HUSKIE BITES

• NIU concludes its 2019 non-conference slate with the last of a three-game "Power 5" road swing when the Huskies take on Vanderbilt Saturday. After playing at Utah (Pac-12) Sept. 7, and at Nebraska (Big Ten) on Sept. 14, the Huskies meet an SEC opponent for the first time since 2014.
• The Huskies and Commodores played three times in Nashville between 1994-99 with Vandy winning all three games by a combined 14 points, including a one-point win in 1994 (17-16) and a three-point victory in 1999 (34-31). Current NIU head coach Thomas Hammock saw action in the 1999 contest.
• NIU and Vanderbilt are the only two schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision whose athletic directors, head football coaches and head men's basketball coaches are all African-American.
• Behind transfer quarterback Ross Bowers (Cal), who won the job over incumbent Marcus Childers during preseason camp, NIU has passed for 810 yards on 69-of-113 passing through its first three games. Last year, NIU did not reach 810 passing yards until game seven.
• Thomas Hammock was named head coach at his alma mater in January 2019 after five seasons as the Baltimore Ravens' running backs coach. Hammock recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons as a player, and is the only two-time first-team Academic All-American in NIU football history. He coached at Wisconsin and Minnesota prior to going to the NFL.
• For the first time in 18 games, an NIU opponent surpassed the 100-yard mark in rushing when Nebraska's Dedrick Mills gained 116 yards on 11 carries. Prior to Mills, NIU had not given up 100 rushing yards to an opposing back since Nov. 24, 2017 (CMU's Jonathan Ward).
• NIU set a school record with three blocked placekicks versus Nebraska, including two field goals and a PAT. Cornerback Jalen McKie recorded two blocks (FG, PAT) and is ranked tied for first in the FBS in blocked kicks.
• NIU has won four MAC Championships in the last eight seasons (including 2018) and made 10 bowl appearances in the last 11 years, a record matched only by Boise State among non-autonomous teams. NIU has played in seven of the last nine MAC title games, with a 30-29 win over Buffalo last year.  

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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)

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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VANDERBILT FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Derek Mason (Northern Arizona/1993)
Record at Vanderbilt/Years: 24-41/6th
Career Record/Years: 24-41/6th
2018 Record: 6-7
Southeastern Conference Record/Finish: 3-5/6th 
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Enrollment: 6,871
Conference: Southeastern
Colors: Black and Gold
Stadium: Vanderbilt Stadium    
    Surface/Capacity: Turf /40,350
Interim Chancellor and Provost: Susan R. Wente
Athletic Director: Malcolm Turner
Athletics Website: VUCommodores.com
Twitter: @VandyFootball
Ticket Information: 615-322-4653

Vanderbilt Schedule & Results
Vanderbilt Game Notes - NIU (PDF)
 

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NIU-VANDERBILT SERIES
Athletics Website: VUCommodores.com
Overall: VU leads 3-0
In Nashville: VU leads 3-0
Streak: VU, 3
Series History
1994: NIU 16, VU 17 (A)
1997: NIU 7, VU 17 (A)
1999: NIU 31, VU 34 (A)
 

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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-VANDERBILT ON SEC NETWORK

• NIU makes its SEC Network debut Saturday.
• To find out if you have access to the SEC Network through your television provider, use the SEC Network Channel Finder (https://www.secsports.com/article/27026020/channel-finder), watch online at secsports.com or access it via the ESPN app.
• Dave Neal will provide the play-by-play call for the broadcast with D.J. Shockley alongside as color analyst. Dawn Davenport is the sideline reporter.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Network broadcast for the Vanderbilt game begins at 10:30 a.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 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: Saturday's meeting between NIU and Vanderbilt will be the fourth all-time between the two schools. The Commodores have won the previous three meetings, all in Nashville, in a series that dates back to Oct. 29, 1994, a 17-16 Vandy win.

WHEN LAST WE MET: A 65-yard punt return for a touchdown with 1:41 left in the game proved to be the difference as Vanderbilt rallied from a 25-point third quarter deficit to defeat NIU, 34-31, on Sept. 11, 1999. The Huskies opened up a 28-3 lead after quarterback Frisman Jackson and receiver Justin McCareins connected for the second touchdown of the game early in the third quarter. The Commodores scored 21 unanswered points before a 42-yard field goal by Kent baker put NIU up 31-24 with 3:22 left to play.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Saturday's game in Nashville, Tenn. is the last of a three-game "Power Five" road swing for NIU. The Huskies suffered a 44-8 loss at Nebraska on Sept. 14 after a 35-17 setback at Utah on Sept. 7. NIU's next home game is Oct. 5 when the Huskies open MAC play versus Ball State.

NIU VS. THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE: The Huskies are 1-10 all-time versus six different teams from the Southeastern Conference and have never played Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M or LSU. The Huskies' lone victory over an SEC opponent was a 19-16 upset victory over No. 21 Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003 in Tuscaloosa. NIU is 0-3 all-time versus Vanderbilt and has lost to Florida and Arkansas twice in its history. The Huskies have also dropped games at Arkansas (1994 & 2014), Auburn (2000), Ole Miss (1983) and Tennessee (2008). 

LAST TIME VS. THE SEC:  In its last game versus an SEC opponent, the Huskies suffered a 52-14 setback at Arkansas. The Razorbacks raced out to a 14-0 lead after returning the opening kickoff and a Huskie fumble for touchdowns, and never looked back. Quarterback Drew Hare threw for two touchdowns and 179 yards to lead NIU.

MAKING THEIR BONES: NIU has posted 16 "Boneyard Wins" since 1983, with eight in the last 10 years. A "Bonyard Win" is a victory over prominent opponent or a school from a larger conference. The last Boneyard Win for the Huskies was a 7-6 triumph at BYU on Oct. 27, 2018. With seven of NIU's last eight Boneyard Wins coming against Big Ten opponents. The Huskies have faced at least one autonomous conference school in 36 of the last 37 seasons.

RETURNING TO NASHVILLE: NIU head coach Thomas Hammock was a freshman tailback for the Huskies the last time NIU played Vanderbilt. The Huskie head man saw action in the game on special teams.

FAMILIAR FOE: Vanderbilt quarterback Riley Neal is no stranger to the Huskies as the Vandy signal-caller faced NIU twice during his time at Ball State. NIU defeated Neal and the Cardinals in both his starts (2018 and 2016), in Muncie, Ind., sacking him seven times without allowing a passing touchdown. 

HUSKIE VOLUNTEER: NIU freshman tailback Rondarius Gregory is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and the only Huskie on the roster from the Volunteer State. Gregory prepped at East Nashville Magnet where he was a four-year letterwinner.

DIVERSITY DISTINCTION: NIU and Vanderbilt are the only two Football Bowl Subdivision schools in the country whose athletic department, football program and men's basketball program are led by African Americans. Two other schools in the country with an African American as its athletic director also have an African American head football coach.

NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED: Saturday's game at Vanderbilt will be televised by the SEC Network and is one of eight games currently slated for TV broadcast this season. NIU faced Utah on the Pac-12 Networks and Nebraska on FS1. The Huskies will face Toledo (Nov. 13) and Eastern Michigan (Nov. 19) on either ESPN2 or ESPNU during the weeknight "MACtion" portion of the schedule. The Huskies' regular season finale against Western Michigan (Nov. 26) will be shown on ESPNU or ESPNPlus. Additional broadcasts, including the game at Vanderbilt and the remainder of the MAC games will be announced 12 days prior to the game.

RECAPPING LAST GAME

BLOCK PARTY:  NIU is tied for the national lead in blocked kicks after tying the school record for blocked kicks and setting 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 prior to Saturday 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.

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.

SOME STRETCH:  NIU's special teams surrendered its first blocked punt since Oct. 26, 2017, a span of 21 games, when Nebraska's Isaiah Stalbird blocked Matt Ference's punt attempt in the second quarter.

COLE CUSTOMER:  In his third career start, linebacker Jordan Cole made a career-high nine tackles at Nebraska, including two-and-a-half tackles for loss. The Huskie sophomore is tied with Antonio Jones-Davis for the team lead with 16 stops and has 37 stops in his career.

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. He is the first head coach to win his debut since current N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren in 2011 (over Army).

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. 

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.

FOR THE DEFENSE

START A NEW STREAK:  The Huskie defense saw its streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher come to an end when Nebraska's Dedrick Mills rushed for 116 yards on 11 carries. Prior to Mills, the last opposing running back to top the 100-yard mark was Central Michigan's Jonathan Ward, who ran for 159 yards on November 24, 2017, 17 games ago.

THE FIRM: Nicknamed "Law Firm" or simply "Firm," senior linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis, is one stop away from reaching the 200-tackle plateau for his career after making five stops at Nebraska. Jones-Davis 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.

HUSKIE HARDWARE: Sophomore Jalen 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. The Gurnee, Ill. native also tallied four stops in the contest. His pick six against Illinois State was the second of his career, with his first coming at Akron (Nov. 1) last year. He and Mykelti Williams are tied among current NIU players with three career INTs. McKie also leads NIU in pass breakups this season with three.

STARTING NOD: Senior safety Adam Buirge, who has played 39 games for the Huskies, made his first career start at Nebraska. He tallied one tackle in the contest and has 44 during his career.

ON THE OFFENSIVE

DO YOU HAVE THE TIME: The Huskies offense possessed the ball for 37:58 at Nebraska, the longest time of possession for NIU since the 2014 MAC Championship Game. The Huskies held the ball for 37:59 in a 51-17 victory over Bowling Green to give NIU its fourth conference title in school history.

WELCOME BACK: Tight end Daniel Crawford, who missed the entire 2018 season recovering from a knee injury suffered in the spring, led the Huskies in receiving at Nebraska with 71 yards on five receptions, both career highs. In the season opener versus Illinois State, he returned to action for the first time since 2017 and recorded three receptions for 75 yards. He added 49 yards on three catches at Utah to give him a team-high 195 yards receiving on 11 catches this year. Crawford entered the season with seven career receptions for 65 yards. 

ON THE BRINK: Tight end Mitchell Brinkman, who played in four games last year while redshirting, has surpassed his career high in receptions with 10 for 92 yards in three 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. The Council Bluffs, Iowa native caught a career-high four passes for 51 yards versus Illinois State. 

TIGHT WORK: NIU's tight ends have accounted for 39.6 percent of the Huskies' receiving yards this season with 321 yards on 23 receptions. Daniel Crawford leads the way with 195 yards on 11 receptions, while Mitchell Brinkman has 10 catches for 92 yards and Max Thower and Corey Lersch have one catch each for eight and 26 yards. Crawford is 280 yards away from the school record for receiving yards by a tight end (475 by Reggie Sims in 1984).
  
MATCHING LAST YEAR: Through the first three games of this season, four NIU tight ends have combined to catch 23 passes for 321 yards. Last year, the Huskies' three tight ends accounted for 23 catches, 241 yards and four touchdowns. Daniel Crawford has a team high 11 cacthes, while Mitchell Brinkman is right behind him with 10. Corey Lersch and Max Thrower each have one reception.

MILLENIAL: A year ago, 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 total of 1,486 yards rank 30th at NIU all-time. He needs 57 yards to pass Ed Johnson for 29th.

IN SEARCH OF 1,000: Senior tailback Marcus Jones is 11 yards away from reaching the 1,000-yard mark with 989 rushing yards on 189 career attempts. He will be the 42nd Huskie to reach that milestone and he would join teammates Tre Harbison (1,423) and Marcus Childers (1,004) as active players with 1,000 career yards rushing at NIU.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Ross Bowers turned in the best debut by a Huskie quarterback since Chandler Harnish when he threw for 299 yards on 20-of-33 passing and two touchdowns against Illinois State. Harnish amassed 321 yards passing and two touchdowns while completing 17-of-29 attempts at Minnesota on Aug. 30, 2008 in his first career start at NIU. In between the two, six different quarterbacks started games for NIU, with five getting wins.

TACKLING THE BOOKS: NIU offensive lineman Jordan Steckler is a candidate 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.

HUSKIE HEADLINERS

TEARS FOR 1,000: Spencer Tears' 112 yards receiving at Utah put the Huskie wideout above the 1,000-yard mark for his career. The Chicago native has 1,094 yards on 93 receptions in 39 games played in his Huskie career and is the Huskies' first 1,000-yard receiver since Kenny Golladay. Tears is 41 yards away from passing Shatone Powers (2002-05) for 25th on NIU's all-time list.

HUSKIE HUNDRED: A week after Tyrice Richie went over the 100-yard mark in receiving with three catches for 102 yards against Illinois State, Spencer Tears amassed 112 yards on five receptions at Utah. It's the first time since 2017 the Huskies have had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games. 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.

STRONG START: Tyrice Richie and Spencer Tears' 100-yard receiving games mark the first time since 2015 NIU had a 100-yard receiver in the first two games of the season. That year, current Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay posted 213 yards receiving against UNLV (Sept. 5) and 144 against Murray State (Sept. 12).

GOING LONG: Ross Bowers' 74-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Tears at Utah is the longest offensive play for NIU since 2017 when Daniel Santacaterina connected with Tears on an 81-yard touchdown at San Diego State on Sept. 30.

TEARS OF JOY: Senior wide receiver Spencer Tears tallied a career-high 112 yards receiving at Utah on five catches. His previous career best was 105 at San Diego in 2017 in his only previous 100-yard receiving games. His career mark for receptions in a game is six achieved in each of the last three games of the 2018 season.

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 claimed back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The 2014 team also took home a conference title.

FOR COMPARISON'S SAKE: NIU is averaging four more points a game this season compared to the first three games of 2018, which also included a week two match up against Utah, and 106 more yards per game of total offense. The Huskies are averaging 161.7 more yards through the air, but 55.7 yards less on the ground.

MEET THE NEW GUYS:  NIU welcomed three grad transfers to the program in 2019 and all three have played significant snaps already. 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 65-of-106 passes for 776 yards and three TDs in three starts. Offensive tackle Andrew Starr, a three-year starter at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, started at left tackle the last two games. Marshé Terry, who played in 31 games with 13 starts at UConn, recovered a muffed punt versus Illinois State and a fumble at Nebraska while making 13 tackles on the year.

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

KICKING THE STREAK ALIVE: Redshirt freshman John Richardson extended NIU's streak of consecutive PATs to 127 when he connected on two point-after-touchdowns in the first half of the Huskies' contest at Utah. He hit three PATs in NIU's win over Illinois State in the season opener. The streak began Sept. 6, 2016 when Christian Hagan hit his last three extra points in the season opener at Wyoming. It's the sixth longest streak in the nation, behind fifth-place Wisconsin, with 149 and current NCAA leader Auburn (287).

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.

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: With a .690 winning percentage since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program among the state of Illinois' Division I football programs, and are 4-2 versus in-state foes during that time following the victory over Illinois State. 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 in that time.

Illinois' Division I Schools Since 2010
 

Team	W-L	Pct.
NIU	87-39	.690
Illinois State	71-44	.617
Northwestern	70-49	.588
Eastern Illinois	50-59	.459
Western Illinois	48-62	.436
Southern Illinois	43-61	.402
Illinois	42-73	.365

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. The Huskies begin defense of their MAC title next week when the Huskies play host to Ball State.