HUSKIE BITES

• The NIU Huskies close out their 2019 regular season road trips and open the midweek #MACtion portion of their schedule with a Wednesday night contest at Toledo. 
• Always one of the season's marquee #MACtion match-ups, the NIU-Toledo contest will air on ESPN2 for the ninth time in the last nine seasons.
• Including the game at Toledo, Huskies have played seven of their last nine games on the road.   
• Although Toledo owns a 31-15 margin in the all-time series, the Huskies have won seven of the last nine meetings dating back to 2010.   
• Quarterback Ross Bowers returned to action at Central Michigan and threw for 221 yards on 18-of-29 passing to up his season totals to 1,947 yards with a 57.9 completion percentage. 
• Even after giving up 48 points (38 in the first half) at Central Michigan, the Huskies rank third in the MAC in total defense (372.7 yards/game) and are second in the MAC in team passing efficiency defense (132.22). 
• Three Huskies recorded double-digit tackles at CMU, including a pair of young linebackers, freshmen Nick Rattin (10) and sophomore Vinny Labus (10), who have been pressed into action after season-ending injuries sidelined senior linebackers Antonio Jones-Davis and Kyle Pugh. 
• The Huskies have scored four non-offensive touchdowns in 2019 after Trayshon Foster and Nick Rattin scored versus Akron on a fumble recovery in the end zone and an interception return, respectively. NIU also has a TD on a blocked punt return (at Ohio) and a Jalen McKie interception return. 
• NIU's tight ends and fullbacks have made 62 catches for 799 yards and four touchdowns in 2019. Marcus Childers' three touchdown passes versus Akron went to three different members of that position group. 
• 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.  
• Fifteen true freshmen have seen action in at least one game this season. 

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NIU FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 3-6/First
Career Record/Years: 3-6/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: 590-499-51
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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TOLEDO FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Jason Candle (Mt. Union/2003)
Record at Toledo/Years: 34-16/Fourth
Career Record/Years: 34-16/Fourth
2018 Record: 7-6
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 5-3/2nd MAC West 
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Enrollment: 20,304
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 Schedule & Results
Toledo Game Notes
 

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NIU-TOLEDO SERIES
Overall: UT leads 31-15
In Toledo: UT leads 19-6
In DeKalb: UT leads 11-9
In Chicago: UT leads 1-0
In MAC Games: UT leads 20-12
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1967; UT 35, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 7, 2018; NIU 38, UT 15 (H)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-TOLEDO ON ESPN2

• The NIU-Toledo game will air on ESPN2 for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
• NIU will appear on an over-the-air network for the fifth time this season and plays on ESPN2 for the first time in 2019.  
• The Huskies make their 34th all-time appearance on ESPN2, the most of any ESPN Network and are 23-10 in those games all-time.
• The announce crew for the NIU-Toledo game is Anish Shroff (play-by-play), John Congemi (color analyst) and Kris Budden (sidelines).

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Network broadcast for the Toledo game begins at 6:30 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

SERIES HISTORY: Toledo holds a 31-15 advantage in the series between the two schools, and has won two of the last three contests. NIU posted a 38-15 victory over the Rockets last season in DeKalb. Toledo owns a 19-6 advantage in games played at the Glass Bowl, winning the last meeting in Toledo, 27-17 on Nov. 2, 2017. The Huskies' last victory on the Rockets' home field was Nov. 3, 2015 when NIU rallied for a 32-27 victory.

THE LAST TIME WE MET: The Huskies rushed for 296 yards, as tailbacks Tre Harbison and Marcus Jones rushed for 139 and 103 yards, respectively, en route to a 38-15 victory over Toledo at Huskie Stadium on Nov. 7, 2018.  NIU scored 28 of the final 34 points in the contest and the Huskie defense totaled 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. Defensive tackle Jack Heflin accounted for 3.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks.

MIDWEEK MACTION: NIU is 21-5 in league games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010, including a 9-2 mark in MACtion road games. The Huskies have faced Toledo in midweek contests every year since 2010 and are 7-2 versus the Rockets in those games. Western Michigan is NIU's second-most faced opponent in MACtion contests at four meetings in the last nine years. The Huskies are 3-1 versus the Broncos in those games.

MACTION THREE-PEAT: The Huskies' remaining three games – at Toledo (Nov. 13), vs. Eastern Michigan (Nov. 19) and vs. Western Michigan (Nov. 26) – will all be midweek games. NIU has played at least three MACtion games each year since 2013, including four in 2015 and 2017.

CONFERENCE CALL

NIU VS. MAC WEST: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 72-43 versus teams from the MAC West, including a 36-11 mark in the division since 2010. The Huskies, who were 4-1 against divisional foes last season, suffered a 27-20 setback to Ball State (Oct. 5) in this season's MAC opener and fell at Central Michigan last weekend. 

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: After a 48-10 setback at Central Michigan, NIU fell to 154-104-2 all-time in MAC play and 118-59 (.667) in league action since 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 63-14 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.

LEADER OF THE MAC: With 89 wins since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program in the MAC this decade. The Huskies have made seven trips to the conference championship game in the last nine years, winning the league crown four times. Add eight bowl games to the list, and the Huskies have played 131 games since 2010, seven more than their nearest competitor, Toledo, which has played 124. NIU currently owns a 12-game winning streak over Buffalo and an 11-game winning streak over Eastern Michigan.

MAC Schools Since 2010
 

Team	W-L
NIU	89-43
Toledo	85-40
Ohio	78-49
Western Michigan	66-58
Bowling Green	58-69
Central Michigan	54-69
Ball State	51-68
Buffalo	50-69
Miami	45-75
Kent State	40-78
Eastern Michigan	38-81
Akron	37-83

RECAPPING LAST GAME

MARCUS' MILESTONE: With a one-yard run in the first quarter at Central Michigan, tailback Marcus Jones became the 42nd Huskie to rush for 1,000 career yards. The carry gave the Huskie senior exactly 1,000 yards rushing for his career. Jones, who added a two-yard run in the third quarter, joins teammates Tre Harbison (2,065) and Marcus Childers (1,167) as active players with 1,000 career yards rushing at NIU.

THREE OF A KIND: Huskie defenders Mykelti Williams, Vinny Labus and Nick Rattin each tallied double-digit tackle efforts as the trio amassed 12, 10 and 10 stops, respectively, at Central Michigan. The 10 tackles for Labus and Rattin were career bests. The last time three Huskies earned double figure tackles in a game was in the 2017 Quick Lane Bowl when Mycial Allen (12), Jawaun Johnson (12) and Bobby Jones (10) finished with double digit stops against Duke (Dec. 26). 

TD FOR TEARS: Spencer Tear caught his second touchdown pass of the season and 10th of his career when he was on the receiving end of a nine-yard touchdown pass from Ross Bowers in the second quarter of NIU's contest at Central Michigan. Tears finished the day with 62 yards on three receptions.

BOWERS BACK: After missing NIU's 49-0 Homecoming victory over Akron due to a concussion suffered in the first half of NIU's game at Miami, NIU quarterback Ross Bowers returned to action at Central Michigan throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-20 passing. Bowers, who came to NIU as graduate transfer from California, has thrown for 1,947 yards with 151 completions on 261 attempts in eight games this season and is 154 yards away from moving into the NIU single season Top 10 in passing yards.

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Punter Matt Ference earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 45 yards on seven punts at Central Michigan. The Huskie junior boomed a 53 yarder in the second quarter, his ninth 50-plus yard punt of the season. He nailed a season-high 57-yard punt at Nebraska (Sept. 14), while his career-best 70-yard punt came at Central Michigan (Nov. 24) in 2017.

HAMMOCK HOMECOMING

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. 

HAMMOCK'S HUSKIE PLAYING CAREER:  A four-year letterwinner at NIU, Thomas Hammock was a tailback for the Huskies from 1999-2002. Hammock gained 2,423 yards rushing in 32 games in his NIU career, which still ranks 13th all-time in Huskie history. He earned first team All-MAC honors in 2000 and 2001 after back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. He was sidelined after the first game of his senior season with a heart condition.

HUSKIE CONNECTIONS: NIU starting linebacker Nick Rattin, a Fremd High School product, is at NIU thanks to a connection from head coach Thomas Hammock's Huskie playing days. Fremd High School football coach Lou Sponsel lettered at NIU from 1997-98 and was the fullback for Hammock during their playing days. Sponsel recommended Rattin, who walked on to the NIU program in June, to Hammock when the latter was named NIU head coach.

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.

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

WALK THIS WAY: Of the 86 Huskies to have seen action in 2019, 14 are walk-ons or former walk-ons. Five of those 14 – Jack Heflin, Vinny Labus, Josh Earl, Jalen McKie and Nick Rattin – started at Central Michigan. Special teamers Erik Abrell (LS) and Matt Ference (P) are also starters for NIU. Heflin has started 27 of 36 games during his Huskie career, while Rattin, who came to NIU this year as a walk-on, has started the last three games at linebacker.

CAPTAIN JACK: Defensive tackle and former walk-on Jack Heflin is one of 83 nominees for the 2019 Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on. Heflin, who came to NIU as a walk-on in 2016, leads the team in forced fumbles (2) and quarterback hurries (3), is second in tackles for loss (5.5), including a sack, and has tallied 22 tackles.

HUSKIE HARDWARE: Punter Matt Ference became the fourth Huskie to earn a MAC West Player of the Week honor when he collected the Special Teams Player of the Week award for the West Division following his performance at Central Michigan. He is also the second Huskie to earn special teams player of the week accolades. Kicker John Richardson earned the honor after kicking the game winning field goal at Ohio.

2019 NIU MAC West Players of the Week
August 31 vs. Illinois State - Jalen McKie (CB),  Defense
October 12 vs. Ohio - Tre Harbison (TB), Offense
October 12 vs. Ohio - John Richardson (K), Special Teams
November 2 vs. CMU - Matt Ference (P), Special Teams

TUCKERED OUT: Wide receiver Cole Tucker led the Huskies in receiving for the third time in the last four games and third game overall when he tallied 75 yards on three receptions at Central Michigan. The Huskie sophomore leads NIU with 483 yards receiving on 32 catches and averages 53.7 yards a game. Tucker has had a reception in eight of NIU's nine contests this season, including a career-high eight catches at Ohio, and has six catches of 20 yards or more for his career, with all of those recorded in 2019.

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME: Wide receiver Cole Tucker followed up his first career 100-yard receiving game (118 yards on eight receptions at Ohio) by making his first career touchdown catch when Marcus Childers connected with the DeKalb native on a 10-yard score in the fourth quarter of NIU's 27-24 setback at Miami (Oct. 19). 

HIGHS AND LOWS: NIU's 49-0 victory over Akron was the Huskie defense's first shutout of an opponent since a 63-0 win over UMass on Nov. 3, 2013, a span of 92 games. The Huskies' 49 points were a season high and the most points scored by NIU since a 63-17 victory over Ball State on Nov. 9, 2017, 24 games ago.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: NIU has already played as many freshmen and redshirt freshmen, 29, as it did in 2018. Of those 29, nine appear on the Huskies two deep. Four have started at least one game for the Huskies this season, with Joshua Earl joining Mark Aitken, Marques Cox and Nick Rattin on that list when he started the Central Michigan game at safety. Cox has started nine games for the Huskies at left tackle in 2019, while Rattin has started the last three contests at linebacker.

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 for the Huskie season highs in passing yards. As of Nov. 3, Bowers is ranked fourth in the league and 35th in the nation averaging 243.4 yards a game.

TRIPLE CROWN: For the seventh time in school history, and the first time 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.

TACKLING THE BOOKS: NIU senior offensive lineman Jordan Steckler was named a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy for 2019. 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 units in the MAC. The Huskies are third in the league in total defense, allowing 372.7 yards per game and rank third in opponents' third down conversions (.342 percent). NIU's defense leads the league and ranks ninth in the country in fourth down conversions (.300). 

NEXT MAN UP: NIU has always had a "Next Man Up" mentality and 2019 is no exception as the Huskies lost their three starters at NIU deepest position, linebacker, by game six of the season. Lance Deveaux, who tallied 67 stops in 2018 was lost to injury before the season, while Kyle Pugh, who has 150 tackles to his credit, was lost during the Utah (Sept. 7) game in week two. Antonio Jones Davis, who has 234 career tackles, suffered a season-ending injury late at Ohio. NIU has two former walk-ons, Nick Rattin and Vinny Labus, and graduate transfer Marshé Terry starting in their stead.

DOUBLING UP ON TACKLES: Mykelti Williams, who entered the season with one double-digit tackle game in his career (10 at Nebraska on Sept. 16, 2017), posted his third of the year when he amassed a game-high 12 stops at Central Michigan. He recorded a career-best 14 tackles in the victory at Ohio (Oct. 12) and had 10 stops at Miami (Oct. 19). Williams leads the team with 67 tackles on the year and has 215 in his Huskie career.

SACK LUNCH: The NIU defense recorded its fourth multi-sack game this season when Michael Kennedy and Matt Lorbeck each recorded a sack against Akron for their first sacks of the season. The Huskies recorded a pair of sacks at Ohio (Oct. 12), with Antonio Jones-Davis and Vinny Labus, each collecting one and tallied two more, one each by Jack Heflin and Jones-Davis, against Ball State (Oct. 5). Senior Marcus Kelly and freshman Cam Mattox each recorded their first career sacks Vanderbilt. Eight different players have accounted for NIU's 10 sacks on the year.

MY COUSIN VINNY:  Linebacker Vinny Labus moved into the team lead in sacks with Antonio Jones-Davis when he dropped RedHawk quarterback Brett Gabbert for a four-yard loss in the second quarter in the Huskies' setback at Miami (Oct. 19). His sack of Gabbert was Labus', a former walk-on long snapper, second of his career and his second in as many weeks. He tallied one at Ohio the previous week. 

IN THE LONG RUN: Huskie cornerback Devin Haney tallied his first career interception when he was on the receiving end of Akron quarterback Zach Gibson's pass attempt in the second quarter of NIU's victory over the Zips. The redshirt freshman returned it 40 yards to set up a 30-yard touchdown run by Tre Harbison on the very next play. It was the longest return by a Huskie this season.

SCORE TWO FOR THE DEFENSE: NIU's two defensive scores versus Akron were the first by a Huskie defense since the Huskies' 21-17 victory at Nebraska on Sept. 16, 2017. NIU cornerback Shawun Lurry and linebacker Jawuan Johnson each returned an interception for a touchdown in the victory over the Cornhuskers.

PLAYING LIKE A HUSKIE: A week after freshman linebacker Nick Rattin recorded his first career interception and returned it for a touchdown, also a career first, he amassed a career-high in tackles with 10 at Central Michigan. The Huskie walk-on linebacker has 25 tackles while playing in all nine games this season, including playing primarily on special teams in NIU's first six games. 

A LOW (FIRST) DOWN SHAME: The NIU defense held Akron to seven first downs in the Huskies' victory over the Zips. It was the lowest first down total by an NIU opponent since allowing a school-record tying six to Presbyterian on Aug. 28, 2014 in the season opener.

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.

CONVERTING TURNOVERS INTO POINTS: The Huskies converted three Akron turnovers into 21 points in its 49-0 shutout victory over the Zips. A second quarter interception by Devin Haney set up NIU's second score of the game, while safety Trayshon Foster recovered a Michiah Burton fumble in the endzone for the Huskies' first touchdown of the second half. Nick Rattin capped off an opportunistic day by the Huskie defense when he returned a Robbie Kelley interception 31 yards for NIU's final TD of the contest.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

MILLENIAL: With a game-high 158 yards against Akron, Tre Harbison became the 19th Huskie to rush for 2,000 yards in his career.  The Huskie junior has amassed 2,065 yards during his NIU career to rank 18th all-time. He needs 31 yards to surpass Cameron Stingily for 17th and is 126 yards away from the No. 16 spot. Harbison tallied 1,034 yards last year on 206 carries to become the first Huskie since Joel Bouagnon in 2015 to gain 1,000 yards rushing in a season.

HARBISON'S HUNDRED: Tailback Tre Harbison earned his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game and eighth of his career when he ran for 158 yards on 31 carries, both season-highs, against Akron. He amassed a game-high 113 yards on 25 carries at Ohio and tallied 146 yards on 22 carries against Ball State (Oct. 5). Harbison's career best is 169 yards rushing at Akron (Nov. 1) last year. The Huskie junior ranks sixth in the league in rushing, averaging 82.3 yards a game with 741 total yards on the season.

NOSE FOR THE ENDZONE:  Tailback Tre Harbison recorded his third multi-touchdown game of the season and fourth of his career when he ran for touchdown scores of five and 30 yards in NIU's victory over Akron. Harbison became the first Huskie since Jordan Huff to rush for three touchdowns in a game when he ran for three scores at Ohio (Oct. 12). The Huskie junior became the first NIU tailback since Joel Bouagnon in 2015 to tally back-to-back multi-touchdown games when he rushed for a pair of scores against Ball State (Oct. 5) the week prior.

LONG TIME COMING: Brett Bostad became the first Huskie fullback to score a touchdown in exactly six years when he was on the receiving end of a five-yard pass from quarterback Marcus Childers versus Akron. Ricky Connors was the last true Huskie fullback to record a touchdown reception when Drew Hare hit him for an 11-yard score against Eastern Michigan on Oct. 26, 2013. Both touchdowns came on their first career catches.

RARE AIR: With 71 yards on 7-of-9 passing against Akron, Marcus Childers surpassed Huskie Hall of Famer Bob Heimerdinger for ninth all-time at NIU in passing yards. The Huskie junior has 4,109 yards on 413-of-704 passing and has moved up several other career lists at NIU.
 

Plays	1,071	5th
Pass Completions	413	6th
Total Offense Yards	5,276	8th
Touchdowns Responsible For	48	T8th
Touchdown Passes	35	T10th

DO YOU HAVE THE TIME: NIU ranks second in the league and 24th in the nation in time of possession with a 32:15 TOP per game average. The Huskie offense has held the time of possession advantage in six of nine games this season. NIU possessed the ball for a season-high 39:25 against Akron, the longest time of possession for NIU since Oct. 25, 2008 when NIU held the ball for 38:37 in a 16-13 victory over Temple.

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 in a game. 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.

TAKE A PASS: The NIU offense has almost doubled last year's passing yards after the first eight games. The Huskies have thrown for 2,207 yards on 178-of-303 passing this year. Through the first nine games last year, NIU threw for 1,252 yards on 151-of-266 passing. The Huskies rank fifth in the league in passing offense, averaging 245.2 yards per game.

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 with 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 in his Huskie debut versus 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. 

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 that year.

WELCOME BACK: Tight end Daniel Crawford, who missed the entire 2018 season recovering from a knee injury suffered in the spring, ranks second on the team in receiving with 30 catches for 364 yards and a 40.4 yards per game average on the season. He had five grabs versus Nebraska, Ball State and Ohio, and a career-high 85 yards against the Bobcats. Crawford entered the season with seven career receptions for 65 yards.

TIGHT RECORD: With 393 receiving yards on 28 receptions, Mitchell Brinkman is 83 yards away from the school record for receiving yards by a tight end (475 by Reggie Sims in 1984) and 12 catches away from surpassing Sims' mark for receptions by a tight end in a season. Sims amassed 39 receptions in 1984. Fellow tight end Daniel Crawford is 112 yards from Sims' receiving yards record and 10 catches from the reception record.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: NIU tight end Mitchell Brinkman caught five passes for 100 yards 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 contest. 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 26 catches for 360 yards for a 13.8 yards per catch average.

SPECIAL FORCES

JUST FOR KICKS: Redshirt freshman John Richardson, who has made at least one field goal in eight of NIU's nine games this season, improved to 11-for-15 on field goal attempts after connecting on a 33-yarder at Central Michigan (Nov. 2). Andrew Gantz made 13-of-18 field goals for NIU last year and the school record for made field goals in a season is 21 by Steve Azar in 2003. Of Richardson's 15 attempts, 10 have come from 36 yards and beyond. Richardson hit a career-best 51-yard field goal in the first quarter against Ohio (Oct. 12) before making a 37-yarder as time expired for the win. He is two-for-four on field goals of 45 yards or longer with misses coming from 49 and 50 yards. 

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Punter Matt Ference ranks fifth at NIU all-time in career punts (220) and is 10 punts shy of moving past Jim Hannula (1977-80) for third place. Kent Baker (1996-99) holds the school record with 257 career punts. The Huskie junior is fourth in punting yards (9,035), 176 yards away from passing Tom Wittum (1969-71) and second in career punting average (41.07) behind Tyler Wedel (2011-14). 

KICKING THE STREAK ALIVE: John Richardson extended NIU's streak of consecutive PATs to 143 when he hit a point-after-touchdown at Central Michigan. 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 fourth-longest streak in the nation, behind third-place Utah State, with 160 and current NCAA leader Georgia (275). Ohio State sits at No. 2 with 215.

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.

FOUR THE BLOCK: The Huskies, who 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.

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.

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 (Oct. 12). Adam Buirge ran it in for the Huskies' first touchdown of the game. 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. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

TEARS FOR 1,000: Spencer Tears has climbed to 24th on NIU's all-time list for receiving yards with 1,294 yards on 104 receptions in 46 games played in his Huskie career, and is the Huskies' first 1,000-yard receiver since Kenny Golladay. Tears is eight yards away from passing Willie Hatter (1970-72) for 23rd on the list.

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