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   DOG TREATS   

• NIU makes its first MAC road trip of the season when the Huskies play at Bowling Green for the first time since 2017 with the only meeting since that season a 34-26 NIU win in 2021 in DeKalb. 
• The Huskies are coming off a 34-20 home win over UMass after scoring 27 second-half points behind a dominant performance by the NIU offensive line and the running of backs Gavin Williams (125 yards) and Jaylen Poe (98 yards).
• One week after limiting NC State to 1-of-11 on third down conversions, NIU stopped UMass nine times on third down, including a 1-of-6 mark in the second half. For the season, opponents are converting 23.3 percent on third down, which ranks second in the country behind only Tennessee. 
• Senior running back Antario Brown moved into 10th place on the Huskies' career rushing chart last week and needs 77 yards to surpass 3,000 for his career. He has nine career 100-yard rushing games after a 114-yard performance (on 28 carries) at NC State.   
• Defensive end Roy Williams led the Huskies' defensive effort versus UMass with 1.5 sacks, giving him 3.5 on the season, and five tackles, four solo. Williams leads all NIU defensive linemen with 20 tackles on the year. 
• NIU now has held 14 of its last 18 opponents over the last two seasons to 24 points or less, including all five of its 2024 foes. 
• Redshirt freshman running back Jaylen Poe added an 89-yard kickoff return to his 98-yard rushing day Saturday, the longest kickoff return by a Huskie since Trayvon Rudolph's 100-yard touchdown return versus Bowling Green in 2021. 
• NIU's 367-yard rushing day versus UMass was its second of the season and the Huskies' highest rushing total since last year's game at Akron. 
• NIU's 2024 roster includes 32 seniors, sixth-most in the FBS. Twenty of those seniors have spent their entire careers as Huskies, which is the third highest total in the country. 
• Since the start of the 2016 season, NIU leads the FBS in one-score games played with 58. NIU is 28-30 in those games.
• Neither Buffalo (184 yards) nor NC State (171) gained more than 200 yards of total offense against the Huskie defense, marking the first time since 2005 that NIU held opponents below that number in back-to-back games. 
• NIU's win at fifth-ranked Notre Dame on September 7 marked the first time a Mid-American Conference team defeated a team ranked in the top five of a national poll.

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   NIU FOOTBALL FACTS   

Basic Offense/Defense: Multiple/4-2-5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 50/21
Starters Returning/Lost: 22/7
First Year of Football: 1899
All-Time Record: 614-529-51
2023 Record/MAC Record/Finish: 7-6/5-3/2nd (West)
Last Bowl Game: 2023 Camellia Bowl (NIU 21, Arkansas State 19)
Bowl Appearances (FBS): 15
MAC Championship Appearances, Last: 9, 2021
MAC Championships, Last: 6, 2021

2024 Schedule & Results
 

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   FALCON FOOTBALL FACTS   

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Scot Loeffler (Michigan, 1998)
Record at Bowling Green/Years: 22-38/6
Career Record/Years: Same
2023 Record: 7-6
Conference Record/Finish: 5-3/3rd-East
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio
Enrollment: 20,232
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Orange and Brown 
Stadium: Doyt Perry Stadium
Surface/Capacity: Shaw Sports Turf/24,000
President: Dr. Rodney Rogers
Athletic Director: Derek van der Merwe
Athletics Website: BGSUFalcons.com
Twitter: @BG_Football

2024 Schedule & Results
 

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   NIU-BGSU SERIES   

Overall: BGSU leads 12-11
In DeKalb: NIU leads 7-3
In Bowling Green: BGSU leads 7-3
In MAC Championship Games: BGSU leads 2-1
In MAC Games: NIU leads 8-7
Streak: NIU, 3
First Meeting: Nov. 18, 1967; BGSU 17, NIU 7 (A)
Last Meeting: Oct. 16, 2021; NIU 34, BGSU 26 (H)
 

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   FOLLOW THE HUSKIES   

TV: NIU-BGSU ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Bowling Green 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.
• Jason Ross (play-by-play) and Tyoka Jackson (color analyst) will be on the call for ESPN+ Saturday.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage for the Bowling Green game begins 30 minutes before kickoff, at 2 p.m. (CT), on 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb.
• Hear the broadcast on mobile devices via the free NIU Huskies mobile app, on TuneIn, or stream online on 949wdkb.com. 
• Longtime Huskie Sports Network sideline reporter Andy Garcia is making his NIU play-by-play debut in 2024 in his new role as "Voice of the Huskies" while analyst Mark Lindo is in his 40th consecutive season calling NIU football. Terry Bonadonna is in his first year as the sideline reporter.

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

• Fans are invited to attend the one-hour weekly show every Wednesday throughout September and October at Noon at Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb (1312 W. Lincoln Hwy).
• Hear the show live on 94-9 WDKB, on the NIU Huskies app and on TuneIn, or stream on 949wdkb.com.
• Host Andy Garcia interviews NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock each week, along with Huskie players and special guests. 

NIU WEEKLY ON YOUTUBE

• New host Terry Bonadonna talks NIU football, basketball and more with the Huskie head coaches and administrators, including a weekly visit during football season from head coach Thomas Hammock. Get all the latest news and updates in this fast-paced show.
• Watch new episodes on the NIU Athletics Official 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.

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   NOTING NIU   

OFF TO OHIO: After closing out its non-conference schedule with a 34-20 win at home over UMass, the NIU Huskies travel to Bowling Green, Ohio to take on the Bowling Green Falcons for the first time since 2021; NIU plays at BG for the first time since 2017.    

SERIES HISTORY: Bowling Green leads the all-time series with NIU 12-11. The teams have only met once in the last seven seasons - a 34-26 NIU win in Huskie Stadium in 2021. Prior to that, the last game between the teams was a 48-17 NIU win at Bowling Green in 2017; no current player or coach on the NIU roster has been involved in a game at Bowling Green. NIU and BG met every year from 2013-2017, and played for the MAC Championship at Ford Field in Detroit in 2013, 2014 and 2015. NIU has won four of the last five games in the series, including the 2014 MAC title game and the last three regular season meetings. The Falcons have won seven of the 10 games played in Ohio. 

LAST WEEK: NIU outscored UMass 27-6 in the second half to claim a 34-20 victory over the Minutemen in Huskie Stadium. Running backs Gavin Williams (125) and Jaylen Poe (98) combined for 123 rushing yards as NIU ran on 24 of its 26 plays in the second half and scored on every possession until a final kneel down. The Huskie defense twice held UM to field goals in the red zone and stopped the Minutemen on downs three times while collecting four sacks and breaking up four passes.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: In 38 seasons as a member of the Mid-American Conference, the Huskies are 165-119-2 all-time. The Huskies own a winning percentage of .637 (135-77) versus MAC foes since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 78-33 (.703) against the MAC with three undefeated campaigns, two one-loss seasons and eight division championships, including a run of six-straight (2010-15). NIU originally competed in the MAC from 1975-85.

ON THE MAC ROAD: NIU plays its first MAC road game of 2024 on Saturday. The Huskies are 27-15 in conference road games since 2013 and 91-101-1 all-time in league games away from Huskie Stadium for a 47 percent win percentage. NIU was 2-2 on the road in league games a year ago. The Huskies have split their two road non-conference games this season.

MOVING ON UP: With the win at Notre Dame, Thomas Hammock passed Bill Mallory and Jerry Ippoliti for seventh place on the Huskies' all-time coaching wins chart with his 26th victory and now has 27 wins.  Hammock's 62 games coached over the last five-plus seasons rank seventh all-time at NIU. He is the 23rd head coach in NIU's 123-year college football history. 

CLOSE CALLS: Three of NIU's five games this season have been decided by one score or less with a two point win at Notre Dame, a three-point loss in overtime to Buffalo and the seven-point decision at NC State. Eight of NIU's 13 games a year ago, including the Camellia Bowl win, were within that margin, a trend that predates Thomas Hammock's tenure as head coach. Since the start of the 2016 season, NIU leads the FBS in one-score games played, ahead of Texas (54) and Eastern Michigan (53).  

One-Score Record Since 2015
1.     NIU    58 (28-30)
2.     Texas    54 (24-30)
3.     Eastern Michigan    53 (27-26)
T4.     Iowa State    49 (19-30)
T4.     North Carolina    49 (21-28) 
T4.     Nebraska    49 (14-35)
7.     Oklahoma State    48 (31-17)
8.     Tulsa    47 (21-26)
T9.     Kansas State    46 (22-24)
T9.     Navy    46 (23-23)

In 62 games under Thomas Hammock since 2019, 37 games, including 24 MAC contests have been decided by one score. Included in those 37 games are four overtime games. 

SENIOR-LADEN: After fielding one of the youngest teams in the country in 2021, NIU's 2024 roster includes 32 seniors, which ranks tied for sixth-most nationally (see chart). Even more rare is the fact that of those 32 seniors, 20 have played their entire careers at NIU, a number that ranks third in the nation behind only Stanford and Navy,

Seniors Who Have Played Entire Career at Same School (min. 15)
    Stanford - 23
    Navy - 23
    NIU - 20
    Bowling Green - 17
    Iowa - 17
    Oklahoma State - 16
    Eastern Michigan - 15

CLASS BREAKDOWN: While the senior class is one of the largest in college football, NIU's current 121-person 2024 roster also includes 46 players - 39 true freshmen - who are in their first year as Huskies. The breakdown of players by year with the program:
Year 6 - 4
Year 5 - 12
Year 4 - 17
Year 3 - 17
Year 2 - 27
Year 1 - 46

GAME CAPTAINS: NIU is naming its captains on a game-by-game basis in 2024. Captains for the Bowling Green game are defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, offensive lineman J.J. Lippe, running back Gavin Williams, tight end Chris Carter and safety Jordan Hansen.

HELLO AGAIN: A pair of former Huskies have made their way to Bowling Green in 2024. Safety C.J. Brown spent 2020-23 on the NIU roster, compiling 206 tackles, 110 solo, including 109 in the 2021 MAC Championship season. He played in just three games for NIU last year. Similarly, Derrick Jackson spent the 2019-22 as NIU's safeties coach and defensive coordinator. 

CONSISTENCY: Seventeen players have started all five of NIU's games so far this season, including 10 on defense and seven on offense. The Huskie defense has had the same 11 starters for each of the past four games with the only change at defensive tackle as Skyler Gill-Howard started the season opener in place of Devonte O'Malley. Offensively, the entire offensive line, quarterback Ethan Hampton and running back Antario Brown have started every game with a rotation of tight ends, fullbacks, running backs and wide receivers at the remaining four spots depending on the opening play call.  

ADDED TO THE BONEYARD: With its 16-14 victory over Notre Dame on September 7, NIU added its 19th Boneyard Win to its ledger. "Boneyard Wins" date back to 1983 and are defined as wins over teams from "power" leagues, as well as independents like Notre Dame and (formerly) BYU. NIU has added three bones to the yard in the last four seasons under Thomas Hammock. See page seven for the complete list of NIU's Boneyard Wins.

MADE HISTORY: NIU's win over fifth-ranked (AP Poll) Notre Dame team was its first victory over a Top 10 team in school history. The Huskies also became the first Mid-American Conference team to defeat a team ranked in the Top Five of a major poll. Prior to Sept. 7, NIU's last win over a ranked team was on Nov. 3, 2015, a 32-27 win over No. 20 Toledo. and its last win over a ranked non-conference foe was a 19-16 win over No. 21 Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003. The win was the Huskies' seventh all-time over a ranked opponent (in 41 games).

IN OT: NIU is 10-6 in overtime games following the Huskies' 23-20 OT loss to Buffalo on September 21. NIU has now played an overtime game in four consecutive seasons. Prior to the Buffalo game, the Huskies had won five of their last six overtime contests. The game was NIU's first overtime game at home since 2017 and its first home overtime loss since Oct. 15, 2016 in a three OT affair versus Central Michigan.  

ON THE OFFENSE

SECOND HALF SURGE: The Huskies scored 27 points and ran for 249 yards on 34 carries and four touchdowns in the second half versus UMass to average 7.3 yards per rush. NIU scored on its first four of its possessions in the half on drives of 75, 75, 90 and four yards before running out the clock in victory formation. The Huskies converted eight straight third downs in the half.

IN A RUSH: The Huskies finished the UMass game with 367 yards on 54 carries, averaged 6.8 yards per rush and threw just two passes after the 9:15 mark of the second quarter. It was the most rushing yards for NIU since the 2023 Akron game (35-380) and the seventh time NIU has run for 300 or more yards under head coach Thomas Hammock. Three Huskies - running backs Gavin Williams (125) and Jaylen Poe (98) and quarterback Ethan Hampton (64) - gained at least 60 yards, the first time that has happened since Nov. 23, 2021. 

THE RB ROOM: With Antario Brown sidelined during the second quarter at UMass, running backs Gavin Williams and Jaylen Poe stepped in and stepped up to the tune of 223 combined yards on 34 carries in the game with all but three of those carries in the second half. Both players recorded career highs in rushing with Poe scoring a pair of touchdowns and now leads the team with three rushing TDs. Williams gained 74 of his rushing yards on the Huskies' 90-yard drive that put NIU up 27-13 with 5:29 to play and finished the drive with a one-yard TD run, his first of the year.

GOOD ON THIRD: After converting on 9-of-11 third downs last week, NIU's season conversion percentage stands at 51 percent on the year (58 of 74). The Huskies rank 15th nationally in third down conversions and lead the MAC. 

WORKHORSE: Senior running back Antario Brown recorded his first 100-yard rushing game of 2024 - and the ninth of his NIU career - with 114 yards on 28 carries to lead the Huskie offense at NC State. Brown accounted for all but six of the Huskies' net 120 rushing yards in the game and added an 11-yard reception. His 28 carries were a career high. 

DUAL THREAT: Through four games, Antario Brown leads NIU in both rushing (355) and receiving (204) yards. He is one of only two players in the Football Bowl Subdivision to lead his team in both categories, along with Air Force's Cade Harris. A proven star as a runner, Brown has become a true dual threat in 2024 with eight catches for 204 yards after entering the season with 59 career receiving yards on 13 catches. In addition to his 83-yard touchdown catch and run at Notre Dame, he had a 43-yard grab to help set up Kanon Woodill's second field goal in that game. 

MOVING ON UP: Antario Brown moved into the Huskies' all-time Top 10 for rushing yards during the UMass game, and now has 2,924 for his NIU career. The senior ranks eighth among active FBS backs in career rushing yards and in yards per rush (6.0). Brown has 24 career rushing touchdowns and needs two rushing TDs to move past Thomas Hammock into 10th place on the NIU career list. 

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND: NIU's five starting offensive linemen have a combined 197 games of experience (all as Huskies) with 139 starts. The group includes a pair of sixth-year Huskies in J.J. Lippe and Logan Zschernitz, fifth-year players John Champe and Evan Buss and the "youngster" Evan Malcore, in his third season at NIU. Champe leads all NIU in players in games played with 50, while Lippe's 39 career starts are first on the team. NIU ranks 17th nationally and leads the MAC in fewest sacks allowed with five given up on the year.  The offensive line is coached by the newest member of the Huskies coaching staff, Luke Meadows, who is in his first season at NIU.
Player - Games Played/Games Started
John Champe - 50/33
J.J. Lippe - 44/39
Logan Zschernitz - 44/38
Evan Buss - 41/17
Evan Malcore - 18/12
Total - 197/139

CHEESEHEADS: NIU's five 2024 starting offensive linemen - seniors J.J. Lippe (Milwaukee), Logan Zschernitz (Spencer), Evan Buss (Kimberly) and John Champe (Brookfield) plus redshirt sophomore Evan Malcore (Sun Prairie) - all hail from Wisconsin, carrying on a long tradition of Huskie linemen from the badger state. The tradition includes names like Manitowoc native Doug Free (2003-06), a 10-year pro for the Dallas Cowboys (2007-16) and Green Bay product and current NFL OL Max Scharping (2014-18). Overall, eight of the 10 offensive linemen on the Huskie two-deep are Wisconsinites.

STEPPING UP: Receivers Cam Thompson and Andrew McElroy have become valuable assets to the NIU offense in 2024. Thompson, a redshirt sophomore who transferred to NIU prior to the 2023 season, and made a pair of catches for 10 yards in limited action a year ago, is tied for second on the team with nine receptions, while his two touchdown catches lead the team. McElroy is new to the roster this year after transferring from St. Thomas. He has made seven catches in the last three games for 94 yards, including a 42-yard catch to set up the Huskies' second touchdown at NC State, and made the only catch of the second half versus UMass to convert a third down.  

STARTING STRONG: After winning the starting quarterback job during fall camp, redshirt junior and local product Ethan Hampton opened the season with a near perfect passing day versus Western Illinois, completing 18-of-20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns, setting a single game school record for single game passing efficiency rating (310.3) in the process. He followed up that performance by engineering NIU's historic victory over Notre Dame with 198 passing and 21 rushing yards, a passing TD and no interceptions to earn a spot on the Davey O'Brien Great 8 list.

BEEN A WHILE: Hampton's 328 yard passing day versus Western Illinois was the first 300-yard game by a Huskie passer since November 3, 2021 when Rocky Lombardi threw for a school record 532 yards against Kent State. Hampton also became just the seventh NIU QB all-time to throw five or more touchdown passes in a game, and the first since Nov. 1, 2011 (Chandler Harnish at Toledo). Hampton was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week for that performance.   

YARDS AND YARDS: NIU's 706 yards of total offense versus Western Illinois were the third-most in a single game in school history, and the most since a 710-yard outburst against Ball State on Nov. 15, 2011 in a 41-38 win and an 806-yard game versus Fresno State on Oct. 6, 1990.   

SPECIAL INTEREST

BIG RETURN: Redshirt freshman Jaylen Poe recorded the longest kickoff return by a Huskie since 2021 with an 89-yard return to the four-yard line versus UMass to earn a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll this week. The play - the 17th longest kickoff return in school history - came after UMass had trimmed NIU's lead to 27-20 with 3:16 to play and set up the Huskies' game-sealing score. Poe's return was the longest for NIU in three seasons, since Trayvon Rudolph scored on a 100-yard kickoff return versus Bowling Green on October 16, 2021.  

UPPING THE AVERAGE: Prior to Poe's 89-yard return, NIU had a grand total of two kickoff return yards on the year to rank 132nd - dead last - in the FBS. Those came on a critical play by Gavin Williams on the opening kickoff at Notre Dame when he covered the ball that didn't make it to the end zone. Following Poe's return, the Huskies now rank first in the country in kickoff returns with an average of 45.50 yards per return.  

LONG DISTANCE: NIU kicker Kanon Woodill's 50-yard field goal in the fourth quarter at NC State was the longest of the Huskie senior's career as he became the ninth player in school history to make a field goal of 50 yards or longer. Previously, Woodill's longest field goal was a 49-yard shot at Toledo in 2023. He is now 6-of-9 on three-pointers this year and 20-of-29 for his career. 

ON THE BLOCK: NIU defensive tackle Cade Haberman earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making two of the biggest plays of the Notre Dame game on special teams. Haberman blocked field goals at the end of each half, including the 62-yard potential game-winner as time expired. He is the first Huskie to block two kicks in a game since Jalen McKie blocked a field goal attempt and a PAT at Nebraska in 2019. 

WOODILL FOR THE WIN: Kicker Kanon Woodill, a cadet in the Army ROTC program, accounted for 10 of NIU's 16 points at Notre Dame with a PAT and three field goals, including the game-winning 35-yard kick with 31 seconds to play. He also made threes from 42 and 21 yards to give NIU a 13-7 halftime lead. The game-winner was the second of Woodill's Huskie career as he made a 26-yard field goal with 54 seconds to play to give NIU a 39-38 win at Central Michigan. 

DETAILING THE DEFENSE

STRONG SECOND HALF: Despite giving up a season high 378 yards to UMass last week, the Huskie defense put together a strong second half, enabling the NIU offense to put together four long scoring drives. After converting four-of-eight third downs in the first half, the Minutemen were successful on just one of six third downs in the second half. NIU also made three fourth down stops in the second half.    

BACK-TO-BACK: NIU held both Buffalo and NC State to less than 200 yards of total offense, the first time in 20 seasons a Huskie team held back-to-back opponents to less than 200 yards. NC State gained just 171 yards, one week after Buffalo totaled only 184 yards. In 2005, the Huskies gave up 174 yards to Eastern Michigan on Oct. 15 and followed that up by holding Kent State to 195 yards on Oct. 22.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: NC State gained just 63 rushing yards on 27 carries, the fewest rushing yards by a Huskie opponent since Western Michigan managed just 24 yards on Nov. 14, 2023. NC State was 1-of-11 on third downs and punted eight times in the game. The last NIU opponent to gain fewer yards than NCSU's 171 was Akron, which totaled 145 yards on Oct. 26, 2019 in a 49-0 NIU win. 

ELITE D: The Huskies' season defensive stats and national rankings have established NIU as an elite defense in 2024, boasting a No. 10 rank in the FBS in total defense. NIU is currently ranked in the Top 25 in five defensive categories and is second in the country in opponents' third down conversion percentage, holding them to a 23.3 percent mark. Three of the NIU's five opponents have rushed for less than 100 yards with Notre Dame earning a season high 123 yards on the ground.  
 

Category	Avg,/No.	National Rank	MAC Rank
Total Defense	263.4	10	1
Rushing Defense	94.2	18	2
3rd Down Conv. Defense	.233	2	1
Passing Yards Allowed	169.2	22	1
Scoring Defense	19.2	35	1
First Downs Defense	73	9	1

STINGY: NIU has held 14 of its last 18 opponents - and every team in 2024 -  to 24 points or less, including a season-low 14 by Notre Dame. In 10 of those 14 games, NIU foes scored 20 points or fewer. Over the last eight games, only Kent State scored more than 24 points on NIU in a 37-27 Huskie win in the 2023 regular season finale.

RUSHING TRENDS: NIU opponents have been held to 150 or less yards on the ground 13 times in the last 18 games and the Huskies are 10-3 in those games, including a 7-0 mark when opponents rush for 101-150 yards. NIU is 0-5 when giving up more than 151 yards on the ground. Buffalo and NC State became the second and third teams in the last two seasons to defeat NIU while rushing for less than 150 yards as they totaled 77 and 63 yards on the ground, respectively.

FORCE IN THE MIDDLE: Senior defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley, who was named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week following the Notre Dame game, has 17.5 career quarterback sacks to rank eighth at NIU all-time. He is tied for 18th among active FBS players after adding an 11-yard sack versus UMass. At Notre Dame, he recorded two sacks for minus 22 yards, three tackles for loss, four solo stops and a forced fumble, becoming the first Huskie to win the Nagurski weekly award since eventual NFL first round draft choice Larry English in 2007. 

SACK SPECIALIST: A third down pass rushing specialist who had a pair of sacks in 13 games last year, junior Nevaeh Sanders leads the Huskies in sacks with 4.5 in 2024. After collecting three sacks and a forced fumble versus Buffalo, becoming the first Huskie since 2018 (Sutton Smith vs. Western Michigan) to record three sacks in a game, Sanders added 1.5 sacks versus UMass.

OF NOTE

PULLING RANK: On September 8 following its win over Notre Dame, NIU entered the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since December 8, 2013 with a number 25 national ranking and 114 points. NIU climbed to No. 23 the next week after the Huskies' open date. This year marked the earliest in the season that NIU cracked the Top 25. NIU spent 11 consecutive weeks in at least one of the polls in 2013.

HUSKIE GRADS: There are 18 players on the Huskie roster who are already college graduates, including all four senior members of the starting offensive line, eight players listed as first team on the current NIU depth chart and another six on the two-deep. 

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Last week, NIU offensive lineman J.J. Lippe was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Campbell Trophy. Lippe, who has become one of the top leaders on the Huskie team, has earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in business from NIU over the past five years. A member of the Captain's Council, the NIU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Marketing Student Advisory Board, he also found time to complete a pair of internships. 

NEXT: NIU returns to Huskie Stadium next week to play host to Toledo with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+. The Huskies will celebrate their 117th Homecoming, and will induct seven individuals into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame. Among the inductees are NIU football greats Jordan Lynch, the two-time All-American and Heisman finalist, and Jimmie Ward, now in his 11th NFL season as a member of the Houston Texans.