Huskies Host Toledo in 115th Homecoming Game

MAC West Battle Kicks Off at 2:30 pm CT on ESPN+

HUSKIE BITES

The NIU Huskies play host to Toledo in the 115th Homecoming Game Saturday at 2:30 pm at Huskie Stadium in the Huskies' lone home game this month.
The Huskies are 74-30-10 all-time on Homecoming and have won 21 of their last 23 Homecoming contests.
Toledo leads the all-time series with NIU, 32-17 and owns a 12-9 edge in games played in DeKalb. However, the Rockets have just one win in Huskie Stadium in their last six trips as they broke the Huskies' five-game home winning streak with a 41-24 win in 2020.
NIU is coming off a tough 44-38 double overtime loss at Ball State as the Cardinals overcame a 17-point halftime deficit and outscored the Huskies, 31-17, in the second half. The Huskies lost an overtime game for the first time since 2016, breaking a four-game OT win streak.
NIU running back Harrison Waylee ran for a career high 230 yards on 30 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead the Huskies at Ball State as he became the 18th player in school history to rush for 200 yards or more in a game. Waylee had touchdown runs of 52 and 68 yards in the game.
After catching just one touchdown pass in three seasons (29 games) at Illinois State, transfer wide receiver Kacper Rutkiewicz leads NIU and is tied for the MAC lead in touchdown catches with five after scoring twice at Ball State.
Despite playing without nine players who have started games for the Huskies this year, NIU posted its highest scoring game of the season at Ball State, while the NIU defense held the Cardinals to a season low 77 rushing yards.
NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American at NIU who rushed for over 1,000 yards in both 2000 and 2001, joins fellow Huskie football alums Chad Spann (2007-10) and Chandler Harnish (2008-11) in this year's class which will induct 13 new members Friday night.
Chicago Heights native Kyle Pugh has made NCAA FBS history as he is back for his eighth season as a member of the NIU football team. Pugh saw his 2017 and 2019 seasons cut short, missed 2021 with a knee injury sustained in the spring, and earned the COVID-19 "re-do" for 2020. The two-time All-MAC (2018, 2020) linebacker currently ranks third on the team with 34 tackles.

NIU FOOTBALL FACTS

Head Coach:Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 15-22/4th
Career Record/Years: Same
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-2-5
First Year of Football: 1899
2021 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 9-5/6-2/1st
All-Time Record: 602-516-51
Last Bowl Game: 2021 Tailgreeter Cure Bowl (Coastal Carolina 47, NIU 41)
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 14
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 9, 2021
MAC Championships, Last: 6, 2021
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 52/15
Starters Returning: 22 (8 offense, 13 defense, 1 specialist)
Starters Lost: 7 (3 offense, 2 defense, 2 specialists)

TOLEDO FACTS

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Jason Candle (Mount Union, 2003)
Record at Toledo/Years: 48-29/8th
Career Record/Years: Same
2021 Record: 7-6
MAC Record/Finish: 5-3/3rd-West
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Enrollment: 17,070
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Midnight Blue and Gold
Stadium: Glass Bowl
Surface/Capacity: Field Turf/26,038
President: Dr. Gregory Postel
Athletic Director: Bryan B. Blair
Athletics Website: utrockets.com
Twitter: @ToledoRockets

Toledo Schedule & Results

NIU-TOLEDO SERIES

Overall: UT leads 32-17
In Toledo: UT leads 19-8
In DeKalb: UT leads 12-9
In Chicago: UT leads 1-0
In MAC Games: UT leads 21-14
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1967; UT 35, NIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: Oct. 9, 2021; NIU 22, UT 20 (A)

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-TOLEDO ON ESPN+

The NIU-Toledo game will be streamed on ESPN+, accessible via the ESPN App available on both iOS and Android devices, desktop and TV-connected devices (e.g. Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV).
Subscriptions to ESPN+ are available on both a monthly and annual basis and can be used on up to five streaming devices simultaneously.
Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Forrest Conoly (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Toledo game begins 90 minutes before kickoff, at 1 p.m. (CT), on 94-9 WDKB with the Toyota Huskie Nation Pre-Game Party.
Coverage on WDKB, as well as NIU network affiliates AM 560 The Answer (Chicago) and SportsFan AM 1330 begins 30 minutes before the game, at 2 pm (CT).
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 43rd season as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo is alongside for the the 37th consecutive season, while Andy Garcia is in his 10th season on the NIU sidelines.

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

Fans are invited to attend the one-hour weekly show every week at 1 p.m. in the Novak Room at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Hwy).
Shows will take place on Thursdays in September and October prior to Saturday games.
Listen live on 94-9 WDKB FM in DeKalb and on the NIU Huskies or The Varsity Network mobile apps. Hear the show on the same day at 6 p.m. on SportsFan AM 1330 in Rockford.
Host Andy Garcia chats with NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock each week, along with Huskie players and special guests.

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

The show features weekly interviews with NIU football personnel, including head coach Thomas Hammock, as well as NIU administrators, coaches and student-athletes from other sports programs.
Watch new episodes on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel each week.
The show is hosted by Andy Garcia.

NIU ATHLETICS ON YOUTUBE

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Subscribe for FREE and click the bell to be notified every time NIU posts a new video.
Search "NIU Athletics" on YouTube or go to YouTube.com/NIUAthleticsOfficial.
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

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Link to the NIU radio broadcasts, live stats, complete team rosters, digital game programs and more.
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NOTING NIU

OCTOBER CAMEO: The Northern Illinois University Huskies play at home for the only time this October on Saturday as the Huskies face MAC West rival Toledo on its 115th Homecoming Weekend in DeKalb.

HUSKIE HOMECOMING HISTORY: NIU caps off a full week of Homecoming activities on campus Saturday with its 115th Homecoming game. The Huskies' annual celebration dates back to an alumni football game played Oct. 10, 1903. NIU's Homecoming is the oldest major college alumni gathering in the state and the Huskies have one of the longest celebrated Homecoming traditions in the country. The Huskies are 74-30-10 all time in their Homecoming football games and have won 21 of their last 23 in front of the alums. NIU is 40-14-2 in Homecoming football games in Huskie Stadium after a 27-20 win over Eastern Michigan, on Oct. 2, 2021.

HALL OF FAMER: NIU head coach Thomas Hammock is one of three former Huskie football players who will be inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming Weekend. Hammock gained more than 2,400 rushing yards and was a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American during his NIU playing career (1999-2002). He will be joined by fellow running back Chad Spann (2007-10) and quarterback Chandler Harnish (2008-11), who both won the MAC's Vern Smith (MVP) Award during their time in Cardinal and Black.

SERIES HISTORY: Toledo has won 32 of the 49 games played in the all-time series with NIU, and are 12-9 all-time versus the Huskies in DeKalb. NIU won five straight games over the Rockets in Huskie Stadium from 2008-2018 (not including the 2016 contest in Chicago) before UT claimed a 41-24 win over the Huskies during the COVID-19 season in 2020. Toledo won 15 of the first 21 series games played between 1967-89, then defeated NIU 11 times between 1990-2004. Since 2005, the Huskies are 11-5 against the Rockets, including a six-game winning streak from 2010-2015.

THE LAST TIME: 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 on October 9, 2021. 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.

LAST WEEK: NIU suffered a 44-38 double overtime loss at Ball State as the Cardinals overcame a 17-point halftime deficit with 31 second-half points to take the Bronze Stalk Trophy. Harrison Waylee rushed for 230 yards and three scores, including a 68-yard run that gave NIU a 10-point lead with 6:43 to play, but the Cardinals scored 10 points in the final four minutes to send the game to overtime. Both teams missed field goals in the first OT before BSU's Carson Steele broke through for his third touchdown in the Cardinals' second overtime possession and NIU was unable to match the score.

STREAK BUSTED: The Huskies' double overtime loss at Ball State last week broke NIU's four-game winning streak in overtime games that dated back to Oct. 15, 2016, a 34-28 home loss to Central Michigan that went three overtimes. The OT win streak began later that season - on Nov. 16, 2016 - with a 31-24 win at Eastern Michigan and included OT wins over the Eagels in each of the next two seasons. NIU defeated Buffalo, 33-26, in overtime last year in Buffalo for its fourth straight win in extra time. All-time, the Huskies are now 9-5 in overtime games, including a 6-4 mark in MAC regular season contests.

HOME AGAIN: With a 76-30 (.724) record at home since 2003, NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 184-114-2 for a .617 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). NIU was 4-2 at home in 2021 and is 1-1 in 2022 after winning the season opener over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 1 and falling to Vanderbilt on Sept. 17.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: In their 37th football season as a member of the Mid-American Conference season, NIU is 162-114-2 all-time in league play. The Huskies are 127-69 (.648) versus MAC foes since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 71-24 (.747) against the MAC with three undefeated campaigns, two one-loss seasons and seven division championships, including a run of six-straight (2010-15). NIU originally competed in the MAC from 1975-85.

AT HOME IN THE MAC: In 36 seasons of MAC play dating back to 1975, NIU is 90-48-1 (.647) all-time at home in league games, including a 68-28 (.708) mark in Huskie Stadium versus league opponents since rejoining the league in 1997. In 49 MAC home games since 2009, the Huskies are 40-9 with five of those losses in the last two seasons.

MAC WEST MARK: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 78-49 versus teams from the MAC West, including a 41-18 mark in the division since 2010. The Huskies went 4-1 against divisional foes a year ago with the only loss in the regular season finale to Western Michigan.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Senior defensive end Michael Kennedy, who is tied for the team lead in sacks and tackles for loss, is one of six Mid-American Conference players to be named a semifinalist for the 2022 William Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the top football Scholar-Athlete in the country. Kennedy earned his undergraduate degree in management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and social responsibility and is currently pursuing his MBA.

CARDIAC CANINES CONTINUED: In four seasons under Thomas Hammock, 23 of the Huskies' 37 games, including four of five games in 2022, have been decided by one score (eight points) or less. Last year, 10 of the Huskies' 14 games came down to one score. The Huskies are now 8-6 in one score contests over the last two seasons and are 11-12 in games decided by one score over the last four years. NIU is just as good when the games are closer with a 7-3 record in the last four seasons in games decided by three points or less, including a 4-0 record in those games a year ago.

ALL THE WAY(LEE) HOME: Huskie third-year sophomore Harrison Waylee had a career day on Saturday at Ball State with 230 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns all career highs, while his 68-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the longest of his career. Waylee also scored on a 52-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. His 230 yards were the most since quarterback Jordan Lynch ran for 321 yards versus Western Michigan on Nov. 26, 2013. The 230 yards rank as the sixth-most in the FBS this season. He entered the contest with 215 yards in the first four games of the season.

IN THE CLUB: With the first 200-yard rushing game of his Huskie career, Harrison Waylee became the 18th NIU player all-time to record a 200-yard day. The 230-yard total ranks tied for 23rd all-time at NIU, well short of Garrett Wolfe's school-record 353-yard game at Ball State on Sept. 30, 2006. In all, the 200-yard mark has been met or surpassed 46 times in NIU history. Waylee's 1,475 career rushing yards rank 31st on the Huskies' all-time list.

HIGH SCORING: The NIU offense is having one of its more prolific recent scoring years so far in 2022. The Huskies have scored 158 points through five games, averaging 31.6 per contest. That's the most points through five games for NIU since the 2013 Huskies had 211. That season was also the last time NIU scored at least 28 points in each of its first five games of the season prior to this year. A year ago, NIU scored 105 points in its first five games. NIU is the second-highest scoring offense in the MAC in 2022 behind only Toledo's 33 points per game.

DON'T RUN ON ME: NIU is second in the MAC in rushing defense, allowing 125 rushing yards per game. The Huskies are holding their opponents to just 3.6 yards per rush, while allowing a league-low five rushing touchdowns. Last Saturday NIU gave up a 77 rushing yards at Ball State, the lowest total by a Huskie opponent since the fifth game of the 2021 season when Eastern Michigan totaled just 38 yards rushing on 24 carries. It marked the 17th time in the last five years the Huskies held an opponent under 100 total rushing yards.

IN THE (END) ZONE: Junior wide receiver Kacper Rutkiewicz, a transfer from Illinois State, is tied for the MAC lead in touchdown receptions so far this season with five. In 29 games over three seasons at ISU, Rutkiewicz had just one touchdown catch. He had two touchdown grabs last week at Ball State for his second two-touchdown game of the season. Rutkiewicz is the fifth Huskie since 2004 to have five touchdown catches in the first five games of the season, joining Sam Hurd (8 in 2005), Martel Moore (5 in 2012), DaRon Brown (5 in 2013) and Kenny Golladay (6 in 2016). He is currently second on the team in receiving yards with 214 and third with 252 all-purpose yards.

TDS IN TWOS: Kacper Rutkiewicz recorded his second, and the fourth overall, two-touchdown game by a Huskie receiver this year. Last year, Trayvon Rudolph was the only Huskie to record multiple touchdown catches in a game as he caught two TD passes at Central Michigan and three the next week at Kent State. This year, Rutkiewicz has two touchdowns at Ball State and at Tulsa, tight end Tristen Tewes had a pair of touchdown grabs at Kentucky and Cole Tucker scored a pair of receiving TDs versus Vanderbilt. Three different players - including wide receiver Shemar Thornton - threw the passes.

ONE OF A KIND: NIU linebacker Kyle Pugh is the first player in FBS history to play eight years of college football - although due to a series of different injuries, he has not actually played in all eight seasons. Pugh, who is earning his second master's degree, signed with the Huskies in February 2015 and redshirted as a freshman. Pugh was an all-conference player in 2018 and 2020. He has been at NIU through three presidential administrations, four bowl games and three MAC Championship games; his freshmen teammates were in sixth grade when he arrived at NIU.

FRESH CORNERS: The Huskies started a pair of true freshmen at cornerback at Ball State as Birmingham, Ala. product Jacob Finley and Hollywood, Fla. native Amariyun Knighten made their first career starts. Knighten finished the game as NIU's leading tackler with 10 stops, while Finley made four tackles and each contributed a pass break-up. They are the fourth different pair of corners NIU has started in its five games this season.

FRESH FACES: Eleven players, including seven true freshmen and four redshirt freshmen, have seen action for the Huskies in 2022 with Jacob Finley and Amariyun Knighten the first to start a game. Running back Jaiden Credle earned his first carries at Ball State, running six times for 27 yards. Other true freshmen to see action include linebackers Jake Gassaway and Rashon Myles, defensive end Roy Williams and safety Trey Porter with Porter, Myles and Gassaway contributing on special teams.

NEW TO NIU: Seven players who transferred to NIU this year have seen action so far this season with wide receiver Shemar Thornton (FIU) and defensive end Izayah Green-May (Wisconsin) both earning starting roles. Thornton ranks second on the team in catches and fellow transfer receiver Kacper Rutkiewicz has five touchdown catches to lead NIU. Green-May earned his first sack at Tulsa and is tied for the team lead with 2.5 tackles for loss. Transfer QB Justin Lynch made his Huskie debut at Kentucky with a touchdown run and totaled 15 carries for 89 yards at Ball State. Safety Jordan White, who came to NIU from Youngstown State, saw his most extensive action at Ball State with three tackles. Both Quinn Urwiler (North Dakota) and Joey Rattin (Upper Iowa) have contributed on special teams.

MAKING PICKS: With interceptions by Devin Lafayette and C.J. Brown at Ball State, NIU now has five INTs on the season, surpassing the Huskies' season total from a year ago. Huskie defensive backs have accounted for all five picks in 2022 after making just one interception a year ago. In addition to Brown and Lafayette, cornerback Eric Rogers made a pair of interceptions versus Eastern Illinois and safety Muhammed Jammeh picked off a pass at Tulsa.

TURNOVERS GAINED: With eight turnovers forced (five interceptions, three fumbles) through the first five games of 2022, the Huskie defense is two-thirds of the way to its 2021 total of 12 turnoves gained, which was accomplished in 14 games. Last season, NIU ranked 118th in the country in turnovers gained; currently the Huskies rank in the top 50 nationally in that category. The forced turnovers have helped NIU to a +0.80 turnover margin, which ranks second in the MAC and 28th in the country.

RAYNER SHINES: Sophomore linebacker Daveren Rayner leads NIU in tackles with 51 after making nine stops at Ball State. Rayner posted his third double-digit tackle game of the year at Kentucky with 10 stops. He added his first sack of the season to earn MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors. Rayner has already surpassed his previous single season career high in tackles (29 in 2021) and ranks fourth in the MAC in tackles per game. Rayner joined Eric Rogers as Huskie defenders to earn MAC Player of the Week honors this season.

COLE HARD FACTS: A year ago, Trayvon Rudolph (51 catches), Tyrice Richie (44) and Cole Tucker (41) accounted for 66 percent of the Huskies' 205 pass receptions. Richie graduated and Rudolph is out for the season due to injury, leaving Tucker. The sixth-year senior established a new career high for single game receiving yards with 123 at Tulsa and leads NIU with 26 catches for 420 yards on the season. The DeKalb native and Huskie legacy, whose parents Brett and Cindy were NIU football and gymnastics student-athletes, respectively, has caught 135 passes for 1,820 yards in his career to move up to No. 12 on NIU's all-time receiving yards list, the highest total by a Huskie since current New York Giant Kenny Golladay totaled 2,285 receiving yards (4th all-time at NIU) in 2015-16. He needs 139 yards to move into the Top 10.

PLAYING SAFE(TY): In his third season, 2021 All-MAC safety C.J. Brown has been involved in two of NIU's turnovers this season with a fumble recovery and 12-yard return versus Vanderbit and an interception and 29-yard return at Ball State. He has already surpassed his 2021 total for pass break-ups with three and ranks second on the team with 38 tackles. In 25 career games, he has 157 tackles, 81 solo with four tackles for loss, two interceptions and five pass break-ups.

LYNCH FOR 6: After making his Huskie debut at Kentucky with 21 yards on seven carries and a two-yard touchdown run, Justin Lynch followed that by running the ball 15 times for 89 yards at Ball State. The Temple transfer and younger brother of NIU All-American and Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch, ranks third on the team in rushing yards with 110 on 22 carries for a 5.0 average.

ON(SIDE) IT: The Huskies are now two-of-three on onside kicks this year after John Richardson's pop-up kick bounced between Cardinals and was recovered by Billy Dozier. At Tulsa, NIU kicker John Richardson recovered his own onside kick in the third quarter, spurring a 17-point second-half comeback. Following NIU's final touchdown at Kentucky, the Huskies could not corral Richardson's bouncing onside attempt.

DOG TREATS: Sixth-year senior tight end Liam Soraghan scored his first career touchdown versus Eastern Illinois on a 13-yard reception. He came into the year with four career receptions for 24 yards and has four catches this season for 43 yards. .... cornerback Eric Rogers became the first Huskie to earn MAC Player of the Week honors this season after picking off a pair of passes in the 2022 season opener versus Eastern Illinois, becoming the first Huskie with two INTs in a game since Jalen McKie versus Akron in 2018 ... returner Billy Dozier had a 42-yard kickoff return at Kentucky, the longest of the season for NIU ... last year, the Huskies had just one game (Central Michigan) in which they did NOT commit a turnover; they have two such games already this season (Eastern Illinois, Kentucky) ... at Kentucky, Tristen Tewes became the first NIU tight end to catch two touchdown passes in a game in 70 games, since Shane Wimann had a pair of TD catches at San Diego State in 2017.

TOUCHDOWN TOSS: Wide receiver Shemar Thornton, a transfer from FIU, showed off his passing form at Kentucky with a perfectly thrown touchdown toss to Tristen Tewes as NIU tied the score at 14 just before halftime. Thornton became the first NIU non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass since Michael Love completed a seven-yard pass to tight end Mitchell Brinkman versus Western Michigan on Nov. 26, 2019. The last non-QB to complete a pass was Trayvon Rudolph who hit Tewes with a two-point conversion pass in last year's game at Central Michigan (Oct. 23).

TEWES TDS AND MORE: Tight end Tristen Tewes became the second Huskie tight end to record his first career touchdown this season with two TD receptions at Kentucky. Tewes finished NIU's game opening drive by catching a two-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Hampton and was on the receiving end of Shemar Thornton's three-yard TD pass to tie the game before halftime. The former walk-on from Pleasant Plains, Ill. finished the game with a career high six catches for 37 yards.

POWER PUNTER: Huskie punter Tom Foley, in his second season at NIU after transferring from Minnesota, earned MAC West Specialist of the Week honors after averaging 47.2 yards on six punts at Kentucky. Three of Foley's punts forced Kentucky to start inside its 12 yard line, include one that bounced out of bounds at the two. Foley recorded a season-long 61-yard punt in the game.

FINE FORM: Kyle Pugh made a season high 12 tackles versus Vanderbilt, his highest total since a 14-tackle effort versus Central Michigan in 2020, and added eight stops with a tackle for loss at Ball State, for a total of 34 stops to rank third on the team. Versus Vanderbilt, Pugh surpassed 200 tackles for his career and he now has 220 tackles in 39 games. He has 13.5 career tackles for loss and three sacks in 87 starts. Pugh's most successful season was 2018 when he made 106 tackles, 63 solo with five tackles for loss.

SO CLOSE: The 14 consecutive completions by quarterbacks Rocky Lombardi and Ethan Hampton (seven each) to start the Vanderbilt game fell one short of the unofficial NIU record of 15 set by Dan Nicholson versus Southern Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007. The last player to complete 14 consecutive passes was Drew Hare versus Ball State on Oct. 10, 2015 during a game in which he completed 29-of-32 throws to set the NIU single game record for completion percentage. Versus Vanderbilt, NIU's first incompletion did not occur until 10:08 of the third quarter.

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: Since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program among the state of Illinois' seven Division I (3 FBS & 4 FCS) football programs with a record of 101-59 for a winning percentage of .631. No other team in the state has won more than 85 games with Northwestern checking in with a 83-71 (.539) record and Illinois at 57-92 (.382). Since 2010, the Huskies are 1-1 versus their fellow in-state FBS programs with a 2014 win over Northwestern and a 2010 loss at Illinois. NIU is 4-1 versus in-state FCS opponents over the last 12 seasons, including the opening week win over Eastern Illinois. NIU has made nine bowl game and eight MAC Championship game appearances in the last 12 years.

EARNED IT: Thomas Hammock has made a habit of rewarding players who walk-on to the Huskie program with scholarships. Since his arrival at NIU in 2019, 21 players have earned scholarships after arriving at NIU as walk-ons, including 19 players on the 2022 roster and eight – fully one third – of the Huskies starters on offense, defense or special teams. Of those 19, 15 are from the state of Illinois. The group joins a long and distinguished list of NIU players from the past that arrived as walk-ons including 2010 MAC MVP Chad Spann, who will be inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend, and recently retired NFL defensive back Rashaan Melvin. See the complete list of current former walk-ons in the column to the left.

TESTED: NIU tested itself during non-conference play by taking on SEC teams Vanderbilt and No. 8 Kentucky in back-to-back weeks after opening with in-state rival Eastern Illinois at home, followed by a game at Tulsa out of the American Athletic Conference (AAC). NIU played consecutive games versus Southeastern Conference teams for the first time in school history and this year marked just the second time the Huskies faced two SEC teams in a season (1994).

LEAD DOGS: Six players were elected team captains for 2022 by their teammates. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi, linebacker Nick Rattin and defensive tackle James Ester (DT) were named captains for the second straight season. Linebacker and eighth-year senior Kyle Pugh, offensive tackle Nolan Potter and sophomore defensive back Jashon Prophete were also chosen.

STAFF DIVERSITY: One of 14 African-American men to lead a FBS program, Thomas Hammock's staff also reflects the university's and NIU Athletics', commitment to diversity. Of the 10 full-time assistant coaches on staff, seven are minorities which ranks tied for second among all FBS schools. NIU's staff includes six African-American coaches and one Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The six African-American coaches are tied for second-most in FBS. Last year, NIU won the NCAA/MOAA Diversity and Inclusion Award for the second time. The top four (credit: the University of Colorado):

Team	Minority Asst. Coaches	Breakdown
Hawai'i	8	4 P, 2 Asian/P, 1 AA, 1 Asian
Miami (Fla.)	8	5 AA, 2 H, 1 P
NIU	7	6 AA, 1 H/P
Virginia	7	7 AA

(AA—African American, include bi-racial; H—Hispanic; ME—Middle Eastern; P—Polynesian, includes Pacific Islanders and native Hawaiians).

GRADS: NIU 2022 roster includes 13 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees - either at NIU or from another institution, and one who already has two degrees. Huskie eighth-year senior Kyle Pugh has both an undergraduate and a graduate degree as he works on his second graduate degree. Transfers Miles Joiner, Rocky Lombardi, Izayah Green-May, Kaymar Mimes and Shemar Thornton all came to NIU with degrees from their previous institutions. In addition to Pugh, Brett Bostad, Marques Cox, Jeffrey Griffin Jr., Michael Kennedy, Nolan Potter, Liam Soraghan and Cole Tucker are already Huskie alumni.

YOUNGSTERS: A year ago, the Huskies won the MAC with the second-youngest roster in the country, including 71 players who graduated from high school in 2020 or 2021. Of the 120 players on this year's roster, 59 are freshmen, including 28 who redshirted in 2021. Add the 14 "true" (second-year sophomores) and 73 players, or 60.8% of the roster, graduated high school in the past two years.

NEXT UP: The Huskies return to the road for the next two weeks, beginning with an October 15 contest at Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti. Kickoff is at a 2:30 pm (CT) on ESPN+.

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