NIU Back Home Saturday versus Bowling Green

Huskies and Falcons meet for first time since 2017

Football October 12

NIU Back Home Saturday versus Bowling Green

Huskies and Falcons meet for first time since 2017

HUSKIE BITES

NIU brings its first three-game winning streak since 2018 into Saturday's home game versus Bowling Green after a 22-20 win over Toledo last Saturday in the Glass Bowl.
The Huskies' John Richardson made a 29-yard field goal, his school-record tying fifth of the game, with 26 seconds on the clock to give NIU the win Saturday; NIU has won five of its last six games at the Glass Bowl.
The Huskies' 4-2 record through six games is NIU's best start to a season in four years, since the 2017 Huskies won six of their first eight games.
Four of the Huskies' six games to date have been decided by a touchdown or less; NIU won both the Georgia Tech and Toledo games by scoring in the last 40 seconds.
Three of the last five meetings between NIU and Bowling Green took place at Ford Field in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 MAC Championship games, while NIU has won each of the last two games in the series in 2016 and 2017. Overall, the Falcons own a 12-10 edge all-time.
NIU kicker John Richardson was named the MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week following the Toledo game, the seventh time a Huskie has been honored this season. A sophomore, Richardson already ranks in the Huskies' top 10 all-time in field goals (32) and points scored (156).
With a per game average of 224.5 yards per game, NIU is ranked 17th in the country in rushing offense; the Huskies have run for 242 yards on 55 carries in each of the last two games. Last time NIU saw numbers comparable to its 1,347 rushing yards and 5.0 per carry average through six games was 2016.
The Huskies will honor its 2011 MAC Championship team during Saturday's game on the 10th anniversary of that team's historic run which began a stretch of three MAC titles in four seasons for NIU. Approximately 20 players from that team are expected back on campus during the weekend.
NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American who rushed for over 1,000 yards to lead the Huskies in both 2000 and 2001, is in his third season as head coach at his alma mater. Hammock and his staff have completely refreshed the Huskies roster with 85 first, second or third year players.

NIU FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 8-15/1
Career Record/Years: Same
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-3
First Year of Football: 1899
2020 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 0-6/0-6/6th
All-Time Record: 596-509-51
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
Experience Returning/Lost: 46/16
Starters Returning: 22 (9 offense, 10 defense, 3 specialists)
Starters Lost: 5 (4 offense, 1 defense, 0 specialists)

BOWLING GREEN FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Scot Loeffler (Michigan/1998)
Record at Bowling Green/Years: 5-18/Third
Career Record/Years: 5-18/Third
2020 Record: 0-5
Mid-American Conference Record/Finish: 0-5/Sixth
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio
Enrollment: 20,232
Conference: Mid-American, East Division
Colors: Orange and Brown
Stadium: Doyt Perry Stadium
Surface/Capacity: Shaw Sport Turf /24,000
President: Dr. Rodney Rogers
Athletic Director: Bob Moosbrugger
Athletics Website: bgsufalcons.com
Twitter: @BG_Football

Bowling Green Schedule & Results

NIU-BOWLING GREEN SERIES
Overall: BGSU leads 12-10
In DeKalb: NIU leads 6-3
In Bowling Green: BGSU leads 7-3
In MAC Championship Games: BGSU leads 2-1
In MAC Games: Tied 7-7
Streak: NIU, 2
First Meeting: Nov. 18, 1967 - BGSU 17, NIU 7 (A)
Last Meeting: Oct. 21, 2017 - NIU 48, BGSU 17 (A)

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-BOWLING GREEN ON ESPN+

The NIU-Bowling Green 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 $6.99/month or $69.99/year and can be used on up to five streaming devices simultaneously.
Jason Ross (play-by-play) and Stan Routt (analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Bowling Green game begins at 2 pm (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 Huskie All Access, and on mobile devices via the FREE NIU Huskies Mobile app or The Varsity Network app.
Bill Baker is in his 42nd season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo has joined him for 36 seasons, while Andy Garcia is in his ninth 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 El Jimador Mexican Grill in DeKalb (260 E. Lincoln Hwy).
Listen live on the NIU Huskies mobile app and on The Varsity Network app, and hear the show Monday at 7 p.m. on WLBK AM 1360/FM 98.9 in DeKalb.
Host Bill Baker welcomes NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock each week, along with Huskie players and special guests.

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

The show features weekly interviews with the NIU football staff, including head coach Thomas Hammock, his assistants and staff, as well as NIU coaches of other sports and guests.
Watch new episodes on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel on Thursday nights.
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.
Archived videos and highlights, replays of some of the greatest games in school history and special features are also available 24/7 on YouTube.

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, digital game programs and more.
Connect to the NIU social media channels and sign up for notifications on any Huskie team.

NOTING NIU
BACK HOME AGAIN: After picking up its third straight win last Saturday at Toledo, NIU closes out a stretch of three home games in four weeks when the Huskies play host to MAC East foe Bowling Green at Huskie Stadium.

WELCOME BACK: NIU will honor members of its 2011 MAC Championship team during Saturday's game. Approximately 20 players are expected to return, including quarterback Chandler Harnish, linebacker Pat Schiller, center Scott Wedige and nose guard Nabal Jefferson, among others. The 2011 squad - coached by Dave Doeren - was the first NIU team to win the MAC title in 28 seasons (since 1983) and began a string of three MAC Championships in four seasons.

THREE IN A ROW: NIU's current three-game winning streak is its longest since the 2018 team won six straight games between Sept. 29 and Nov. 7 en route to a spot in the MAC Championship game. That streak included five league wins and a 7-6 victory at BYU.

SOLID START: The Huskies' 4-2 record through six games is NIU's best start to a season in four years, since the 2017 Huskies won six of their first eight games. In 2019, NIU went 1-4 to open the season and the Huskies were 2-3 through five games in 2018.

FULL SLATE: After playing a six-game, all Mid-American Conference schedule in November and December last year, NIU and the rest of the MAC have returned to a full 12-game slate in 2021. The Huskies faced their five MAC West foes and played one crossover game versus the East Division in 2020.

NON-CON SPLIT: NIU went 2-2 in its four-game non-conference slate with wins over Georgia Tech (22-21) and Maine (41-14) sandwiching losses to Wyoming (50-43) and Michigan (63-10). NIU earned two non-conference wins for the first time since 2017, when the Huskies defeated Eastern Illinois and Nebraska.

LAST WEEK: John Richardson kicked a 29-yard field goal, his fifth of the game, with 26 seconds to play to give NIU a 22-20 win over Toledo at the Glass Bowl. Richardson made field goals of 43, 26, 43, 47 and 29 yards on the day. His game-winner came after a nine-play 60-yard drive highlighted by Tyrice Richie's 34-yard reception that put NIU on the Toledo seven yard line. Antario Brown ran for 93 yards on 24 carries with a 37-yard touchdown and quarterback Rocky Lombardi carried the ball 12 times for 90 yards and led the Huskies to scoring drives in the final minutes of the first half and of the game. NIU won in the Glass Bowl for the fifth time in their last six visits.

SERIES HISTORY: Bowling Green owns a 12-10 advantage over NIU in the all-time series, although the schools have not played since 2017. NIU and BG met every year from 2013-2017, and played for the MAC Championship at Ford Field in Detroit in 2013, 2014 and 2015. NIU has won three of the last four games in the series, including the 2014 MAC title game and the last two regular season meetings. The Huskies own a 6-3 edge in games played in DeKalb and have not lost to the Falcons at home since 1998.

CHAMPIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP: NIU and Bowling Green played in three consecutive MAC Championship games from 2013-15. Bowling Green won the 2013 MAC Championship game, 47-27, while NIU won the rematch, 51-17, in 2014. The Falcons won the 2015 conference championship game, 34-14, at Ford Field.

BEASTS OF THE EAST?: NIU has won 25 of its last 29 regular season games versus MAC East Division opponents and is 29-5 versus MAC East teams since 2008. Buffalo joined Miami and Ohio as the only MAC East foes to defeat the Huskies in regular season games with its 49-30 win over NIU last year in the only "crossover" game played during the shortened COVID-19 season. The Huskies are 4-3 versus the MAC East in conference title games since 2010, defeating Ohio (2011), Kent State (2012), Bowling Green (2014) and Buffalo (2018), while falling to Miami (2010) and Bowling Green (2013 & 2015).

NIU vs. the MAC East (regular season since 2008)
Buffalo   6-1
Bowling Green   4-0
Kent State   6-0
Miami   4-2
Akron   5-0
Ohio   3-2

LAST TIME: NIU took advantage of five Bowling Green turnovers and quarterback Marcus Childers accounted for 312 yards of total offense as the Huskies defeated Bowling Green 48-17 on October 21, 2017 at Doyt Perry Stadium. Childers completed 21-of-33 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 73 yards on 19 carries. Chad Beebe caught six passes for 124 yards, and hauled in a 73-yard touchdown pass. NIU led 31-7 after the first half and Sutton Smith extended the lead to 38-7 with a strip, steal and score early in the third quarter.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU is 158-111-2 all-time in Mid-American Conference play. The Huskies are 122-66 (.649) in league action since re-joining the MAC in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 67-21 (.761) against the MAC with three undefeated campaigns, two one-loss seasons, seven division championships, including a run of six-straight. The Huskies are in their 36th season as a member of the league in 2021, including an initial stint from 1975-85.

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: Since 2010, NIU is the winningest of the three FBS program in Illinois with a .642 winning percentage and a 95-53 record. Northwestern comes in with a 80-62 record for a .563 win percentage over the last 11 seasons, while Illinois is 49-89 (.355). The Huskies defeated Northwestern in the most recent meeting in 2014, and dropped a 28-22 decision to Illinois in 2010 the last time those teams met. NIU has played in eight bowl games and a record seven MAC Championship games during the same time span.

STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP: After gaining 101 yards on 16 carries - all in the second half - in his collegiate debut versus Eastern Michigan on Oct. 2, heralded freshman tailback Antario Brown made his first start at Toledo and responded with 93 yards on 24 carries. Brown scored his first touchdown on a 37-yard run with 36 seconds to play in the first half to give the Huskies a 16-14 halftime lead. Brown became the first member of the 2021 freshman class to start a game for the Huskies this year.

DEBUTS: While Brown is the only true freshman to start a game for NIU this year, nine of his 2021 classmates have seen action in at least one game. Aside from Brown, cornerback JaVaughn Byrd and defensive tackle Cade Haberman have seen the most action as members of the defensive rotation. At Toledo, running back Mason Blakemore and fullback Brock Lampe saw their first game action.

NOT QUITE FRESHMEN: With cornerback Myles McGee making his first NIU start last week at Toledo, 11 second-year or "COVID" freshmen have started games for the Huskies this year, including nine defensive players, tailback Harrison Waylee and receiver Trayvon Rudolph. With McGee's addition, the Huskies' current starting line-up on defense includes five members of the 2020 freshman class with safeties C.J. Brown and Jordan Hansen and defensive end Ray Thomas each starting at least five games while Devonte O'Malley has split starts at defensive end.

LONG TERM COMMITMENT: Thomas Hammock's commitment to running the football may start with his background as a running back at NIU - he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in both 2000 and 2001 - but it has been nourished along his coaching journey. At Wisconsin (2011-13), his running backs included Montee Ball, James White and Melvin Gordon, while he coached NIU Hall of Famer Garrett Wolfe during his stint as an assistant at NIU (2005-06) under Joe Novak. Working under John Harbaugh as running backs coach with the Baltimore Ravens (2014-18), Justin Forsett, Kyle Juszczyk and Alex Collins were just three of the backs Hammock helped flourish.

RUNNIN' WITH THE PACK: It has been five years since the Huskies have run the ball as well as they have so far in 2021. The last time NIU's total rushing yards, yards per carry and yards per game approached the level of this year's team was in 2016. NIU's 13 rushing touchdowns through five games have not been matched since 2012.

	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Games	6	6	6	6	6	6
Record	4-2	0-6	2-4	3-3	4-2	1-5
Carries	271	221	185	252	264	246
Rushing Yards	1,347	762	655	866	1,003	1,352
Yards/Carry	5.0	3.4	3.5	3.4	3.9	5.5
Yards/Game	224.5	127.0	109.2	144.3	167.2	225.3
Rushing TDs	13	7	7	5	5	9
100-Yard Games	5	0	2	3	2	4

STATISTICAL ANOMALY: In its last two games, NIU has posted matching rushing totals with 55 rushes for 242 net yards versus both Eastern Michigan and Toledo. The Huskies averaged 4.4 yards per carry with five different players gaining at least 49 yards on the ground in one (or both) of those games. NIU ran for a season-high 292 yards on 45 carries versus Maine and scored five rushing touchdowns versus Wyoming. NIU's season average of 224.3 rushing yards per game ranks 17th in the FBS and second in the MAC.

TOPPING THE CHARTS: Despite missing the second half of the EMU game and last week's contest at Toledo, Harrison Waylee still leads the Mid-American Conference in rushing yards per game (114.8). The 2020 freshman has three 100-yard rushing games this year. He ranks eighth in the nation in yards per game and 19th in total yards.

1K IN 11: In 11 career games, second-year freshman tailback Harrison Waylee has joined the list of Huskie running backs to tally 1,000 career rushing yards as he surpassed the mark versus Eastern Michigan. Waylee is the 43rd NIU player all-time to reach the milestone; his career totals stand at 1,030 yards on 208 carries and he has averaged 93.6 yards per game in his young career. Over his last seven games - starting with the 2020 Toledo game - he averaged 115.7 yards per game and 5.7 yards/carry with five 100-plus yard games.

THEY'VE GOT LEGS: With 101 rushing yards versus Eastern Michigan, Antario Brown became the third NIU player to gain 100 yards rushing in a game this season. Harrison Waylee has three 100-yard games (Georgia Tech, Wyoming, Maine) and quarterback Rocky Lombardi carried 10 times for 119 yards versus Maine. Lombardi and Waylee became the first NIU duo to run for at least 100 yards in the same game since Nov. 7, 2018 when Tre Harbison (139) and Marcus Jones (103) each went over the 100-yard mark versus Toledo.

SUPER SENIOR: With 30 catches for 321 yards in 2021, senior Tyrice Richie has been Rocky Lombardi's favorite target as he has accounted for 38 percent of NIU's catches and 34 percent of the Huskies' receiving yardage. Richie set up John Richardson's game-winning field goal at Toledo with a 34-yard catch down the left sideline, one of his season-high eight catches for 98 yards in the game. One of his biggest catches of the season doesn't even show up in the stats as he made a diving grab of a two-point conversion pass with 38 seconds to play to give NIU the upset victory at Georgia Tech. He has caught at least one pass in every game of his Huskie career, a streak of 23 consecutive games and his 1,333 career receiving yards on 115 catches ranks 23rd all-time at NIU.

GETTING HIS KICKS: Sophomore kicker John Richardson tied the NIU school record by making five field goals Saturday at Toledo, including the 29-yard game-winner with 26 seconds to play. Richardson hit from 43, 26, 43, 47 and 29 yards and, including the PAT after NIU's lone touchdown, scored 16 of the Huskies' 22 points. Richardson earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors with his performance. The last NIU kicker to score 16 or more points in a game was Mathew Sims who had 16 points versus Kent State on October 8, 2011.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: In just 24 games as NIU's full-time kicker, John Richardson is already climbing the NIU career kicking charts. His 32 field goals made and 156 points scored rank eighth at NIU all-time while his 39 field goal attempts are 10th. He is 32-of-39 all-time on field goals for an .820 percentage which ranks first.

RED ZONE O: Despite having its perfect mark in Red Zone Offense spoiled at Toledo when Clint Ratkovich's touchdown run was reversed after review and John Richardson's 23-yard attempt went awry after a poor snap on the same drive, NIU continues to rank among the national leaders in red zone offense with a .952 (20-of-21) success rate. The Huskies have scored 12 touchdowns and made eight field goals in 21 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line in 2021.

KEEPING IT CLOSE: In NIU's four wins, Huskie opponents have scored just 18.75 points per game with both Eastern Michigan and Toledo held to 20 points in the last two weeks, and Maine scoring 14 the week prior, while Georgia Tech scored 21 points in the season opener. NIU has averaged 28 points per game in its four wins, winning both the Georgia Tech and Toledo games with 22 points and the Eastern Michigan game by a 27-20 margin.

TWO-MINUTE OFFENSE: NIU has executed a pair of game-winning "two-minute" drives this season as the Huskies scored a touchdown and a two-point PAT with 38 seconds to play to defeat Georgia Tech, 22-21, and beat Toledo, 22-20 with a John Richardson 29-yard field goal. Versus Georgia Tech, NIU drove 80 yards in nine plays and 2:04 for the score, while the Toledo game-winning drive went 60 yards in nine plays and 3:02. The Huskies also had a successful drive for a touchdown in the last minute of the first half at Toledo.

SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION: After playing cornerback and safety in his first four seasons with the Huskies, redshirt junior Dillon Thomas moved to the hybrid "rover" position in 2021. From that spot, he collected two sacks, a pass break up and seven tackles, including six solo stops, versus Eastern Michigan, to earn MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors. Thomas tipped the pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Jaden Dolphin, and his sacks twice helped end EMU drives, including one in the fourth quarter. Thomas leads the Huskies in sacks (3.0) and in tackles for loss (4.5).

IN THE TRENCHES: The Huskie defense held Eastern Michigan to 20 points (nearly 16 below their average entering the game) while allowing the Eagles just 38 rushing yards on 24 carries. EMU finished the first half with minus 15 rushing yards as NIU had a season-high five sacks, the most since a six-sack game versus Western Michigan on Nov. 20, 2018. NIU followed that by allowing Toledo just 135 rushing yards, 71 of which came on two plays. Two of the Rockets' touchdowns came on plays of 40 and 75 yards.

LANCE WITH A LOT (OF TACKLES): After playing in just one game over the last two seasons due to injury, super senior linebacker Lance Deveaux Jr. has made 37 tackles and four tackles for loss in 2021. Deveaux made a career high 13 tackles at Georgia Tech to earn his first MAC Player of the Week honor. The Florida native has made 143 tackles, 94 solo, in 39 career games.

NUMBER OF THE DAY: Antario Brown wasn't the only number 26 to have a big day for the Huskies versus Eastern Michigan as his defensive counterpart, number 26 Jaden Dolphin, picked off a tipped pass and returned it 59 yards for a score to give NIU a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter. Dolphin's INT was the Huskies' first of 2021, while the touchdown off of the return was the first for NIU since Nick Rattin scored on a 31-yard interception return versus Akron on Oct. 26, 2019.

POSITIVITY: Behind a sturdy offensive line led by 31-game starter and super senior Brayden Patton at center, the Huskies rank seventh in the country in fewest sacks allowed and 16th nationally in fewest tackles for loss allowed. NIU opponents have just three sacks in the first five games. Patton is flanked by a pair of redshirt freshmen guards in Logan Zschernitz and J.J. Lippe, and sophomore tackles Marques Cox and Nolan Potter.

BEST DAY: Quarterback Rocky Lombardi became the first Huskie to accumulate 400 yards of total offense in a game in 56 games, since October 1, 2016, with 401 yards (282 passing/119 rushing) versus Maine to earn MAC West Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. Lombardi's day included the first rushing TDs of his collegiate career - of 7, 64 and 18 yards - and a season-long completion of 66 yards on his top passing day as a Huskie.

HE'S NO ROOKIE: Quarterback Rocky Lombardi came to NIU as a well-seasoned veteran with nine starts in 22 games in three seasons at Michigan State. The Iowa native, whose grandfather Bob was a hall of fame coach in the Illinois high school ranks, completed 159-of-332 passes for 1,902 yards with 11 TDs and 14 interceptions from 2018-20 at MSU and was a 1,000-yard passer in 2020. His father, Tony, was a long-time college and high school football coach, while his younger brother, Beau, is a sophomore offensive lineman at Army West Point.

ULTRA-BACK?: Senior grad transfer running back Clint Ratkovich leads NIU in scoring with six touchdowns (two receiving, four rushing), ranks fourth on the team in rushing (190 yards), catches (7) and all-purpose yards (272) AND has made two tackles on special teams. The strongest player on the team, he scored three rushing TDs versus Wyoming and is the Huskies' top blocking back.

ALL THE RECORDS: Fifth-year punter Matt Ference already holds nearly every NIU punting record and after five games, he has Andy Dittbenner's 2007 mark for single season punting average (43.5) in his sights. Ference has punted 26 times for a 44.2-yard average. He punted seven times for a 48.3-yard average at Michigan and his 65-yard punt versus Maine was his longest since 2017. Ference picked up his fifth career MAC Player of the Week honor earlier this season after twice pinning Georgia Tech inside its 10-yard line.

SUCCESS STORY: Wide receiver Tyrice Richie was named as a semifinalist for the William Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the top football Scholar-Athlete in the country. Richie, who went to junior college out of Homewood-Flossmoor High school to get his academics in order, has compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.24 in sport management and is set to graduate from NIU in December.

SENIOR WITH CLASS: NIU punter Matt Ference was named one of 30 candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS award for football. The award honors seniors who have excelled in the areas of community, classroom, character and competition. Ference is the first Huskie to make the exclusive candidate list - with just 30 players annually selected - since Jordan Lynch in 2013 and is the sixth NIU player to earn the honor all-time. The St. Louis native has already earned his B.S. in marketing and MBA from NIU and is pursuing a second master's in finance.

HUSKIE PRIDE: As a two-time Academic All-American, Thomas Hammock's emphasis on academic success and graduation is real, and he has the numbers to prove it. Over the last three semesters, Hammock's Huskies have posted the best cumulative team GPAs in school history, compiling a school record 3.08 GPA for the spring 2021 semester.

GRADS: The NIU roster includes 14 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees - either at NIU or from another institution, and one with two degrees as punter Matt Ference is currently pursuing his second master's degree. Transfers Braxton Chapman, Miles Joiner, Rocky Lombardi, Luke Mallette and Clint Ratkovich all came to NIU with degrees from their previous institutions. Erik Abrell, Erin Collins, Lance Deveaux Jr., Michael Kennedy, Brayden Patton, Kyle Pugh, Dillon Thomas and Cole Tucker are Huskie alumni.

QUICK HITS: The Huskies' five rushing TDs versus Wyoming were the most by NIU in a game since Nov. 1, 2016 versus Bowling Green... NIU's sweep of the MAC West Player of the Week awards following the Georgia Tech game was the first for the Huskies since Sept. 24, 2004 when Garrett Wolfe (offense), Javan Lee (defense) and Chris Nendick (special teams) were winners after a 34-17 victory over Bowling Green... The Huskie defense has been tough on fourth down in 2021 as opponents have been successful on just three-of-10 fourth down tries this season... Wide receiver Cole Tucker became the 37th player in school history to record 1,000 receiving yards when he caught four passes for 114 yards versus Maine. Tucker has 1,029 career receivng yards on 81 catches to rank 35th all-time at NIU.

BIG WIN: The Huskies stunned Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Sept. 4 when Tyrice Richie's diving catch of Rocky Lombardi's two-point conversion pass with 38 seconds left gave NIU a 22-21 "Boneyard" win. Boneyard Wins are designated as wins over prominent and/or "Power 5" opponents. Harrison Waylee ran for 144 yards on 27 carries and Lombardi completed touchdown passes to Miles Joiner and Clint Ratkovich. Lance Deveaux Jr. led the defense with 12 tackles as NIU made two fourth down stops and forced three punts to go along with three Georgia Tech missed field goals. The Boneyard tradition began in 1983 with a win over Kansas. NIU has collected nine Boneyard Wins in the last 12 years and 17 all-time.

LEAD DOGS: Six players were elected team captains for 2021, including newcomers Rocky Lombardi (QB) and Clint Ratkovich (RB). Super seniors Lance Deveaux Jr. (LB) and Brayden Patton (C) and third-year players Nick Rattin (LB) and James Ester (DT) round out the group. This is the first year that NIU has selected captains prior to the season under Hammock.

WALK-ON U: Of the 85 scholarship players currently on the roster, 15 started at NIU as walk-ons. The list includes senior punter Matt Ference, and starters Nick Rattin, Devonte O'Malley, Trayvon Rudolph and Jordan Gandy. During 2021 preseason camp, offensive lineman Matthew Schooley and tailback Mason Blakemore were put on scholarship. They join a long and distinguished list of NIU players who arrived as walk-ons, including 2010 MAC MVP Chad Spann and NFL veteran Rashaan Melvin.

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