When Joe Novak stepped down as head coach of the Northern Illinois football team at the conclusion of the 2007 season, he wanted to make sure he left the program in good hands. Novak took an active part in selecting his successor, Jerry Kill. The two have enjoyed a great friendship even before Kill arrived in DeKalb and that relationship has only grown in Kill's three seasons at NIU.
As the Huskies prepare to face Miami (OH) in the 2010 MAC Championship game, many of the seniors and redshirt juniors are members of Novak's last recruiting class. Lacy Banks of the
Chicago Sun-Times filed this story on the impact Novak has had on the current NIU football team.
It seems like it was another season or another time, but there was a time in the early part of the 2010 campaign when the Huskies were looking for their identity. Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com chronicles how the Huskies were able to overcome adversity this season in
her blog post today.
While the Huskies are on the cusp of cracking the Top 25 in both the
Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls, NIU continues to climb ESPN.com's
Non-AQ Power Rankings. Andrea Adelson placed the Hsukies at No. 5 this week, calling Jerry Kill's squad the hottest team in America other than the four undefeated teams.
Matt Levins of the Hawk Eye caught up with redshirt freshman Matt Mougin last week
to profile one of Northern Illinois' up and coming wrestlers. Mougin, a native of Columbus Junction, Iowa has worked hard over the offseason to start in 2010-11.
Fans can get a chance to see Mougin and the rest of the 2010-11 Huskies Dec. 3, when the Huskies host Michigan State at the Convocation Center for their annual Showcase Meet.
Rick Armstrong of the Aurora
Beacon News had a busy couple of days covering Northern Illinois University Athletics. He had three stories in today's paper. He had
this feature on the Mid-American Conference's Volleyball Player and Freshman of the Year, Lauren Wicinski. He also filed this
feature story on NIU defensive lineman Mike Krause and what his return to the field meant to the team this season. He also had a
preview story on tomorrow's match up with Ball State and the Huskies opportunity to clinch the MAC West with a victory.
Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com listed the
Huskies' game with Ball State in her
Non-AQ What to Watch, Week 12. With a win Saturday, Northern Illinois can clinch its first Mid-American West Division title since 2005.
Be sure to catch "NIU Live" tonight at 11:30 p.m. on 670 AM "The Score." Join host Andy Garcia, Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Jeff Compher and their guests NIU head football coach Jerry Kill and head wrestling coach Dave Grant. The quartet preview NIU's upcoming football game with Ball State, the NIU wrestling team and all the goings on at Northern Illinois.
While the Huskies have been gaining ground in both the
Associated Press Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll, one blogger has them firmly in his Top 25. Paul Myerberg of Pre-Snap Read, who was so impressed by NIU's 65-30 win over Toledo, has ranked the Huskies No. 24 in
his most recent poll. Myerberg ranked Northern Illinois 55 in his preseason poll.
Vince Casey of On Patrol, the magazine of the USO, turned in
this outstanding feature profiling Jake Coffman's career at NIU. Casey highlights the Marine Corps veteran's career at NIU and his return to the football team this season.
Northern Illinois' 65-30 victory over Toledo has opened a lot of eyes, including those of Paul Myerberg of Pre-Snap Read. Myerberg was very impressed with not only the victory, but how the Huskies have played the last seven games. In
his post the day after the game, Myerberg admits to misjudging NIU at the beginning of the year and feels the Huskies are the best team in the Mid-American Conference.
We wanted to take the opportunity here at NIUHuskies.com on this to salute veterans all across the country and in particular those here in the NIU family including football players Jake Coffman and Josh Wilber, who served in the Marine Corps.
NIU women's track & field and cross country coach Mark McConeghy, head women's tennis coach Ryun Ferrell, director of ticket sales Cliff Bottigliero and the "Voice of the Huskies" Bill Baker all served our country as a member of the United States military.
Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com's college football blog posted
this feature on Coffman earlier this afternoon. It talks about his time in the Corps, his journey at NIU and the flag he carried out before NIU defeated Toledo, 65-30, Tuesday night. Coffman will join host Bill Baker and teammates Chad Spann and Chandler Harnish tonight for "Inside Huskie Football" at Fatty's at 7 p.m. If you can't make it out to Fatty's tune into 1360 AM WLBK and listen.
Jay Taft and Matt Trowbridge of the
Rockford Register Star were both on hand to provide double the coverage of the Huskies 65-30 win over Toledo. Taft provided the
game story, while Trowbridge gave the background on the NIU-Toledo rivalry in
his piece in today's paper.
There are a bevy of stories this morning on NIU's 65-30 victory over Toledo last night. Where to begin?
The two Chicago papers were out in DeKalb last night to witness NIU's rout of Toledo. Fred Mitchell of the
Chicago Tribune essentially recapped the first half in
his story today. Rick Armstrong
wrote his take on the game for the
Sun-Times in this morning's paper using a little history to put NIU's win in perspective.
Lindsey Wilhite of the
Daily Herald also took a trip down memory lane reminiscing with Alex Kube about the 2007 loss to Toledo and what last night's win meant to him and the Huskies in
his story in today's paper.
Jeremy Werner of the
Daily Chronicle filed
this recap after last night's game, while John Sahly offered
his view of the win in today's paper as well.
Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com also took in last night's game and
filed this story on her blog today.
Enjoy!
By now, many Huskie fans know about the accomplishments of NIU tailback Chad Spann. A former walk-on, Spann earned a scholarship two weeks into his freshman year, and the rest as they say is history. But I bet many don't know the road Spann had to take to get where he is today. Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com chronicled the senior's path to NIU in
this feature story on the site today.
Lacy Banks of the Chicago Sun-Times
has a story in today's paper previewing tonight's game. In it, he talks about how the Huskies want to send the seniors off with a win.
Fred Mitchell of the
Chicago Tribune breaks down what the outcome of this game means for both Northern Illinois and Toledo in
his preview story running in today's paper. Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com posted a piece on today's game in
her blog.
The Huskies maintained the No. 6 spot in Adrea Adelson's
Non-AQ Power Rankings on ESPN.com. Adelson cites that the Huskies only two losses are to two teams that are one win away from bowl eligibility. She also mentions the NIU-Toledo game at the end of her
Non-AQ Weekend Rewind.
Looking for background of tomorrow's contest with Toledo? We've got you covered. Jay Taft of the
Rockford Register Star posted this preview story of the game today. Jeremy Werner of the
Daily Chronicle filed
this story about the rivalry last week.
After receiving one vote in the
Associated Press and two votes in the
USA Today Coaches Polls the last few weeks, the Northern Illinois University football team has acquired nine points in the AP poll, while garnering eight points in the Coaches Poll. While the increase in points from the last two weeks is encouraging, there is one oddity in the Coaches Poll. Temple has 11 points, three more than NIU. If I can refresh everyone's memory,
the Huskies defeated the Owls, 31-17, on Oct. 9. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
The Northern Illinois University football team gained another vote in the
USA Today Coaches Poll after winning its sixth-straight. The Huskies now have two votes in the Coaches Poll, while maintaining its one vote in the AP Poll.
The Northern Illinois University football team maintained it's sixth spot on Andrea Adelson's
Non-AQ Power Rankings on ESPN.com this week after its 28-21 comeback over Western Michigan Saturday afternoon.
