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  HUSKIE BITES  

• The NIU Huskies welcome Vanderbilt, the only SEC team ever to play in Huskie Stadium, for a return visit.  The teams, who meet for the fifth time Saturday, played in DeKalb in 1997, with the Commodores coming away with a 17-7 victory.  
• NIU is coming off a 38-35 loss at Tulsa as the Golden Hurricane scored in the final minute and thwarted the Huskies' last drive with an interception. NIU overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit to take a 28-24 lead with 14:50 to play as the game featured four lead changes in the final period.
• NIU will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2012 Huskie team that won 12 straight games, including a double overtime thriller over Kent State in the MAC Championship game, to earn a bid to the Orange Bowl, becoming the first MAC team to play in a BCS bowl game. Nearly 40 members of the team are expected back for the weekend.  
• The Huskies are the defending Mid-American Conference Champions and are one of just five teams from a non-autonomous (Group of 5) league with 100 or more wins since 2010. and enter the Vanderbilt game with 101.  NIU was selected by the league media and coaches to claim the MAC West title (see polls page 2). 
• In 34 games since Thomas Hammock took the reigns of the Huskie program in 2019, 21 have been decided by one score (eight points or less) with 10 of those determined by three points or fewer. NIU is 7-3 since 2019 in games within that three-point margin, including a 4-0 mark in 2021. Over the last two seasons, NIU is 8-4 in one score games.    
• NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American who rushed for over 1,000 yards to lead the Huskies in both 2000 and 2001, is in his fourth season as head coach at his alma mater. Hammock, a finalist for Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honors a year ago, will be inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame on October 8.        
• Linebacker Kyle Pugh has made NCAA FBS history as he is back for his eighth season at  NIU. 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. He earned All-MAC honors in 2018 and 2020 and has 11 tackles this season, including eight in the season opener versus Eastern Illinois.    

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  NIU FOOTBALL FACTS  

Head Coach:Thomas Hammock (NIU '02)
Record at NIU/Years: 15-19/4th
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: 602-513-51
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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  VANDERBILT FACTS  

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Clark Lea (Vanderbilt, 2004)
Record at Vanderbilt/Years: 4-11/2nd
Career Record/Years: Same
2021 Record: 2-10
Conference Record/Finish: 0-8/7th-East
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Enrollment: 12,309
Conference: Southeastern
Colors: Black and Gold 
Stadium: FirstBank Stadium
    Surface/Capacity: Shaw Sports Powerblade NXT 2.25/40,375
Chancellor: Daniel Diermeier
Athletic Director: Candice Storey Lee
Athletics Website: VUCommodores.com
Twitter: @VandyFootball

Vanderbilt Schedule & Results
 

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  NIU-VANDY SERIES  

Overall: Vanderbilt leads 4-0
In DeKalb: Vanderbilt leads 1-0
In Nashville: Vanderbilt leads 3-0
Streak: Vanderbilt, 4
 

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  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU-VANDERBILT on CBS SPORTS NETWORK

• CBS Sports Network will carry the NIU-Vanderbilt game, marking the Huskies' first 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.
• Carter Blackburn (play-by-play) and Randy Cross (color analyst) will be on the call for CBSSN Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Vandy 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. 
• Listen live on the NIU Huskies or The Varsity Network mobile app and hear the show on the same day at 6 pm 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, assistant coaches and players, 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  

VANDY VISITS: The Northern Illinois University Huskies return home to take on Vanderbilt on Saturday, September 17 in the finale of a home-and-home series with the Commodores. Vanderbilt returns to Huskie Stadium for the first time since 1997 and are the only SEC team to play in DeKalb. 

LAST WEEK: NIU lost at Tulsa, 38-35, when TU scored with 58 seconds to play after the Huskies could not convert on fourth and four from the Tulsa 48-yard line. NIU quarterback Rocky Lombardi led a second half comeback that saw the Huskies' overcome a 24-7 halftime deficit by scoring three consecutive touchdowns, including on back-to-back possessions to start the half thanks to an onside kick recovery, to take the lead. Lombardi finished the game 18-of-31 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns, two to newcomer Kacper Rutkiewicz to go with a 33-yard toss to Cole Tucker. The NIU defense held Tulsa to 107 rushing yards and collected four sacks.

DOG BONES: With a 22-21 win over Georgia Tech in the 2021 season-opener, NIU claimed its 17th "Boneyard Win," which are ?wins over prominent opponents and teams from leagues now designated as "Power 5." The Boneyard tradition began in 1983 with a win over Kansas and NIU has collected nine Boneyard Wins in the last 12 years. The Huskies have one Boneyard Win over a Southeastern Conference team with its 2003 victory over Alabama.  

HOME AGAIN: With a 76-29 (.724) record at home since 2003, NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 183-112-2 for a .619 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 1-0 in 2022 after winning the season opener over Eastern Illinois. 

REUNITED: On Saturday, NIU will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2012 season that saw NIU win its second consecutive MAC Championship in a thrilling double overtime win over Kent State and make history as the first Mid-American Conference team to play in a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game. The 12-1 Huskies took on Florida State and trailed just 17-10 after three quarters before the Seminoles scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to ice the game. Nearly 40 players from the 2012 team have signed up to return, including quarterback Jordan Lynch, wide receivers Da'Ron Brown and Tommylee Lewis, defenders Tyrone Clark, Victor Jacques, Alan Baxter and Nabal Jefferson and tight end Jason Schepler. The group will gather in The Yard before the game and be introduced on the field between the first and second quarters.

SERIES HISTORY: NIU and Vanderbilt have met four times previously, as the Huskies have faced the Commodores twice as many times as any other Southeastern Conference opponent.  Vanderbilt has won each of the previous meetings, including three in Nashville, most recently on Sept. 28, 2019, by a 24-18 score. The series dates to Oct. 29, 1994, a 17-16 Vandy win. VU also won in DeKalb in 1997 (17-7) and in Nashville in 1999 (34-31). Three of the four games have been decided by one score. 

SE-C YOU IN DEKALB: Vanderbilt is the only SEC team to play in Huskie Stadium as the Commodores make their second visit to DeKalb Saturday. The Commodores won a 17-7 decision on October 11, 1997, during the Huskies' 23-game losing streak.  
NIU AND THE SEC: The Huskies are 1-11 all-time versus six different teams from the Southeastern Conference and have never played current league members Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU or Kentucky, although that will change next week when NIU takes on the Wildcats in Lexington. The Huskies' lone victory over an SEC opponent was a 19-16 upset victory over No. 21 Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003 in Tuscaloosa. NIU is 0-4 all-time versus Vanderbilt and has lost to Florida and Arkansas twice in its history. The Huskies have also dropped games at Auburn (2000), Ole Miss (1983) and Tennessee (2008).

SEC TWO-FER: NIU will play consecutive games versus Southeastern Conference teams for the first time in school history with Saturday's game versus Vanderbilt followed by next week's contest at Kentucky. This year marks just the second time the Huskies have faced two SEC teams in a season. In 1994, NIU played Vanderbilt in Nashville on October 29 – a 17-16 loss - and two weeks later, lost to Arkansas in Fayetteville, 30-27.

THE LAST TIME: After falling behind Vanderbilt 14-0 in the first six minutes of the game, NIU out-gained and out-scored the Commodores the rest of the way but were unable to complete the comeback and dropped a 24-18 decision on September 28, 2019, in Nashville. NIU totaled 388 yards to the Commodores' 373 and collected 20 first downs to Vandy's 16. Quarterback Ross Bowers completed 17-of-32 passes for 280 yards with Spencer Tears gaining 100 yards on his three catches.
 
FAMILIAR FACES: The Huskies will see a few familiar faces on the opposite sideline on Saturday as Vanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson spent the 2020 and 2021 at NIU as cornerbacks coach. In addition, defensive quality control assistant Jamaal Richardson spent the 2021 season at NIU as a graduate assistant.    

SEEN THEM BEFORE: Eleven players who saw action against Vanderbilt in 2019 are on the 2022 Huskie roster, with left tackle Marques Cox the only starter from that contest still in the NIU line-up. Wide receiver Cole Tucker caught two passes for 43 yards in Nashville, including a 28-yard grab, while kicker John Richardson made a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter to account for NIU's first points of the game. Defensive end Michael Kennedy contributed a solo tackle. Current Huskie starters James Ester (DT), Liam Soraghan (TE), Nolan Potter (OT) and Nick Rattin (LB) all saw action in the 24-18 Vandy win. 

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: Since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program among the state of Illinois' seven Division I football programs. During that time, 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. With nine bowl games and eight MAC Championship game appearances in the last 12 years, NIU has played more games, 157, than any other school in the state.

Illinois' Division I Schools Since 2010

Team	W	L	Pct.
NIU	101	56	.643
Illinois State	84	56	.600
Northwestern*	83	68	.550
Southern Illinois	62	76	.449
Eastern Illinois	53	82	.392
Western Illinois	52	85	.379
Illinois	55	92	.374

AMONG THE BEST: NIU was one of just 19 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams and one of five teams from a non-autonomous (Group of 5) league to enter the 2022 season with 100 or more wins since 2010. The Huskies are now 101-56 over the last 12 years for a .643 winning percentage. NIU's 157 games played during that time ranks tied for seventh in the nation and are the most by any Group of 5 team.

HISTORY-MAKING: In 2021, NIU became the first team in FBS history to win its conference championship game one season after going winless. The Huskies went 0-6 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, with three of the losses by one score. NIU's nine-win improvement was the largest one-year jump in school history. 

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

HERE WE GO AGAIN: A year ago, the Huskies played in 10 games decided by eight points or less, and the first two games of 2022 have followed suit. NIU defeated Eastern Illinois by seven points in the season opener, stopping the Panthers at the NIU 36-yard line as time expired. Last week, Tulsa scored with 58 seconds left and NIU's final drive ended in an interception.

CARDIAC CANINES CONTINUED: In four seasons under Thomas Hammock, 21 of the Huskies' 34 games have been decided by one score (eight points) or less, including 10 of 14 games a year ago and both games in 2022. (See chart page 6) The Huskies are now 8-4 in one score contests over the last two seasons and have an 11-10 mark 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.   

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. 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 at NIU.
 
FINE FORM: In his first game since 2020 and in his eighth season as a Huskie, linebacker Kyle Pugh made eight tackles in the season opener versus Eastern Illinois and added three at Tulsa to up his career total to 197 stops. He has 12.5 career tackles for loss and three sacks in 36 games with 25 starts. Pugh's most successful season came in 2018 when he made 106 tackles, 63 solo with five tackles for loss in 13 games.

KACPER KAN: Illinois State transfer Kacper Rutkiewicz made his first two catches as a Huskie count as he hauled in a pair of touchdown passes from Rocky Lombardi at Tulsa. Rutkiewicz' first catch was a nine-yard grab he caught at the five and rumbled into the end zone for NIU's first touchdown. He accounted for the Huskies' next score as well, closing out the opening drive of the second half with a 30-yard reception in the left corner of the end zone. Rutkiewicz finished the game with three catches for 45 yards.  

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 injured, leaving Tucker as Rocky Lombardi's top target with 11 catches for 190 yards. At Tulsa, Tucker caught seven passes for a career high 123 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown for his seventh career TD. The DeKalb native and Huskie legacy, whose parents Brett and Cindy were NIU football and gymnastics student-athletes, respectively, has caught 121 passes for 1,588 yards in his career to move into NIU's all-time Top 20 in receiving yards at No. 19.  

ALREADY THERE: Against Tulsa, freshman safety Muhammad Jammeh collected NIU's third interception of the season, matching the Huskies' SEASON total from a year ago. Jammeh added his first career interception to sophomore cornerback Eric Rogers' two picks versus Eastern Illinois. Last season, NIU defensive backs had just one interception, with safety C.J. Brown scoring on a 26-yard interception return in the MAC Championship game. 

GETTING THERE: With Jordan Gandy's recovery of a muffed punt at Tulsa plus the three interceptions, the Huskies have gained four turnovers already in 2022 for an average of 2.0 per game. Last season, NIU ranked 118th in the country with 12 turnovers (three INTs, nine fumble recoveries) gained in 14 games. The Huskies rank 16th nationally in turnover margin (+1.50) and lead the MAC in turnovers gained and turnover margin.

NEGATIVE YARDAGE: NIU sacked Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin four times Saturday and the Huskies have five sacks on the season, led by Ray Thomas' 1.5. Four different players had sacks at Tulsa, including defensive end Izayah Green-May. The Wisconsin transfer leads NIU in tackles for loss with 2.5 on the year.      

THE POWER OF 3: Thomas Hammock and running backs coach Nic McKissic-Luke have installed a three-man rotation at running back featuring sophomores Antario Brown, Mason Blakemore and Harrison Waylee. All three scored versus Eastern Illinois, Waylee on a two-yard run after a 54-yard pick-up. Blakemore on a 19-yard run, and Brown with a 35-yard score. On the night, the three totaled 188 rushing yards on 32 carries for an average 5.9 yards per rush. On the season, they have 308 of NIU's 313 yards and are averaging 4.6 yards per carry with four TDs.  

RAYNER SHINES: Sophomore linebacker Daveren Rayner has led NIU in tackles in each of the first two games in 2022 with a career-high 14 tackles against Eastern Illinois, followed by an 11-tackle game at Tulsa. Rayner is just the third Huskie to make 20 or more tackles in the first two games of a season since 2012. He joins current teammate Kyle Pugh (2017) and All-American defensive back Jimmie Ward (2012 and 2013) as the only Huskies to reach that early season mark.

MR. ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD: After missing the last nine games of last season due to injury, sophomore cornerback Eric Rogers picked off Eastern Illinois quarterback Jonah O'Brien twice in the Huskies' 34-27 win for the first INTs of his NIU career. The first gave NIU possession in Panthers' territory and preceded Antario Brown's 35-yard touchdown run, while the second came inside the Huskies' five-yard line to stop an EIU drive. He earned MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors.  

SHEMAR-VELOUS DEBUT: Senior wide receiver Shemar Thornton, a transfer from Florida International University, had an impressive Huskie debut with six catches for 81 yards versus Eastern Illinois to lead NIU. Thornton caught a 38-yard pass to convert a third-and-10 play in the fourth quarter and averaged 13.5 yards per catch in the game. He added two catches for 31 yards at Tulsa and ranks second on the team in receiving. 

WELCOME BACK: Harrison Waylee, a third-year sophomore, made his return to the Huskie backfield after missing the last nine games of 2021 due to an injury suffered in the Eastern Michigan game on Oct. 2. Waylee ran for 574 yards on 101 carries while starting the first five games last season and came into the 2022 season with 1,030 career yards on 208 carries. He has 100 yards on 19 carries through two games in 2022.  

ON(SIDE) IT: NIU kicker John Richardson provided one of the key moments in NIU's 17-point comeback versus Tulsa when he recovered his own onside kick after the Huskies scored on the opening possession of the second half. Richardson dribbled the ball forward 11 yards, got blocking from a pair of teammates and pounced on the ball, allowing NIU to retain possession and embark on another touchdown drive that pulled the Huskies within three points at 8:54 of the third quarter. It was the first onside kick recovery by NIU since Dec. 12, 2020 when Jyran Mitchell recovered a Richardson onside effort versus Eastern Michigan. 

WORTH THE WAIT: Sixth-year senior tight end Liam Soraghan scored his first career touchdown versus Eastern Illinois on a 13-yard reception from his roommate, quarterback Rocky Lombardi and has three catches for 39 yards on the year. He came into the year with four career receptions for 24 yards. 

NEW TO NIU: Five players who transferred to NIU this year have seen action for NIU this season with wide receiver Shemar Thornton (FIU) and defensive end Izayah Green-May (Wisconsin) both earning starting roles. Thornton led the Huskies in receiving with six catches for 81 yards versus EIU while fellow transfer receiver Kacper Rutkiewicz caught a pair of touchdown passes at Tulsa. Green-May leads NIU in tackles for loss through two games and earned his first sack last week. Quinn Urwiler (North Dakota)  and Joey Rattin (Upper Iowa) have contributed on special teams. In all, eight players who started their collegiate careers elsewhere - including starting punter Tom Foley - are listed on the two-deep. 

KICKING IT: NIU kicker John Richardson has scored 15 points on  the year with nine PATs and two field goals to put his career total at 230 points, 45 field goals and 95 PATs. He ranks sixth in most points scored kicking, is fifth in field goals made and sixth in PATs made. He entered the season first or tied for first on the Huskies' career lists for field goal percentage (.796) and PAT percentage (1.000)

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 fall, and recently retired NFL defensive back 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. 

NEW FACES: The Huskie coaching staff features two new faces in 2022. Co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Nick Benedetto arrived in March 2022 from Samford, where he was defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Wide receivers coach Joseph Hawkins was an analyst at Duke after previously serving as wide receivers coach as Bryant University. 

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).
 
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 on Oct. 8. 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) in the 2022 Hall of Fame Class. 

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Senior defensive end Michael Kennedy is NIU's 2022 nominee for the 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.  

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. 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 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 close out the 2022 non-conference slate at Kentucky as the Huskies face SEC teams in back-to-back weeks for the first time in school history. The Huskies and Wildcats kick off at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.