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  DOG TREATS  

• The 23rd-ranked NIU Huskies return to action for the first time since a historic win at Notre Dame on September 7 after enjoying a rare September open date. 
• The Huskies enter a game ranked for the first time since 2013 when NIU spent 11 weeks in the national rankings.     
• NIU opens its 39th season - its 28th consecutive year - as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies' six MAC titles rank first among all current league teams. 
• NIU earned its 19th "Boneyard Win" in South Bend, which are wins over teams from "power" leagues and national independents. NIU has recorded three boneyard wins in the last four seasons under head coach Thomas Hammock, adding to a legacy that dates back to 1983. 
• NIU's win at fifth-ranked Notre Dame marked the first time a Mid-American Conference team defeated a team ranked in the top five of a national poll. 
• Senior Antario Brown became the first NIU running back in 18 seasons - since NIU all-time great Garrett Wolfe in 2006 - to record a 100-yard receiving game with a pair of catches for 126 yards at Notre Dame.  
• Huskie quarterback Ethan Hampton leads the country in passing efficiency and passing yards per attempt after winning the starting quarterback job during fall camp. 
• Senior defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley was named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after his performance at Notre Dame to become the first NIU player since all-time great Larry English to earn the honor.
• Including Western Illinois and Notre Dame, NIU has held 11 of its last 15 opponents to 24 points or less. The Huskies had 10 games allowing 24 points or less in the previous four seasons combined. 
• Head coach Thomas Hammock, the 23rd head coach in NIU's 123-year football history, moved ahead of Bill Mallory and Jerry Ippoliti and now ranks seventh on the Huskies' career wins chart.  
• 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 Buffalo game.
• NIU is 2-0 to start a season for the first time since 2015; the last time NIU started the year 3-0 win in 2014.  
• Since the start of the 2016 season, NIU leads the FBS in one-score games played with 56. NIU is 28-28 in those games. 

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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: 613-527-51
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

2024 Schedule & Results
 

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  BULLS' FOOTBALL FACTS  

Head Coach (Alma Mater/Year): Pete Lembo (Georgetown, 1992)
Record at Buffalo/Years: 2-1/1st
Career Record/Years: 114-66/16th
2023 Record: 3-9
Conference Record/Finish: 3-5/4th-MAC East
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.
Enrollment: 29,850
Conference: Mid-American
Colors: Royal Blue and White 
Stadium: UB Stadium
Surface/Capacity: A-Turf Titan/29,013
President: Satish K. Tripathi
Athletic Director: Mark Alnutt
Athletics Website: UBBulls.com
Twitter: @UBFootball

2024 Schedule & Results
 

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  NIU-UB SERIES  

Overall: NIU leads 13-2
In Buffalo: NIU leads 6-0
In DeKalb: NIU leads 6-2
Neutral Site: NIU leads 1-0
In MAC Games: NIU leads 8-1
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 9, 1968; UB 20, NIU 7 (H)
Last Meeting: Nov. 17, 2021; NIU 33, UB 27 OT (A)
 

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  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU-BUFFALO ON ESPN+

• The NIU-Buffalo 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 Buffalo 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 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. The broadcast crew also welcomed 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 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

BACK TO THE MAC: After recording one of the biggest wins in school history, earning its first national ranking since 2013 and enjoying a rare September open date, the No. 23 NIU Huskies welcome Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo to Huskie Stadium Saturday for the 2024 MAC opener on Saturday, September 21. 

MAKING HISTORY: With its 16-14 win over a Notre Dame team ranked fifth in the Associated Press poll, NIU recorded its first victory over a Top 10 team in school history and 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 win all-time over a ranked opponent in 41 games. 

ADDED TO THE BONEYARD: NIU's historic win at Notre Dame was the 19th "Boneyard Win" in school history.  "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. 

PULLING RANK: Following its impressive win over Notre Dame, NIU entered the Associated Press Top 25 poll with a number 25 national ranking and 114 points. NIU enters the Buffalo game ranked 23rd, moving up two spots after the open date. (See complete poll page 5). The Huskies are ranked for the first time since December 8, 2013 when NIU was 24th in the AP Poll and 23rd in the Coaches Poll. NIU spent 11 consecutive weeks in at least one of the polls that season. This is the earliest in the season that NIU has cracked the Top 25. 
 
STREAKING: The Huskies' current five-game winning streak dating back to the 24-0 win over Western Michigan on November 14, 2023, is tied for the third-longest streak in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), just one win behind the nation-leading six-game win streaks by Missouri and Army West Point. NIU's streak, which includes wins over WMU, Kent State and Arkansas State in 2023, is tied for the Huskies' longest under Thomas Hammock. NIU won five consecutive games from September 25 to October 23 in the 2021 MAC Championship season.

Current FBS Winning Streaks
    T1. Missouri - 6
    Army West Point - 6
    T3. NIU - 5
    Memphis - 5
    Ole Miss - 5

WORTH THE RECAP: In the first ever game between NIU and Notre Dame, the Huskies used an 83-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Hampton to Antario Brown, three Kanon Woodill field goals, including the game-winner with 31 seconds to play, a pair of Cade Haberman field goal blocks and a pair of interceptions to defeat the Fighting Irish 16-14 on September 7 in Notre Dame Stadium. 
    After the Irish took a 7-0 lead on the opening possession, Brown's touchdown capped a 98-yard Huskie scoring drive. A 28-yard rush by Brown set up Woodill's first field goal and he added a second after Christian Fuhrman's interception. The first field goal block preserved the 13-7 halftime lead. ND took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter on a 34-yard rush by Jeremiyah Love. An Amariyun Knighten interception with 5:55 to play set up the Huskies at the 50. NIU drove to the 19-yard line where Woodill's third field goal was good. Notre Dame advanced to the NIU 44 in the final seconds where Mitch Jeter's 62-yard field goal was blocked.

NICE START: NIU is 2-0 to start the season for the first time in nine seasons, since 2015 when the Huskies defeated UNLV and Murray State before losing to No. 1 Ohio State, 20-13. The last time NIU started a season 3-0 was in 2014 with wins over Presbyterian, Northwestern and UNLV. 

CHEEZIN': The Huskies were named the Cheez-It Team of the Week by the Football Writer's following the win over Notre Dame, marking the second time in school history and the first time since 2017 NIU earned the honor. The Huskies were also the FWAA's Team of the Week on September 16, 2017 following a 21-17 win at Nebraska. NIU received a care package of Cheez-Its for the whole team, including Thomas Hammock's favorite white cheddar variety. 

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 a memorable 26th victory.  Hammock's 59 games coached over the last five seasons rank seventh all-time at NIU. He is the 23rd head coach in NIU's 123-year college football history. 

THOSE WHO STAY: 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 122-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

SERIES HISTORY: NIU leads the all-time series with Buffalo, 13-2, with the most recent meeting a 33-27 Huskie overtime win on November 17, 2021 in Buffalo. The Bulls earned just their second win in the series in the COVID season opener in 2020. Prior to that, NIU had won the previous 12 contests, including every game since the Huskies became a FBS team in 1969. Buffalo won the first game in the series, a 20-7 decision over NIU in DeKalb in 1968. Three of the last four meetings between the teams - and four all-time - have been decided by one score. In addition to the OT win in 2021, NIU won 14-13 at Buffalo in 2017 and had a 30-29 comeback victory in the 2018 MAC Championship game.

THE LAST MEETING: Clint Ratkovich scored on a 25-yard run on the Huskies' first play in overtime after Demond Taylor's fumble recovery at the two-yard line ended Buffalo's OT possession, giving NIU a 33-27 win at Buffalo and the MAC West title. NIU totaled 505 yards of offense, including 308 on the ground. Trayvon Rudolph scored on a 75-yard run and Antario Brown added a 43-yard TD run as the Huskies built a 24-10 third-quarter lead before UB came back to tie the score in the fourth quarter. 

HOME SWEET HOME: NIU has won nearly 70 percent of its games played in Huskie Stadium since 2003 with an 80-37 (.684) record at home in 21-plus seasons. NIU's all-time record at Huskie Stadium is 188-121-2 for a .608 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.

HUSKIES IN THE MAC: In 38 seasons as a member of the Mid-American Conference, the Huskies are 169-122-2 all-time. The Huskies own a winning percentage of .635 (134-77) versus MAC foes since re-joining the league in 1997. Since 2010, NIU is 78-32 (.709) 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.

AT HOME IN THE MAC: In 38 seasons of MAC play dating back to 1975, NIU is 93-53-1 (.636) all-time at home in league games, including a 71-33 (.680) mark in Huskie Stadium versus league opponents since rejoining the league in 1997.  In 55 MAC home games since 2009, the Huskies are 43-14. 

CLOSE CALLS: The Notre Dame game is the latest Huskie contest to be decided by one score or less. 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).  Additionally, NIU is one of only four teams in the top 10 of the national list with a record of .500 or better in those games. 

One-Score Record Since 2015
1.     NIU    56 (28-28)
2.     Texas    54 (24-30)
3.     Eastern Michigan    53 (27-26)
4.     Iowa State    49 (19-30)
5.     North Carolina    48 (21-27) 
T6.     Nebraska    47 (13-34)
T6.     Oklahoma State    47 (31-16)
T8.     Kansas State    46 (22-24)
T8.     Navy    46 (23-23)
T8.     Tulsa    46 (20-26)

In 59 games under Thomas Hammock since 2019, 35 games, including 23 MAC contests have been decided by one score. Included in those 35 games are three overtime games, among them NIU's OT win at Buffalo in 2021. 

WITH THE HUSKIES: Former Wisconsin and NFL running back James White, who played eight seasons and won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, is with the Huskies this season in a player personnel and student-athlete development role. NIU head coach Thomas Hammock was White's position coach for three seasons at Wisconsin.

ROLLING DEEP: With the addition of redshirt freshman offensive lineman Luke Skartvedt to the field goal/PAT unit at Notre Dame, 74 players have seen action for the Huskies this year. Twenty players, includng three true freshmen and four transfer newcomers, have made their NIU debuts. Transfers Christian Fuhrman (LB) and Jake Appleget (TE) are among the six first-time starters along with redshirt freshman safety Santana Banner and defensive linemen and Jalonnie Williams.  Skyler Gill-Howard made his first career start versus Western Illinois while wide receiver Cam Thompson was in the line-up at Notre Dame. 

ON THE OFFENSE

BALANCED: The Huskies used a balanced offensive attack to control the line of scrimmage, control the time of possession and defeat a defense that held Texas A&M to 13 points and 246 yards. Quarterback Ethan Hampton threw for 198 yards on 10-of-19 passing, hitting nine different receivers and NIU ran for 190 yards on 45 carries by six different rushers. The Huskies gained 388 yards on 65 plays to average 6.0 yards per play. 

RECEIVING THREAT: Through the first two games of the season, senior running back Antario Brown has become a big play threat as a receiver, adding to his proven record as a rusher. Brown has caught four passes for 171 yards in the past two games after coming into the year 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. Brown currently leads the country in yards per reception (43.75). 

BIG GAME AB: Behind the 83-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter that tied the game 7-7, Antario Brown became the first NIU running back to post a 100-yard receiving game since 2006 when Huskie great Garrett Wolfe totaled 114 receiving yards (to go with 171 rushing yards) at Ohio State. The 83-yard score tied for the eighth longest pass play in school history and was the Huskies' longest pass play since 2008 (Chandler Harnish to Nathan Palmer, 8-30-08 vs. Minnesota) and the second longest reception by a running back ever at NIU. Brown added 99 rushing yards on 20 carries to total 225 all-purpose yards despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

BETTER THAN AVERAGE: Antario Brown, a 2023 first team All-MAC selection who was named to the preseason watch lists for the Doak Walker (RB), Maxwell (MVP), Walter Camp Player of the Year and Senior Bowl, is averaging 6.2 yards per carry for his career (2,691 yards on 431 carries) and is now averaging 13.5 yards per catch (230 yards on 17 catches) for an all-purpose average of 6.5 yards per play (2,921 yards on 448 plays). Brown surpassed head coach Thomas Hammock to move into 13th place all-time at NIU in career rushing yards, and needs 37 yards to surpass Stacey Robinson for 12th. 

UNSUNG: Running back Gavin Williams was the unsung hero of the Notre Dame game both for his offensive performance in the fourth quarter in relief of Antario Brown, and for his special teams play. In the upback position on kickoff return, Williams grabbed a kickoff that bounced just outside the goal line to preserve the Huskies' possession on a ball that could have been recovered by the Irish for a touchdown. Williams tied his career high with 17 carries and gained 59 yards, including 20 of NIU's 31 total yards on the game-winning field goal drive. 

STARTING STRONG: After battling for the starting quarterback job through spring ball and fall camp, redshirt junior Ethan Hampton followed up his near perfect day versus Western Illinois by guiding the Huskies to the upset win over Notre Dame. Versus the Leathernecks in the opener, he completed 18-of-20 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns for a 90 percent completion percentage and a single game school record passing efficiency rating of 310.3, breaking the 61-year-old mark of 261.3 set by College Football Hall of Famer George Bork in 1963.

ETHAN THE EFFICIENT: Ethan Hampton's passing efficiency of 235.9 through two games leads the country as he has completed 71.8 percent of his passes (28-of-39) for 526 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. His 18.79 yards per completion ranks second in the FBS, while his 13.49 passing yards per attempt also rank first nationally.  

BEEN A WHILE: Hampton's 328 yard passing day versus Western Illinois was the first 300-yard game by a Huskie passer in 30 games, 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 when Chandler Harnish threw six TD passes in a classic game at Toledo. 

MAC-COLADE: Hampton became the first Huskie quarterback since 2021 to be named the MAC Offensive Player of the Week when he collected the award following the Western Illinois game. He was named to the Davey O'Brien "Great 8" list after the Notre Dame game.  

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND: NIU's five starting offensive linemen have a combined 182 games of experience (all as Huskies) with 124 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. The quintet have not given up a sack in NIU's current five-game winning streak. They are 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 - 47/30
J.J. Lippe - 41/36
Logan Zschernitz - 41/35
Evan Buss - 38/14
Evan Malcore - 15/9
Total - 182/124

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 current NFL OL Max Scharping (2014-18). Three of NIU's five second team offensive linemen are also Wisconsinites.

DISTRIBUTION: Through just two games, 13 Huskies have caught passes as 11 players caught at least one pass versus Western Illinois while Ethan Hampton connected with eight different players on his 10 completions at Notre Dame. Tight end Grayson Barnes leads all NIU players with six catches and is one of three Huskies with 100-plus receiving yards (108), along with Trayvon Rudolph (104) and Antario Brown (171). 

YARDS AND YARDS: NIU's 706 yards of total offense versus Western Illinois are 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

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 Nebraska field goal attempt and a PAT in 2019. 

WOODILL FOR THE WIN: Kicker Kanon Woodill 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 in the first half, giving the Huskies a 13-7 halftime lead. The game-winner was the second of Woodill's Huskie career. While filling in for starter John Richardson in 2021, Woodill made a 26-yard field goal with 54 seconds to play to give NIU a 39-38 win at Central Michigan. The Army ROTC cadet now has made three field goals in a game three times - in that 2021 game at Central Michigan, versus Ohio in a 23-13 NIU win last season and at Notre Dame. 

DETAILING THE DEFENSE

STILL STINGY: Notre Dame is the 11th team in NIU's last 15 games that the Huskie defense has held to 24 points or less. In nine of those games, NIU foes scored 20 points or fewer. Over the last six games, only Kent State surpassed the mark in a 37-27 NIU win in the regular season finale. 

DOWNING THE IRISH: The Huskie defense held Notre Dame to 123 rushing yards on 28 carries and 163 passing yards, a 30 percent (3-of-10) third down conversion rate while picking off a pair of passes and recording two sacks. The Fighting Irish totaled just 286 yards of total offense - and just 198 in the final three quarters of the game.   

FORCE IN THE MIDDLE: Senior defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley made his presence felt at Notre Dame with a pair of quarterback sacks for minus 22 yards, three tackles for loss, four solo stops and a force fumble to earn the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors. O'Malley who has 16 career sacks, became the first NIU defender to win the award in 16 years, since NFL first round draft choice Larry English totaled 12 tackles and a school record five sacks at Idaho in 2007.

A FIRST FOR FUHRMAN: Senior transfer linebacker Christian Fuhrman made his presence felt last game with a team-best nine tackles and an interception off of a tipped pass by NIU's Nate Valcarcel. The interception, Fuhrman's first as a Huskie and NIU's first of the season, led to Kanon Woodill's second field goal of the game. 

KNIGHTEN MAKES THE PLAY: In a game of big plays, Amariyun Knighten's fourth quarter interception and 33-yard return to midfield looms large. The sophomore's first career INT gave NIU the ball with 5:55 to play and led to the eventual game-winning field goal. Knighten finished the game with three solo stops and earned the Lott IMPACT Trophy of the Week 

BACK AND BETTER?: NIU returned nine starters on defense in 2024, 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.

STRONG START: The Huskie defense opened 2024 where it left off, limiting Western Illinois to one touchdown, scored with 2:59 on the clock against NIU reserves. The Leathernecks totaled just 94 rushing yards, and did not gain a yard on the ground in the second quarter while the NIU offense put 28 point on the board. 

WILLIAMS X 2: The duo of Roy and Jalonnie Williams - no relation - started at defensive end for NIU in the season opener. Roy Williams sacked Western Illinois QB Nate Lamb on the first play of the game and finished with a career high six tackles to lead the Huskies. Jalonnie Williams, who missed the first seven games of last season with an injury, made his first career start.

TEAM EFFORT: Twenty-nine players recorded tackles for NIU against Western Illinois. In addition to Roy Williams' sack, six players were in on tackles for loss and four recorded pass break-ups, led by cornerback Jacob Finley's two knockdowns.

AND THIS

PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Seventeen Northern Illinois University football players were 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.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: 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.

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: NIU offensive lineman J.J. Lippe is NIU's nominee 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. 

POTPOURRI: NIU's Trayvon Rudolph ranks 14th among active career leaders in all-purpose yards while Antario Brown is eighth in rushing yards and owns the fifth highest yards per carry average among current FBS players.