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  HUSKIE BITES  

• NIU returns home for the final two games of 2022, beginning with a Wednesday night game versus MAC East foe Miami (Ohio) at Huskie Stadium. 
• The game will mark the third between the teams to be played for the Mallory Cup, a trophy created to honor the late Bill Mallory, who coached both NIU and Miami to MAC Championships during a hall of fame career. The RedHawks have claimed each of the first two Mallory Cup games in 2018 and 2019.
• Miami leads the all-time series 10-9 with the only difference the RedHawks' neutral site win in the 2010 MAC Championship game. Each team has won four games in DeKalb and five games in Oxford.  
• True freshman Nevan Cremascoli became the fourth NIU quarterback to start a game this season at Western Michigan. All four quarterbacks - Rocky Lombardi, Ethan Hampton, Justin Lynch and Cremascoli - have thrown for 100-plus yards this season, the first time that has happened at NIU since 2016.
• Six different players collected sacks for NIU at Western Michigan and NIU totaled 11 tackles for loss. The six sacks were the most by the Huskies since November 20, 2018 when NIU had six QB takedowns in a 28-21 loss at Western Michigan.    
• With freshmen Nevan Cremascoli (QB) and Jaiden Credle (RB) making their first starts of the season at Western Michigan, 45 players have started games for the Huskies in 2022, the second highest total among Football Bowl Subdivision teams.   
• 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, was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame on October 7th. He joined fellow Huskie football alums Chad Spann (2007-10) and Chandler Harnish (2008-11) in the 2022 class.       
• Kyle Pugh is the first NCAA player in FBS history to  play college football for eight years. Pugh, who arrived at NIU as a true freshman in 2015,  saw his 2017 and 2019 seasons cut short, missed 2021 with a knee injury, and earned the COVID-19 "re-do" for 2020. The two-time All-MAC (2018, 2020) linebacker ranks third on the team with 50 tackles and has 236 career tackles in 44 career games.    

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  NIU FOOTBALL FACTS  

Head Coach:Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 17-25/4th
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: 604-519-51
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)
 

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  MIAMI FACTS  

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Chuck Martin (Millikin/1990)
Record at Miami/Years: 43-58/9
Career Record/Years: 117-65/15
2021 Record: 7-6
Conference Record/Finish: 5-3/2nd-East
Location: Oxford, Ohio
Enrollment: 17,557
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Red and White 
Stadium: Yager Stadium
      Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf/24,286
President: Dr. Gregory Crawford
Athletic Director: David Sayler
Athletics Website: MiamiRedhawks.com
Twitter: @MiamiRedHawks

Miami Schedule & Results

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  NIU-MIAMI SERIES  

Overall: Miami leads 10-9
In DeKalb: Series tied 4-4
In Oxford: Series tied 5-5
In MAC Games: NIU leads 9-7
Streak: Miami, 2
First Meeting (Oct. 3, 1970): NIU 48, Miami 0 (A)
Last Meeting (Oct. 19, 2019): Miami 27, NIU 24 (A)

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  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU-MIAMI ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK

• CBS Sports Network will carry the NIU-Miami game, marking the Huskies' second apperaance on the network this season.
• Find the CBSSN channel in your area by using the channel finder at CBSSportsNetwork.com or check to see if it is offered by your cable provider.
• Alex Del Barrio (play-by-play) and Donte Whitner (analyst) will be on the call for CBSSN Wednesday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Miami game begins 90 minutes before kickoff, at 4:30 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 5:30 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).
• During the MACtion portion of the schedule this November, the show will take place on FRIDAYS at 1 p.m. 
• 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

• 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 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

• 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  

TROPHY GAME: NIU returns home for the final two games of the season, beginning   with Wednesday's Mallory Cup game against Miami (Ohio), as the teams will play for the trophy, created in 2018 in honor of the late Bill Mallory, for the third time. 

HONORING A LEGEND: NIU and Miami (Ohio) will play for The Mallory Cup, in honor of the late Bill Mallory, who coached both teams to MAC Championships during a hall of fame career. Mallory is the only man to lead two league programs to MAC titles. He coached at NIU from 1980-83 and finished with a 25-19 record after leading the Huskies to the 1983 MAC Championship.

SERIES HISTORY: After wins in 2018 and 2019 over NIU, Miami leads the all-time series, 10-9. Each team has won four of the eight games played in DeKalb and five games in Oxford with the lone difference a 26-21 Miami win in the 2010 MAC Championship game (Dec. 3, 2010) played in Detroit. NIU has won seven of the last 10 meetings dating back to a 48-41 win by the Huskies in Oxford on Oct. 12, 2002, but the number was seven of eight prior to 2018. The first game in the series was played on Oct. 3, 1970, a 48-0 win by Miami. NIU's last victory was a 45-12 win in Oxford in 2015. 

THE LAST TIME: With Marcus Childers in the game in relief of Ross Bowers at quarterback, NIU jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led 10-7 at halftime and 17-14 in the third quarter on the strength of two Childers touchdown runs. The RedHawks came back with 13 points on a one-yard touchdown run and two field goals to take a 27-17 lead with less than six minutes to play. Childers hit Cole Tucker with a 10-yard pass to pull NIU within three points with 2:44 on the clock but the Huskies' last attempt was thwarted as the RedHawks held on for the Mallory Cup win.  

INFREQUENT FOE: The 2022 game is just the 20th all-time between NIU and Miami and the 19th regular season meeting. Among MAC opponents, NIU has faced only Buffalo (15 games) and Akron (16 games) fewer times than Miami.

LAST GAME: Justin Lynch scored on a nine-yard run with 56 seconds to play, to finish a five-play, 73-yard drive on which he gained 72 rushing yards, giving the Huskies a 24-21 over Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. Lynch's touchdown was the final score in a seesaw battle that featured six lead changes. The Huskies sacked WMU quarterback Treyson Bourguet six times and recorded 11 tackles for loss while limiting the Broncos to 3-of-14 third down conversions. The Huskies started true freshmen at both quarterback (Nevan Cremascoli) and tailback (Jaiden Credle). Credle gained 136 yards on 36 carries with a touchdown run to lead the Huskie offense. 

HOME AGAIN: With a 76-32 (.704) record at home since 2003, NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 184-116-2 for a .613 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).  

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: In their 37th football season as a member of the Mid-American Conference season, NIU is 164-117-2 all-time in league play. The Huskies are 129-72 (.642) versus MAC foes since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 73-27 (.730) 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.

DIVISION HOPPING: NIU has won 27 of its last 33 regular season games versus MAC East opponents and is 31-7 versus MAC East teams since 2008. NIU went 2-1 in crossover games a year ago before avenging a November loss at Kent State with a win over the Golden Flashes in the MAC Championship game. The Huskies also are 5-3 versus the East in MAC title games since 2010, defeating Ohio (2011), Kent State (2012, 2021), Bowling Green (2014) and Buffalo (2018), while falling to Miami (2010) and Bowling Green (2013 & 2015).

NIU vs. the current MAC East (regular season since 2008) 
Buffalo    7-1    
Bowling Green   4-0
Kent State    5-1
Miami    3-2
Akron    6-0 
Ohio    3-3

AT HOME IN THE MAC: In 36 seasons of MAC play dating back to 1975, NIU is 90-50-1 (.642) all-time at home in league games, including a 68-30 (.694) mark in Huskie Stadium versus league opponents since rejoining the league in 1997.  In 50 MAC home games since 2009, the Huskies are 40-11 with seven of those losses in the last two seasons. 

HALL OF FAMER: NIU head coach Thomas Hammock was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame during Homecoming Weekend in DeKalb on October 7, 2022. 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 was 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, in NIU's 2022 Hall of Fame class.

MIDWEEK MACTION: NIU is 26-12 in MAC games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010, including a 12-4 mark in games played in Huskie Stadium.

FOUR DEEP: True freshman walk-on quarterback Nevan Cremascoli made his first career start at Western Michigan, becoming the fourth player to start at quarterback for NIU in 2022. The Winnetka, Illinois product made his collegiate debut against Central Michigan the previous week. Each of the four Huskie quarterbacks to play this season - senior Rocky Lombardi, sophomores Ethan Hampton and Justin Lynch and Cremascoli - have thrown for at least 100 yards. NIU last used four quarterbacks in a season in 2016 when Drew Hare, Anthony Maddie, Ryan Graham and Daniel Santacaterina each started games for the Huskies, with all four throwing for at least 350 yards and a touchdown on the year. 

QB CAROUSEL: NIU has started four different players at quarterback for the first time since 2016. Incumbent Rocky Lombardi started the first three games before suffering an injury versus Vanderbilt. He was relieved by back-up Ethan Hampton, who finished the Vandy game and started versus Kentucky, Ball State and Toledo, with Justin Lynch also seeing time in those contests. Hampton was injured late in the Toledo game and Lynch, a sophomore transfer, started NIU's next three games (at EMU, at Ohio, vs. CMU). Freshman Nevan Cremascoli made his collegiate debut versus Central Michigan and got the start at Western Michigan. NIU is one of six FBS team this season to start three or more players at quarterback in 2022. 

NEXT MAN UP, EXTREME EDITION: Quarterback is not the only position where the Huskies' depth has been tested in 2022. With the addition of Antario Brown and Harrison Waylee to the list last week, 24 players on the NIU depth chart at one time or another this season have missed a combined 72 games due to injury. That's an average of seven first or second team players out of the line-up for every game this season. The total does not include players like 2021 All-MAC WR/KR Trayvon Rudolph, who suffered a season-ending injury during preseason camp. 

START ME UP: So far this season, 45 different players have started games for the Huskies with 25 different players making starts on offense and 20 on defense. Freshmen Nevan Cremascoli (QB) and Jaiden Credle (RB) made their first starts of 2022 last week at Western Michigan. Entering the Miami game, defensive end Izayah Green-May, tackles James Ester and Devonte O'Malley and safety C.J. Brown are the only players to start every game fon defense, while the Huskies have started a different 11 on offense every game. Guard Logan Zschernitz is the only Huskie to start all 10 games on offense.

MEET ME IN THE BACKFIELD: Sophomore defensive end Ray Thomas accounted for four of NIU's season-high 11 tackles for loss at Western Michigan, giving him a team-leading eight TFLs on the season. He is the first Huskie to have four tackles for loss in a game in 30 games, since All-American Sutton Smith had five TFLs at Western Michigan in 2018. Thomas' night at WMU included the four solo stops, all TFLs, and a pass break-up. He ranks fifth on the team, and tops among all defensive linemen in tackles with 38 on the season.     

NEGATIVE YARDAGE: The Huskie defense sacked Western Michigan quarterback Treyson Bourguet six times and tallied 11 tackles for loss last week for minus 61 yards, NIU's season highs in each category. Six different players accounted for the Huskie sacks while eight players recorded at least one tackle for loss, led by Ray Thomas' four TFLs. The six sacks were the most by the Huskies since November 20, 2018, when NIU had six QB takedowns in a 28-21 loss at Western Michigan. The last time NIU had 11 or more tackles for loss was November 7, 2018 versus Toledo, when the Huskies recorded 11 TFLs in a 38-15 NIU win.
 
PROTECTION PROS: The NIU offensive line held its fifth opponent without a sack last week as the Western Michigan defense, which came into the game ranked third in the MAC in sacks, did not get to Huskie quarterbacks Nevan Cremascoli and Justin Lynch. Despite starting five different line-ups on the offensive line in 2022, the Huskies rank eighth nationally and first in the MAC in fewest sacks allowed. Opponents have nine sacks in NIU's 10 games, an average of 0.90 per game.

UTILITY MAN: Entering the Miami game, offensive lineman J.J. Lippe has played five different positions along the line of scrimmage for NIU this year.  The fourth-year sophomore started the season opener at left guard, then missed the next three games before returning to start the Ball State, Toledo and Eastern Michigan games at right tackle. He has split time with Pete Nygra at center over the last three games, and started there at Western Michigan. He has also played tight end and left tackle in 2022. The only position on the offensive line Lippe has not played – yet – this year is right guard.

BALL SECURITY: Through 10 games, the Huskies have lost just two fumbles on the year to rank fifth nationally and first in the MAC, even with four different quarterbacks and four different running backs handling the ball. In fact, as many as seven different players have taken snaps from center for NIU this year.  After turning the ball over in 13 of 14 games a year ago, the Huskies have four games this season in which they did not have a fumble or an interception.  

GAME-WINNER:?Sophomore quarterback Justin Lynch directed NIU's first game-winning drive of 2022, leading the Huskies on a five-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to give the Huskies a 24-21 lead over Western Michigan with 56 seconds to play. Lynch rushes accounted for 72 of the 73 yards as he started the drive with a 52-yard run to the WMU 21. Two more Lynch runs gained 16 yards to the five-yard line before a penalty pushed NIU back to the 10. After Jaiden Credle picked up a yard, Lynch went nine yards for the score.
 
LYNCH AT NIU: Justin Lynch made his NIU debut at Kentucky on Sept. 24 and has seen action in every subsequent game, with starts versus Eastern Michigan, Ohio and Central Michigan. He ranks third on the team in rushing with 256 yards on 53 carries and three touchdowns, with scores at Kentucky and versus Toledo prior to leading the game-winning drive, and scoring the game-winning TD, at Western Michigan. He finished the WMU game with 83 yards on six carries. Lynch had his most successful passing day as a Huskie at Ohio on nine-of-18 passing for 110 yards. Lynch, the younger brother of NIU All-American and 2013 Heisman Trophy finalist Jordan Lynch, transferred to NIU from Temple - where he played in 11 games as a true freshman -  in January. 

CREDLE'S CARRIES: With three running backs sidelined last week, true freshman Jaiden Credle stepped into the starting role at Western Michigan. Credle's number was called 36 times – the most carries for a Huskie since quarterback Jordan Lynch carried 36 times in NIU's 2012 double overtime MAC Championship game victory over Kent State. To find the last NIU RUNNING BACK with more than 35 carries, go all the way back to November 17, 2007, when Justin Anderson carried 39 times in a 35-24 loss at Navy. Credle's 36 carries are tied for the third most by any back in a game this season.   

FIRST START: After injuries hit the NIU running back room, true freshman Jaiden Credle made his first career start last week at Western Michigan. The Georgia native carried 36 times for 136 yards in the game, joining Harrison Waylee (3) and Antario Brown (1) to record NIU's fifth 100-yard rushing game this season. Credle's night included his first career touchdown, a one-yard score in the third quarter that gave the Huskies a 17-14 lead.

BACK-TO-BACK: With his second fumble recovery in as many weeks at Western Michigan, defensive end Izayah Green-May matched Nick Rattin for the team lead. Just 13 players nationally have more than two fumble recoveries on the year. Green-May returned a fumble for 57 yards and a touchdown at Central Michigan; at WMU, he recovered a fumble on the opening drive of the second half at the 42-yard line. The last Huskie to recover a fumble in back-to-back games was Antonio Jones-Davis, at Florida State and at Eastern Michigan in 2018.   

BOOTED IT: Huskie kicker John Richardson's 53-yard field goal at Western Michigan was not only the redshirt junior's career-long three, it was the second-longest field goal in NIU history. Richardson's kick was one yard shy of the school record 54-yard field goal by Mathew Sims at Western Michigan on October 27, 2012. Richardson's previous career long was a 51-yard field goal at Ohio on October 12, 2019. 

KICKING IT: NIU kicker John Richardson saw his streak of nine straight made field goals broken on his second attempt at Western Michigan. Richardson's streak of made field goals dated back to the fourth quarter of the Oct. 8 Toledo game with a 46-yard three. He then made all four of his field goal attempts at Eastern Michigan - his most makes without a miss in his 44-game career - three more at Ohio and the career-long 53-yarder at Western Michigan. Richardson has now made 13-of-18 field goals and scored a team-leading 68 points. He has 283 career points on 65 field goals and 115 PATs to rank fifth all-time at NIU in most points scored kicking and ninth in most overall points. He ranks third in field goals made and tied for fifth in PATs made. He ranks 15th among active players in field goals made and 18th in field goals made per game (1.27).   

NOT SO SECRET WEAPON: Wide receiver Shemar Thorton completed his third pass of the season versus Central Michigan, this one on a two-point pass to quarterback Nevan Cremascoli. At Kentucky, Thornton became the first NIU non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass since 2019 when he hit tight end Tristen Tewes for a three-yard score. Versus Ohio, he caught a lateral pass from Justin Lynch and connected with Cole Tucker for the two-point conversion that tied the game. His passes have accounted for 10 points on the season. 

ONE OF A KIND: NIU linebacker Kyle Pugh is the first player in FBS history to play eight years of college football. Due to a series of injuries, he has not actually played in all eight seasons. Pugh, who is working on his second master's degree, signed with the Huskies in February 2015 and redshirted as a freshman. He was an all-MAC player in 2018 and 2020 and now ranks third on the team in tackles with 50 while starting every game. His career totals include 236 tackles in 44 games with 14.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. His most successful season was 2018 when he made 106 tackles, 63 solo with five tackles for loss. Pugh 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 in DeKalb. 

CT2K: Sixth-year senior receiver Cole Tucker needs three receiving yards to become just the eighth 2,000-yard receiver in school history. Tucker, the only active player on the roster to enter the season with at least 20 catches at NIU, leads the Huskies in 2022 with 41 catches for 599 yards, a career high, for an average of 14.6 yards per catch. The DeKalb native and Huskie legacy, whose parents Brett and Cindy were NIU football and gymnastics student-athletes, respectively, has caught 151 career passes with 10 touchdowns. The sixth-year player ranks eighth in career catches and receiving yards while playing in a team-high 51 games over the last five seasons. 

SCHOLAR-SACKER: Senior defensive end Michael Kennedy leads NIU in sacks with 5.5, surpassing his CAREER total entering the year. Prior to this year, Kennedy had one sack in 40 career games, one in each of his first four active seasons (2018-21). He now has 9.5 sacks to go with 101 tackles in 50 career games. Kennedy was a 2022 semifinalist for the William Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the top football Scholar-Athlete in the country.  

TIGHT END TIME: Huskie tight ends Tristen Tewes and Liam Soraghan are enjoying career receiving seasons, combining to catch 22 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns, led by Tewes' 15 receptions for 180 yards. The former linebacker has been NIU's leading receiver in each of the last two games with three catches for 70 yards, including a career long 34-yard touchdown catch versus Central Michigan, and four grabs for 64 yards at WMU. Soraghan caught his second TD pass of the season at CMU. With Drew Cassens' touchdown versus Toledo, tight ends have accounted for six of NIU's 15 TD catches this season.

KICK TRICKS: The Huskies have attempted seven onside kicks and recovered four on the season, with four of the kicks and two recoveries in the fourth quarter versus Toledo. NIU recovered an onside kick at Tulsa and attempted another at Kentucky. Prior to this year, NIU's last onside recovery was at Eastern Michigan in 2020. 
 
DOG TREATS: The NIU defense has given up 11 rushing touchdowns in 2022, the fewest by any MAC team; four Huskie opponents have been held to 107 rushing yards or less, including Kentucky ... 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 by Dan Nicholson versus Southern Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007. NIU's first incompletion did not occur until the third quarter ... cornerback Eric Rogers intercepted two passes versus Eastern Illinois, becoming the first Huskie with two INTs in a game since Jalen McKie versus Akron in 2018 ... the Huskies' double overtime loss at Ball State on October 1 broke NIU's four-game winning streak in overtime games that dated back to Oct. 15, 2016. All-time, the Huskies are 9-5 in overtime games, including 6-4 in MAC regular season contests. ... NIU's 25-point fourth quarter versus Toledo - three touchdowns, a field goal and two two-point PATs - was the Huskies' highest single quarter output since Oct. 10, 2015 when NIU scored 28 points in the second quarter versus Ball State.     

PLAYING IT CLOSE: In four seasons under Thomas Hammock, 25 of the Huskies' 40 games, including six 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 9-7 in one score contests over the last two seasons and are 12-13 in those games over the last four years. In games decided by three points or less, NIU is 8-4 since 2019, including last week's win at Western Michigan. 

EARNED IT: Since Thomas Hammock's arrival at NIU in 2019, 21 walk-on players have earned scholarships, 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 list of NIU players from the past that arrived as walk-ons including 2010 MAC MVP Chad Spann, who was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame this year, and recently retired NFL veteran Rashaan Melvin. See the complete list of current former walk-ons in the column to the left.

FRESH FACES: Eleven members of NIU's 22 freshman class have seen action for NIU to date; four freshmen, including quarterback Nevan Cremascoli and running back Jaiden Credle at Western Michigan, have started games in 2022. In addition, cornerbacks Jacob Finley and Amariyun Knighten both started at Ball State. Rookie linebacker Nick Alvarado led the Huskies in tackles at WMU with seven, while Dane Pardridge saw his first collegiate action last week. Alvarado, Credle and defensive end Roy Williams lead all freshmen with five games played.

TURNOVER TALES: NIU has committed 13 turnovers on the season while forcing 16. The Huskies have won the turnover battle in five games this year and are 2-3 in those games. They  had the same number of turnovers as Vanderbilt, Ball State and Ohio, losing all three of those games. NIU is 1-1 in games when it turns the ball over more than its opponent, with the win coming last week at Western Michigan. After turning the ball over in 13 of 14 games a year ago, the Huskies have four games this season in which they did not have a fumble or an interception. NIU has scored 52 points off turnovers compared to 35 points off TOs by its opponents. NIU turned Central Michigan over a season high four times, the most turnovers forced by the Huskies in 51 games, since the game at Florida State on Sept. 22, 2018. 

HARRIO BROWNLEE?: The combination of Harrison Waylee and Antario Brown have been a powerful one-two punch at running back for the Huskies. The two have combined to rush for 1,455 yards on 256 carries and 11 touchdowns through nine games, accounting for 82 percent of NIU's rushing yards and averaging 5.7 yards per carry and nearly 162 yards per game. Waylee (95.9 yards per game) and Brown (65.8 ypg) rank third and seventh, respectively, in the MAC in rushing; NIU is the only school in the league with two players in the Top 8. They also both rank in the Top 40 in the nation in rushing yards per carry with Waylee 30th and 1st in the MAC with a 5.72 average and Brown's 5.64 average 37th in the FBS and third in the league.. 

WHERE THERE'S A "WAY": Third year sophomore Harrison Waylee, NIU's leading rusher, is averaging 95.9 rushing yards per game to rank third in the MAC and 21st in the country in rushing yards. With 1,893 career rushing yards, Waylee ranks 21st on the Huskies' all-time list while his career average of 94.7 yards per game ranks sixth. He has three 100-plus yard rushing games this season, including a career-high 230-yard game at Ball State, and eight in his career. Waylee also set the NIU record for most receptions by a running back in a game with 10 catches (for 96 yards) versus Toledo. At Eastern Michigan, Waylee's 158-yard rushing game included a career-long 76-yard TD run.  

ABOUT AB: NIU's second-leading rusher, Antario Brown, leads the Huskies in rushing TDs with six and ranks second on the team, and seventh in the MAC, in rushing with an average of 65.8 yards per game and 5.6 yards per rush. He had his best day of the season at Ohio with 160 yards on 16 carries that included runs of 45 and 49 yards. 

SWEET 16: Third-year sophomore Jaden Dolphin led NIU with 16 tackles versus Central Michigan, the most by any Huskie defender this season. Dolphin, who has started the Huskies' last two games in relief of Daveren Rayner, recorded the most tackles by a Huskie defender since October 5, 2019 when Antonio Jones-Davis totaled 17 stops versus Ball State. Dolphin's night included a pass break-up, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. He ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 40.

DEFENSIVE STAND: The Huskies put together their top defensive performance of the season in the 39-10 win over Eastern Michigan on October 15, holding EMU to 29 rushing yards on 27 carries, the fewest yards by a Huskie opponent since the 2011 season. The Eagles' 10 points were the fewest by a Huskie opponent in 31 games, since a 2019 shut out of Akron.
   
NEW TO NIU: Seven players who transferred to NIU this year have seen action in 2022. Wide receivers Shemar Thornton (FIU) and Kacper Rutkiewicz (Illinois State), defensive end Izayah Green-May (Wisconsin) and safety Jordan White (Youngstown State) have all started. Green-May and White recorded a fumble recovery and score, and an interception, respectively, versus Central Michigan. Thornton and Rutkiewicz rank second and third on the team, respectively, in receptions. QB Justin Lynch (Temple) has started each of the last three games, while Quinn Urwiler (North Dakota) and Joey Rattin (Upper Iowa) have contributed on special teams.  

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. 

GRADS: NIU 2022 roster includes 12 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 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.