Football | December 1

HUSKIE BITES

• NIU plays its final home game of the shortened 2020 season on Saturday when the Huskies welcome Toledo to Huskie Stadium for an 11 a.m. kickoff.
• A #MACtion staple since 2010, the 2020 game marks the first time NIU and Toledo will play on a Saturday since the 2009 season. 
• The Huskies have the second-youngest roster in the Football Bowl Subdivision (see complete chart p. 3) with underclassmen making up 73 percent (81 of 111) of the 2020 roster.
• The Huskies started 11 freshmen, nine true freshmen, last week at Western Michigan, including seven on defense. Of the 46 names on NIU's two-deep on offense and defense this week, 25 are freshmen, including 17 true freshmen and eight redshirts.
• NIU graduate Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team Academic All-American who rushed for over 1,000 yards to lead the Huskies in both 2000 and 2001, is in his second season as head coach at his alma mater. Prior to returning to NIU, he served as running backs for the Baltimore Ravens for five seasons.
• Senior Tyrice Richie has 23 catches in the Huskies' last two games with a career high 12 grabs for 131 yards at WMU. He ranks second in the country in catches per game and his three 100-yard receiving games are the most by a Huskie since current Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay posted four 100-yard games in 2016.
• Sophomore cornerback Jordan Gandy, a transfer from South Dakota State, tied the NIU school record with five pass break ups at Western Michigan and led the Huskies in tackles. On Tuesday, he was awarded a scholarship for the upcoming semester by head coach Thomas Hammock.   
• Although "Senior Day" is usually celebrated prior to the last home game of the season, NIU will honor its 16 seniors in the future as parents and families are not being permitted in the stands on Saturday.    
• Following Saturday's contest, NIU closes out the 2020 season with a trip to Ypsilanti, Michigan for an 11 am kickoff versus Eastern Michigan on Saturday, December 12. 

NIU FOOTBALL FACTS

Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 5-11/2nd
Career Record/Years: Same
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 592-505-51
2019 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 5-7/4-4/3rd
Last Bowl Game: 2018 Cheribundi Roca Raton Bowl (UAB 37, NIU 14)
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 13
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 8, 2018
MAC Championships, Last: 5, 2018
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 34/35
Starters Returning : 14 (6 offense, 5 defense, 3 specialists)
Starters Lost: 11 (5 offense, 6 defense)

TOLEDO FOOTBALL FACTS

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Jason Candle (Mt. Union/2003)
Record at Toledo/Years: 36-21/Fifth
Career Record/Years: 36-21/Fifth
2019 Record: 6-6
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 3-5/Fifth
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Enrollment: 18,547
Conference: Mid-American, West Division
Colors: Midnight Blue and Gold
Stadium: Glass Bowl    
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /26,038
Interim President: Dr. Gregory Postel
Athletic Director: Mike O'Brien
Athletics Website: utrockets.com
Twitter: @ToledoFB 

Toledo Schedule & Results

NIU-TOLEDO SERIES

Overall: UT leads 31-16
In Toledo: UT leads 18-6
In DeKalb: UT leads 12-10
In Chicago: UT leads 1-0
In MAC Games: UT leads 20-13
Streak: NIU, 2
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1967; UT 35, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2019; NIU 31, UT 28 (A)

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-TOLEDO ON ESPN3

• The NIU-Toledo game will air on ESPN3 live online and on mobile devices via the ESPN App. Games on ESPN3 are available through the ESPN App and WatchESPN.com with pay television credentials.
• Get the direct link to watch on GameDay Central and on the football schedule page at NIUHuskies.com.
• Shawn Kenney (play-by-play) and Bob Chmiel (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN3 Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Toledo 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 or the new NIU Huskies Mobile App. Download the app for free and find the NIU Huskies channel.
• Bill Baker is in his 41st season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo joins him for the 35th consecutive season, while Andy Garcia is in his eighth season on the NIU sidelines.

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

• The show features interviews with football coach Thomas Hammock, other NIU coaches and guests.
• Watch new episodes on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel beginning on Tuesday.
• The show is hosted by Andy Garcia and NIU Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier.

NIU ATHLETICS ON YOUTUBE

• See weekly and post-game press conferences, video features, highlights of past games and more.
• Subscribe for FREE and click the bell to be notified every time NIU posts a new video.
• Search "NIU Athletics" on YouTube.com to find the channel.
• This week, watch the live "Huskies at Home" pregame show beginning an hour before kickoff to see features, interviews and even pregame warm-ups before kickoff versus Toledo. 

NEW! NIU HUSKIES MOBILE APP

• Download the new, free NIU Huskies mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
• Link to the NIU radio broadcasts, live stats, complete team rosters and more.
• Connect to the NIU social media channels and sign up for notifications on any Huskie team.

GETTING SOCIAL

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

NEWS & NOTES

ROCKETS & DOGS: NIU and Toledo face off in Huskie Stadium in the penultimate game of the six-game 2020 regular season. After dropping six and three-point decisions to Ball State and Western Michigan in its last two outings, NIU is looking for its first win of the season while Toledo brings a 2-2 mark into the game after losing to Western Michigan and Ball State by three points each.

SENIOR LATER: Traditionally, prior to Saturday's home finale, NIU would honor its 16 2020 seniors (see list below). With no fans, including player families, allowed in the stadium for the Toledo game, the Huskies will honor any 2020 seniors who do not return in 2021 at a later date. 

SERIES HISTORY: Toledo owns a 31-16 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, but has just a slight edge - 12-10 - in games played at Huskie Stadium.  NIU has won five straight games over the Rockets in DeKalb (the 2016 game was played at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago), dating back to 2008. Toledo won 15 of  the first 21 games played by the two teams between 1967-89, then claimed 11 straight wins between 1990-2004.  Since 2005, the Huskies are 10-5 against the Rockets, including a six-game winning streak from 2010-2015. NIU has won each of the last two games versus UT.    

THE LAST MEETING: A year ago, John Richardson made a 25-yard field goal with 41 seconds to play to give NIU a 31-28 win over Toledo on Wednesday, November 13 in the Glass Bowl.  After three quarters, the Huskies led UT 28-7 before a fourth-quarter comeback by the Rockets, aided by a NIU special teams miscue, tied the score at 28 with 5:07 to play. Tre Harbison rushed for 158 yards on 32 carries with a score and quarterback Marcus Childers scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, one on a 40-yard scamper, to lead the Huskies, who converted seven-of-15 third downs in the game.

LAST WEEK: Western Michigan kicker Gavin Peddie made a 24-yard field goal with 2:23 to play and the Huskies' final drive ended with a fourth down incompletion, giving the Broncos a 30-27 win over NIU Saturday at Waldo Stadium. The seesaw affair saw seven lead changes and one tie before WMU scored the last 10 points of the game to claim victory. NIU, whose starting line-up included 11 freshmen, held the Bronco offense 20 points and 200 yards below its season average and ran 80 plays to WMU's 49. Western Michigan got a 100-yard kickoff return, a 57-yard reception and a 27-yard pick-up on a reverse from D'Wayne Eskridge to lead the Broncos.    

HOME SWEET HOME: With a 71-26 record at home since 2003, NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium stands at 178-109-2 for a .619 all-time winning percentage. During that stretch, the Huskies have had 15 winning records at home and five undefeated seasons in DeKalb (2003, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013). The Huskies went 3-2 at home in 2019.

AT HOME IN THE MAC: In 35 seasons of MAC play dating back to 1975, NIU is 87-46-1 (.653) all-time at home, including a 65-27 (.706) mark in Huskie Stadium games versus league opponents since rejoining the league in 1997.  In 45 home games since 2009, the Huskies are 37-8 in MAC home games with four of those losses in the last two seasons.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU is 156-109-2 all-time in Mid-American Conference play. The Huskies are 120-64 (.652) in league action since re-joining the MAC in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 65-19 against the MAC with three undefeated campaigns , two one-loss seasons, six-straight division championships and seven overall during that stretch. The Huskies are in their 35th season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2020-21, including an initial stint in the league from 1975-85. 

NIU VS. MAC WEST: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 74-47 versus teams from the MAC West, including a 37-16 mark in the division since 2010. The Huskies went 2-3 against divisional foes last season with losses to Central Michigan, Ball State and Eastern Michigan, and wins over Toledo and Western Michigan.

LEADER OF THE MAC: NIU has been the winningest team in the Mid-American Conference since 2010 with 91 wins for a .655 winning percentage. The Huskies made seven trips to the conference championship game in the last 10 years (2010-19) and won four MAC titles (2011, 2012, 2014, 2018). Add eight bowl games, and the Huskies have played 139 games since 2010, five more than the next highest MAC team (Bowling Green with 134).

MAC W-L Records Since 2010                        

Team                                            W              L
NIU                                               91            48
Toledo                                         87            45
Ohio                                             82            51
Western Michigan                       71            60
Bowling Green                             58            76
Central Michigan                         59            72
Buffalo                                         57            70
Ball State                                     55            70
Miami                                          50            78
Kent State                                    46            79
Eastern Michigan                         40            87
Akron                                           37            90

FROM PLAYER TO COACH: A four-year letterwinner at tailback who earned first team Academic All-American honors from CoSIDA in 2000 and 2001, Thomas Hammock gained 2,423 yards rushing in 32 games in his NIU career, which still ranks 13th all-time in Huskie history. He was a first team All-MAC selection in 2000 and 2001 after back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. Hammock's playing career was cut short after the first game of his senior season when he was diagnosed with a heart condition. He was replaced in the line-up by a familiar name, future NFL All-Pro Michael Turner.

CARDINAL & BLACK, AND GREEN: The numbers are in and the Huskies are officially one of the youngest teams in the nation. With 81 freshmen and sophomores (underclassmen) on the 111-man roster, NIU (73.0) ranks behind only Oregon (73.6) in percentage of the 2020 roster who are underclassmen. The Huskies total of 60 freshmen (true and redshirt) is tied for fourth-most in the country behind Nebraska (78), SMU (66) and Bowling Green (64). The 10 youngest and MAC teams on the list:

STARTING YOUNG: After starting nine freshmen, including seven first-year rookies, at Ball State, the Huskies went even younger last week in Kalamazoo with 11 freshmen - nine true -  in the NIU starting line-up, with three players making their starting debuts. The Huskies started seven freshmen on defense, including six true freshmen, and had four freshmen starters on offense. Offensive guard John Champe made his starting debut at WMU, joining classmates Harrison Waylee (TB, True) and Trayvon Rudolph (WR, True) while Logan Zschernitz (OG, RS) completed the freshmen quartet on offense. Defensively, C.J. Brown (S, true) and Eddie Jackson (LB, true) made their first career starts, alongside redshirt freshman Demond Taylor Jr.  (DT, RS) and true freshmen Daveren Rayner (OLB), Raishein Thomas (DE), Pierce Oppong (DE), Devin Lafayette (S).

NEW NAMES: Not all of the newest Huskies are freshmen. In total, there are  57 new names on the 2020 NIU roster, including freshmen and transfers. The newcomers outnumber the returnees 57-54 with 34 returning letterwinners. Of the 57 new faces, 46 are true freshmen, four come to NIU from the junior college ranks, three are grad transfers, one is an undergrad transfer from a four-year school and two are non-freshmen walk-ons.

QUICK HITS: NIU's 26 first downs in the Buffalo game were the most by the Huskies since the 2018 Akron game, a span of 17 games ... opponents have scored 31 points off NIU turnovers in 2020 ... the Huskies' third-quarter touchdown at Western Michigan was NIU's first score in the third quarter this year ... quarterback Ross Bowers' 27 completions at Ball State tied for eighth on the NIU single game chart and were the most by a Huskie QB since October 10, 2015 ... Bowers surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in passing for his NIU career.

 HOLDING THEM DOWN:  The NIU defense put together its best performance of the season at Western Michigan against one of the MAC's top offenses.  The Broncos' points (30), rushing yards (115) and attempts (25), total offensive plays (49) and yards (325) were all season lows by a Huskie opponent. In addition, WMU's totals for the game were well below their season averages coming into the game.   

RUN RUN RUDOLPH: Freshman wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph, a preferred walk-on who was awarded a scholarship this fall, has returned more kickoffs (17) for more yards (450) than any freshman in the country. Rudolph recorded a season-long 56-yard return at Western Michigan, the longest kickoff return by a Huskie since Aregeros Turner scored on a 97-yard kickoff return versus Buffalo in 2016 (Oct. 22). His average of 26.3 yards per return is 17th in the country, and he leads the MAC and ranks 12th nationally in combined kick returns. His 151 KOR yards on five returns versus Buffalo surpassed the total kickoff return yards collected by the Huskie team in 2019 (141 on 12 returns).

ALL-PURPOSE: Trayvon Rudolph's average of 158.0 all-purpose yards per game leads all FBS freshman and ranks 13th nationally. In addition to his 458 return yards, Rudolph has caught 10 passes for 174 yards to rank second on the team in receiving yards. He caught a career high five passes for 95 yards at Ball State including a season-long 47-yard grab. His yards per catch average (17.4) leads the Huskies.

COMPLEMENTARY FOOTBALL: The Huskie offense helped out the defense at Western Michigan in several ways evident in the stats.  For the first time since the 2019 game at Toledo, NIU did not commit a turnover.  NIU also totaled exactly 40:00 in time of possession, the most by a Huskie team since a 28-20 victory at Purdue on Sept. 19, 2009, a span of 148 games. 

THE GANDY MAN CAN: Cornerback Jordan Gandy tied a 17-year-old school record with five pass break ups at Western Michigan and his 2.0 passes defended per game (includes PBUs + INTs) are tied for first nationally. Gandy, a DeKalb native who transferred to NIU from South Dakota State, is the first Huskie to break up five passes in a game since Randee Drew versus Tennessee Tech on Sept. 6, 2003. The record was originally set by Vince Thompson versus Ball State on October 5, 2002. Gandy also ranks second on the NIU team with 25 tackles.

RICHIE ROLLS: For the second consecutive week, senior wide receiver Tyrice Richie earned career highs in receptions and receiving yards with 12 catches for 131 yards at Western Michigan, just one game after grabbing 11 passes for 108 yards at Ball State.  Richie is the first Huskie to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since current Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay followed up a five catch, 113-yard performance versus Western Illinois with 13 catches for 184 yards against Ball State on September 24 and October 1, 2016. Richie's three 100-yard games in 2020 are the most by a Huskie in a season since Golladay recorded four 100-yard games in 2016.

RANKED RECEIVER: With 39 catches in the Huskies' four games, Tyrice Richie ranks second nationally in catches per game with 9.8, behind only Ole Miss' Elijah Moore. Richie has surpassed his 2019 season total of 32 catches (in 11 games). The Chicago senior also ranks 19th nationally in receiving yards with 415 – matching his 2019 total - for an average of 103.8 yards per game.  His 415 yards are 241 more than his nearest teammates' total and account for 44 percent of NIU's receiving yards. 

ADD ANOTHER RECORD: Senior punter Matt Ference is three punts away from adding the NIU career record for most punts to his already impressive list of Huskie punting marks. He set  the NIU career mark for punting yards at Ball State, breaking the mark of 10,312 yards held since 1984 by Todd Van Keppel. He has punted 255 times over the last four seasons, two behind Kent Baker's 257 punts from 1996-99. Ference's  41.36 yard punting average ranks first on the Huskie career charts, and he already holds the single season marks for punts and punting yards.  

10K MAN: With 10,546 yards on 255 punts, Matt Ference's career totals rank second in the nation among active punters behind Northwestern's Derek Adams. His 41.4-yard average is 39th among active players.  

TWO-POINT PLAYS: NIU is 2-for-4 on 2-point conversion attempts in 2020, the most successful 2-point attempts for the Huskies in a season since 2009, when NIU was also 2-for-4. Tight end Daniel Crawford caught a pass from Ross Bowers to score the two points on the Huskies' last touchdown at Ball State and NIU went 1-of-3 on 2-point tries versus Buffalo with Rondarius Gregory rushing for the points. The Huskies' four 2-point attempts is the most since 2018, when NIU was successful once in five tries. The Huskies did not convert a two-point PAT try between 2012-17, going 0-for-6 during that stretch. 

DEFENSE AND DOWNS: NIU allowed Western Michigan to convert just one of nine third downs last week. Through four games, NIU's third down conversion defense of 29.3 percent (12-of-41) ranks eighth nationally and is second to Toledo's 29.1 percent in the MAC. Buffalo was 3-of-9 on third down conversions and CMU converted just 1-of-11 third down tries. NIU is also 13th nationally in fewest first downs allowed with 68.  

IN THE RED: The Huskies rank eighth in the FBS in red zone defense with five complete stops on opponents 16 trips inside the NIU 20 and have twice forced field goals. NIU recorded a pair of fourth down stops inside the red zone versus CMU, Dillon Thomas had an end zone interception at Ball State, while Western Michigan missed a short field goal. Conversely, the Huskies are one of eight teams tied for the national lead in red zone offense with scores on all 11 of its trips inside the opponents' 20 on 10 touchdowns and a field goal.  

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Of the 70 players who have seen action in at least one of NIU's four games to date, 20 are true freshmen, 11 are redshirt freshmen and 14 are sophomores (redshirt or true) for a total of 45. In addition, five junior or senior newcomers in their first season at NIU, including two quarterbacks, have played for the Huskies' in 2020.   

WALK-ON U: Jordan Gandy became the third walk-on to be awarded a scholarship for this season this week, joining defensive lineman Devonte O'Malley (Nov. 22) and wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph. Of the 111 players on the Huskies 2020 roster, 42 are currently or began their careers at NIU as walk-ons. The list includes senior punter Matt Ference, starters Nick Rattin (LB), Brett Bostad (FB) and more. NIU has a long tradition of successful walk-ons, like 2010 MAC MVP Chad Spann and eight-year NFL veteran Rashaan Melvin.  

COAST TO COAST: Thomas Hammock and his staff have put together one of the most geographically diverse rosters NIU has seen in several years with Huskie players hailing from 16 different states and two different countries. Huskie hometowns stretch - literally - from coast to coast with Washington (Ross Bowers), Oregon (Connor Neville) and California (Rodney Thompson) representing the West Coast. There are four Huskies from Hammock's native New Jersey, seven from Florida and  two each from Texas and Georgia. Junior college transfer Woodly Appolon hails from Montreal, Canada. Of course the largest representation call the Midwest home, topped by 52 Illinoisans and 16 Wisconsinites. The Huskie roster state-by-state:
 

Illinois 52; Wisconsin 16; Michigan 8; Florida 7; Indiana 4; New Jersey 4; Iowa 4; Minnesota 3; Missouri 3; Georgia 2; Texas 2; California 1; Oregon 1; Nebraska 1; Tennessee 1; Washington 1; Montreal, Canada  1