: A third-quarter interception return for a touchdown proved to be the difference as Miami defeated NIU, 13-7, in the inaugural game of the Mallory Cup at Huskie Stadium on Nov. 14, 2018. The Huskies outgained Miami, 369-201, and NIU's defense did not allow a touchdown in the contest. However, penalties and missed opportunities hampered NIU all game long. The Huskies committed nine penalties for 90 yards, including five holding calls.

INFREQUENT FOE: With just 18 meetings all-time between Miami and NIU, the RedHawks are one of the fewest-faced MAC opponents for the Huskies. NIU has played Buffalo 13 times all-time and Akron 15 games.

CONFERENCE CALL

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: With its 39-36 win at Ohio, NIU improved to 153-102-2 all-time in MAC play and 117-57 (.672) in league action since 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 62-12 against MAC foes and has recorded three undefeated campaigns and two one-loss seasons, winning six-straight division championships and seven overall during that stretch. The Huskies are in their 34th season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2019-20, including an initial stint in the league from 1975-85.

NIU VS. THE MAC EAST: NIU has won 24 of its last 26 regular season games over MAC East Division opponents and 28 of 31 since the 2008 season. Miami and Ohio are the only MAC East foes to defeat the Huskies during that time. The Redhawks defeated NIU, 13-7, last season, while the Bobcats posted 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 4-3 versus the MAC East in conference title games since 2010, defeating Ohio (2011), Kent State (2012), Bowling Green (2014) and Buffalo (2018), while falling to Miami (2010) and Bowling Green (2013 & 2015).
 

NIU vs. (Since 2008)	W-L
Buffalo	6-0
Kent State	6-0
Akron	5-0
Bowling Green	4-0
Miami	4-1
Ohio	3-2

NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: With their win at Ohio, the Huskies are 20-5 in conference road games since 2013 and 83-91-1 all-time in league games away from Huskie Stadium. The Huskies went 3-1 in MAC road games last year, defeating Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Akron, before losing the regular season finale at Western Michigan.

START TO FINISH: Ball State's 27-20 victory over NIU was just the Huskies' third loss in a conference opener since 2011 and their first since 2015. NIU suffered a 29-19 setback at Central Michigan on Oct. 3, 2015 and a 48-41 loss to the Chippewas on Oct. 1, 2011. Both years the Huskies advanced to the MAC Championship Game, finishing with a 6-2 and 7-1 MAC West Division mark, respectively. NIU also lost the 2005 conference opener and advanced to the MAC Championship Game.

LEADER OF THE MAC: With a .680 winning percentage since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program in the MAC this decade. The Huskies have made seven trips to the conference championships game in the last nine years, winning the league crown four times. Add eight bowl games to the list, and the Huskies have played 129 games since 2010, seven more than their nearest competitor, Toledo, which played in 122. NIU currently owns an 11-game winning streak over both Eastern Michigan and Buffalo.

Mid-American Conference Team Records  Since 2010
 

Team	W-L	Pct.
NIU	88-41	.682
Toledo	83-39	.680
Ohio	76-48	.613
Western Michigan	64-57	.529
Bowling Green	57-67	.460
Central Michigan	52-68	.433
Ball State	50-66	.431
Buffalo	47-69	.405
Kent State	40-75	.348
Eastern Michigan	37-79	.319
Akron	37-80	.316

RECAPPING LAST GAME

TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Huskie offense scored almost three times as many points in the second half as they did in the first and tallied 171 yards rushing in the second half in NIU's victory at Ohio. Tailback Tre Harbison gained 108 of his game-high 113 yards and rushed for three touchdowns in the second half. NIU's defense shutout Ohio in the third quarter and limited the Bobcats to 15 fourth-quarter points.
 

	First Half	Second Half
NIU Points	10	29
Ohio Points	21	15
NIU Rushing Yards	-2	171
Ohio Rushing Yards	93	85
NIU Passing Yards	140	201
Ohio Passing Yards	129	131
NIU Total Offense	138	372
Ohio Total Offense	222	216

BLOCK PARTY:  NIU blocked its first punt of the season and eighth in the last three years when Corey Lersch blocked Michael Farkas' first punt of the game at Ohio. Adam Buirge ran it in for the Huskies' first touchdown. NIU blocked a punt for a touchdown last year when Sutton Smith blocked a Toledo punt and ran it 27 yards for a touchdown last season. 

FIELD GOALING: Kicker John Richardson connected on a career-long 51-yard field goal in the first quarter at Ohio and hit his first career game-winner at NIU when he hit a 37 yarder as time expired to give NIU a 39-36 victory at Ohio. Richardson's previous career long was 46 yards set at Utah (Sept. 7) earlier this season.

TUCKERED OUT: Sophomore Cole Tucker recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game when he tallied a career-high 118 yards on eight receptions, also a career best, including a career-long 45-yard catch at Ohio. His previous career best in receiving yards was 69 against Ball State (10-5-19). Tucker is second on the team in receiving with 326 yards on 23 receptions and has four catches of 20 yards or more for his career, all this season. Six of Tucker's eight catches allowed the Huskies to convert on third or fourth down to extend drives.

TWICE AS NICE: Cole Tucker's 118 yards on eight receptions and Mitchell Brinkman's five catches for 100 yards at Ohio marked the first time since Sept. 30, 2017 at San Diego State the Huskies had two different players with 100-yard receiving performances in the same game. Christian Blake tallied 160 yards, while Spencer Tears added 105 in the setback to the Aztecs.

JOINING THE 300 CLUB: In the win at Ohio, quarterback Ross Bowers became the ninth Huskie and first since Marcus Childers (Nov. 30, 2018) to throw for 300 yards or more in a contest. Bowers recorded 338 yards on 23-of-39 passing with one touchdown and an interception. Bowers is ranked second in the league and 15th in the nation averaging 272.5 yards a game. The school record for passing yards in a game is 486 set by Phil Horvath Sept. 14, 2005 against Akron. 

ALL MY CHILDERS: Marcus Childers's 70-yard rush in the third quarter at Ohio was the longest rush by a Huskie since Anthony Maddie ran for 75 yards at Ball State on Oct. 1, 2016. The play went to the Ohio seven yardline and NIU scored its first offensive touchdown two plays later. Childers finished the game with 75 yards rushing on two carries.

HAMMOCK HOMECOMING

NUMBER ONE:  New NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock earned his first career win in his debut as a head coach, leading the Huskies to a 24-10 victory over Illinois State at Huskie Stadium on August 31st. He is the first head coach to win his debut since current N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren in 2011 (over Army).

YOUTH IS SERVED:  At 38 years old, Thomas Hammock is the eighth youngest head coach in FBS in 2019. He is a little over two months younger than Akron's Tom Arth, while Kent State's Sean Lewis is the youngest at 33 years of age.

HAIL ALMA MATER:  In addition to being the school's first African-American head coach, Thomas Hammock is the first NIU graduate to lead his alma mater's football team as an FBS program, and the first overall since Howard Fletcher led the Huskies from 1956-68. Fletcher ranks second on NIU's all-time wins list with a .606 winning percentage after posting a 74-68-1 record in 13 seasons. 

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

TRIPLE CROWN: For the seventh time in school history, and the first since 2015, the Huskies had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game as quarterback Ross Bowers threw for 338 yards, Tre Harbison rushed for 113 yards and Cole Tucker and Mitchell Brinkman tallied 118 and 100 yards receiving, respectively, in NIU's victory at Ohio. The last time NIU accomplished this feat was a Sept. 5, 2015 contest against UNLV when Drew Hare threw for 360 yards, current Detroit Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay amassed 213 yards receiving and tailback Joel Bouagnon tallied 152 yards rushing in the victory over the Rebels.

HUSKIE HARDWARE: Tailback Tre Harbison and John Richardson join Jalen McKie as Huskies to earn MAC Player of the Week honors as the Huskie duo were named MAC West Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week, respectively, following their performances in NIU's win over Ohio. Harbison rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns against the Bobcats, while Richardson hit a career-long 51-yard field and a game-winning 37 yarder. McKie earned his second career MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors following his game-clinching interception return for a touchdown against Illinois State.

TACKLING THE BOOKS: NIU offensive lineman Jordan Steckler is a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy. Considered the academic Heisman, the William V. Campbell Trophy annually recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation and is selected from across every division of college football. Steckler, a three-time Academic All-MAC honoree, is a management major with an emphasis on leadership and carries a 3.62 GPA. Current Houston Texans offensive lineman Max Scharping was a finalist for the award last year.

FOR THE DEFENSE

DOGGED DEFENSE: The NIU defense continues to be one of the top defenses in the MAC. The Huskies lead the league in pass defense, allowing 195.2 yards a game, opponents' first downs and opponents' third down conversions. NIU is third in the league in total defense, allowing 375.0 yards of total offense a game, and is fifth in scoring defense (29.3).

LEGAL ACTION:  Nicknamed "Law Firm" or simply "Firm," senior linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis recorded his second consecutive double-digit tackle effort at Ohio, tallying 12 tackles with a sack. He had a career day against Ball State, recording a career-best 17 tackles and intercepting his first career pass. Firm's previous career high in tackles was 16 against Central Michigan (Sept. 16) and at Ball State (Oct. 6) last year. Jones-Davis has 234 career tackles with a career-high 130 last season.

SACK LUNCH: The NIU defense recorded its third consecutive multi-sack game when the Huskies recorded a pair of sacks against Ohio, with Antonio Jones-Davis and Vinny Labus each collecting a sack. The Huskies tallied two sacks by Jack Heflin and Jones-Davis against Ball State the previous week. Senior Marcus Kelly and freshman Cam Mattox each recorded their first career sacks Vanderbilt. 

GROUNDED: The Huskie defense held Ball State, which was averaging 344.5 passing yards a game entering the game, to 34 yards on 4-of-14 passing. The last time NIU held an opponent under 100 yards passing was Oct. 7, 2017 when the Huskies held Kent State to 29 yards through the air.

SAFETY FIRST: The Huskie defense recorded its first safety in 100 games when Jordan Cole tackled Nebraska running back Maurice Washington in the endzone on a swing pass in the second quarter. The last Huskie safety was recorded Nov. 25, 2011 by defensive end Sean Progar who tackled the Eastern Michigan ballcarrier in the endzone.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

RARE ACCOMPLISHMENT: The Huskies' 300-yard passing game from Ross Bowers, 100-yard rushing effort by Tre Harbison and 100-yard receiving performances from both Cole Tucker and Mitchell Brinkman at Ohio is just the second time in school history NIU had two 100-yard receivers in addition to a 100-yard rusher and 300-yard passer. The first time the Huskies recorded this achievement was Oct. 23, 2004 when Josh Haldi threw for 333 yards, while Garrett Wolfe rushed for 185. Wide receiver Dan Sheldon and tight end Brad Cieslak amassed 213 and 111 yards receiving, respectively, in a victory over Western Michigan.

MILLENIAL: With his 113 yards rushing on 25 carries at Ohio, tailback Tre Harbison jumped to 23rd on NIU's all-time rushing list with 1,807 yards on 362 carries. He needs two more yards to move into 22nd on the list and surpass Ivory Bryant and 50 more yards to climb to 21st. The Huskie junior became NIU's first 1,000-yard rusher since Joel Bouagnon in 2015 as the North Carolina native tallied 1,034 yards last year on 206 carries.

HARBISON'S HUNDRED: Tailback Tre Harbison earned his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game and seventh of his career when he ran for a game-high 113 yards on a season-best 25 carries at Ohio. He tallied a season-high 146 yards on 31 carries against Ball State (Oct. 5). Harbison's career best is 169 yard rushing at Akron (Nov. 1) last year. The Huskie junior ranks sixth in the league in rushing, averaging 80.5 yards a game.

BACK-TO-BACK FOR THE TAILBACK:  Tailback Tre Harbison recorded his second consecutive multi-touchdown game of the season when he ran for three scores at Ohio. He is the first Huskie since Jordan Huff (Eastern Michigan; Nov. 16, 2016) to rush for three touchdowns in a game and the first to tally back-to-back multi-touchdown games since Joel Bouagnon against Central Michigan, Ball State and Miami in 2015. The Huskie junior has three career multi-touchdown games with the other two coming against Ball State (2018 & 2019).

GOING LONG: Quarterback Ross Bowers ranks 10th among all FBS quarterbacks in plays of 10 yards or more with 69 on the season. Of those 69, 24 are of 20 yards or more and 10 are of 30 yards or more. Boers' longest pass of the season is a 74-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Tears at Utah (Sept. 7). It is also the longest play from scrimmage for the Huskies this season. Washington State's Anthony Gordon leads the country with 104 plays of 10 yards or more. 

WIDE DISTRIBUTION: NIU quarterback Ross Bowers has connected with five different Huskie wide receivers for 66 receptions and 914 yards through six games this season. However, the Huskie tight ends have given a slightly bigger bang for the buck with a 13.9 average per reception with 47 catches for 655 yards.
 

Position	Catches	Yards	Avg.
Wide Receivers	66	914	13.8
Tight Ends	47	655	13.9
Running Backs	18	103	5.7

RECEIVERS OF THE CENTURY:  Cole Tucker (118) and Mitchell Brinkman (100) became the third and fourth Huskies to record 100-yard receiving games this season following their performances at Ohio. Spencer Tears eclipsed the century mark twice this season when he tallied 100 yards on three catches at Vanderbilt and a career-high 112 yards receiving at Utah. Tyrice Richie topped the century mark with 102 receiving yards against Illinois State. Tears is the first Huskie since Kenny Golladay to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a season. Golladay tallied four 1,000-yard games in 2016. 

TAKE A PASS: The NIU offense has more than doubled last year's passing yards after the first six games. The Huskies have thrown for 1,672 yards on 131-of-228 passing this year. Through the first six games last year, NIU threw for 804 yards on 103-of-184 passing. NIU quarterback Ross Bowers, who ranks 30th in the nation with 272.5 passing yards per game has amassed 1,635 yards passing this season, which ranks 15th.

DO YOU HAVE THE TIME: NIU ranks second in the league and 34th in the nation in time of possession with a 31:39 TOP per game average. The Huskie offense has held the time of possession advantage in four of six games this season. NIU possessed the ball for a season-high 37:58 at Nebraska, the longest time of possession for NIU since the 2014 MAC Championship Game when NIU held the ball for 37:59 in a 51-17 victory over Bowling Green.

DYNAMIC DUO: Daniel Crawford and Mitchell Brinkman are the only two tight ends in the country from the same to school to be ranked among the nation's top receivers. Crawford's 337 receiving yards ranks eighth among tight ends in the country, while Brinkman ranks 13th in the country with 284 yards. 

TIGHT WORK: NIU's tight ends have accounted for 39.1 percent of the Huskies' receiving yards this season with 655 yards on 47 receptions. Daniel Crawford leads the way with a team-high 337 yards on 24 receptions, while Mitchell Brinkman has 21 catches for 284 yards and a touchdown after recording a career-high 100 yards receiving at Ohio. Max Thower and Corey Lersch have one catch each for eight and 26 yards, respectively. 

WELCOME BACK: Tight end Daniel Crawford, who missed the entire 2018 season recovering from a knee injury suffered in the spring, leads NIU with 24 catches for 337 yards on the season with at least three catches in every game this year. He had five grabs versus Nebraska, Ball State and Ohio, and a career-high 85 yards last week. Crawford entered the season with seven career receptions for 65 yards. 

TIGHT RECORD: With 337 receiving yards on 24 receptions, Daniel Crawford is 138 yards away from the school record for receiving yards by a tight end (475 by Reggie Sims in 1984) and 16 catches away from surpassing Sims' mark for receptions by a tight end in a season. Sims amassed 39 receptions in 1984. 

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: NIU tight end Mitchell Brinkman caught five passes for 100 yards Saturday in NIU's 39-36 win over Ohio to become just the sixth tight end in school history to have a 100-yard receiving game.  He set new career highs for both catches (5) and yards (100) in the game. Brinkman's career-long 48-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter set up the Huskies' final touchdown of the game as it put NIU on the Ohio three-yard line.  One play later, NIU scored to go ahead 36-29. On the season, Brinkman has 21 catches for 284 yards for a 13.5 yards per catch average.  

ON THE BRINK: Tight end Mitchell Brinkman, who played in four games last year while redshirting, has surpassed his career high in receptions with 21 for 284 yards in six games this year. His previous career best in receptions and yards was last season when he tallied 79 yards on six catches in four games.

SPECIAL FORCES

FOUR THE BLOCK: The Huskies, who now have four blocked kicks on the season, are tied for the national lead in blocked kicks. NIU set a new record for blocked placekicks in a game with three at Nebraska on Sept. 14. In that game, Antonio Jones-Davis and Jalen McKie each blocked a field goal and McKie added a blocked extra point attempt. The last time the Huskies blocked three kicks in a game was Dec. 19, 2006 when NIU blocked two TCU punts and an extra point in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl.

KICKING THE WIN: John Richardson's game-winning 37-yard field at Ohio is the first game-winner for the Huskies since Aug. 31, 2013 at Iowa. Mathew Sims made a 36-yard field goal with four seconds left on the clock as NIU earned a 30-27 victory over the Hawkeyes in the season opener. Sims made three game-winning field goals during his career, including a 33-yarder as time elapsed in the 2011 MAC Championship Game against Ohio.

JUST FOR KICKS: Redshirt freshman John Richardson improved to 9-for-12 on field goal attempts this season after connecting on two of four attempts against Ohio. Of his 12 attempts, nine have come from 36 yards and beyond. Richardson hit on a career-best 51-yard field goal in the first quarter against the Bobcats before hitting a 37-yarder as time expired for the win. He is two-for-three on field goals of 45 yards or longer with his lone miss coming from 49 yards.

KICKING THE STREAK ALIVE: John Richardson extended NIU's streak of consecutive PATs to 133 when he connected on three point-after-touchdowns at Ohio. The streak began Sept. 6, 2016 when Christian Hagan hit his last three extra points in the season opener at Wyoming. NIU's streak is currently the fifth longest streak in the nation, behind fourth-place Utah State, with 154 and current NCAA leader Auburn (296).

TWICE AS NICE:  Huskie cornerback Jalen McKie recorded a pair of blocks in NIU's setback at Nebraska, blocking an extra point attempt and field goal. It was the first blocked PAT by a Huskie since Ben LeRoy's block at Akron (Nov. 1) last season. NIU's last blocked field goal was by Jack Heflin against Utah (Sept. 8) last year. McKie is the first Huskie to block two kicks in the same season since Ben Compton, who blocked a PAT at Buffalo (Nov. 11) and a field goal against Ohio (Nov. 24) in 2015.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TAKE TWO:  Tight end Mitchell Brinkman converted NIU's first two-point conversion since Oct. 13, 2018 when he was on the receiving end of a Ross Bowers pass in the fourth quarter at Vanderbilt. The last Huskie to convert a two-point conversion was current Houston Texan Max Scharping when the left tackle scored on a lateral versus Ohio last season.

WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING AT?:  The NIU offense scored on its first two possessions of the game when the Huskies reached the end zone twice in the first quarter at Ball State. It was the first time since a 63-17 victory over Ball State on Nov. 9, 2017 that NIU had 14 points after two possessions, a span of 21 games. NIU last scored on its initial possession of a game on Nov. 1, 2018 at Akron.

TURNOVER A NEW LEAF:  In the game at Vanderbilt, the NIU offense recorded its first turnover-free game since the 7-6 victory over BYU (Oct. 27) last year, a span of nine games. The Huskies had a pass picked off in each of the first three games and lost a fumble at Nebraska. The Huskies have a turnover margin of -0.50, which ranks ninth in the league and 98th in the country.

TEARS FOR 1,000: Spencer Tears has climbed to 24th on NIU's all-time list for receiving yards with 1,199 yards on 97 receptions in 43 games played in his Huskie career, and is the Huskies' first 1,000-yard receiver since Kenny Golladay. Tears is 26 yards away from passing Rich Bader (1960-62) for 22nd on the list.

MEET THE NEW GUYS:  NIU welcomed three grad transfers to the program in 2019 and all three have played significant snaps this season. Quarterback Ross Bowers, who started 13 games for Cal in 2017 and 2018 and threw for 3,039 yards as a sophomore in 2017, has completed 126-of-220 passes for 1,635 yards and five TDs in six starts. Offensive tackle Andrew Starr, a three-year starter at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, started two games and has seen spot duty in most others at left tackle. Marshé Terry, who played in 31 games with 13 starts at UConn, recovered a muffed punt versus Illinois State and a fumble at Nebraska and has played in the nickel formation on defense and on multiple special teams while making 17 tackles on the year.

DEGREES IN HAND: Nine players on the 2019 NIU roster are college graduates. Five have earned their degrees from NIU, while three came to DeKalb as graduate transfers. 

Ross Bowers (QB) - American Studies, Cal
Adam Buirge (S)   Leadership and Management, NIU
Daniel Crawford (TE) - Enterprise Software, NIU
Trayshon Foster (S) - Organizational & Corporate Communications, NIU
Marcus Jones (TB) - General Studies, NIU
Antonio Jones-Davis (LB) - Communications, NIU
Andrew Starr (OL) - English, Sacred Heart
Marshé Terry (S) - Communications, Connecticut
Quintin Wynne (DE) - Biological Sciences, NIU

HUSKIE HALL CALL: NIU football greats Larry English and Jerry Pettibone will be inducted in the NIU Hall of Fame on Friday, October 25 as part of NIU's 113th Homecoming celebration. English, a two-time Vern Smith Leadership Award (MAC MVP) winner, is NIU's all-time leader in sacks with 31.5 and tackles for loss with 63. A three-time first team All-MAC honoree, he became NIU's highest NFL Draft choice when he was selected 16th overall by the San Diego Chargers in 2009. Pettibone, who coached the Huskies from 1985-90, is tied for fifth in Huskie football history with 33 wins, including a 9-2 record during the 1989 campaign.  He led NIU to its first victory over a Big Ten foe as the Huskies defeated Wisconsin, 19-17.

MAC PRESEASON POLLS: The defending MAC Champion Huskies were picked to finish third in the MAC West Division in 2019 by both the MAC Media and MAC Coaches. NIU has won the MAC title four times in the last eight years and have participated in the conference championship game seven times in the last nine seasons.