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  HUSKIE BOWL BITES  

• The Mid-American Conference Champion NIU Huskies take on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl in Orlando in the first meeting between the teams.
• NIU will play in its 14th bowl game as a Division I FBS program and in its 19th bowl all-time. This year's game marks the Huskies' 11th bowl game in the last 14 seasons.  
• The 2021 Huskies won a nation-leading seven games by one score or less, including four victories by two points or less and another in overtime. 
• After going 0-6 a year ago, NIU's turnaround has come with the second-youngest roster in the FBS as the Huskies featured 75 players who finished high school in 2020 or 2021 and 11 more who graduated in 2019; of those 86 players, 53 have seen action for NIU in 2021 and 33 are listed on the two-deep. 
• NIU claimed its sixth MAC Championship all-time with a 41-23 win over Kent State in the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game at Detroit's Ford Field on December 4.
• NIU is the first team in FBS history to win its conference championship game one season after goinig winless.
• MAC Freshman of the Year Jay Ducker rushed for 146 yards on 29 carries in the MAC Championship Game to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He needs six yards to break the Huskies' 44-year old freshman rushing record.  
• Huskies' head coach Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American who rushed for over 1,000 yards for the Huskies in 2000 and 2001, was named the MAC Coach of the Year and is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year honor after engineering one of the biggest turnarounds in college football this year.  
• NIU has scored 20 touchdowns on plays of 25 yards or longer in 2021 and has totaled 51 long plays, the most in a single season since 2016, with 19 plays of 40 yards or longer and 12 of 50 yards or more.
• The 2021 Huskies are looking to become just the second NIU team - and the first since 2011 - to win the MAC Championship Game and a bowl game in the same season.

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  NIU FOOTBALL FACTS  
Head Coach: Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 14-17/3rd
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: 601-511-51
Last Bowl Game: 2018 Cheribundi Roca Raton Bowl (UAB 37, NIU 14)
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 13
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 9, 2021
MAC Championships, Last: 6, 2021
Experience Returning/Lost: 46/16
Starters Returning: 22 (9 offense, 10 defense, 3 specialists)
Starters Lost: 5 (4 offense, 1 defense, 0 specialists)
 

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  COASTAL CAROLINA FACTS  
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year):  Jamey Chadwell (East Tennessee State/2000)
Career Record/Years: 89-52 (12th)
Record at CCU/Years: 29-19 (Fourth)
2021 Record: 10-2
2021 Sun Belt Conference Record/Finish: 6-2/Second
Location: Conway, S.C.
Enrollment: 10,475
Conference: Sun Belt
Colors: Teal, Bronze and Black
Stadium: Brooks    
        Surface/Capacity: Artificial Turf /20,000
President: Michael T. Benson (BYU, 1990)
Athletic Director: Matt Hogue (South Carolina, 1993)
Athletics Website: goccusports.com
Twitter: @coastalfootball

CCU Schedule & Results

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  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU-COASTAL CAROLINA IN THE TAILGREETER CURE BOWL ON ESPN2

• The Tailgreeter Cure Bowl game between NIU and Coastal Carolina will be broadcast on ESPN2. 
• The Huskies will make their 40th all-time appearance on ESPN2, the most of any ESPN Network, and are 26-13 in games broadcast on the network.
• The Huskies have had at least one game broadcast on ESPN2 every season since 2008 and will play on ESPN2 for the fourth time this season.   
• NIU has appeared on an ESPN or affiliated over the air network eight times this year. 
• Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Kirk Morrison (analyst) will call the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl on ESPN2 with Dawn Davenport on the sidelines.

RADIO: HUSKIES SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network broadcast for the Cure Bowl begins at 4:30 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 Huskie All Access, and on mobile devices via the free NIU Huskies mobile app or The Varsity Network app. 
• Bill Baker is wrapping up 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. 

BOWL SEASON RADIO

• The Cure Bowl is one of 18 college bowl games which will have a live national radio/audio play-by-play broadcast courtesy of Bowl Season Radio.
• The Bowl Season Radio broadcast will air on Sirius XM satellite radio and on TuneIn and potentially on additional radio stations TBD.
• Jamie Seh (play-by-play) and Landy Burdine (analyst) will call the game with sideline reporter Despina Barton.  

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

• The show features interviews with the NIU football staff, including head coach Thomas Hammock and his assistants, as well as NIU head coaches of other sports. 
• See every episode on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel. 
• 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 to find the channel.
• 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 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.

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  NOTING NIU 

LET'S GO BOWLING!: With its appearance in the 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl, the NIU football program is playing in its 11th bowl game in the last 14 seasons, and is in a bowl for the first time under Thomas Hammock. In its last bowl appearance, NIU suffered a 37-13 setback to UAB in the 2018 Boca Raton Bowl. NIU's last bowl victory came in the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl, where the Huskies defeated Arkansas State, 38-20, on January 8, 2012. NIU has dropped its last six bowl games. 

HUSKIES IN BOWLS:  NIU will play in its 14th bowl game as a Division I FBS program and in its 19th bowl all-time with this year's trip to the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl. The Huskies appeared in a MAC-record eight consecutive bowl games from 2008-15. NIU will be playing in its 11th bowl game in the last 14 seasons dating back to a 2008 Independence Bowl appearance. NIU is 4-9 (FBS) and 5-13 overall in bowl games. The Huskies' modern bowl history began at the California Bowl when the 1983 MAC Champions earned a 20-13 win over Cal State Fullerton.

BOWLING, AGAIN: NIU won its sixth game of the season and secured bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018 with its 39-38 win at Central Michigan on October 23. The MAC's winningest program this century, the Huskies are playing in a bowl game for the 13th time since 2004 - a span of 18 years. Thomas Hammock is the fifth head coach to take the Huskies to a bowl game during that time.

HAMMOCK'S BOWL HISTORY: NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, a Huskie alum, never had the opportunity to play in a bowl game during his playing days at NIU, but has coached in eight bowl games during his college coaching career, including two Rose Bowls during his time at Wisconsin and in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl as a NIU assistant. The last bowl game  Hammock coached in was also played in Orlando as he was on the Badgers' staff for the 2014 Capital One Bowl. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Cure Bowl will mark the first meeting between NIU and Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are the third first-time opponent on the Huskies' schedule this season. NIU earned wins over Georgia Tech and Maine in its first meetings with those two schools back in September.    

RECEIVING VOTE: NIU earned its first vote in the Associated Press rankings following its win over Kent State in the MAC Championship game.  The Huskies earned a single point in the latest poll, putting the Huskies 36th. It was the first mention for NIU in either the AFCA Coaches or AP regular or postseason poll since Dec. 7,  2014 when NIU had 29 and 11 points, respectively. Cure Bowl opponent Coastal Carolina received two points in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll, tied for 34th. 

PALMETTO FOES: In 119 years of college football, NIU has only played one team from the state of South Carolina before taking on Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl. The Huskies defeated FCS opponent Presbyterian 55-3 in the 2014 season opener in Huskie Stadium.  

SUN BELT OPPONENTS: All-time, NIU is 11-7 against the teams that currently make up the Sun Belt Conference with all 18 games coming versus just three of the league's teams. NIU is 7-1 in eight games versus Arkansas State, including a victory in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile. The Huskies defeated Troy in the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl in the lone meeting between those teams. NIU faced Louisiana every season from 1988-96 and went 3-6 versus the Ragin' Cajuns. NIU, Arkansas State and Louisiana were all members of the Big West Conference from 1993-96. 

HISTORIC QUEST: The 2021 Huskies are looking to become just the second NIU team to win the MAC Championship Game and a bowl game in the same season. The 2011 Huskies defeated Ohio in the league's championship game (23-20) before posting a 38-20 victory over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl (Jan. 8, 2012). The 2012 MAC champion Huskies fell to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, while both the 2014 and 2018 MAC Champs suffered losses in the Boca Raton Bowl, to Marshall and UAB, respectively. 

NO SUNSHINE: The Tailgreeter Cure Bowl game versus Coastal Carolina will mark Huskies' 12th game all-time in the state of Florida, and the first since the 2018 Boca Raton Bowl. NIU, which is 1-10 all-time in games played in Florida, are looking for their first win in the state since a 30-28 victory over Central Florida on Oct. 9, 2004. NIU is 0-3 in postseason bowl games in the Sunshine State with losses to Marshall (2014) and UAB (2018) in the 2014 Boca Raton Bowl and Florida State in the 2013 Orange Bowl. 

MAKING HISTORY: NIU is the first team in FBS history to win its conference championship game one season after going winless. The Huskies went 0-6 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with three of the losses by one score. So far, NIU has engineered a nine-win improvement, which ranks second in the FBS and is the largest one year jump in school history. NIU's previous biggest one-season improvement occurred prior to its becoming a major college program in 1969, with six game turnarounds in 1929 and 1951. The Huskies' biggest one-year jump as an FBS school came in 1983 under Bill Mallory who won 10 games in that season after a five-win campaign in 1982.  

DOMINANT IN DETROIT: Unlike during the regular season, when five games were decided in the final drive, the Huskies left no doubt in the MAC Championship game, jumping out to a 17-0 first half lead en route to a 41-23 victory over Kent State. The Huskies controlled the ball for 40 minutes, and the NIU defense, which had just one interception all season, picked off a pair of passes with C.J. Brown scoring on a 26-yard INT return to extend the lead to 24-3 in the third quarter. NIU led 38-10 before the Flashes added a pair of late scores. Rocky Lombardi ran for three TDs and freshman tailback Jay Ducker gained 146 rushing yards to lead NIU. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: With its 41-23 win over Kent State in the 2021 Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship game, NIU has more wins in the MAC Championship game with five than any other current league member. NIU has made a record nine appearances in the game, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. NIU has won six Mid-American Conference titles all-time, as the Huskies' first MAC crown came in 1983 under head coach Bill Mallory before the days of conference championship games. 

GETTING DEFENSIVE: One of the Huskies' top defensive performances of the season helped key NIU's MAC Championship game win.  A month after giving up 52 points and 681 yards to the potent Kent State offense, NIU held the Golden Flashes to 300 yards and nearly 30 points less. Through three quarters, the Huskies allowed Kent State just 14 first downs, 10 points and 225 yards - 120 rushing and 105 passing. With NIU ahead 38-10, KSU added a pair of late touchdowns, including one on the last play of the game. The Huskies had a season high four sacks and two interceptions in the game. 

JOINING THE CLUB: Thomas Hammock is the third straight, and the fourth NIU head coach all-time to lead the Huskies to a MAC Championship. Hammock (2021), Dave Doeren (2011, '12) and Rod Carey (2014, '18) are the Huskies' MAC winning coaches. Bill Mallory led NIU to its first MAC title in 1983.  

SUSTAINED SUCCESS: In 2021, NIU played in the MAC Championship game for the eighth time in the last 12 seasons. The Huskies advanced to Detroit a record six-straight times from 2010-2015, returned and won the title in 2018 and after a two-year absence, were back in 2021.   

SECOND-YOUNGEST: NIU's success has come with a roster featuring just seven seniors and the bowl roster includes 71 players who graduated from high school in 2020 or 2021, making the Huskies the second-youngest FBS team in the country. Navy leads the nation with 99 players from the classes of 2020 and '21 while NIU is next, followed by Bowling Green and Oregon. Including "redshirt" freshmen from the Class of 2019, now in their third season at NIU, the Huskies have 81 freshmen on the Cure Bowl roster. 

CONNECTIONS TO A CURE: For eight members of the Huskie Football Family, the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl's association with and support of cancer research, and especially beating breast cancer, has special meaning. Seven NIU players along with offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness have seen their mothers or grandmothers battle the disease. The group includes the mothers of Eidsness, Nolan Potter, Leif Engstrand and Michael Kennedy, and the grandmothers of Jeffery Lomax, Cole Tucker and Jeffrey Griffin, whose grandmother, Helen Jones, saw her cancer return this fall. 

FLORIDA HUSKIES: Three NIU defenders will be heading back to their home state for the Cure Bowl. The Huskies have a pair of players from Pompano Beach, Fla. in sixth year senior linebacker Lance Deveaux Jr. (St. Thomas Aquinas HS) and second year freshman safety Jashon Prophete (Blanche Ely HS), while second year freshman linebacker Eddie Jackson is from Miami (Gulliver Prep). 

HAMMOCK HONORS: NIU third-year head coach Thomas Hammock earned a pair of prestigious honors after leading the second-youngest roster in the country to a nine-win improvement and a MAC title. On Dec. 1, he was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year, becoming the fourth NIU head coach to receive the award. Following the MAC Championship victory, Hammock earned recognition as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Football Writer's Association of America. One of 13 finalists for the award, Hammock is just the fourth MAC head coach to be named a finalist, joining Toledo's Gary Pinkel (1997), NIU's Dave Doeren (2012) and Huskie alum P.J. Fleck of Western Michigan (2016).

EXTENDED: On Tuesday, November 9, NIU announced that Thomas Hammock had received a contract extension to remain as head coach at his alma mater through the 2026-27 academic year. Hammock is in his third year at the helm of the Huskies' program in 2021.
    
CARDIAC CANINES: NIU has played in a nation-leading NINE one-score games in 2021 (see chart page 7), and the Huskies' seven wins are tied with Louisiana for the most by eight points or less.  Six NIU games have been decided by six points or less this year and five have come down to the final minutes of the game.

THIS IS US: NIU has won more games decided by LESS than three points than any school in the country in 2021. In fact, with wins over Georgia Tech (1 point), Toledo (2), Central Michigan (1) and Ball State (1) by a combined five points (three one-point victories and one two-point win), the Huskies have the MOST one or two point wins by a FBS team in a season since Virginia won five games by that margin during a 9-4 campaign in 2007. Source: sports-reference.com/cfb.

NOTHING NEW: In three seasons under head coach Thomas Hammock, the Huskies have played in 18 games decided by eight points (one score) or less. In Hammock's first season of 2019, NIU played six one-score games, winning three games by three points each. Last year, three of NIU's six losses were by eight points or less. This year, NIU is 7-2 in one-score games for a three-year record of 10-8. 

CLUTCH: Including the one-play overtime possession at Buffalo, the Huskies have put together eight "late" scoring drives to either win a game or to end a half, with less than a minute on the clock this season. NIU has recorded five game-winning scores with less than a minute to play - at Georgia Tech, at Toledo, at Central Michigan, versus Ball State and at Buffalo, the latter in overtime. In three of those games – at Toledo and CMU and versus Ball State – NIU also scored with less than a minute remaining in the half. The drives ranged in length from 60 to 80 yards and lasted from 32 seconds to five minutes. The complete list: 
 

Opponent	Quarter	Time	Scoring Play	Drive (Pl-Yds-TOP)
GT	4th	00:38	Ratkovich 3 pass from Lombardi (2 Pt PAT)	9-80-2:04
TOL	2nd	00:36	A. Brown 37 run (PAT)	6-75-1:49
TOL	4th	00:26	Richardson 29 FG	9-60-3:02
CMU	2nd	00:33	Rudolph 15 pass from Lombardi (PAT)	12-79-4:20
CMU	4th	00:54	Woodill 26 FG	12-62-5:02
BSU	2nd	00:29	Tucker 58 pass from Lombardi	4-78-0:32
BSU	4th	00:00	Richardson 32 FG	10-62-1:42
BUFF	OT	NA	Ratkovich 25 run	1-25-0:00

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Huskie freshman tailback Jay Ducker, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing yards in the MAC Championship game, was selected the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year by league coaches. After rushing just 24 times for 85 yards through the first six games of the season, Ducker ran for 100 yards or more in six of NIU's last seven games, including a 210-yard effort versus Bowling Green and 146 yards on 29 carries in the MAC title tilt. He was named the Offensive MVP of the game and was also named to The Athletic's Freshman All-America Team as a second team running back.  

FIVE FOR 400: Five different NIU players have run for more than 400 rushing yards this season as the Huskies rank fifth nationally in rushing offense with 234.2 yards per game.  Four Huskies have posted 100-yard rushing games 11 times this season with 10 of those recorded by freshmen.  Jay Ducker has six 100-yard games  to lead NIU while freshman Harrison Waylee posted three 100-yard games early in the season (vs. Georgia Tech, Wyoming, Maine) before going down with an injury. , Antario Brown went for 101 versus Eastern Michigan and quarterback Rocky Lombardi totaled 119 yards on the ground versus Maine. 
  
THE "RATDOG" ROLLS: Grad transfer fullback Clint Ratkovich added to his team-leading total with a two-yard touchdown run versus Kent State in Detroit and has 14 touchdowns (12 rushing, 2 receiving) with at least one in 10 of NIU's 13 games. His 14 TDs are the most by a Huskie in a season since 2015 when Joel Bouagnon scored 18. His top NIU rushing games came versus Buffalo with 75 yards on 11 carries, including the 25-yard game-winner on the first play of overtime and versus Western Michigan with 97 yards on four carries. The MBA student who has accepted an invite to the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl has 598 all-purpose and 448 rushing yards on the season.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE "FULLBACK": If there was any doubt about that (there wasn't), senior Clint Ratkovich erased that when he scored on a 96-yard run versus Western Michigan. Ratkovich's run was the longest by a Huskie in 87 years, since Reino Nori had a school-record 99-yard rushing TD versus Wisconsin-Whitewater on Nov. 17, 1934 Ratkovich's touchdown is tied for the fifth-longest rushing TD in FBS football this year.   

FANTASTIC FROSH: In seven games as NIU's primary tailback - beginning  with the Bowling Green game when he replaced Antario Brown on the Huskies' second possession - freshman Jay Ducker is averaging 136.1 rushing yards per game with six 100-yard games. He has run for more than 140 yards four times and needs just six rushing yards to break NIU's 44-year old single season freshman rushing record of 1,043 yards, set by Allen Ross in 1977. 

PLAYMAKER: Second-year safety C.J. Brown capped off a big week with a big play in the MAC Championship game. Brown, who stepped into the starting safety position after Devin Lafayette went down in the season opener versus Georgia Tech, was the lone Huskie to earn first team All-MAC honors. Then, with NIU leading Kent State 17-3 late in the third quarter of the MAC Championship game, Brown intercepted KSU quarterback Dustin Crum and scored on a 26-yard interception return for his first career INT. The Michigan native added 10 tackles, a pass break-up, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss to earn Defensive MVP honors. On the year, Brown leads the Huskies in tackles with 105, with at least seven tackles in 10 of his 12 starts. 
     
SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION: After playing cornerback and safety in his first four seasons at NIU, Dillon Thomas moved to the hybrid "rover" position in 2021 and has displayed the versatility needed at that position. In the MAC Championship Game, his coverage and ball skills enabled him to make a leaping interception in the first quarter of a 0-0 game that NIU eventually turned into a touchdown. On the other hand, he ranks second on the team in quarterback sacks (3.0) and third in tackles for loss (5.5) despite entering the season without a single TFL or sack in his career. His 62 tackles are a single season career high.

THREE FOR 1K: Three Huskie pass catchers have compiled six 100-yard receiving games in 2021 and with 80 receiving yards at Buffalo, Rudolph - a second year freshman - has joined teammates Tyrice Richie and Cole Tucker in NIU's 1,000-yard career receiving club. Rudolph put together a streak of three straight 100-yard receiving days versus Central Michigan, Kent State and Ball State, while Cole Tucker went over the century mark versus Maine and Ball State. Rudolph (6-160) and Tyrice Richie (8-147) accounted for 307 of NIU's 351 receiving yards at Central Michigan. 

IN THE NCAA RECORD BOOK: Freshman Trayvon Rudolph, a high school quarterback, recorded the 25th 300-yard receiving day in NCAA FBS history - and the only 300-yard game by a receiver this year - to break the MAC and NIU single game records with 309 yards on 14 catches at Kent State Nov. 3rd. His 309 yards rank as the 18th highest total ever recorded in a FBS game, while his 328 all-purpose yards (with 19 kickoff return yards) rank second in the FBS this year. He caught touchdown passes of 36, 75 and 34 yards in the game. 

BIG PLAY ABILITY: Trayvon Rudolph's 17.9 yards per catch average ranks 29th nationally and is 11th among players with at least 45 catches this season. He has 13 catches, one run and four kickoff returns of at least 25 yards in 2021, Rudolph's seven touchdown catches in 2021 are the most by a Huskie since 2017. He leads NIU in catches (49) and receiving yards (877) and joined teammates Tyrice Richie and Cole Tucker to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yards.  He has 1,109 yards on 63 catches for a 17.6 career average.

WILD FOR 75: Trayvon Rudolph's 75-yard end around for a touchdown at Buffalo marked his THIRD 75-yard scoring play of 2021 and the Huskies' fourth score of exactly 75 yards this year. Against both Central Michigan and Kent State, Rudolph caught medium range passes and turned them into 75-yard touchdowns on the first play of drives after a fair catch on the kickoff. At Buffalo, he scored NIU's second 75-yard rushing touchdown as Harrison Waylee had a 75-yard run for a score early in the season versus Wyoming. 

RECORD SETTER: Quarterback Rocky Lombardi joined Trayvon Rudolph in the Huskie record book as he completed 33-of-57 passes for a school record 532 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions at Kent State. Lombardi's 532 passing yards broke the NIU record of 486 yards, set by Phil Horvath versus Akron in 2005, by 46 yards as he became the first 500-yard passer in school history. His 57 attempts rank second all-time at NIU while his 33 completions are fifth. Lombardi's 554 yards of total offense (22 rushing) rank second in FBS this year, while his 532 passing yards are fifth.
 
ON THE CHARTS: Rocky Lombardi is quietly putting together one of the top seasons by a passer in NIU history.  His 2,416 passing yards are currently eighth on the Huskie single season charts and are the most by a NIU QB in a single season since 2014 (Drew Hare), his 180 completions are 10th, while his 201.3 yards per game average ranks ninth. Lombardi is averaging 13.4 yards per completion this season, seventh on the all-time list, while his average of 7.13 yards per play in total offense is sixth sixth-best in NIU history and the best since Jordan Lynch in 2012.   
  
FOOTBALL FAMILY - NOT THAT ONE: Quarterback Rocky Lombardi came to NIU 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, leading the Spartans to wins over Michigan and Northwestern. 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. 

UP FRONT: The Huskie offensive line is led by super senior Brayden Patton, a 39-game starter, including 30 consecutive at center. Patton is flanked by a pair of redshirt freshmen (third year) guards in Logan Zschernitz and J.J. Lippe. Sophomore tackles Marques Cox and Nolan Potter man the edges. Behind this group, along with second-year freshman guard John Champe, the Huskies rank THIRD nationally in fewest sacks allowed - behind only infrequent passers Army and Air Force - and tied with Michigan with 0.77 sacks/game. The line has cleared the way for 11 100-yard rushing games by four different players, 33 rushing TDs and 234.2 rushing yards per game as the Huskies rank fifth nationally in rushing offense, just ahead of Cure Bowl opponent Coastal Carolina. 

RECORD-SETTING RUDOLPH: Trayvon Rudolph's 14 catches at Kent State tied him for second on the NIU single game list and were the most by a Huskie since 2016 (Kenny Golladay vs. Toledo). He also became the first NIU player to record three receiving TDs in a game since Nathan Palmer versus Toledo in 2011. Rudolph's 100-yard kickoff return touchdown versus Bowling Green was the Huskies' first kickoff return score in 55 games, since Oct. 22, 2016 (by Aregeros Turner vs. Buffalo). The return tied NIU's school record as the longest scoring play in school history, matching Tommylee Lewis' 100-yard kickoff return at Toledo (11/1/11) and Dave Petway's 100-yard interception return versus Southern Illinois (10/22/77). 

NO. 1 ON FOURTH DOWN: The Huskie offense ranks FIRST in the nation (FBS) in fourth down conversion percentage this year, having been successful on 19-of-23 tries for an 82.6 rate.  NIU has converted each of its last 12 fourth down attempts, dating back to the third quarter of the Central Michigan game on October 23.  

GOING LONG: NIU has scored 20 touchdowns on plays of 25 yards or longer in 2021 and has totaled 54 long plays, the most in a single season since 2016. The total includes 19 plays of 40 yards or longer and 12 have gone for 50 yards or more. Trayvon Rudolph is the Huskies' long play leader with 19 plays of at least 25 yards - 14 receiving, one rushing and four kickoff returns. Eight of his nine touchdowns have come on long plays, including two catches and one rush for 75 yards and a 100-yard kickoff return. All four of freshman Antario Brown's long runs (of 47, 44, 41 and 37 yards) have gone for touchdowns. Thirteen different players have recorded a play of 25-yards or longer and nine have multiple long plays.

FOURTH QUARTER SCORING: NIU has outscored its opponents by 61 points in the fourth quarter and overtime with 145 points compared to 84 for its opponents. The fourth quarter has been the Huskies' highest scoring period with 139 points. In fact, NIU has scored more points in that period than in the first (57) and third (73) quarters combined. Amazingly, NIU has been outscored in every quarter except the fourth this season, including by 40 points in the third quarter (113-73) and by 15 points overall (425-410). 

THE LONG...: Eighteen of NIU's scoring drives have lasted at least five minutes, including eight drives lasting seven minutes or longer. The Huskies kept Kent State's "FlashFast" offense off the field in Detroit with a season-long drive that lasted nearly eight minutes in the second quarter of the MAC Championship game. The drive ended with a one-yard touchdown on thea quarterback sneak by Rocky Lombardi to give NIU a 17-0 lead.  NIU also has 29 drives of 10 plays or more on the season, including each of its first three drives versus Kent State. 

AND SHORT OF IT: Conversely, NIU has 21 scoring drives of less than 2:10 on the season, 17 of which have lasted five plays or less. In that group are seven one-play drives, three of 75 yards each courtesy of Trayvon Rudolph, the 96-yard run from the NIU four-yard line for a score by Clint Ratkovich versus Western Michigan, and Antario Brown's 47-yard run on the first play of a possession at Buffalo. NIU also had scoring drives of two and four plays in the regular season finale - with Brown scoring both TDs, from 44 and 41 yards out. Not included in the "short" drives list is the untimed, one-play, 25-yard drive on a Clint Ratkovich run that ended the Buffalo game in overtime.

DEBUTS: Eighteen true freshmen have seen action in at least one game for NIU in 2021. Quarterback Ethan Hampton became the fifth true freshman to start a game for the Huskies this year when he started versus Western Michigan. He joined a group that includes tailback Antario Brown (2 starts), nose tackle Cade Haberman (1) and middle linebacker Makhi Nelson-Douglas (4). Cornerback JaVaughn Byrd leads all NIU true freshmen with six starts.     

YOUTH ON D: Throughout the 2021 season, NIU's starting defense has been overwhelmingly made up of players in their first, second or third year of college football. Four positions - one cornerback spot, defensive end and both safety positions - have been manned by either a first or second year player in every game. Four other spots - both defensive tackles, linebacker and cornerback - have starters in their third year (redshirt freshmen or sophomores) mixed in with true and "COVID" freshmen. Only three upperclassmen - super senior Lance Deveaux Jr. (LB), redshirt junior Dillon Thomas (ROV) and redshirt junior Michael Kennedy (DE) have started regularly on the NIU D.  

RED ZONE O: NIU has scored on 93 percent (46-of-50) of its trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line this year to rank ninth in the country in Red Zone Offense. The Huskies' three "misses" have come on three missed field goals (at Buffalo in a 20 mph wind, at Toledo on a poor snap after replay wiped out an apparent touchdown, and versus Western Michigan) and an interception at the end of the first half versus Kent State in the MAC Championship Game. NIU was six-of-seven in the red zone in the game. The Huskies have scored 27 touchdowns and made 19 field goals in 30 trips to the red zone in 2021.  

GAME-WINNING KICKS: NIU redshirt sophomore kicker John Richardson has made four game-winning field goals in his career with two in his freshman season of 2019 and two this season. Richardson's kicks in 2021 won the Toledo (10-9) and Ball State (11-10) games by 22-20 and 30-29 scores, respectively, with field goals of 29 and 32 yards. In 2019, Richardson's 37-yard field goal as time expired gave the Huskies a 39-36 win at Ohio (10-12); he made a 25-yard three with 41 seconds left to lift NIU to a 31-28 win at Toledo (11-13). With Richardson out for the Central Michigan game, true freshman back-up Kanon Woodill made a 26-yard game-winner with 54 seconds to play. Woodill went 3-for-3 on field goals in the game. 

GROZA SEMIFINALIST: Sophomore kicker John Richardson was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, presented to the top college kicker in FBS. Richardson has made 20-of-25 field goal attempts in 2021, including a school record tying five field goals at Toledo and game-winning threes at Toledo and versus Ball State. He is a perfect 37-of-37 on PATs and leads NIU in scoring with 97 points, equaling the sum of his 2019 (51) and 2020 (46) seasons. All-time, Richardson's 41 field goals made and 204 points scored rank sixth at NIU all-time, respectively, while his 52 field goal attempts are eighth. He is 41-of-52 all-time on field goals for a .788 percentage which ranks second. 

IRON MAN: NIU senior punter/holder Matt Ference has played in more games than any player in school history. The St. Louis native, who also owns nearly every NIU punting record, surpassed former offensive linemen Andrew Ness and Aidan Conlon (2012-15) by playing in his 57th career game versus WMU and will play in his 59th game in Florida. Ference made his first appearance for NIU in the 2017 season opener versus Boston College (9-1) and has taken the field for every game since. He played 13 games in 2017, 14 in 2018, 12 in 2019, six in 2020 and all 12 this season. 

SENIOR WITH CLASS: NIU senior 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.

LONG? TERM COMMITMENT: Thomas Hammock's commitment to running the football starts with his background as a running back at NIU - he rushed for more than 1,000 yards in both 2000 and 2001 - and has been reinforced on his coaching journey. At Wisconsin (2011-13), his running backs included Montee Ball, James White and Melvin Gordon, and he coached NIU Hall of Famer Garrett Wolfe during his stint as an assistant at NIU (2005-06) under Joe Novak. Working for 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. 

WALK-ON U: Of the 85 scholarship players on the 2021 roster, 15 started at NIU as walk-ons. The list includes punter Matt Ference, as well as starters Nick Rattin, Trayvon Rudolph and Jordan Gandy. During 2021 preseason camp and throughout the season, offensive lineman Matthew Schooley, tailback Mason Blakemore, back-up quarterback Jeffery Lowery and safeties Muhammad Jammeh and Louis Frye received scholarships. They join a long and distinguished list of NIU players who arrived as walk-ons, including 2010 MAC MVP Chad Spann and former NIU cornerback and current NFL veteran Rashaan Melvin.

A START TO REMEMBER: The Huskies stunned Georgia Tech in Atlanta in the 2021 season opener 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 - over prominent and/or "Power 5" opponents - have been collected since 1983. Versus Georgia Tech, Harrison Waylee ran for 144 yards on 27 carries and Lombardi threw a pair of touchdown passes. NIU made two fourth down stops and forced three punts while Georgia Tech missed three field goals. NIU has collected nine Boneyard Wins in the last 12 years and 17 all-time.

THAT WAS DIFFERENT: While the Huskies have played plenty of close games (see previous notes), the Buffalo game was the first overtime contest of Thomas Hammock's tenure, and NIU's first overtime game since September 29, 2018. With the win at Buffalo, NIU is 9-4 in overtime games all time and has won four straight overtime contests. In overtime, the Huskie defense recovered a Buffalo fumble on the one-yard line and NIU's Clint Ratkovich went 25 yards on the Huskies' first play of OT to end the game and give NIU the MAC West title.      

TROPHY WIN: John Richardson kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give NIU a 30-29 win over Ball State on Nov. 10 as the Huskies reclaimed the Bronze Stalk Trophy for the first time since 2018. After Ball State took a 29-27 lead on Jacob Lewis' 48-yard field goal with 1:42 remaining, the Huskies drove 62 yards in 10 plays to set up Richardson for the game-winner. NIU fell behind 10-0 after committing two first-quarter turnovers and trailed 26-17 in the third period before coming back to earn the win.      

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.

DECEMBER GRADS: On December 11, five of the Huskies above who had already earned their undergraduate degrees completed a master's degree. Seniors Lance Deveaux Jr., Luke Mallette, Brayden Patton, Kyle Pugh and Clint Ratkovich finished their graduate coursework this semester, the first four in sport management while Ratkovich added an MBA to his engineering technology degree from Western Illinois. Three more Huskies, including starting tight end Liam Soraghan (mechanical engineering) and wide receiver Tyrice Richie (sport management), received their undergraduate degrees.   
 
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.