NIU FOOTBALL 2019
Illinois State vs. NIU – Huskie Stadium – DeKalb, Illinois
August 31, 2019

NIU Game Notes – NIU 24, Illinois State 10

NUMBER ONE:  New NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock earned his first career win in his debut as a head coach. He is the first head coach to win his debut since Dave Doeren in 2011 (over Army). 

WELCOME BACK: Tight end Daniel Crawford returned to action for the first time since 2017 and finished the game as NIU's leading receiver with three catches for 75 yards.  He had catches of 45 and 27 yards to set up NIU field goal attempts. 

NEWCOMER TO NEWCOMER:  A pair of newcomers hooked up to record the Huskies' first touchdown of 2019 when quarterback Ross Bowers connected with wide receiver Tyrice Richie on a 22-yard reception in the third quarter.  Bowers transferred to NIU from California, while Richie came to the Huskies out of Dodge City Community College. 

GOING LONG: The 68-yard completion for a touchdown from Bowers to Richie on the Huskies' second touchdown was NIU's longest play from scrimmage since October 21, 2017 when Marcus Childers connected with Chad Beebe on a 73-yard touchdown pass versus Bowling Green. 

HUSKIE HUNDRED:  Junior Tyrice Richie went over the 100-yard mark in receiving for the game with three catches for 102 yards in his Huskie debut. A year ago, NIU receivers recorded just one 100-yard receiving game on the season when D.J. Brown went for 117 yards on seven catches versus Florida State.

FIRST THREE: Redshirt freshman kicker John Richardson converted on his first field career field goal attempt in the first quarter when he hit from 25 yards out.  

SEASON OPENERS:  NIU is now 19-32 as an FBS program in season openers. Tonight's win was NIU's first in a season opening game in four years, since the Huskies defeated UNLV at home in 2015 

VERSUS ISU: NIU is now 26-22-9 in its all-time series with Illinois State and has won five straight in the series dating back to 1980.

THREE-HEADED MONSTER:  The NIU tight end trio of Mitchell Brinkman, Daniel Crawford and Maximilian Thrower combined to catch eight passes for 134 yards in the game.  Brinkman finished with a team-leading four catches.

NO, NO, NO:  The Huskie defense now has not allowed an opposing player to gain 100 yards rushing in its past 16 games, dating back to the November 24, 2017 versus Central Michigan.  

PICK SIX:  NIU's Jalen McKie capped the scoring with a 32-yard interception return for a score.  The pick six was the second of McKie's career as he also intercepted a pass and returned it for a score versus Akron on November 1, 2018.