Huskies Set for Saturday's Season Opener

NIU Takes on Western Illinois at 2:30 pm

Football August 27

Huskies Set for Saturday's Season Opener

NIU Takes on Western Illinois at 2:30 pm

DOG TREATS

The NIU Huskies welcome in-state foe Western Illinois to DeKalb for the 2024 season opener for both teams. NIU has now played a different in-state FCS school in its first home game of the season four times in Thomas Hammock's six seasons as head coach, including in each of the last three years (Eastern Illinois - 2022; Southern Illinois - 2023). Hammock's first game as head coach in 2019 was at home versus Illinois State.
The Huskies and Leathernecks meet for the 41st time and for the 12th time since NIU moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks in 1969. The teams first played over a century ago on November 7, 1903, and last met on September 24, 2016, a 28-23 WIU win.
Backing up Thomas Hammock's characterization of NIU as a "developmental program" which sees players improve throughout their careers at NIU is the fact that, of the 32 seniors on the Huskies' 2024 roster (tied for 6th-most in FBS), 26 are listed on the NIU depth chart for the Western Illinois game.
Another sign of the Huskies' experience - in addition to the 18 returning starters on offense and defense - the NIU roster includes 15 players who have played in 35 or more games at NIU and six with 40 or more games as Huskies under their belts.
Tailback Antario Brown, who rushed for 1,296 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns a year ago en route to first team All-MAC honors, was named to the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award in August. Brown also led a contingent of 17 Huskies named to a preseason All-MAC team by Athlon and Phil Steele.
Brown, whose 6.33 career yards per carry ranks fifth at NIU all-time, moved past his head coach into 13th place on the Huskies' all-time rushing chart last season. He is 394 yards away from the Huskies' Top 10.
Head coach Thomas Hammock, the 23rd head coach in NIU's 123-year football history, needs two wins to move into seventh place on the Huskies' career wins chart.
For the second consecutive game, NIU players on offense and defense will be in communication with Huskie coaches via the helmet system. NIU's quarterbacks and safeties will be wearing the "green dot" indicating they are the communicators.
NIU is seeking its fourth consecutive victory after winning its final three games of 2024, including the Camellia Bowl game. It would be the second-longest win streak of Hammock's tenure. The Huskies had a five-game win streak in 2021.

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: 611-527-51
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

WIU LEATHERNECKS' FACTS

2023 Record: 0-11
Conference Record/Finish: 0-8/12th (MVFC)
Location: Macomb, Illinois
Enrollment: 7,490
Conference: Big South-OVC
Colors: Purple and Gold
Stadium: Hanson Field
Surface/Capacity: Matrix Turf/12,368
President: Dr. Guiyou Huang
Athletic Director: Paul A. Bubb
Athletics Website: GoLeathernecks.com
Twitter: @WIUFootball

WIU 2024 Schedule

NIU-WIU SERIES

Overall: NIU leads 21-18-1
In Macomb: NIU leads 8-7
In DeKalb: NIU leads 13-11-1
Streak: WIU, 1
First Meeting: November 7, 1903: NIU 23, WIU 0 (A)
Last Meeting: September 24, 2009 : WIU 28, NIU 23 (H)

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES

TV: NIU-WESTERN ILLINOIS ON ESPN+

The NIU-Western Illinois 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.
Kelsie Kasper (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 Western Illinois 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 or on TuneIn, or stream online on 949wdkb.com.
Longtime Huskie Sports Network sideline reporter Andy Garcia makes his NIU play-by-play debut in his new role as "Voice of the Huskies" while color analyst Mark Lindo begins his 40th consecutive season calling NIU football games. The broadcast crew also welcomes Terry Bonadonna as the new sideline reporter.

INSIDE HUSKIE FOOTBALL RADIO SHOW

Fans are invited to attend the one-hour weekly show every Wednesday 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 welcomes 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.

NOTING THE HUSKIES

• The NIU Huskies open their 123rd season of college football - and 56th as a Football Bowl Subdivision program - on Saturday, August 31 when they welcome in-state foe Western Illinois to Huskie Stadium.

• NIU is 22-33 in season-opening games as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program and has won three straight season openers, including "Boneyard" Wins over Georgia Tech in Atlanta in 2021 and at Boston College a year ago. The Huskies are 4-1 in lid-lifters under Thomas Hammock, including victories over Illinois State in won Hammock's 2019 debut as head coach and a 34-27 win over Eastern Illinois in 2022.

• 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, 21 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

• Since 1969 when NIU joined the "major college" ranks, the Huskies are 29-24 in home openers at Huskie Stadium, not including two home openers played at Soldier Field in Chicago in 2007 and 2012. The Huskies dropped a 14-11 decision to Southern Illinois in their 2023 home opener.

• NIU has won nearly 70 percent of its games played in Huskie Stadium since 2003 with a 79-37 (.681) record at home over the last 21 seasons. NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 187-121-2 for a .606 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). The Huskies were 3-3 at home in 2023.

• Since moving to the "major college" ranks in 1969, NIU has enjoyed success versus opponents in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). NIU owns an 18-4 record versus FCS opponents since 2000 and has won nine of its last 11 games. Southern Illinois handed the Huskies a 14-11 loss in the 2023 home opener to break NIU's four-game winning streak over FCS opponents.

• Prior to last year, Western Illinois was the last FCS team to defeat NIU with the Leathernecks' 28-23 victory at Huskie Stadium on September 24, 2016. WIU led the Huskies 28-7 entering the fourth quarter before the Huskies came back to trail by just five after touchdowns by Jordan Huff and Kenny Golladay. NIU had two opportunities in the final minutes to earn the win but came up short on fourth down, including with an incomplete pass from the nine-yard line with under a minute to play.

• The Huskies' history with the Leathernecks goes back nearly to the start of NIU's football-playing days as the teams first met on Nov. 7, 1903. In fact, NIU is listed as the first known opponent in WIU history. With 40 total previous meetings, Western Illinois is the third most-frequent non-MAC opponent all-time for NIU (including current FBS and FCS teams only), behind only Illinois State (56 meetings) and Southern Illinois (43).
• NIU leads the all-time series with Western Illinois 21-18-1 after the Leathernecks win over the Huskies in 2016. It was the Leathernecks' fourth win in the last five meetings between the teams, dating back to 1996. The win snapped a three-game winning streak by the Leathernecks over NIU. Since the Huskies joined the "major college" ranks in 1969, Western Illinois has won six of the 11 meetings.

• While the senior class is one of the largest in college football, NIU's current 123-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

• The sixth-year Huskies include a pair of offensive linemen in J.J. Lippe and Logan Zschernitz as the projected starters for 2024 - Lippe, Zschernitz, fellow seniors Evan Buss and John Champe and redshirt sophomore Evan Malcore - bring a combined 172 games of experience (all as Huskies) with 114 starts. Champe leads all NIU offensive players in number of games played.

Player - Games Played/Games Started
John Champe - 45/28
J.J. Lippe - 39/34
Logan Zschernitz - 39/33
Evan Buss - 36/12
Evan Malcore - 13/7
Total - 172/114

• Huskie alum and NIU Athletics Hall of Famer Thomas Hammock begins his sixth season at the helm of the NIU program in 2024. He guided the Huskies to the 2021 MAC Championship and in 2023, led NIU to its first bowl win since the 2011 season with a 21-19 victory over Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl.

• Hammock's 57 games coached over the last five seasons rank seventh all-time at NIU. With two victories in 2024, he will surpass Bill Mallory and Jerry Ippoliti for seventh place on the Huskies' all-time coaching wins chart. He is the 23rd head coach in school history and enters 2024 with a record of 24-33.

• Senior running back Antario Brown, a 2023 first team All-MAC selection, surpassed head coach Thomas Hammock's career mark of 2,432 rushing yards to move into 13th place all-time at NIU in career rushing yards. Brown enters the season with 2,523 on 403 carries after a break-out campaign last year with 1,296 yards on 212 carries. His per carry average of 6.33 ranks fifth on the Huskie charts.

• After a stellar 2023 campaign, Antario Brown received preseason recognition on three preseason award watch lists and was also named to the 2025 Senior Bowl Watchlist. Brown was on the watch lists for the Doak Walker (RB) Award, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year.

• Antario Brown was not the only Huskie to receive preseason watch list recognition. Senior wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph earned a spot on the Paul Hornung Award Watch List for the nation's most versatile player, while senior defensive tackle Cade Haberman earned a spot on the Wuerffel Trophy Watch List for his community service work.

• Seventeen Northern Illinois University football players have been named to the 2024 Preseason All Mid-American Conference teams released by Athlon Sports and Phil Steele. The Athlon Sports preseason All-MAC team featured 15 Huskies with wide receiver and kickoff returner Trayvon Rudolph making the list at both positions. Fourteen NIU players were named to Phil Steele's preseason All-MAC team. See the list below.

• NIU returns nine starters on defense, with a pack of Huskies with playing experience filling the defensive two- and three- deep. The 2023 version of the NIU defense was NIU's best in more than a decade. NIU opponents' average of 319.5 yards per game was the fewest allowed by a Huskie defense since 2008, while the 21.0 scoring average was the lowest since the 2012 NIU Orange Bowl defense allowed just 19.8 points per game. Just three teams threw for more than 200 yards against the Huskies in 2023, leading to a Top 10 ranking in pass efficiency defense and passing yards allowed.

• In a bit of a statistical anomaly, in all 13 games played by NIU last year, the team that scored first ended up winning the game.

• According to research conducted by CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli, since 2014 (minus 2020), the MAC had the third highest percentage of conference games decided by one score or less among all FBS conferences (41.5%) and played the second fewest number of "blowouts" (17+ point differential).

• 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.

• The 2024 season opener marks the first game played on the new Astroturf surface of Brigham Field. The turf was installed in May. AstroTurf RootZone is the latest unique enhancement to artificial turf, providing grass-like traction for more predictable footing and uniform shock absorption.

• In the first year since the elimination of divisions, NIU tied with Bowling Green for third place in the MAC Coaches Preseason Poll. The Huskies and Falcons each totaled 92 points. 2023 MAC Champion Miami (Ohio) led the way with 119 points and nine first-place votes while Toledo tallied 109 points. Under the MAC's new scheduling format, the Huskies play Bowling Green and Toledo every year. NIU will also take on Miami in Oxford in 2024.

• The next game on NIU's schedule sees the Huskies travel to South Bend, Indiana where NIU will face Notre Dame for the first time in school history on September 7. At just 159 miles away, Notre Dame is closer to NIU than any of its MAC opponents.

• NIU will take on N.C. State in non-conference play, marking just the second meeting between the teams, and the first since 1997. The Huskies will face former NIU head coach Dave Doeren, who left DeKalb in 2012 after leading the program to a pair of MAC Championships (2011, 2012).

Print Friendly Version