HUSKIE BITES
- NIU plays its final road game of the season Wednesday night in Kalamazoo; its the earliest NIU has completed its regular season road schedule since 2011.
- Western Michigan leads the all-time series with NIU, 27-20, and has won four of the last six games between the teams. The Huskies are looking for their first win in Kalamazoo since 2014.
- True freshman Nevan Cremascoli became the fourth NIU quarterback to see action this season when he entered the Central Michigan game on the Huskies' second series. All four quarterbacks - Rocky Lombardi, Ethan Hampton, Justin Lynch and Cremascoli - have played at least a half and thrown for 100-plus yards this season, the first time that has happened at NIU since 2016.
- The NIU defense forced a season high four Central Michigan turnovers, recovering three of CMU's five fumbles and getting a Jordan White interception. It is the most turnovers by a Huskie opponent in 51 games (Sept. 22, 2018 at Florida State).
- With running backs Antario Brown (160 at Ohio) and Harrison Waylee (138 vs. CMU) posting 100-yard rushing totals in the last two games, the duo has now combined to rush for 1,455 yards on 256 carries with 11 touchdowns in 2022 to average nearly 162 yards per game. NIU is the only MAC team to have two players ranked in the Top 10 in the league in rushing.
- With Jaden Dolphin and Pierce Oppong making their first starts of the season versus CMU, 43 players now 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 currently ranks third on the team with 50 tackles.
NIU FOOTBALL FACTS
Head Coach:
Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 16-25/4th
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: 603-519-51
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)
WESTERN MICHIGAN FACTS
Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Tim Lester (Western Michigan/2000)
Record at Western Michigan/Years: 35-31/6
Career Record/Years: 63-54/12
2021 Record: 8-5
Conference Record/Finish: 4-4/T-4th-West
Location: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Enrollment: 18,191
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Brown and Gold
Stadium: Waldo Stadium
Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf/30,200
President: Dr. Edward B. Montgomery
Athletic Director: Dan Bartolomae
Athletics Website: WMUBroncos.com
Twitter: @WMUBroncos
WMU Schedule & Results
NIU-WMU SERIES
Overall: WMU leads 27-20
In DeKalb: Series tied 12-12
In Kalamazoo: WMU leads 15-8
In MAC Games: Series tied 18-18
Streak: WMU, 2
First Meeting: WMU 40, NIU 13 (A) - 9/23/1950
Last Meeting: WMU 42, NIU 21 (H) - 11/23/2021
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
TV: NIU-WESTERN MICHIGAN ON ESPNU
- Watch the NIU-Central Michigan game on ESPNU. NIU will make its second consecutive appearance of 2022 on the network and play its third game on an ESPN over-the-air network.
- The Huskies are playing on ESPNU for the 26th time and for the 10th time in the last five seasons. NIU is 13-12 all-time in games broadcast on ESPNU.
- John Schriffen (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst) will be on the call for ESPNU Wednesday.
RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK
- The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Western Michigan 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.
NOTING NIU
ROAD FINALE: After playing four road games in five weeks between Sept. 24 and Oct. 22, NIU plays its final road game of the season on Wednesday (Nov. 9) at Western Michigan. The Huskies play three of their final four games in 2022 at home with the lone November road assignment at Kalamazoo. It is the earliest finish to NIU's regular season road schedule in 11 years, since the 2011 Huskies played on the road for the final time on November 8.
SERIES HISTORY: Western Michigan holds a 27-20 advantage in the all-time series, and are 15-8 versus the Huskies in Kalamazoo. Four of the last six games between the teams have been decided by one possession or less, including NIU's last win, by a 17-14 score, in 2019. The Huskies are looking for their first win in Kalamazoo since 2014. WMU won 14 of the first 15 games of the series between 1950 and 1982, while the Huskies are 14-7 versus the Broncos since 2001, including a seven-game winning streak between 2009-2015.
THE LAST TIME: With the MAC West title clinched and quarterback
Rocky Lombardi sitting out, Western Michigan handed NIU a 42-21 defeat in Huskie Stadium on November 23, 2021 in the regular season finale for both teams. The Broncos gained 636 yards of total offense behind quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who threw for 338 yards and five touchdowns and receiver Skyy Moore, who caught four TD passes with 206 receiving yards. WMU took a 28-7 halftime lead with the Huskies' lone score on a 96-yard touchdown run by fullback Clint Ratkovich.
Antario Brown added a pair of fourth quarter scores with TD runs of 44 and 41 yards.
LAST GAME: Central Michigan took a 21-0 halftime lead, limiting NIU to 95 yards of total offense, including 44 rushing yards, before the Huskies came back with 22 second-half points, cutting the lead to 28-22 early in the fourth quarter on
Izayah Green-May's 57-yard fumble return score. But Kyle Moretti recovered a
Nevan Cremascoli fumble in the end zone, providing CMU with a 13-point margin they were able to hold in handing the Huskies a 35-22 loss at Huskie Stadium. The NIU defense forced four turnovers on the night and
Harrison Waylee ran for 136 yards on 20 carries to lead NIU. CMU dominated time of possession, totaled 451 yards of offense and converted 9-of-17 third downs.
NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: The Huskies are 24-13 in conference road games since 2013 and 88-99-1 all-time in league games away from Huskie Stadium. NIU was 3-1 in road conference games a year ago with the lone loss at Kent State. The Huskies are 1-2 so far this year in MAC road games with a win at Eastern Michigan (Oct. 15).
HUSKIES IN THE MAC: In their 37th football season as a member of the Mid-American Conference season, NIU is 163-117-2 all-time in league play. The Huskies are 128-72 (.640) versus MAC foes since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 72-27 (.727) 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.
MAC WEST MARK: Since the MAC went to divisional play in 1997, NIU is 78-51 (.605) versus teams from the MAC West, including a 41-20 (.672) mark in the division since 2010. NIU is looking for its first MAC West win of the season after falling to Ball State in double overtime in Muncie on Oct. 1, to Toledo at home on Oct. 8 and to CMU in DeKalb last Wednesday.
HALL OF FAMER: NIU head coach
Thomas Hammock is one of three former Huskie football players 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.
MICHIGAN MEN: NIU's 2022 roster includes seven players from Michigan. Sixth-year senior tight end
Liam Soraghan (Dearborn/Divine Child HS) is the veteran, and defensive tackle and two-year team captain
James Ester (Detroit/Cass Tech) is in his fourth season at NIU. Quarterback
Dustin Fletcher (Flint/Carman-Ainsworth HS), safety C.J. Brown (Canton/Walled Lake Western HS) and defensive end
Ivan Davis (Canton/Plymouth HS) are in their third years at NIU. The Michigan products include redshirt freshmen
Jaden Wilson (Detroit/Renaissance HS) and Muhammad Jammeh (Detroit/Renaissance HS). Four of the seven - Soraghan, Ester, Brown and Jammeh - are starters.
MIDWEEK MACTION: NIU is 25-12 in league games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010, including a 14-7 mark in MACtion road games.
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 eighth, respectively, in the MAC in rushing; NIU is the only school in the league with two players in the Top 10.
FOUR DEEP: True freshman walk-on quarterback
Nevan Cremascoli made his collegiate debut against Central Michigan on the Huskies' second series. Cremascoli, who completed 13-of-33 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, became the fourth different NIU quarterback to have at least 10 completions and 100-plus yards passing in 2022, joining senior
Rocky Lombardi and sophomores
Ethan Hampton and
Justin Lynch. 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.
NEXT MAN UP, EXTREME EDITION: Quarterback is not the only position where the Huskies' depth has been tested in 2022. In all, 21 players listed on the NIU depth chart at one time or another this season have missed a combined 62 games due to injury. that's an average of almost 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, 43 different players have started games for the Huskies with 23 different players making starts on offense and 20 on defense. Two players - linebacker
Jaden Dolphin and defensive end
Pierce Oppong - made their first starts of 2022 last time out versus Central Michigan. Entering the WMU 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 for NIU on defense, while the Huskies have started a different 11 on offense in every game. Center
Pete Nygra and guard
Logan Zschernitz are the only Huskies to make all nine starts on offense.
TURNOVER TALES: NIU turned Central Michigan over a season high four times on Wednesday, the most turnovers forced by the Huskies in 51 games, since NIU recovered three fumbles and picked off a pass at Florida State on Sept. 22, 2018. Versus CMU, NIU actually forced five fumbles, recovered three, and added a
Jordan White interception, his first as a Huskie. Fellow transfer
Izayah Green-May scooped up a fourth quarter fumble and returned it 57 yards for NIU's second defensive touchdown of the season. The Huskies have forced 14 turnovers (seven interceptions, seven fumbles) through nine games, surpassing its 2021 total of 12 turnovers gained in 14 games). NIU intercepted three passes and recovered nine fumbles a year ago. The Huskies have scored 45 points off turnovers - 12 by the defense - compared to 28 points off TOs by NIU opponents.
WHERE THERE'S A "WAY": Third year sophomore
Harrison Waylee continued his impressive run in 2022 with 136 yards on 20 carries versus Central Michigan, his third 100-yard game of the season and eighth of his career. Waylee accounted for all but 22 of NIU's rushing yards in the game. Waylee raised his average to 95.9 rushing yards per game to rank third in the MAC and 21st in the country in rushing. 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 currently ranks sixth.
HARRISON'S HIGHLIGHTS:
At Ball State (10-1): Waylee ran for a career high 230 yards on 30 carries with three TDs, including scoring runs of 68 and 32 yards. 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 ninth-most in the FBS this season. Waylee became the 18th NIU player to reach the 200-yard mark.
Versus Toledo (10-8): Waylee's 10 catches (for 96 yards) established a new NIU single game record for receptions by a Huskie running back, recorded since NIU became a "major college" program in 1969. He broke the previous single game high of eight catches, last set by Justin Anderson vs. Southern Illinois on Sept. 8, 2007.
At Eastern Michigan (10-15): Waylee averaged 9.9 yards per rush with 158 yards on 16 carries. His career long 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter iced the game for the Huskies.
UTILITY MAN: 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. In the last two games, he has played multiple series at center. He has also been in the line-up at tight end and left tackle during the 2022 season. The only position on the offensive line Lippe has not played is right guard.
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 now accounted for 10 points on the season.
TIGHT END TIME: Huskie tight ends
Tristen Tewes and
Liam Soraghan are enjoying career receiving seasons, combining to catch 17 passes for 173 yards and five touchdowns, led by Tewes' 11 grabs for 116 yards. Versus Central Michigan, Soraghan caught his second TD pass of the season while Tewes scored on a career long 34-yard reception, marking the first time two Huskie tight ends caught a touchdown pass in the same game since November 9, 2017 versus Ball State. Including
Drew Cassens' touchdown, tight ends have accounted for six of NIU's 15 TD catches this season.
ABOUT AB: NIU's second-leading rusher,
Antario Brown, leads the Huskies in rushing TDs with six and ranks second on the team, and eighth 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.
AB FROM LD: NIU sophomore running back
Antario Brown has made a habit of scoring from long distance during his 18-game NIU career. Seven of Brown's 11 career touchdown runs, including three of his team-leading six TDs this season, have been at least 35 yards long. His 11 scores have traveled 328 yards for a 29.8-yard average. Brown posted his second two-score game at Eastern Michigan on runs of 47 and six yards. He had a career-long 51-yard touchdown run versus Vanderbilt and a 35-yard score versus Eastern Illinois this year. A year ago, four of Brown's five TD runs went 37 yards or longer. He has 10 career runs of 25-plus 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 made his first start of the season at linebacker 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 is now tied for fifth on the team in tackles with 34.
CT2K: Sixth-year senior receiver
Cole Tucker needs 30 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 with 39 catches for 572 yards in 2022 for an average of 14.7 yards per catch. The DeKalb native and Huskie legacy, whose parents Brett and Cindy were NIU football and gymnastics student-athletes, respectively, has caught 149 passes with nine touchdowns. The sixth-year player ranks eighth in career catches and ninth in receiving yards while playing in a team-high 51 games over the last five seasons.
QB CAROUSEL: For the first time since 2017, NIU has started three different players at quarterback in 2022. 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 the Kentucky, Ball State and Toledo games, with
Justin Lynch also seeing time in those contests. Hampton was injured late in the Toledo game and Lynch, a sophomore transfer from Temple, has started NIU's last three games (at EMU, at Ohio, vs. CMU), with freshman
Nevan Cremascoli making his collegiate debut versus Central Michigan. NIU is one of six FBS team this season to start three or more players at quarterback in 2022.
LYNCH AT NIU: Justin Lynch, who made his NIU debut at Kentucky on Sept. 24 and moved into the starting role at Eastern Michigan, ranks third on the team in rushing with 173 yards on 47 carries. He scored on a two-yard run at Kentucky and a 15-yard jaunt versus Toledo. Lynch had his most successful passing day as a Huskie at Ohio when he completed nine-of-18 passes 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.
SACKS & PICKS: The Huskies have 20 sacks on the season, surpassing NIU's 2021 total of 19 in 14 games.
Ivan Davis collected his first sack of the year at Ohio, becoming the 10th Huskie to record a sack this year, with
Michael Kennedy (4.5 QS),
Devonte O'Malley (3.5) and
Daveren Rayner (3.5) leading the way. Meanwhile,
Jordan White's interception versus Central Michigan was the Huskies' seventh of 2022, giving NIU four more than a year ago.
SCHOLAR-SACKER: Senior defensive end
Michael Kennedy leads NIU in sacks with 4.5, surpassing his CAREER total entering the year. Kennedy had one sack in each of his four active seasons (2018-21) totaling 40 career games. Kennedy was also one of six Mid-American Conference players named a semifinalist for the 2022 William Campbell Trophy, presented by the National Football Foundation to the top football Scholar-Athlete in the country. A sixth-year senior, Kennedy earned his undergraduate degree in management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and social responsibility and is pursuing his MBA.
DEFENSIVE STAND: The Huskies put together their top defensive performance of the season in the 39-10 win over Eastern Michigan on October 15. The highlights:
- EMU was held to 29 rushing yards on 27 carries, the fewest yards by a Huskie opponent since the 2011 season when Arkansas State gained 28 yards on 29 rushes in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl;
- NIU recorded a season-high five sacks for minus 49 yards;
- NIU scored its first defensive touchdown of the season when James Ester tipped a pass at the goal line and caught it in the end zone for a touchdown, his first;
- The Eagles' 10 points were the fewest by a Huskie opponent in 31 games, since a 2019 shut out of Akron.
BALL SECURITY: NIU lost just its second fumble of the season in the loss to Central Michigan when quarterback
Nevan Cremascoli was sacked and fumbled in the end zone for a CMU score. NIU's two fumbles lost ranks tied for sixth in the country. It was the first turnover committed by the Huskies since the Toledo game as NIU did not have a turnover at Ohio or Eastern 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 ranks fifth nationally in fewest fumbles lost.
KICKING IT: After making all three of his field goal attempts at Ohio, NIU kicker
John Richardson extended his streak of made field goals to eight straight, dating back to the fourth quarter of the Toledo game on Oct. 8. Richardson made all four of his field goal attempts at Eastern Michigan - his most makes without a miss in his 43-game career. He has now made 12-of-16 field goals and scored a team-leading 62 points on the season and has 277 career points on 55 field goals and 112 PATs. Richardson ranks fifth all-time at NIU in most points scored kicking and ninth in most overall points. He ranks third in field goals made and sixth in PATs made. He ranks 30th among active players in career points per game.
ONSIDE EXPERT: The Huskies attempted four onside kicks - and recovered two - in the fourth quarter versus Toledo, giving them seven onside kick attempts and four recoveries on the year, well above the 23.8 percent average (between 2014-20) of onside kicks recovered successfully in NCAA football. Prior to this year, NIU's last onside recovery was at Eastern Michigan in 2020. The game-by-game list:
TOPS IN KICK COVERAGE: Thanks in part to its onside proficiency, NIU ranks first in the country in kickoff return defense as opponents are averaging just 12.71 yards per return with 394 yards on 31 returns. In addition to the four onside kick recoveries,
Nick Alvarado forced a fumble on a squib kick at Eastern Michigan that was recovered by
Joey Rattin, setting up a Huskie field goal.
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. He was an all-MAC player in 2018 and 2020; he currently ranks third on the team in tackles with 50 while starting every game. His career totals include 236 tackles in 43 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. The Chicago Heights product 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.
DOG TREATS: The NIU defense has given up nine 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 ... in that game,
Tristen Tewes became the first NIU tight end to catch two touchdown passes in a game in 70 games, since Shane Wimann at San Diego State in 2017 ... cornerback
Eric Rogers became the first Huskie to earn MAC Player of the Week honors after intercepting two passes in 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.
FRESH FACES: True freshman
Nevan Cremascoli became the 10th member of the 2022 signing class to see action for the Huskies this season when he came into the Central Michigan game. at quarterback Cornerbacks
Jacob Finley and
Amariyun Knighten (at Ball State) are the only true freshmen to start a game this year and Knighten leads the way among all true freshmen defenders with 12 tackles. Running back
Jaiden Credle earned his first carries at Ball State, running six times for 27 yards and
Christian Nash played at Ohio. Other true freshmen to see action include linebackers
Jake Gassaway,
Nick Alvarado and Rashon Myles, safety
Trey Porter and defensive end
Roy Williams.
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.
PLAYING IT CLOSE: In four seasons under
Thomas Hammock, 24 of the Huskies' 39 games, including 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 8-7 in one score contests over the last two seasons and are 11-13 in those games over the last four years. in games decided by three points or less, NIU is 7-4 since 2019, including a 4-0 record in those games a year ago.
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.
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.
