---

  DOG TREATS  

• The Kent State game marks the final regular season game for 14 NIU seniors. The group includes four-year starters Nolan Potter (OT) and James Ester (DT), three-year starter Rocky Lombardi (QB) and a pair of grad transfer starting linebackers in DaRon Gilbert and Tyler Jackson.
• The Huskies and Flashes last met in the 2021 MAC Championship game when the Huskies avenged a 52-47 regular season loss at Kent State with a 41-23 win at Ford Field in Detroit. 
• Tailback Antario Brown recorded his fourth 150-plus yard rushing game versus Western Michigan with 159 yards on 21 carries in just a little over one-half of play and added touchdowns of one and 66 yards. He has rushed for a career high 1075 yards on 176 carries to average 6.1 yards per carry. 
• Fourteen of Antario Brown's 21 career touchdowns have come on runs of 35 yards or longer, including six TDs of 46 yards or longer in 2023. 
• The Huskie defense has made one of the most significant turnarounds in the nation and has held seven of its 11 opponents this season to two touchdowns or less, including last week's 24-0 shutout of Western Michigan.  
• NIU ranks fourth nationally in fewest passing yards allowed (156.6/game), ninth in pass efficiency defense (110.32) and 18th in total defense (312.5 yards/game), just one season removed - and with seven returning starters on defense - from its 2022 final rankings of 100th, 125th and 79th, respectively.
• Redshirt freshman Dane Pardridge became the second member of his family to score on a return for NIU when he returned a punt 55 yards for a score versus Western Michigan to record the Huskies' first punt return TD since 2009. 
• With 59 stops, defensive end Ray Thomas ranks fourth among all FBS linemen in total tackles and is the only defensive lineman to lead his team in tackles. No defensive lineman has ever led NIU in tackles for a season (records since 1971). 
• The "Voice of the Huskies" - radio play-by-play broadcaster Bill Baker - will retire following the 2023 football season, his 44th behind the mic for NIU. The Kent State game will mark Baker's 519th NIU football broadcast. 
• Since 2008 every freshman class has left NIU with at least one MAC Championship. The Huskies' five MAC Championship game wins are more than any other current league member and NIU has made a record nine appearances in the game.  
• Of the 85 scholarship players on NIU's 2023 roster, 21 came to NIU as walk-ons. The group includes 2023 Burlsworth Trophy nominee and team captain Jaden Dolphin (LB). as well as starters Nate Valcarcel (S), Devonte O'Malley (DT), Brock Lampe (FB) and Trayvon Rudolph (WR/KR).   

---

  NIU FACTS  

Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Founded: 1895
Enrollment: 15,649
Affiliation: NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Mid-American (West Division)
Colors: Cardinal and Black
Nickname: Huskies
Mascot: Mission (live); Victor E. Huskie (costume)
Stadium: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium
    Surface/Capacity: FieldTurf /23,595
Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-2-5
First Year of Football: 1899
2022 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 3-9/2-6/6th
All-Time Record: 609-527-51
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: 49/27
Starters Returning: 17 (8 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialist)
Starters Lost: 11 (4 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist)
 

---

  KENT STATE FACTS  

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Kenni Burns (Indiana, 2006)
Record at Kent State/Years: 1-10/1st
Career Record/Years: Same
2022 Record: 5-7
Conference Record/Finish: 4-4/T-5th-East
Location: Kent, Ohio
Enrollment: 38,323
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Navy Blue and Gold 
Stadium: Dix Stadium
            Surface/Capacity: Field Turf/25,319
President: Dr. Todd Diacon
Athletic Director: Randale Richmond
Athletics Website: KentStateSports.com

Kent State Schedule & Results

---

  NIU-KSU SERIES  

Overall: NIU leads 22-8
In DeKalb: NIU leads 12-2
At Kent: NIU leads 8-6
Neutral Site (Detroit) Games: NIU leads 2-0
In MAC Games: NIU leads 19-4
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: KSU 21, NIU 19 (H) - 11/18/49
Last Meeting: NIU 41, KSU 23 (N-Detroit) - 12/4/21
 

---

  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU AT KENT STATE ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Kent State 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.
• Dave Wilson (play-by-play) and Ryan Cavanaugh (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Kent State game begins 90 minutes before kickoff, at 9:30 p.m. (CT), on 94-9 WDKB with the Toyota Pre-Game Tailgate Show.
• Coverage on NIU network affiliate SportsFan AM 1330 and on The Varsity Network app begins 30 minutes before the game, at 10:30 am (CT).
• Hear the broadcast on mobile devices via the free NIU Huskies mobile app or The Varsity Network app. 
• Bill Baker is in his 44th and calls his final regular season game (see note) as the radio play-by-play "Voice of the Huskies." Color analyst Mark Lindo is alongside for the the 39th consecutive season, while Andy Garcia is in his 11th year on the sidelines. 

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

• Host Andy Garcia talks NIU football, basketball and more with the Huskie head coaches and administrators, including a weekly spotlight on Huskie Football. Get all the latest news and updates in this fast-paced 30 minute show.
• Also, hear from Huskie legend Bill Baker in each episode with a special "Looking Back with Bill Baker" segment.
• The show has taken a hiatus due to the #MACtion games weekly schedule but returns following the regular season finale.  
• Watch new episodes on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel on Thursdays. 

NIU ATHLETICS ON YOUTUBE

• See weekly and post-game press conferences, special features, game highlights, NIU Weekly 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.

---

  NEWS & NOTES  

REGULAR SEASON WRAP: NIU closes out its 2023 regular season slate with a Thanksgiving Saturday game at Kent State. The Huskies enter the game with a 5-6 mark and are 4-3 in the MAC after a Senior Night win over Western Michigan on Tuesday, November 14, while Kent State is 1-10, 0-7 MAC following a Saturday win/loss at Ball State. 

PLAYING FOR SIX: NIU is in search of its sixth win of 2023 which would enable the Huskies to achieve bowl eligibility. All-time, NIU has played in 19 bowls with 14 of those coming during the Huskies' time as what is now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision (since 1969). The Huskies have played in 11 bowls since 2008, most recently the 2021 Cure Bowl in Orlando. NIU actually has won at least six games 18 times since 2000, but were left off the bowl roster in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (with 10 wins!) and 2005 (despite playing in the MAC Championship game). 

SERIES HISTORY: NIU leads the all-time series with Kent State 22-8; six of the Golden Flashes' eight wins have come at home, including the last meeting at Dix Stadium in 2021, a 52-47 KSU win. Prior to that, the Huskies had won four straight on the road in the series dating back to 2001. NIU came back that same season with a 41-23 win over Kent State in the MAC Championship game, it's second championship game victory over KSU. The Huskies are 19-4 versus Kent State in MAC games. 
  
THE LAST MEETING: In the 2021 MAC Championship game at Ford Field in Detroit, the Huskies jumped out to a 17-0 first half lead en route to a 41-23 victory over the Golden Flashes to claim their sixth MAC title. The Huskies controlled the ball for 40 minutes, and the NIU defense, which had just one interception all season, picked off a pair of passes with C.J. Brown scoring on a 26-yard INT return to extend the lead to 24-3 in the third quarter. NIU led 38-10 before the Flashes added a pair of late scores. Rocky Lombardi ran for three TDs and tailback Jay Ducker gained 146 rushing yards to lead NIU. 

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU wraps up its 38th season as a member of the Mid-American Conference all-time and its 27th since rejoining the league in 1997 after originally competing in the league from 1975-85. The Huskies are 168-122-2 all-time in league play and are 133-77 (.633) since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 77-32 (.706) against the MAC with three undefeated campaigns, two one-loss seasons, seven division championships, including a run of six-straight (2010-15).

NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: The Huskies are 26-15 in conference road games since 2013 and 90-101-1 all-time in league games away from Huskie Stadium for a 47 percent win percentage. NIU is looking to even its MAC road record in 2023 after dropping two of three league road games so far in 2023.

DIVISION HOPPING: Including a pair of wins over MAC East foes Akron and Ohio in October, NIU has won 29 of its last 37 regular season games versus MAC East opponents and is 33-9 since 2008. That includes a 5-1 record versus Kent State with the only loss in the 2021 game in Kent. In addition to its regular season success, the Huskies are 5-3 versus East teams 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) 
Akron    7-1    
Bowling Green    4-0
Buffalo    7-1    
Kent State    5-1    
Miami    3-3
Ohio    5-3

LAND OF LINCOLN LEADERS: Since 2010, NIU is the winningest football program among Illinois' seven Division I football programs. The Huskies are 1-1 versus in-state FBS programs with a 2014 win over Northwestern and a 2010 loss at Illinois, and are 4-1 versus in-state FCS opponents over the last 12 seasons, including wins over Illinois State (2019) and Eastern Illinois (2022) under Thomas Hammock. 

Illinois' Division I Schools Since 2010

Team	W	L	Pct.
NIU	108	70	.607
Illinois State	94	65	.591
Northwestern	88	83	.515
Southern Illinois	74	83	.471
Eastern Illinois	62	92	.403
Illinois	65	102	.389
Western Illinois	52	104	.333

SENIOR NIGHT WIN: The Huskies are coming off a 24-0 shutout win over Western Michigan on Tuesday, November 14 as NIU celebrated Senior Night with its first shut out since 2019. Antario Brown scored on runs of one and 66 yards and Dane Pardridge scored on a 55-yard punt return to provide more than enough points for the Huskie defense, which held the Broncos to 11 first downs and 24 rushing yards on 18 carries in a dominating performance. With the win, NIU kept its bowl eligibility chances alive. 

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: NIU senior defensive tackle James Ester was named a semifinalist for the 2023 Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation award which annually recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation and is selected from across all divisions of college football. A two-time All-MAC selection and three-year team captain with 114 career tackles, 19.0 tackles for loss and eight sacks, Ester earned his bachelor's degree in communications last May with a 3.333 GPA and is currently pursuing his master's in sport management.

HUSKIE LEGEND: The 2023 season marks the 44th and final year behind the mic for the "Voice of the Huskies," legendary play-by-play man Bill Baker. Baker will call his 519th NIU football game this week, and has missed just one game since making his NIU debut when the Huskies faced Long Beach State in Anaheim, Calif. on Sept. 5, 1980. He also has called more than 1,200 NIU basketball games – including several years when he called both men's and women's games. Baker, who ranks tied for sixth in longevity for FBS play-by-play voices, was honored during halftime of the Huskies' 2023 home opener versus Southern Illinois on Sept. 9 and a tribute video can be seen on the NIU Athletics Official YouTube Channel.
 
WORTHY NOMINEE: Linebacker Jaden Dolphin is this year's Huskie nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented to the most outstanding FBS player who began his career as a walk-on. Dolphin, one of five players selected as a permanent team captain in 2023, ranks second on the team with 51 tackles and his 33 solo stops lead NIU. The Des Plaines, Ill. (Maine West HS) product who was an IHSA All-State tight end AND defensive end, walked on to the NIU team in 2020 as a safety and has played in 41 games with 142 tackles, nine tackles for loss and five pass break-ups in his Huskie career. 

WALK IT ON: Dolphin is not the only former walk-on making an impact for the Huskies in 2023. The current NIU roster includes 21 players who started their NIU careers or currently are playing without a scholarship. The list includes Dolphin and fellow starters Devonte O'Malley (DT), Nate Valcarcel (S), Brock Lampe (FB), Trayvon Rudolph (WR/KR) and George Gumbs (DE) as well as the Huskies' starting specialist crew of Tom Foley (P), Isaac Hatfield (LS) and Kanon Woodill (PK).

SHUT OUT: The NIU defense continued to make its case as one of the Huskies' top units on that side of the ball with a shut out of Western Michigan in its last outing. The Huskies' earned their first shut out since a 49-0 win over Akron on Oct. 26, 2019 in head coach Thomas Hammock's first year. NIU held the Broncos to 11 first downs and limited one of the top rushing offenses in the MAC to 24 yards on 18 carries. WMU's 206 total yards were the fewest allowed by the Huskies this year. 

PROPHETE-ABLE PERFORMANCE: Safety Jashon Prophete has quietly been one of the Huskies most consistent defenders and he put together one of his top performances in the shutout of Western Michigan. Prophete tied his season highs with five tackles, four solo and a tackle for loss while adding a pass break up. Prophete also shut down one of the most productive receivers in the league in the game, limiting the MAC's leading receiver in catches per game - Kenneth Womack - to two catches for 24 yards. Prophete has made 30 tackles on the season and is tied for the team lead with four pass break-ups.  

LEAD DOG: With 159 yards on 18 carries versus Western Michigan, Antario Brown posted his fourth 150-yard rushing game of the season to record the 32nd 1,000-yard rushing season in NIU history. He gained a season and career high 280 yards versus Akron, which still ranks as the second-highest total in a FBS game this year. He ran for 152 yards on just 16 carries at Toledo and gained 167 yards on 22 carries at Central Michigan. Brown's 1,075 yards, 176 carries and nine touchdowns are all career highs. He ranks 18th nationally and second in the MAC in rushing yards, 21st (2nd MAC) in yards per carry with 6.11 and 20th (2nd MAC) in rushing yards per game with 97.7.
 
DOWNTOWN BROWN: Antario Brown, who became the 20th player in NIU history to rush for over 2,000 career yards earlier this season, scored twice versus WMU, on runs of one and 66 yards, giving him 21 career rushing touchdowns. Fourteen of his 21 TDs have come on runs of 35 yards or longer, making his average touchdown run 36.5 yards. In 2023, Brown's nine rushing touchdowns have been scored on runs of 66 (twice), 58, 46, 50 and 61 yards - along with a pair of two-yard and a one-yard score. At Akron, he scored from 66, 58, 46 and 50 yards, while his 61-yard touchdown came at Central Michigan. Brown added his first career receiving touchdown - on a two-yard reception - in the season opener at Boston College.       

TACKLE LEADER: Defensive end Ray Thomas leads the Huskies in tackles with 59 to rank fourth nationally among all defensive linemen with at least three tackles in every game this year. He is the only FBS defensive lineman to lead his team in tackles on the year. Since NIU began keeping tackle totals in 1971, no defensive lineman has led the Huskies in tackles on the season. Thomas made a career high 11 tackles versus Tulsa, including seven solo stops and four assists, becoming the first Huskie defensive lineman to make at least 11 tackles in a game since 2013 (Ken Bishop, 11 vs. Toledo). 

VERSATILE: Over the last several weeks, wide receiver/kick returner Trayvon Rudolph, a former high school quarterback, has shown his versatility by taking snaps out of the wildcat formation and contributing to the Huskies' rushing attack. At Central Michigan, Rudolph caught a season-high eight passes for 170 yards with a 72-yard touchdown reception and returned a pair of kickoffs for 39 yards. A week later, he gained a season high 69 yards rushing on three carries with a 35-yard rushing TD versus Ball State while compiling 149 all-purpose yards. In the win over WMU, he caught five passes, ran the ball three times and completed a pass. In 30 total plays over the last three games, he has accounted for 399 yards, including 249 receiving on 19 catches and 81 rushing on six carries. 

QUADRUPLE THREAT?: Versus Western Michigan, Trayvon Rudolph expanded his repertoire to include passer as the former Crete-Monee High School quarterback completed a seven-yard pass to Billy Dozier to record his first career passing yards. He has thrown five passes on two point conversion attempts, including two this season, converting on a pass to Rocky Lombardi versus Southern Illinois. In 2021, Rudolph attempted three passes on two-point conversion attempts, completing one.

TRAY'S TOTALS: In addition to his team-leading 44 catches for 466 yards, Trayvon Rudolph ranks second on the team with 807 all-purpose yards while his 142 rushing yards (on 19 carries) rank third on the team. The junior has averaged 22.9 yards on nine kickoff returns and has made at least three catches in each of NIU's last seven games. In 31 career games over three seasons (2020-21-23), Rudolph has 3,226 all-purpose yards, 1,590 receiving on 109 catches, 1,367 on 57 kickoff returns, and 255 rushing on 27 carries. It adds up to an average of 104.1 all-purpose yards per game with 12 touchdowns (2 rushing, 9 receiving, 1 kick return).

LONG TIME COMING: Redshirt freshman Dane Pardridge made one of the biggest plays of the Western Michigan game with a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown that earned him MAC West Specialist of the Week honors. Late in the third quarter, Pardridge caught a Broncos' punt on the run, saw an opening to the right, then cut back to the left into wide open space as he raced 55 yards for a touchdown. The score was NIU's first punt return for a touchdown (not off of a blocked punt) since Perez Ashford had a 44-yard score on Oct. 24, 2009, at Miami (Ohio), a stretch of 183 games.  

THE PARDRIDGE FAMILY RETURNS: Dane Pardridge, who took over punt return duties after the injury to starter Kacper Rutkiewicz at Akron, scored on just his seventh career punt return. However, he is not the first Pardridge to score a return touchdown for NIU as Dane's father, Curt, scored on a 94-yard kickoff return versus Iowa on Sept. 21, 1985. Curt, was a four-year letterwinner at wide receiver and running back for the Huskies from 1982-1985 who was then drafted in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the (then) San DIego Chargers. His 94-yard kickoff return TD still ranks as the 11th-longest in school history.

IRON MAN: Among the Huskies' 14 seniors, no current player has worn the Huskie jersey longer, or in as many games, as right tackle Nolan Potter. Potter spent a redshirt season on NIU's 2018 MAC Championship team and played in all 12 games on the field goal/PAT unit in 2019. Beginning in the COVID-19 shortened six game season of 2020, Potter has played in 42 of the Huskies' last 43 games with 41 starts. A two-time All-MAC lineman, he has been elected a team captain in each of the last two seasons. 

NO PASSING ZONE: Only one opponent has thrown for more than 200 yards against the Huskies in 2023, making NIU one of the top passing defenses in the FBS. NIU ranks fourth in fewest passing yards allowed per game (156.5) and ninth in the country in team passing efficiency defense with a 110.32 mark. The 156.5 passing yards allowed is the fewest by a Huskie defense since the 1983 defense gave up 155.9 passing yards per game. Three teams - Central Michigan (116 yards), Ball State (115) and Tulsa (102) - have totaled less than 120 passing yards against NIU. 

DIFFERENT DEFENSE: The differences between the Huskie defense of a year ago and the 2023 version have been dramatic and are best explained simply by looking at the numbers. NIU opponents' average of 312.5 yards per game is the lowest for a Huskie defense since 2008 (298.5 yards/game), while the 20.6 scoring average is the lowest since the 2012 NIU defense which allowed just 19.8 points per game. 
 

	Total Defense	Passing Efficiency Defense	Passing Yards Allowed	Scoring Defense
2022	395.7	157.47	252.8	32.8
National Rank	79th	125th	100th	114th
2023	312.5	110.32	156.6	20.6
National Rank	18th	9th	4th	33rd
Difference	-83.2 yds/g	-47.15	-96.2 yds/g	-12.2 pts/g

LOW SCORING: Seven of NIU's 11 opponents in 2023 have been held to less than three touchdowns, including five of the Huskies' seven MAC opponents. In addition to the shutout win over Western Michigan, the NIU defense limited Ball State to an opening drive touchdown, and the Cardinals'  10 fourth quarter points came after a pair of NIU turned the ball over on its half of the field. Ohio and Eastern Michigan both managed just one touchdown and two field goals, while Akron scored two touchdowns in a Huskie blowout win. Southern Illinois totaled 14 points on two TDs; Tulsa defeated the Huskies with two touchdowns, two field goals and a safety.    

TURNOVER TALK: After committing six turnovers without forcing one in losses to Central Michigan and Ball State, there were no turnovers by either NIU or Western Michigan last week.  This season, NIU is 0-3 when it loses the turnover battle (vs. SIU, CMU, Ball State), 3-0 when it wins the turnover battle (vs. Akron, Ohio, EMU) and 2-3 when the turnovers are even (W over Boston College, Western Michigan, L vs. Nebraska, Tulsa, Toledo).  

SECOND HALF TEAM: Especially in its seven Mid-American Conference battles, NIU has been a second half team. NIU has outscored its opponents in the second half in six of seven MAC games with Ball State the only exception. The Cardinals became the first MAC team to score on NIU in the fourth quarter in four games with 10 fourth-quarter points, aided by a pair of Huskie fumbles. NIU has outscored its MAC foes 117-54 in the second half with a 56-17 margin in the fourth quarter. Ball State and Toledo are the only league teams to score against NIU in the final period this year. 

GOING LONG: In MAC play, NIU has recorded 29 plays of 25 yards or longer after just five long plays in the Huskies' four non-conference games. Over the last seven games, the Huskies have 12 rushing, 11 passing and six returns of 25-plus yards by 13 different players. Rocky Lombardi has hit six different receivers with at least one 25-yard pass; safety Nate Valcarcel has both a long fumble (50 yards) and interception (33) return, while Trayvon Rudolph's five long plays include three catches, a 36-yard rush and a 48-yard kickoff return. NIU has scored 13 touchdowns on long plays over the last five games and has 14 on the year, including two versus WMU. (See box page 4). 

CLOSE CALLS: Seven of NIU's 10 games this season, including four MAC contests, have been decided by one score or less, a trend that has continued throughout Thomas Hammock's tenure as head coach. In 54 games under Thomas Hammock since 2019, 33 games, including 23 Mid-American Conference contests have been one score affairs. Included in those 33 games are three overtime games. This year, the Huskies have one-score wins over Boston College in the season-opener in overtime and Eastern Michigan on a late touchdown drive.

VETERAN QB: Seventh-year senior Rocky Lombardi plays in his 51st college football game at Kent State. Lombardi played in 22 games and made nine starts in four seasons at Michigan State, including a redshirt season in 2017. He has played 28 games at NIU with 27 starts over the last three seasons. All-time, he is 571-of-1,030 passing for 7,035 and 40 TDs. He has also rushed for 728 yards on 234 carries with 14 rushing scores, giving him 7,763 yards of total offense and 54 touchdowns accounted for at two schools. 

ON THE CHARTS: Rocky Lombardi will leave NIU ranked on the Huskie passing charts. Lombardi's 5,133 NIU career passing yards are fifth at NIU all-time, while his 412 completions in 698 attempts are both seventh. His average of 183.3 passing yards per game is currently second. He ranks eighth in total offense yards with 5,695 and has been responsible for 43 touchdowns (29 passing, 14 rushing).   
 
STEPPING IN: In his first start at linebacker, senior Tyler Jackson made a big impact versus Ball State as he led the Huskies in tackles with 10 and contributed 1.5 tackles for loss. Jackson, a grad transfer from Lamar University, was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week, the first Huskie defensive player to earn the weekly honor this year. Jackson's 10 tackles are the second-highest total by a Huskie on the season; he has 48 stops in 2023 to rank third on the team despite starting just two games.
  
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION: After two seasons playing a hybrid tight end/wide receiver position, redshirt sophomore and former walk-on George Gumbs made the transition to defensive end following 2023 spring practices. He moved into the starting line-up at Akron and through 10 games, is tied for the NIU team lead in sacks (3.5) and ranks second in tackles for loss (5.5) while compiling 31 tackles.  

GROUP EFFORT: While just 16 different players have started games for the NIU defense with six players (DL James Ester, DT Devonte O'Malley, DE Ray Thomas, LB DaRon Gilbert, S Jashon Prophete, CB JaVaughn Byrd), the Huskie defense has relied on its depth in 2023. As many as 23 different players are rotating into the game, including 10 defensive linemen, four linebackers, five safeties and four cornerbacks. Eighteen different Huskies have collected tackles for loss, 12 have been in on a sack and another 15 have pass break-ups. Through 11 games, 23 players have made at least 10 tackles and 16 have accrued 20 or more stops. Versus Akron, 31 different Huskie players were credited with tackles. 

YOUTH MOVEMENT: While NIU's 2023 roster is filled with experience, a handful of youngsters have played their way into contributing roles. At receiver, redshirt freshman Jalen Johnson has made 15 catches while playing in eight games with his first career touchdown at Toledo, while fellow redshirt freshman receiver Dane Pardridge scored his first touchdown on a six-yard reception at Central Michigan and has made six of his nine catches in the last four games. Of course Pardridge, who took over punt return duties with the injury to Kacper Rutkiewicz in game six, scored on a 55-yard punt return versus Western Michigan. On the offensive line, Evan Malcore has seen extensive playing time and started five of NIU's last six games at left tackle. On defense, redshirt cornerbacks Jacob Finley and Amariyun Knighten are the only freshmen to see time. The duo has combined for 45 tackles, 28 by Finley, who has eight starts. 

PORTAL-ING: In 2023, NIU added 16 new transfers to the eight returnees who started their collegiate careers elsewhere. Twenty of the 24 total transfer Huskies have played and 11 have started at least one game in 2023. NIU has started as many as five transfers in a game this year. Third-year Huskies Rocky Lombardi (QB) and Nate Valcarcel (S) and first-year linebacker DaRon Gilbert have been the most consistent starters; in all, 11 transfers are listed on NIU's current two-deep. 

BOOMING: Huskie punter Tom Foley averaged a career high 53.2 yards on four punts versus Eastern Michigan, highlighted by a wind-aided 79-yard blast, the longest punt in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, the third-longest punt in school history and the longest since 1941. The NIU junior earned MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He also had a 50.0 yard average on four punts at Toledo when he was named to the "Ray's 8" weekly honor roll by the Ray Guy Award. Foley is averaging 40.6 yards per punt.   

KANON THE KICKER: Since taking over placekicking duties in game four, sophomore Kanon Woodill has made 10-of-13 field goals, including 7-of-7 in the Huskies' last four home games. Woodill, a walk-on who is a member of the NIU ROTC program, hit all three of his field goal attempts versus Ohio - all in the second half - to earn MAC West Special Teams Player of the Week honors. His threes turned a 14-13 NIU lead into a 23-13 margin. He was 2-for-2 on field goals versus Eastern Michigan and made single threes in the Ball State and Western Michigan games. 

GAME EXPERIENCE: Overall, the Huskies have fielded one of their most experienced team in years in 2023 with 23 players on the roster who have seen action in at least 30 games during their NIU careers, and another 13 who have played in at least 20 games. There are 12 Huskies who have started 20 or more games. Offensive tackle Nolan Potter (54 games/41 starts) and James Ester (46 games/39 starts) top the list of both games played and starts on either side of the ball and there are nine players who have 40 or more games played at NIU alone.

GRADS: NIU's 2023 roster includes 16 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees  either at NIU or from another institution. The complete list with school and major.

Pos.    Name    School (Earned Degree)    Major
CB Gabe Amegatcher (Nebraska-Kearney) Major: General Studies; Minors: Construction Management, Mathematics
LB Keshon Artis (Virginia Tech) Major: Business Information Technology
TE Chris Carter (Howard) Major: Strategic, Legal & Management Communications
DT James Ester (NIU) Major: Communication, Media Studies
RB Kendrell Flowers (South Carolina State) Major: Family & Consumer Sciences
P Tom Foley (NIU) Degrees: B.S. in Accountancy; M.S. Finance
LB DaRon Gilbert (Lafayette) Major: Economics; Minor: Anthropology & Sociology
LB Tyler Jackson (Lamar) Majors: Industrial Engineering and Business
QB C.J. Jordan (Idaho) Major: Psychology; Minor: Communication
OL J.J. Lippe (NIU) Major: Leadership & Management
QB Rocky Lombardi (Michigan State) Major: History
WR Davis Patterson (Notre Dame College) Major: Strategic Communications & Public Relations
OT Nolan Potter (NIU) Major: Organizational & Corporate Communications
WR Kacper Rutkiewicz (NIU) Major: General Emphasis
DT Demond Taylor Jr. (NIU) Major: Communication, Media Studies
TE Tristen Tewes (NIU) Major: Environmental Studies

STRONG FINISH: With an offensive outburst in the second half, NIU finished the Central Michigan game with 506 total yards for its second 500-yard game of the season. The Huskies' 298 passing yards were a season high while its 208 rushing yards were the second-best total of the season. The Huskies gained 347 yards in the second half alone, 142 rushing and 205 passing, with 28 second-half points to help make up for a 24-3 halftime deficit.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: The Huskie offense had a breakout game with 55 points, 571 yards of total offense and 380 rushing yards at Akron on October 10. NIU's 55 points were the most scored by a Thomas Hammock led Huskie team, and the most since NIU scored 63 points versus Ball State (11-9-17) in a 63-17 win. NIU's 380 rushing yards versus the Zips were the most by a Huskie team in 109 games, since a 433-yard day versus Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 18, 2014, a 51-41 NIU win.  

RECORD BREAKER: With an average of 21.5 yards on 13 carries (280 yards) at Akron, Antario Brown broke the 34-year-old NIU record for the highest yards per rush in a single game (minimum 10 carries). The previous record of 17.6 was set by quarterback Stacey Robinson versus Cincinnati (11-18-89) with 281 yards on 16 carries and five touchdowns in a 56-3 NIU win. Brown's 160-yard second quarter ranks as the second-most yards gained in a quarter by a Huskie, trailing only a 173-yard quarter (2nd) by Robinson versus Fresno State (10-6-90). He became just the sixth player in NIU history to run for 280 or more yards in a single game, joining Jordan Lynch, Garrett Wolfe, LeShon Johnson, Michael Turner and Robinson.

DOMINATING SECOND HALF D: The Huskies won the Ohio game with a dominant defensive performance in the second half, including three fourth-quarter interceptions. Ohio scored 13 points, gained 12 first downs and totaled 188 yards of offense in the opening half. After halftime, the Bobcats made three first downs, did not score and gained just 66 yards on 22 plays, including 14 yards on six rushing plays.

LONGEST DRIVE: Trayvon Rudolph's six-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter versus Tulsa came on the 20th play of a drive that began 11 minutes and three seconds earlier. The drive still ranks as the longest in FBS this year in terms of number of plays, and is the third-longest in time . Quarterback Ethan Hampton led the 75-yard drive, that included 15 rushing and five passing plays. 

FILLING THE BONEYARD: With its 27-24 overtime win over Boston College in the 2023 season opener, NIU earned its 18th "Boneyard Win," defined as wins over prominent opponents and teams from leagues now designated as "Power 5." The Boneyard tradition began in 1983 and NIU has collected 10 Boneyard Wins in the last 15 years, including in back-to-back games versus ACC opponents and in 2017 at Nebraska. All-time, the Huskies have Boneyard Wins over teams from the ACC (4), SEC (1), Big 12 (5) and Big Ten (7), as well as over independent BYU. 

LEADERS OF THE PACK: Five players were named 2023 permanent team captains. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi, offensive tackle Nolan Potter, safety C.J. Brown, linebacker Jaden Dolphin and defensive tackle James Ester were chosen in voting by the Huskie team. Lombardi and Ester were named captains for the third consecutive season, while Potter is in his second year in the role. They will be joined by a different teammate selected each game.

DOGS IN OT: NIU's season opening win at Boston College in overtime marked the Huskies' 10th OT win, improving its all-time overtime record to 10-5. The Huskies have won five of their last six overtime games after its four-game winning streak in OT was snapped at Ball State last year. NIU is 4-3 in overtime games on the road and is 1-0 in neutral site OT games. The Huskies have won three of four overtime games versus non-conference opponents and are 7-4 when MAC games go to extra periods.