Bloguin's The Crystal Ball Run blog has been hard at work this week cranking out a series of posts this week previewing the upcoming 2013 Mid-American Conference football season. The Crystal Ball Run staff makes its conference championship picks, names its all-conference teams and ranks the strengths of schedules. There is an interesting post on the future relationship of the MAC and Big Ten and a podcast breaking down this year's season.

You can meet the league's new coaches, including NIU head coach Rod Carey and CBR breaks down the top 10 #MACtion games for 2013. The Huskies make three appearances on the list, including the top two.

NIU Athletics would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of long-time NIU Football "Sound Guy" Rick Calderon, who passed away Wednesday, May 1, in DeKalb following a long illness.

Calderon, who retired from NIU in 2008, was a fixture at Northern Illinois home and away football games for many, many seasons. In addition to operating the public address and music systems during games, he was responsible for the coaches' headset communications both home and away. At head coach Joe Novak's request, Calderon would set up "music" (often the opposing teams' fight songs, crowd noise and band played on a loop) to be blared at footbal practice during the week to simulate the other team's stadium atmosphere. On road trips, he would spend time illustrating post cards which he would then send to his many friends.

Calderon graduated from Northern Illinois in 1982 and was active in designing, installing and maintaining audio/visual systems around campus in addition to working with the football team. Read much more on Calderon, here. A memorial service was held Wednesday, May 8, in DeKalb.

With spring football right around the corner, check out this preview on the Huskies' upcoming 2013 spring drills by Yahoo! Sports blogger Frank Schwab. He identifies the defensive front seven and the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball as wild cards heading into spring. He also talks about Jordan Lynch's chances of winning the Heisman in 2013.

Northern Illinois Head Football Coach Rod Carey will join Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein of WSCR 670 AM The Score Friday, March 8 from Fatty's Pub & Grille in DeKalb.  Carey will update listeners on what's been happening with Huskie Football since the Orange Bowl as NIU gets ready for spring practice beginning March 20.  Fans in the area are welcome to come by the show, which will be live from Fatty's from 1-6 p.m.  Carey's segment will begin at approximately 3:40 p.m  If you can't make it to DeKalb, be sure to listen!

Former Northern Illinois assistant coach and NIU alum Dan Roushar was hired as the running backs coach of the New Orleans Saints over the weekend. Roushar will join Sean Payton's staff after spending his last six seasons at Michigan State. During the past three seasons at MSU, Roushar served as the Spartan's offensive coordinator, where he helped the likes of Kirk Cousins, Le'Veon Bell and Andrew Maxwell set new school records.

News of the success of the Northern Illinois University football team has reached across the pond to Ireland. Right guard Aidan Conlon, who's parents hail from Castlebrock and Ballinalee, Ireland, was featured in the Longford Leader. The story talks about Conlon's success at NIU, his roots in Ireland and his aspirations to play professionally. It's great to see the Northern Illinois football story go international.

Huskie wide receiver Martel Moore will be playing in the 2013 Texas vs. The Nation Game, an annual all-star game pitting college football players from the state of Texas versus the players from the other 49 states. The game will be played February 2, 2013 1:30 p.m. at Eagle Stadium in Allen, Texas.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Moore will play for Team Texas. The 6-0, 183 pound wide receiver led the Huskies in receiving with 1,083 yards on 73 receptions. He was also third on the team in scoring with 13 touchdowns. Moore is the third Huskie to play in the Texas vs The Nation Game, joining Eddie Adamski and Chad Spann who played in the game in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Texas vs. The Nation Moore is one of four Mid-American Conference representatives playing in the game. Toledo's Dan Molls and Ohio's Eric Herman and Tremayne Scott are playing for The Nation.

Northern Illinois University Faculty Athletics Representative Matt Streb was honored Thursday by the National Football Foundation as part of the organization's 2012 Faculty Salute Initiative.
 
Streb was one of 15 FARs from across the country that was recognized for his efforts. The honor was given to the FARs at each of the schools who had an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. In 2011, former NIU FAR Jan Rintala was recognized alongside NIU QB Chandler Harnish.
 
Below is a list of the FARs who were honored:
 
·         Baylor University, Mike Rogers (Nick Florence, QB, 3.79 GPA)
·         Duke University, Martha Putallaz (Sean Renfree, QB, 3.40 GPA)
·         Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hank Smith (Ethan Peterson, OL, 3.83 GPA)
·         Northern Illinois University, Matt Streb (Nabal Jefferson, DT, 3.78 GPA)
·         Northwestern University,  Robert Gundlach (Patrick Ward, OT, 3.94 GPA)
·         Robert Morris University, Scott Branvold (Nolan Nearhoof, DE, 3.73 GPA)
·         Saint Xavier University (Ill.), Barbara Becker (Shane Zackery, WR, 3.71 GPA)
·         Syracuse University, Mike Wasylenko (Ryan Nassib, QB, 3.57 GPA)
·         Texas Tech University, Brian Shannon (Cody Davis, S, 3.70 GPA)
·         University of Alabama, Kevin Whitaker (Barrett Jones, C, 4.00 GPA)
·         University of Mount Union (Ohio), Scott Mason (Nick Driskill, S, 3.77 GPA)
·         University of Nebraska, Josephine Potuto (Rex Burkhead, RB, 3.43 GPA)
·         University of Notre Dame, Patricia Bellia (Manti Te'o, LB, 3.32 GPA)
·         University of Southern California, Clare Pastore (Matt Barkley, QB, 3.21 GPA)
·         West Texas A&M University, David Rausch (Aaron Mullane, OL, 3.84 GPA)
 
Launched in 2011 by Fidelity and the NFF, the initiative is an extension of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Program that provides postgraduate scholarships for college football's elite student-athletes. Fidelity, which is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, has taken on a leadership role with the initiative as a natural extension of its ongoing support of the scholar-athlete ideal and commitment to higher education nationwide. As part of the initiative, each school with an NFF National Scholar-Athlete receives recognition for their faculty athletics representative, and a $5,000 donation per school ($75,000 total) from Fidelity will be made to support the academic support services for student-athletes at each school.

Football: Northern Illinois won their second consecutive Mid-American Conference title Friday with a 44-37 double overtime win over then No. 17 Kent State at Detroit's Ford Field. Jordan Lynch combined for 372 yards of total offense, while the Huskie defense held KSU's vaunted rushing attack in check before Demetrius Stone's fourth down interception in the endzone sealed the win. The victory solidified a spot for the Huskies in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl against ACC champion Florida State.

Football: Northern Illinois wrapped up its regular season Friday with a convincing 49-7 win over Eastern Michigan. Akeem Daniels rushed for 112 yards on 12 carries, while Jordan Lynch combined for 275 yards of total offense in the win. The victory was NIU's 11th in a row and marks the first time that the program has reached the 11-win plateau during the regular season.

Football: Northern Illinois clinched its third consecutive MAC West title Wednesday night with a 31-24 win over the Toledo Rockets at Huskie Stadium. Jordan Lynch led the Huskies back from a 14-7 halftime deficit with 295 yards passing in the third quarter alone as part of NIU's 21-point explosion. Lynch also became the first QB in NCAA history to pass for 400 yards and rush for 150 in the same game.

Men's Basketball: Northern Illinois dropped their season opener Friday with a 77-64 defeat at Nebraska Omaha. Aksel Bolin paced NIU with 11 points, while freshman Daveon Balls added 10 for the Huskies.
Women's Basketball: The Huskies started their year off Monday with a tight 45-42 exhibition win over Indiana Wesleyan, as  Amanda Corral led NIU with 12 points and sank to critical free throws late. The squad kicked off their regular season Friday night in Iowa City, Iowa, when they dropped a 63-40 decision to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Football: The Huskies moved to 9-1 on the year with a 63-0 shutout victory over the UMass Minutemen. QB Jordan Lynch combined for over 300 yards of total offense, while the NIU defense forced four turnovers. The shutout was the first by NIU since Sept. 27, 2008, when they blanked Eastern Michigan, 37-0.

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the second consecutive season during the week, but not without some added drama. The week began with a 2-0 loss at Western Michigan, putting NIU in a "win or go home" situation Friday at Buffalo. However, Northern punched their ticket to Akron with a tight 1-0 win against the Bulls.

Players and coaches enjoy the beautiful football locker room which provides the team with not only 120 lockers, but an informal gathering space and a comfortable area to relax and prepare before and after practice. After home games, the luxurious locker room is transformed into a celebration area where coaches and players gather to celebrate a victory by singing the Huskie Fight Song led by University President John Peters.

Take a tour of the Northern Illinois football locker room with Freshman Defensive Lineman, Michael Ippolito.

Football: The Huskies extended their winning streak to eight games Saturday with a 48-34 victory at Western Michigan. After trailing 21-17 at halftime, the NIU offense exploded for 31 points in the second half to put away the Broncos. Jordan Lynch threw for 274 yards and rushed for 136 in the win.

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois notched two huge wins during the past week to improve their standing heading into the final week of the regular season. On Wednesday, the Huskies scored a 1-0 overtime win at Northwestern following Charlie Oliver's goal in the 91st minute. Their Saturday match against West Virginia followed a similar script, with Isaac Kannah scoring in the 84th minute for a 1-0 win over the Mountaineers.

Our coach's spotlight caught up with NIU quarterbacks coach Bob Cole.  An experienced offensive coach, Cole has served as offensive coordinator at six different universities and is currently in his second season with NIU.  After working with the wide recievers last year, Cole returns to leading the quarterbacks this season, a position he has worked at the most over the years.  Get to know coach Cole:

Football: The Huskies won their 16th game in the last 17 and improved to 7-1 in 2012 with a convincing 37-7 victory at Akron. Along with Jordan Lynch's 131 rushing yards, the NIU defense held the Zips to 199 yards of total offense, including only 42 rushing yards on 37 carries.

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois' offense continued to struggle this week as they completed a 0-1-1 week. On Wednesday, the Huskies could not complete the comeback on the road as they fell to Valparaiso, 2-1. Three days later, NIU and Bowling Green battled to a 0-0 tie in DeKalb.

This weeks newcomer spotlight focuses on offensive lineman Dustin Adams, as well as safety Conner Gavin.  Both players explain why they chose to play at NIU and why they enjoy being on the football team.  Offensive line coach Rod Carey and defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jay Neimann explain what they like about Adams and Gavin and what they expect out of them for the future.

Football: The Huskies became bowl eligible Saturday with a dominant 45-3 Homecoming victory over Buffalo. Jordan Lynch combined for 361 yards of total offense, while the Huskie defense forced three turnovers on the day. The win marks the fifth straight season that NIU reached the six-win mark.

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois battled two of the nation's top five programs this week, but could not pull out a win in either match. The Huskies battled No. 4 Marquette on Tuesday, but lost 1-0 after the Golden Eagles scored in the 80th minute. NIU returned to MAC play on Saturday when they fell to No. 3 Akron, 2-0.

After a homecoming victory against the Buffalo Bulls, the NIU Huskies celebrate with President Peters while Coach Doeren honors him with the game ball.

Check it out!

The NIU football team is halfway through their 2012 season and it sure has been impressive so far.

Many of the players have performed well, but one sticks out among the rest. NIU Quarterback Jordan Lynch has proved that he is capable of leading his team into the post-season and more.

Lynch has increased his stats and rank in the MAC West.

Overall, Lynch has passed for a total of 1255 yards with a 60.8 completion percentage. Lynch has rushed for a net total of 789 yards with an average of 6.9 yards per carry! For individual offense, Lynch averages about 340.67 yards per game. He is ranked first in the MAC and seventh in the NCAA. All together, Lynch has a totaled 2055 yards of total offense.

Still not impressed? He is ranked second in the MAC and eighth in the nation for rushing yards! Lynch rushes about 131.5 yards per game.

 Lynch has lead his team to be one of the best offensively. The team is ranked 35th in the NCAA and third in the MAC for an average total of 454.83 yards per game. Lynch's rushing offense is ranked 11th in the NCAA and first in the MAC.

In addition, he has been awarded player of the week for three consecutive weeks.

Check out at Jordan Lynch and see why he deserves player of the week.

NIU head coach Dave Doeren held his weekly press conference yesterday at the McCareins Auditorium to preview the Huskies' upcoming game with Buffalo. Joining Doeren were running back Akeem Daniels, cornerback Marckie Hayes and linebacker Victor Jacques. Two topics that came up were Northern Illinois' impressive winning streak at Huskie Stadium, which the Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell discusses in his story in today's paper, while Steve Nitz writes about NIU's propensity for fourth-quarter comebacks in today's edition of the Daily Chronicle.

Football: Northern Illinois extended their winning streak to five games with a 35-23 win at Ball State to keep the Bronze Stalk. After trailing the Cardinals 23-21 late in the fourth quarter, Jordan Lynch found Akeem Daniels for a 54-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score. About one and a half minutes later, Lynch outran the BSU defense for a 71-yard scoring run to put the game away. The junior QB combined for 402 yards of total offense in the win.

Men's Soccer: NIU improved to 2-0 in MAC play with a 1-0 win against the Hartwick Hawks Saturday in DeKalb. The match's lone tally came in the 68th minute when Gael Rivera beat Hartwick's goaltender with a hard header.

Junior kicker Matt Sims extended the MAC West Conference Player of the Week to five weeks for a Huskie player, after being chosen as the MAC West Specialist of the Week.  Sims recorded a career high 17 points in the Huskies 55-24 victory over Central Michigan, including a seven yard rushing touchdown off a fake field goal.  We caught up with Sims to discuss his award and the victory over Central Michigan:

Take a look at the "New Residence Hall Complex", the newest dorm on campus!

Just north of Lincoln Hall, the 1,000-bed residence provides shelter for a large student body. This new site has two residential buildings where students can live in groups of 12.

Some of the new features allow the students to engage and feel comfortable in their new environment. It offers enhanced privacy (single bedrooms); semi-private bathrooms that will be shared with one other student; a kitchenette; and a spacious commons area!

The community center is located in between both housing buildings where students can eat, work out, play video games and study.

Follow Ron Brown through the new dorm. See it for yourself.

Football: Northern Illinois opened MAC play on a positive note Saturday with a 55-24 dismantling of Central Michigan at Huskie Stadium. Leighton Settle ran for 152 yards and Jordan Lynch gained 144 yards on the ground as a part of NIU's 407 total rushing yards. In addition, a fake punt by Ryan Neir and fake field goal touchdown by Mathew Sims sparked NIU to victory.

Men's Soccer: NIU started conference play with a 2-0 win on the road against the Florida Atlantic Owls. After struggling offensively in the non-conference slate, the Huskies got goals from Isaac Kannah and James Stevenson. Jordan Godsey shut out FAU for his third shutout of the year and 29th of his career.

This weeks Newcomer Spotlight caught up with both corner back Charles Ivory and wide receiver Charlie Miller.  Both players grew up in Vero Beach, FL and they attended Vero Beach High School.  Ivory and Miller both have bright futures for the NIU football program.

Here's what they have to say about NIU football and also what their coaches have to say about them:

  

Meet one of NIU's football coaches, Kevin Kane.

This is Kane's second year as the Assistant Linebacker Coach. He has the energy, excitement and determination in order for his players to succeed.

Kane is a friendly and approachable coach that communicates well with the players.

We had a chance to sit down and talk to him. Take a look and get to know coach Kane.

NIU Football is going environmentally-friendly, as fans will be encouraged to recycle at each of the remaining home football games.

Junior defensive tackle Ken Bishop had an impressive game in the Huskies 30-23 victory over Kansas.  Bishop had six tackles, two assists, two quarterback pressures and two key third down stops.  Bishop enrolled at NIU in January after spending the last two seasons at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa.  Prior to that, he earned second team all-state honors following his senior season at Piper High School in Sunrise, FL.  We caught up with Bishop and also defensive line coach, Ryan Nielsen to talk about his performance against Kansas.

The Huskies victory over Kansas was one of four victories for the Mid-American Conference over a BCS conference this weekend and the nation has taken notice. CBSsports.com filed this story Saturday evening, even as Akron was battling Tennessee down in Knoxville. The Chicago Tribune included the MAC in its 10 things we learned from the college football weekend. CollegeFootball News.com included the MAC and Jordan Lynch its Who's Hot... The Week 4 Stars.

Football: Northern Illinois captured a huge victory on their home turf Saturday with a 30-23 win against Kansas. Trailing 23-13 early in the fourth quarter, Jordan Lynch led a 17-point comeback in the final stanza to give NIU their second comeback win in as many weeks. Lynch combined for 369 yards offensively, while the defense tallied four sacks of KU's Dayne Crist.

Men's Soccer: NIU lost both of their matches at New Mexico's Lobo Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. Friday, the Huskies went into their fourth overtime game of the year against Denver. However, the Pioneers found the back of the net in the 109th minute for a 3-2 win. Northern ended their weekend with a 3-0 loss to the No. 5 and host Lobos.

The Northern Illinois University football team posted its biggest win this young season with a 30-23 over Kansas at Huskie Stadium Saturday. The Huskies trailed 23-13 at the start of the fourth quarter, then rattled off 17 unanswered points to claim the victory. As always, NIUHuskies.com is your source for the most complete coverage of the game. It was a packed press box at Huskie Stadium, and you can read what all the scribes had to say about the game below. Enjoy!

Chicago Tribune

NIU nets signature victory

Huskies two-minute drill

Rockford Register Star

Fourth-quarter rally gives NIU "boneyard victory"

Matt Trowbridge: Huskie fearless on offense and defense

Daily Chronicle

Measure of payback

Analysis: Lynch's abilities create dilemma for defenses

VIEWS: NIU's Doeren earns statement victory over Kansas

NIU Notes: NIU forces Kansas out of wildcat formation

This weeks Newcomer Spotlight is on Freshman CB Anthony Brooks from Warren Mott High School in Detroit, MI.

This weeks Coaches Spotlight focuses on the Huskies offensive line and run game coordinator, Rod Carey.  Carey joined the Huskies after three seasons coaching the offensive line at the University of North Dakota.  Prior to going to North Dakota, Carey spend the 2007 season as the offensive line coach at Illinois Sate, and from 2000-06, he was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  Carey was a three-year starter at center for Indiana during his collegiate playing days, and as served as team captain his senior year, while being awarded IU's Corby Davis Outstanding Offensive Player Award.  

Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch, was recently named MAC West Player of the Week, extending the Player of the Week award to a Huskie for the third straight week.  Lynch lead the Huskies to 41-40 victory over Army on Saturday and passed for a career high 342 yards to go along with 4 touchdowns.  He also added 125 rushing yards on 13 carries.  Lynch is also one of four players nominated for ESPN.com Capitol One Cup Performer of the week, as well as one of eight quarterbacks named a Manning Award Star of the Week.  We caught up with him to talk about his award and the rest of the season. 

The Daily Chronicle's Steve Nitz filed this story on NIU defensive tackle Ken Bishop. Bishop, came to NIU via Ellsworth Community College in Iowa. He was being recruited by several schools including Toledo and Kansas.

Football: Northern Illinois hit the road for the first time in 2012 and escaped West Point, N.Y., with a 41-40 victory over the Army Black Knights. Jordan Lynch combined for 467 yards of total offense - the third-highest single game total in NIU history - and the defense came up with a huge stop inside of two minutes to cap off the rally. The win was also NIU's first road opener win since 2007.

Men's Soccer: NIU split its two matches over the weekend at the Northwestern Lakeside Classic. They opened the tournament with a tough 1-0 loss in the annual LeWang Cup match against Milwaukee. However, they rebounded Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Iona.

The Northern Illinois football team was determined to defeat their next opponent after losing their season opener at Soldier Field against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Huskies dominated their home field against the UT Martin Skyhawks on Saturday earning a 35-7 victory.

Quarterback Jordan Lynch created a new record for himself completing 19 passes of 25 attempts for 214 yards in a single game.  Lynch also rushed the ball for 60 yards with 11 carries; three of which were touchdowns.

Running back Leighton Settle also performed well on the ground rushing for a total of 106 yards with 21 carries. This marks Settle's first 100-yard plus game.

The Huskie defense stopped the Skyhawks in the redzone on several important plays. The defense held the Skyhawks to a maximum of seven points, which came later in the fourth quarter.

After a big win, the huskies look forward to their next rival, Army.

Watch the team celebrate their victory in the Locker Room.

Redshirt senior punter Ryan Neir set a personal game high with a 43.0 yard net average Saturday, in the Huskies 35-7 win over UT Martin.  Neir was recently named NIU Scholar Athlete of the Week, while majoring in finance and maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Northern Illinois, junior safety Jimmie Ward, led the Huskies in tackles for the second straight week, broke up two passes and also intercepted a pass, the first for NIU this season.  Ward also had 10 tackles,while leading another strong defensive effort and also leading to the Huskies first win of the season, 35-7 over UT Martin. 

Keith Harris Jr. is a freshman running-back from Leo Catholic High School in Chicago, IL.  As a senior at Leo, he was named to the all-state, academic all-state and all-conference teams.  He was also named the Chicago Catholic Conference's offensive MVP after rushing for 1,774 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011.  Keith averaged 173 rushing yards per game as a senior, helping the Lions tie for the Red Division championship and reach the state playoffs for a second consecutive season.  Keith was also a member of state championship track and field team in 2011 and all-state honors in the 4x200 relay as a junior.

The Northern Illinois football team was determined to defeat their next opponent after losing their season opener at Soldier Field against the Iowa Hawkeyes. The huskies dominated their home field against the UT Martin Skyhawks on Saturday earning a 35-7 victory.

Football: Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch and running back Leighton Settle powered the Huskies  to a 35-7 win over UT Martin Saturday night at Huskie Stadium. The duo combined for 166 rushing yards on 32 carries for three touchdowns as both averaged over five yards per carry against the Skyhawks for NIU's first win of the 2012 campaign. 

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois tied both of their matches in the NIU adidas Invitational. On Friday, Northern and Rhode Island battled to a 0-0 tie, with the Huskies limiting the Rams to only one shot. Sunday followed with a 1-1 tie against Drake.

Football: The Huskies pushed Iowa to the brink Saturday in Chicago, but fell in heartbreaking fashion as the Hawkeyes scored late to claim an 18-17 victory. NIU led for the majority of the game and held a 17-9 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, Iowa's Damon Bullock scored the decisive points on a 23-yard run with 2:15 left in the game. The Huskie defense, though, was a huge bright spot in the game, collecting six sacks of James Vandenberg and limited the Hawkeyes to 268 total yards.

Men's Soccer: Northern Illinois lost in excruciating fashion Friday night when they fell to Green Bay in double overtime, 2-1. The Huskies' lone goal of the game came in the 69th minute when James Stevenson found Gael Rivera for a quick shot that tied the match at 1-1. Yet, the Phoenix won the match with a winner in the 102nd minute.

NIU head coach Dave Doeren, who played his college ball at Drake University in Iowa and coached in the Big Ten for five years is very familiar with Iowa football. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald writes how much respect Doeren has for Iowa and their coach Kirk Ferentz in his preview story in today's paper.

In case you missed it, the Chicago Sun-Times posted Comcast SportsNet Chicago's report on the upcoming Iowa game Saturday at Soldier Field on its website. 

To get you better prepared for Saturday's game versus Iowa and the upcoming season, the Daily Chronicle posted its 2012 NIU Football Preview today. Inside, you'll find stories on Jordan Lynch, Mathew Sims, the NIU defense and the Huskies by position.

There are several stories to check out previewing Northern Illinois' upcoming game with Iowa at Chicago's Soldier Field. Doeren, who played at Drake University in Iowa and coached in the Big Ten for five years, is very familiar with the Hawkeyes writes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune and Steve Nitz of the Daily Chronicle. Chad Thornburg of the Daily Herald breaks down the Huskies' 2012 schedule in his story today.

Coming off of an 11-3 record in his inaugural season, Northern Illinois football head coach Dave Doeren was listed as one of CBSSports.com's Breakout Coaches of 2012 for his second season.

The NFL preseason capped off its third week this weekend with several former Huskies making good impressions before Friday's final roster cutdown.

In case you missed Sunday's Chicago Tribune sports section, Fred Mitchell filed this story on starting quarterback Jordan Lynch. Lynch takes over the reins of the Northern Illinois offense as the Huskies look to defend their 2011 MAC title.

The Daily Herald posted this preview story of the 2012 Northern Illinois football season in today's paper. Mike McGraw discusses the strength of the Huskies, and how the offense will have a different look with Jordan Lynch at the helm.

The NIU football team, which received votes in the Preseason Associated Press Poll, was at Soldier Field yesterday for a walk through in preparation for the Huskies' showdown with Iowa September 1. Several Chicago television outlets were on hand, including Fox Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

Attention Huskie football season ticket holders. Keep an eye out in the next few days as season tickets were mailed out last week. Some of you have already received them and have given rave reviews of the new ticket sheets we are distributing this year (see photo above).

The deadline for season ticket holders interested in participating in the MAC Ticket Swap program is Aug. 24. Please call the NIU Ticket Office at 815-752-6800 or send back your order form. NIU has not received any MAC road game tickets as of yet, but once they are received, it is the ticket office's policy to mail them out.

Also, single game tickets have been processed. They will be printed and mailed out this week. 

While the NIU football team has just started its preseason camp, several former Huskies are well into their second week of NFL training camp. One Huskie, Nathan Palmer, has distinguished himself in the early going. Palmer, who signed a free agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers, has impressed coaches and has a good chance to make the 53-man roster writes Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.

The Northern Illinois University football held its annual Photo/Media Day yesterday at Huskie Stadium. Several members of the Chicago, DeKalb and Rockford media made it out to the event. Below is a collection of some of the stories generated from the day.

NIU hopes clutch ways continue

Chicago Tribune

Tight end Schepler practicing patience

Chicago Tribune

Northern Illinois University QB Jordan Lynch ready for his turn

Rockford Register Star

Tuesday's media day/practice notes

Daily Chronicle

Fremont Ross running back eyeing more playing time at Northern Illinois

The News-Messenger

The defending Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois University football team begins practice today at 3:15 p.m. at Huskie Stadium. NIU is coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons and two-straight bowl wins and open the 2012 season at Soldier Field in Chicago when the Huskies take on Iowa Saturday, Sept. 1. Below are a few articles to prep you for Soldier Field Showdown III, the upcoming season and the conference outlook.

NFL training camps are now in full gear, which means that football season is just around the corner. This year, 12 former Huskies are in training camps, including five from last season's MAC Championship squad.

The Northern Illinois University football team received two points in the preseason 2012 USA Today Coaches Poll announced yesterday. The Huskies, who are coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons and two-staight bowl victories, are the only Mid-American Conference team to receive votes.

The Huskies ranked 46th on the poll, on spot ahead of Texas Tech and just behind Florida International, Missouri and Tennessee which tied for 43rd with three points each.

Northern Illinois kicks off the 2012 season Sept. 1 at Soldier Field in Chicago when the Huskies put the nation's longest winning streak on the line against Iowa. Tickets to Soldier Field Showdown III are now on sale through Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-745-3000, or online at www.Ticketmaster.com.

Northern Illinois University held its annual Chicago Media Day yesterday at historic Soldier Field. NIU head coach Dave Doeren and a group of Huskie players were on hand to discuss the upcoming 2012 season and Northern Illinois' season opener versus Iowa Sept. 1, 2012 at the lakefront venue. 

Former Huskie wide receiver Landon Cox signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday. Cox, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after his career at NIU, played in 50 games for Northern Illinois, starting 30. He had 1,109 yards on 98 receptions and eight touchdowns during his career.

As you all know, the Mid-American Conference hosted its 2012 Football Media Day yesterday at Ford Field in Detroit. Head coach Dave Doeren, defensive end Sean Progar and quarterback Jordan Lynch returned to the site of its 2011 MAC championship victory to discuss the upcoming 2012 season and defense of their title. The Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell and Steve Nitz of the Daily Chronicle made the trek to the Motor City

Chicago Tribune

Huskies' hopes high despite new faces on offense

Daily Chronicle

Hungry to return to Detroit

The NIU football team hosted its fourth annual Football 101 last night at Huskie Stadium. Close to 100 women were given an up close and personal look at what it takes to be a Huskie football player. Steve Nitz of the Daily Chronicle was on hand and filed this story.

Steve Nitz of the Daily Chronicle caught up with local product Marckie Hayes this week. He talked with the Sycamore native about his adjustment to the college game and how he is taking advantage of his opportunity to play on special teams in this story.

While the Huskies' season opener against Iowa at Soldier Field is still 50 days away, it's never too early for a breakdown of the game - albeit from the Iowa perspective. Brian Bennett of ESPN.com filed this preview of the game today. 

Former Northern Illinois University quarterback Chandler Harnish enjoyed his "Irrelevant Week" festivities in Newport Beach, Calif. last week. Harnish discussed his time at NIU, being drafted by his hometown Indianapolis Colts and Mr. Irrelevant status in an interview with Charles Davis of the NFL Network.

Huskie fans can relive Northern Illinois' exciting 63-60 victory over Toledo tonight at 8:30 p.m. Central Time on ESPNU. ESPNU is counting down the Top 25 college football games of 2011 and NIU's  shootout with the Rockets comes in at No. 19 on the countdown.

Being last has it's perks.  Sometimes.  For former NIU super-star quarterback Chandler Harnish, who was named "Mr. Irrelevant" for being the last pick of April's NFL Draft, he is about to enjoy the perks of being "last" for maybe the first time ever in his life.  Next week marks the beginning of the 37th annual Irrelevant Week, which involves a litany of charitable events for Harnish in Newport Beach, Calif.  To see what one of the newest members of the Indianapolis Colts will be doing next week, click here. 

Even though the moniker of "last" led him to this wonderful opportunity, it's interesting to know that he will be the "first" Mr. Irrelevant to enjoy his Irrelevant Week during the Fourth of July.   Looks like he will be having a great time in Orange County!

Since the news has broke about college football's new four-team playoff format, there have been a surplus of reactions, especially involving NIU and the Mid-American Conference since NIU President Dr. John Peters was part of a committee of university presidents that approved the BCS commissioners' plan for a four-team playoff to start in the 2014 season.

Here is an article from The Plain Dealer with information about how the change could affect the MAC and has reactions from MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher and NIU President Dr. Peters.

Here's the Daily Chronicle's John Sahly's viewpoint on how college football is making progress and how it relates to the MAC and other conferences throughout the country.

Last week, some members of the NIU Football Team crashed Kaneland Youth Football's weeklong clinic for around 140 pre-teen boys and helped them learn the fundamentals of the game.  Click here to see some reactions from some of the kids and learn more about what went on at the camp.

Last week's news of NIU securing the bid over Illinois State and Southern Illinois to host the IHSA football championships in odd-numbered years from 2013-2021 was quite a big item.  Mostly positive, reactions have been popping up all over the board.  Here's a snippet of what is being said:

Rockford Register Star -- "Our View: Football deal a good move for NIU, region"

McDonoughVoice.com -- "Point-Counterpoint: Where should football hold its title games?"

JournalStandard.com -- "NIU popular selection for state football"

Daily Chronicle -- "IHSA decision could help NIU's recruiting"

The Orlando Sentinel is counting down the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams (minus the four new teams to FBS in 2012) and the Northern Illinois University ranked No. 64 on their countdown. The defending Mid-American Conference champion Huskies were the highest rated team from the MAC West Division and the second highest MAC team in the poll. The only other conference school that hasn't been ranked is the school NIU beat to win its first MAC title since 1983, Ohio.

When you get to the strengths portion of the review, there is a reference to a Jordan Ward that will lead the way for the secondary. No, NIU did not sign a new player. The Sentinel was referring to Jimmie Ward.

Northern Illinois University fans that purchased tickets for Soldier Field Showdown III, your tickets are in the mail! Keep an eye out for them in the coming days. If Huskie fans also bought a parking pass for the game, it will be included with your tickets.

 

For those of that have yet to purchase tickets, there is still time. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Huskie fans in attendance at tomorrow's White Sox game with the Seattle Mariners may hear a familiar voice over the public address system. Northern Illinois University head football coach Dave Doeren will on hand at U.S. Cellular Field tomorrow to give the call to Play Ball!  

The National Football Post released its post spring Non-AQ power rankings today and the Huskies slotted in at No. 5 just ahead of Houston, but below Arkansas State. While the 2012 NIU football team won't be the same team as last year's version, the Huskies proved they were a better team than Arkansas State with a 38-20 victory over the Red Wolves in the 2012 GoDaddy.com Bowl in January.

The Northern Illinois football program's propensity to develop 1,000-yard rushers was noticed by Yahoo! Sports today.  Since 2000 in the FBS, only Nevada has produced more 1,000-yard rushers (12) than NIU (11).  Wisconsin also has 11.  Only seven total FBS schools have churned out 10 or more 1,000-yard rushers since the turn of the century.  The impressive list of Huskies to reach 1,000 yards in a season is as follows:

2011 -- Chandler Harnish (1,379 yards, 98.5 yards/game, 7.1 yards/rush, 11 TD)

2010 -- Chad Spann (1,388 yards, 99.1 yards/game, 5.4 yards/rush, 22 TD)

2009 -- Chad Spann (1,038 yards, 79.8 yards/game, 5.8 yards/rush, 19 TD)

2007 -- Justin Anderson (1,245 yards, 103.8 yards/game, 4.5 yards/rush, 8 TD)

2006 -- Garrett Wolfe (1,928 yards, 148.3 yards/game, 6.2 yards/rush, 18 TD)

2005 -- Garrett Wolfe (1,580 yards, 175.6 yards/game, 6.5 yards/rush, 16 TD)

2004 -- Garrett Wolfe (1,656 yards, 150.5 yards/game, 6.5 yards/rush, 18 TD)

2003 -- Michael Turner (1,648 yards, 137.3 yards/game, 5.3 yards/rush, 14 TD)

2002 -- Michael Turner (1,915 yards, 159.5 yards/game, 5.7 yards/rush, 19 TD)

2001 -- Thomas Hammock (1,096 yards, 99.6 yards/game, 4.1 yards/rush, 7 TD)

2000 -- Thomas Hammock (1,083 yards, 120.3 yards/game, 5.8 yards/rush, 16 TD)

The new wallpaper for the upcoming 2012 football season is available now on NIUHuskies.com. Show your Huskie pride and download it today!

Sure it's only May and the Northern Illinois University football team doesn't open camp for about another three months, but it's never too early for a 2012 football preview. At least that's the way CollegeFootballNews.com looks at it. It posted this preview of the 2012 NIU Football season complete with a breakdown of the Huskie offense and NIU defense as well as a depth chart.

Former NIU football player Ron Delisi was inducted into the Chicago Catholic League Hall of Fame earlier this month. A linebacker from Gordon Tech, Delisi starred with the Huskies from 1986-89, earning Honorable Mention All-American honors in both 1988 and '89. Delisi was a team captain and MVP in 1989 and ranks in the top-five in school history in total tackles. As a senior at Gordon Tech, Delisi earned the Tony Lawless Award as the MVP of the Catholic League; he also earned All-State honors from the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Northern Illinois' 2012 football game versus Army at Michie Stadium in West Point will kick off at Noon (ET)/11 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, Sept. 15 and be televised by CBS Sports Network.  CBS Sports Network is available to 99 million homes nationwide as well as via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158.

NIU fans interested in following the Huskies to New York and take in the game, as well as the sights of New York City, can check out several travel packages available through Premiere Global Sports online at niusportstravel.com or by calling Premiere Global Sports at 855-329-9274.

Northern Illinois game on Wednesday, Nov. 14 versus Toledo at Huskie Stadium will kickoff at 8 p.m. (CT) and air on ESPN2 or ESPNU.  The remainder of NIU's 2012 game times will be announced by the MAC and Northern Illinois later this summer.  

The Northern Illinois University football team conducted its 15th and final practice of the spring with the Huskies' Red-White scrimmage at Huskie Stadium Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Jordan Lynch starred as the Red squad defeated the White team, 31-6. Lynch eliminated any doubts Huskie fans had that he could succeed Chandler Harnish, throwing for 402 yards and four touchdowns. 

Football: Quarterback Jordan Lynch showed that he plans a seamless transition into the starting role as he threw for 402 yards on 29-of-44 passing with four touchdowns Saturday at Huskie Stadium in Northern Illinois' Red-White Spring Football Game. Lynch led the Red team, composed of the Huskie starting units on offense and defense, to a 31-6 victory over the White team in the final spring football practice of 2012.

Baseball: Despite strong pitching, the Huskies were swept at home over the weekend by the Toledo Rockets. The series opened with a 7-3 win by UT despite the Huskies holding the lead through seven innings. The Huskie offense struggled again on Saturday with a 5-1 loss, then dropped the finale in extras by a 4-3 margin.

Softball: It was a rough week for Northern Illinois as they lost all five games during the week. The week began with a 6-1 loss at UIC before hitting the road for two MAC series. Things did not improve at Ohio, though, as NIU dropped both games of a doubleheader, 4-1 and 9-3. The Huskies fell Saturday at Akron, 8-6, then closed out the week with a 12-6 defeat against the Zips.

Track & Field: The Huskies had a big week at two major meets during the weekend, breaking five school records between the Kansas Relays and Mt. SAC Relays. On Thursday, Courtney Oldenburg broke her own NIU mark in the 1500 meters with a 4:27.64 run, while Juliane Totzke toppled the 10,000 meters record with a 36:23.93 clip. Friday saw Chanel Kellyman set a new record in the 100 meters and Roneisha Frye (100 hurdles) and Rebecca Cronin (800 meters) added their names to the record books on Saturday.

Men's Golf: The Northern Illinois men's golf team wrapped up the regular season portion of its schedule with a seventh-place finish at the Boilermaker Invitational at the Kampen Course on the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Freshman Thomas Dunne was the top-finishing Huskie, taking 13th with a final round 75.

Men's Tennis: The Northern Illinois men's tennis team surpassed the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1989 Friday with wins over Chicago State, 7-0, and Illinois-Chicago, 5-0. The Huskies close the regular season with a regular season record of 21-6 and MAC record of 4-1.

Women's Tennis: The Huskies dropped their final two regular season games at home this weekend. NIU was swept by Akron, 7-0, on Saturday, then dropped their Senior Day showdown with Buffalo, 5-2. The squad finishes their regular season at 11-11 overall and 2-6 in the MAC.

Six Huskie teams will compete this week. Three programs (men's tennis, women's tennis and women's golf) will head to their respective MAC Championships, including women's tennis hosting the conference tournament in DeKalb. In addition, softball hosts their final home game of the year Wednesday against Northwestern and baseball welcomes Milwaukee on Tuesday.

The NFL Draft is now a week away and the publicity for former NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish is picking up. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com posted this story on the NFL hopeful yesterday in his Bears Report blog. Dennis Dillon of SI.com filed this excellent article on Harnish today. 

The the 2012 NFL Draft two weeks away Huskie fans are starved for information on Northern Illinois' NFL hopefuls. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune broke down his top quarterback prospects in today's Trib and NIU's Chandler Harnish came in at No. 14. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted this write up on Harnish in its Packer Blog. Former NFL executive Gil Brandt broke down NIU's Pro Day for the NFL.com's Pro Day Blog. He singled out the performances of Harnish, Scott Wedige and Nathan Palmer.

Former Huskie placekicker Mike Salerno is back home kicking for the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League. The Rush are off the a 4-0 start and Salerno is 1-1 on field goals, kicking a 16-yarder against Tampa Bay in the season opener. He also has 39 kickoffs to his credit. Salerno and the Rush travel to Georgia in search of a franchise best 5-0 start when they take on the Force Saturday. 

For the first time, Northern Illinois Athletics was included in the annual Student Choice Awards event that was coordinated by the NIU Student Association.

NIU head coaches Dave Doeren (football) and Connie Teaberry (women's track and field) were on hand along with volleyball's Kristin Hoffman, Adam Kiel of football and several members of the Huskie football team as the awards were presented on Tuesday, April 10 at the Duke Ellington Ballroom. Doeren was named Coach of the Year while the Huskie football team was the SA's Team of the Year. Hoffman accepted the award as Athlete of the Year, and Kiel was honored for his dedication as a campus leader in the area of community service. The women's track and field team won the award for Most Improved Team on campus, which Teaberry accepted on behalf of the Huskies. 

Congratulations to these award winners and thanks to the Student Association for recognizing YOUR Huskies!

One year ago today, the NIU football team, Northern Illinois community and all of Huskie Nation awoke to the news that NIU linebacker Devon Butler had been shot and was in surgery in at OSF St. Anthony's Hospital in Rockford.  It was an anxious time.  

After a long recovery that required him to sit out the 2011 season, Butler is back and through the first five practices of spring football, has regained his starting middle linebacker's job.  ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson caught up with Butler, NIU head coach Dave Doeren and former linebacker coach Tom Matukewicz for this update.

Also in the news today, HuskieWire's Anthony Zilis takes a look at the running backs position and Yahoo! Sports has an early look at the 2012 Huskies.

Northern Illinois completed its first week of 2012 spring practices with a two-hour workout in full pads Saturday at Huskie Stadium.  After practicing Wednesday and Thursday in shorts and helmets only, NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren enjoyed seeing the Huskies in full contact mode.

"It was fun to see guys hitting today," Doeren said.  "The ball was on the ground a little too much but that's going to happen when guys get hit for the first time in a while."

After moving through the national progression of practice from individual position drills to specific run and pass game work, to 7-on-7, Saturday's session ended with several periods of full team scrimmaging. While cornerback Rashaan Melvin started 11-on-11 by intercepting Jordan Lynch on the first play, Lynch and the offense came back when the team moved from stationary plays to actually moving the chains. Facing the first team defense on the first drive, Lynch drove the offense down the field and hit Tommylee Lewis on third and goal from inside the 10-yard line for a touchdown.  

Earlier in the practice, NIU middle linebacker Devon Butler made his first interception of spring during seven-on-seven drills.

Although hesitant to grade the day before reviewing the tape, several players did catch Doeren's eye.

"There was good energy today but I have to watch the film to say exactly how good of a day it was," Doeren said.  "Luke Eakes had a nice day. Tim Semisch made some plays and the tight ends looked good.  I saw our two defensive ends, Alan Baxter and Sean Progar, doing some good things.   I'm anxious to watch the tape."

The Huskies return to the practice field next week with workouts Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon at Huskie Stadium.

Former Northern Illinois University offensive lineman and Indianapolis Colt Ryan Diem announced his retirement from the NFL today. Diem played 11 years (2001-11) all with the Colts. He began his career at right guard before playing right tackle for nine seasons. He returned to right guard this past season. Diem played in two Super Bowls and was a member of the Colt team that won Super Bowl XLI. 

You'll have to bear with us on this entry. Dennis Dodd, the national college football writer for CBSSports.com, wrote this article on the BCS and Notre Dame's place in it. You'll have to read the article to see Dodd makes a very interesting comparison between the football programs at Northern Illinois University and Notre Dame.

Former NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish is in Indianapolis for the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. He is doing a daily diary for his hometown paper, the News Sentinel. 

Former (tear) NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish is still representing Northern Illinois, most recently on Monday at Halas Hall when he accepted the Mental Toughness Award from the Chicago Chapter of the National Football Foundation.  Harnish and Northwestern QB Dan Persa - who roomed together at the East-West Shrine Game in January - earned the award for the perseverance and excellence displayed throughout their college careers.

Harnish was introduced by NIU Head Coach Dave Doeren at the standing room only awards ceremony which was attended by a "who's who" of Chicago football, including fellow head coaches Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern and Tim Beckman of Illinois (formerly of the NIU vanquished Toledo Rockets), Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and members of the McCaskey family, including matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey, and Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delaney. The NFF Chicago Chapter also presented awards to six deserving high school football student-athletes and recognized the NAIA Championship won by St. Xavier in 2011.  Harnish's parents Ron and LeeAnn were in attendance to support the NFL hopeful.

Harnish's awards acceptance speech was the centerpiece of Fred Mitchell's recap of the event for the Chicago Tribune, where you can also see his entire speech. 

Following the ceremony, the NIU contingent, representatives of other schools and special guests attended a dinner with the NFF Chicago Board members at Del Rio Restaurant in Highwood.

Harnish traveled to Indiana on Tuesday and reports to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine on Wednesday. Return to "Huskie Happenings" on Thursday for more on Harnish's combine plans.   

With spring practice set to start in a little over a month and half, Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com put together previews for several non-AQ schools and Northern Illinois was one of them. Adelson, talks about some key need areas for the Huskies, mostly on the offensive side of the ball, and the look of the Huskie defense in 2012.

NIU head coach Dave Doeren announced the hiring of Mike Dunbar as the Huskies' new offensive coordinator yesterday. A 35-year coaching veteran, Dunbar brings a wealth of experience with him to NIU. Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune posted this story on Dunbar in today's paper, while Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com had this post on the hire on his blog. Paul Myerberg of presnapread.com broke down the hire in greater detail in his blog post today.

While his Huskie career maybe over, things haven't slowed down for Chandler Harnish. The 2011 Vern Smith Leadership Award winner is preparing for the biggest job interview of his life as he is set to participate in the 2012 NFL Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 22-28. The Chicago Tribune's Fred Mitchell caught up with Harnish and discussed his pro potential in this story.

Many around the Mid-American Conference know the rich quarterback history in the league. This past season, Huskie fans were fortunate to watch the top QB in the MAC week in and week out in Chandler Harnish, the 2011 Vern Smith Leadership Award winner.

Next season, 12 of the league's 14 signal callers from 2011 will be under center in 2012. One of those "new guys" will be Jordan Lynch. Like Harnish, Lynch is a dual threat quarterback equally dangerous with his arm or legs. Paul Myerberg of presnapread.com posted this story handicapping the quarterback race in 2012.