HUSKIE BITES

• The NIU Huskies open their 117th season of intercollegiate football Saturday when they take on a familiar, yet unfamiliar, opponent in Illinois State. 
• The Huskies have played the Redbirds more times - 56 - than any other team all-time; however, the two teams have not met in 19 years, since Sept. 9, 2000 when NIU defeated ISU 52-0.     
• Coincidentally, in that win over Illinois State, a tailback from Fort Wayne, Indiana named Thomas Hammock made his first career start for the Huskies and gained 140 yards on 29 carries. Saturday, that tailback - now NIU's head coach - makes his head coaching debut versus the Redbirds.
• Hammock was named the 23rd head coach at his alma mater in January 2019 and is the first alum to lead the Huskies in their FBS history. NIU's only two-time first-team Academic All-American, Hammock spent the past five seasons as the running backs coach of the Baltimore Ravens.   
• Throughout preseason practices, incumbent Marcus Childers and Cal grad transfer Ross Bowers have battled for the Huskies' starting quarterback job. Childers has thrown for 3,849 yards and 31 TDs in 22 consecutive starts for the Huskies over the last two seasons while Bowers was a 3,000-yard passer for the Golden Bears in 2017.  
• NIU has been one of the most successful "Group of Five" teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with four MAC Championships in the last eight seasons (including 2018) and 10 bowl appearances in the last 11 years, a record of consistency matched only by Boise State among non-autonomous teams. NIU has played in seven of the last nine MAC title games and defeated Buffalo in comeback fashion, 30-29, last year. 
• The Huskies return seven starters (not including third team All-MAC selection Jack Heflin at defensive tackle, who started only five games last season but tops all NIU returners in sacks) off a defense that led the league in rushing defense, allowing only 109.2 yards per game in 2018.

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HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 0-0/First
Career Record/Years: 0-0/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: 587-493-51
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)

NIU FACTS
Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Founded: 1895
Enrollment: 17,169
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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ILLINOIS STATE FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Brock Spack (Purdue/1983) 
Record at Illinois State/Years: 68-40/10
Career Record/Years: Same
2018 Record/MVC Record/Finish: 6-5/3-5/T6th
Location: Bloomington, Ill.
Enrollment: 20,784
Conference: Missouri Valley
Colors: Red and White
Stadium: Hancock Stadium    
    Surface/Capacity: Field Turf /13,391
President: Dr. Larry Dietz
Athletic Director: Larry Lyons
Athletics Website: goredbirds.com
Twitter: @ISURedbirds
Ticket Information: 309-438-8000

ISU Football 2019 Schedule
 

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NIU-ILLINOIS STATE SERIES
Overall: NIU leads 25-22-9
In DeKalb: NIU leads 15-12-3
In Bloomington: Tied 10-10-6
Streak: NIU, 4
First Meeting: November 24, 1906 - NIU 6, ISU 5 (A)
Last Meeting: September 9, 2000 - NIU 52, ISU 0 (H)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-ILLINOIS STATE ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Illinois State 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. 
• Direct Link: https://es.pn/2Zy49hC
• Mike Watts (play-by-play) and Hutson Mason (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Illinois State game begins at 5:30 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 begins 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 at Noon at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Hwy), except for Sept. 2 when the Labor Day show will begin at 5 p.m.
• Listen live with the TuneIn app; Hear it 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.
• Weekly show with host Bill Baker, NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock, Huskie players and special guests. 

NIU WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

• The 30-minute show features interviews with football 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).
• 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 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

NEW HUSKIE HEAD MAN:  For the first time in six years, the Huskies will take the field with a new head coach as NIU graduate Thomas Hammock was named NIU's 23rd head football coach on January 18, 2019. Hammock is making his head coaching debut against the same school he made his first career start against as a Huskie. Hammock rushed for a game-high 140 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in the Huskies' 52-0 triumph over Illinois State in 2000. 

LID LIFTERS:  NIU is 18-32 in season-opening games as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program. The Huskies are searching for their first season-opening victory since a 38-30 victory over UNLV at home in the initial game of the 2015 season. NIU suffered a 33-7 setback at Iowa to open the 2018 campaign and a 23-20 loss to Boston College at Huskie Stadium to open the 2017 season. The Huskies lost at Wyoming in triple overtime in the 2016 season opener.

FOR OPENERS:  Since 1969, NIU is 27-21 in home openers at Huskie Stadium, and is 14-12 as an FBS program when opening a season at home. The Huskies are 2-1 in their last three season openers at Huskie Stadium. NIU defeated Presbyterian in 2014 and UNLV in 2015 before falling to Boston College in 2017. The last time the Huskies opened a season at home against Illinois State was Sept. 9, 1972 when NIU earned a 21-7 victory over the Redbirds. 

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: With a 68-22 record at home since 2003, NIU has raised its all-time record at Huskie Stadium to 175-105-2 for a .624 winning percentage. During that stretch, the Huskies have had 14 winning records at home and five undefeated seasons in DeKalb (2003, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013). 

WHEN LAST WE MET: The NIU offense amassed 422 yards of total offense, 305 on the ground, while the Huskie defense pitched a shutout in a 52-0 victory over Illinois State on Sept. 9, 2000. Thomas Hammock led the ground attack with 140 yards and two touchdowns, and Michael Turner added 89 yards on 15 rushes and two TDs. NIU quarterback Chris Finlen threw for 117 yards on 9-of-16 passing with Justin McCareins leading the way with six receptions for 97 yards. 

SERIES HISTORY: With 56 meetings all-time, Illinois State is NIU's most frequent opponent, however, this is the first meeting between the two since 2000, a 52-0 Huskie victory. The Huskies lead the all-time series, 25-22-9, including a 15-12-3 mark in DeKalb. NIU has won the last four meetings, all at Huskie Stadium. The Redbirds' last win in the series, a 28-18 victory over NIU at Huskie Stadium, came on Oct. 11, 1980. 

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: Since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program among the state of Illinois' Division I football programs, and are 3-2 versus in-state foes during that time. The Huskies defeated Eastern Illinois in 2017 and 2013 and Northwestern in 2014, while falling to Illinois and Western Illinois in 2010 and 2016, respectively. With eight bowl games and seven MAC Championship game appearances in the last nine years, NIU has also played more games, 123, than any other school in the state.

Illinois' Division I Schools Since 2010
 

Team	W-L	Pct.
NIU	86-37	.699
Illinois State	68-43	.612
Northwestern	69-47	.595
Eastern Illinois	50-55	.476
Western Illinois	48-58	.453
Southern Illinois	41-59	.410
Illinois	40-71	.360

IN-STATE FOES: Illinois State is the first in-state rival to visit Huskie Stadium since NIU's 38-10 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 9, 2017. The Panthers were also the last in-state opponent for the Huskies. NIU is 102-74-13 all-time versus current FBS and FCS schools in Illinois for a winning percentage of .574. Twenty-eight of NIU's in-state wins have come versus Southern Illinois, while the Huskies' 27 wins against Eastern Illinois are the second-most among that group. NIU has defeated Illinois State 25 times, while the Huskies are 21-18-1 versus Western Illinois. NIU is 0-4 versus Illinois and 1-6-1 in eight meetings with Northwestern.

FCS SUCCESS: Since moving to the "major college" ranks in 1969, NIU has enjoyed success versus opponents in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). NIU owns a 15-3 record versus FCS opponents since 2000 and has won six of its last seven games. The Huskies' last win over an FCS team came in 2017 when NIU defeated Eastern Illinois at Huskie Stadium. The last FCS team to defeat NIU was Western Illinois in 2016 when the Leathernecks earned a 28-23 win at Huskie Stadium.

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 program 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. 

YOUNG AT HEART:  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.

FOUR OF A KIND: Thomas Hammock is one of four new head football coaches in the Mid-American Conference in 2019. Hammock is joined by Akron's Tom Arth, Bowling Green's Scott Loeffler and Central Michigan's Jim McElwain in his initial season in the league.

THREE'S COMPANY:  Thomas Hammock, a 2002 graduate of NIU, is one of three head coaches in the league to be leading his alma mater. A 2000 graduate of Western Michigan, Tim Lester enters his third season as Bronco head coach, while Mike Neu, who opens his fourth season as Ball State's head coach, is a 1994 graduate of Ball State.

KEEPING THE STREAK:  Thomas Hammock is looking to become the first Huskie head football coach to win his debut since the Dave Doeren-led Huskies scored a 49-26 victory over Army Sept. 3, 2011 at Huskie Stadium in the season opener. The last NIU head coach to lose his debut was Rod Carey, who suffered a 31-10 setback to Florida State in the 2013 Orange Bowl in his first game as head coach at NIU.

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

TITLE DEFENSE:  For the fifth time in school history and the fourth time in the last eight years, NIU opens a season as defending MAC Champions. The Huskies rallied from a 29-10 third-quarter deficit to defeat Buffalo, 30-29, in the 2018 MAC title game. NIU won its first conference crown in 1983, and second and third in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The 2014 team also took home a conference title.

CUTTING IT CLOSE:  NIU played in eight one-possession games (eight points or less) last season, going 6-2 in those contests. Two of those games, both wins, were decided by one point. NIU beat BYU, 7-6, in Provo and Buffalo, 30-29, in the MAC Championship Game. The Huskies defeated Eastern Michigan, 26-23, in triple overtime for the third-straight year.

MEET THE NEW GUYS:  NIU welcomes three grad transfers to the roster for 2019. Quarterback Ross Bowers started 13 games for Cal in 2017 and 2018, and threw for 3,039 yards as a sophomore in 2017. Offensive tackle Andrew Starr was a three-year starter at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, while Marshé Terry played in 31 games with 13 starts at UConn. In addition to the three grad transfers, NIU's roster features 36 more new faces.

LEADERS OF THE PACK:  NIU returns its leading rusher, passer, and tackler from 2018. Tre Harbison tallied 1,034 yards on 206 carries last season. Quarterback Marcus Childers threw for 2,175 yards and 15 touchdowns on 234-for-397 passing. Antonio Jones-Davis' career-high 130 tackles led all Huskies in 2018.

BAD TO THE BONE: NIU's 7-6 victory over BYU on Oct. 27, 2019 was added to the list of NIU "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. The Huskies' 2019 nonconference schedule includes three "Boneyard" opponents – Utah (Sept. 7), Nebraska (Sept. 14) and Vanderbilt (Sept. 28) – and the Huskies have faced at least one autonomous conference school in 36 of the last 37 seasons.

THE FIRM: Linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis – nicknamed "Law Firm" – amassed a career-high 130 tackles last season and tallied six double-digit tackle efforts en route to All-MAC honors. He recorded a career-best 16 stops against Central Michigan (Sept. 15) and at Ball State (Oct. 6). His 12 solo stops against the Cardinals were the most by a Huskie linebacker since linebacker Boomer Mays made 12 against Western Michigan Nov. 18, 2015 at Huskie Stadium.

MILLENIAL: Junior Tre Harbison became the Huskies 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 career 1,324 yards rank 31st all-time.

ON THE BRINK: NIU was able to take advantage on the new NCAA redshirt rule that took effect in 2018 with Mitchell Brinkman. The Huskie tight end was able to play in four games last year for the Huskies while retaining a year of eligibility. NIU went 4-0 in games Brinkman saw game action in, including a win over Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game.

NO MORE TEARS: NIU's leading returning receiver, Spencer Tears, hauled in 40 receptions for 422 yards and four touchdowns. His best performance last season came in the 2018 MAC Championship Game where the Chicago native recorded six receptions for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

ON THE WATCH: Three Huskies were named to four different watch lists leading into the 2019 season, headlined by linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis who was named to the Chuck Bednarik and Bronco Nagurski Award Watch List. Tre Harbison was tabbed to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, while quarterback Marcus Childers was named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List.

SUNSHINE STATERS: The 2019 Huskie roster includes seven players from the state of Florida. Freshmen Jace Hohenthaner and Jimmy Lowery join five returning Florida Huskies – senior Lance Deveaux, redshirt seniors Antonio Davis-Jones and Trequan Smith, redshirt sophomore Dennis Robinson and sophomore Kewan Parker.  Except for Hohenthaner, who is from Lakeland in the central part of the state, the Florida Huskies are from the southeast coast between Vero Beach and Miami. 

DEGREES IN HAND: Eight players on the 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

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. Toledo and Ohio were the choices to win the West and East division, respectively, while Western Michigan also edged out the Huskies in the voting. 

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 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. 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.