NIU Athletics again proved itself a leader in new media with the unveiling of Interactive Guides. A fresh vista on the landscape of athletic communication, "iGuides" present Huskie teams in a dynamic and engaging format. (more)
Fans with Microsoft Outlook on their computers can download and install NIU schedules into their calendar! To download the file, just click on the link below and choose your sport. (more)
Check out the new Huskie All-Access. Register now for exclusive NIU content you won't find anywhere else on the web. (more)
Click below for a unique view of all your favorite NIU Athletic facilities. Explore the facility in a way unlike any other. (more)
Attention NIU students! Sign up today for the *NEW* Red Riot student fan group. It is just $10 to join and you'll receive a number of exciting benefits. (more)
The goals of sports performance is to intelligently, progressively and creatively develop out student-athletes to maximize their athletic potential and competitive career at NIU and beyond. (more)
|
Game 5: Northern Illinois vs. Tennessee
September 30, 2008
Northern Illinois Football 2008 Complete Release in PDF Format
HUSKIE FACTS VOLS' FACTS NEWS & NOTES Prior to going to SIU, Kill spent two seasons as head coach at Emporia State in his home state of Kansas. In his first collegiate head coaching job, at Saginaw Valley State from 1994-98, he won 38 games and a 9-2 record in each of his last two seasons there. A native of Cheney, Kansas, Kill began his career at Pittsburg State, a powerhouse program in NAIA and then Division II. He was the offensive coordinator for the 1991 PSU team that won the NCAA title while the 1992 Gorillas earned a runner-up finish with a 14-1 mark.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS NEWS & NOTES Kill-er Credentials: The 20th head coach in Northern Illinois history, Jerry Kill arrived at NIU in December 2007 after seven seasons at Southern Illinois, where he led SIU to five straight appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. Southern Illinois advanced to the FCS semifinals in 2007 and the Salukis were ranked in the Top 20 for 64 straight weeks during his tenure. Kill owns a head coaching record of 106-59 (.642) in 15 seasons as the head coach at NIU, SIU, Emporia State and Saginaw Valley State. He was 55-32 at Southern Illinois and won the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. Last Time Out: Northern Illinois used a dominating defensive performance and an efficient showing on offense to defeat Eastern Michigan, 37-0, and even its record at 2-2 on the year. The Huskies did not allow EMU into the red zone while picking off two passes and totaling six tackles for loss. Four different NIU backs scored rushing touchdowns and Northern Illinois gained 235 rushing yards, 111 by freshman Me'co Brown. NIU and the SEC: The Huskies are 1-8 all-time versus six different teams from the Southeastern Conference and has never played Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina or LSU. NIU is 0-3 all-time versus Vanderbilt and has lost to Florida twice in its history, in 1991 and 1995. Northern Illinois also has dropped games at Arkansas (1994), Auburn (2000) and Ole Miss (1983). But on its last trip into SEC territory, the Huskies scored a 19-16 upset victory over No. 21 Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003 in Tuscaloosa. Fond Memories: In its last game versus an SEC opponent, Northern Illinois defeated 21st-ranked Alabama, 19-16, in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 20, 2003. In that game, Michael Turner rushed for 156 yards on 27 carries, including 98 in the second half. The Huskies, who had defeated No. 15 Maryland earlier that season, took a 12-9 lead in the third quarter on a 12-yard pass from Josh Haldi to Shatone Powers and extended it to 19-9 on a 48-yard Haldi to Dan Sheldon completion with 7:28 left in the game. Tennessee Teams: The Huskies are 4-4 all-time versus teams from the state of Tennessee. In addition to an 0-3 mark versus Vanderbilt, NIU has two home wins over Tennessee Tech (2003, 2005) and one versus East Tennessee State (1979), to go with a 1-1 mark in two home games versus Middle Tennessee State (1988, 1992). 107 and Counting: Northern Illinois is in its 107th season of intercollegiate football and owns an all-time record of 490-446-51 in 987 games for a winning percentage of .522. The Huskies played their first game in 1899 and moved into the "major college" ranks in 1969. First-Time Foe: Tennessee is the lone first-time opponent on the Huskies' 2008 schedule. Northern Illinois has played future non-conference foe Navy, which visits DeKalb in November, just one time previously. Out of Conference: Since 1997, Northern Illinois is 15-26 in non-conference games, including a 1-1 mark in non-league games so far this year. The Huskies fell to Minnesota in the 2008 season opener and defeated Indiana State at home on Sept 20. Following the Tennessee contest, Northern Illinois' final remaining non-MAC game will be versus Navy in DeKalb on Nov. 25 in the conclusion of a home-and-home series between the schools. SEC Experience: Although members of the current Huskie team have played in games at Michigan (2005), No. 1 Ohio State (2006), Wisconsin (2007) and Maryland (2004), no member of the current squad was on the team the last time NIU visited an SEC opponent in 2003. In fact, current wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck was a player on that Northern Illinois team. Jerry Kill, in his first season as an FBS head coach, also has never faced an SEC team as a head coach. Defensive Dominance: The Huskie defense, which features seven seniors in the starting line-up, has allowed just three points in NIU's last two games. That total marks the lowest scoring output by Northern Illinois opponents in back-to-back games since 1963, when the Huskies registered back-to-back shutouts against Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. NIU claimed the NCAA college division championship that year.
Takeaway Totals: With two interceptions in the EMU game, the Northern Illinois defense upped its 2008 total to five, just two less than the Huskies picked off in 12 games last year. Northern Illinois has nine takeaways so far this season after earning only 15 in 2007 and finishing with a turnover margin of minus 1.42 that ranked 117th in the country. With a plus 0.75 margin so far in 2008, the Huskies rank second in the MAC and 31st nationally in that category. Productive Position: With 603 rushing yards on 111 carries and six touchdowns, Northern Illinois is getting plenty of production from its tailback position. The fact that the production is coming from not one or two, not even three or four, but five different players, has marked a major change from the Huskies' recent history, when NIU was dependent on one or possibly two tailbacks. Under Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois' five tailbacks - senior Montell Clanton, junior Justin Anderson, sophomores Ricky Crider and Chad Spann, and freshman Me'co Brown - have combined to average 5.4 yards per carry and 150.7 yards per game. Four of the five - Brown (211), Anderson (117), Clanton (111) and Spann (108) - have rushed for more than 100 yards on the season and those same four have scored at least one rushing TD. Speaking of Scores: Four different players scored rushing touchdowns for the Huskies at Eastern Michigan as Me'co Brown, Justin Anderson, quarterback DeMarcus Grady and wide receiver Marcus Perez each reached the end zone. It marked the first time since Oct. 19, 2002, a 49-0 win over Central Michigan, that four different players scored rushing touchdowns for NIU. Six players have scored 10 rushing TDs for Northern Illinois through the first four games with Grady leading the way as he has scored a touchdown rushing in each of NIU's last three games. Northern Illinois' 10 rushing TDs is only one less than the Huskies' scored all of last year. A Rookie Rocks: After registering the first 100-yard game by an NIU tailback last week with a 111-yard effort on 17 carries versus Eastern Michigan, Mississippi native and true freshman Me'co Brown leads Northern Illinois in rushing (211 yards on 40 carries), kickoff returns (18.6 yard average), punt returns (8.8 yard average) and all-purpose yards (106.5 yards/game). Brown has accumulated yards rushing (211), receiving (13), punt returns (35) and kickoff returns (167) for a total of 426 on the season. MAC Honors: NIU senior punter Andy Dittbenner earned Mid-American Conference West Division Specialist of the Week honors after helping the Huskies win the field position battle and keeping Eastern Michigan out of the red zone in NIU's shut out win last week. Dittbenner, who was named to the Watch List for the Ray Guy Award, presented annually to the best punter in the nation, punted four times for a 47.2-yard average at EMU with all four of his punts pinning EMU inside its own 20-yard line. He had a season-long punt of 54 yards to go with boots of 45, 42 and 48 yards on the day. No Return: Dittbenner has punted 13 times for a 42.4 average this season, but most impressively, has had just one returned this season, forcing six fair catches and placing five punts inside the 20 yard line. NIU's net punting average of 41.69 yards ranks fifth in the country and leads the MAC. With 181 career punts for 7,283 yards, Dittbenner ranks sixth on the Northern Illinois career charts for punts and punting yards while his career punting average of 40.2 yards per punt ranks fourth all-time. With CLASS: NIU defensive end Larry English, who was selected the Most Valuable Player (Vern Smith Award winner) in the Mid-American Conference by MAC coaches last year, was named one of 30 candidates for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for football. The honor goes to an NCAA FBS senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence: Classroom, Character, Community and Competition. English is also on the watch lists for the 2008 Bronko Nagurski (defensive player), Rotary Lombardi (down lineman) and Ted Hendricks (defensive end) awards. After leading the MAC in sacks a year ago, the Aurora, Ill. native became the eighth underclassmen, and the second defensive player ever (the first since Ray Bentley won the inaugural award in 1982), to be named the MAC MVP. One-Handed: Larry English's toughness has never been questioned, but the senior's 2008 exploits have been achieved while playing, for all intents and purposes, one-handed. English suffered a thumb injury in the second quarter at Minnesota, but still tallied four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, in that contest. He had an x-ray immedately following the game at the Metrodome, but came back to play versus Western Michigan and collected four solo stops and a tackle for loss versus the Broncos. During NIU's open date prior to the ISU game, English underwent surgery on the thumb; he is playing with a protective cast on his right hand. Catching On: Four Huskie quarterbacks have hit 14 different teammates with passes so far in 2008 as nine different wide receivers, two tight ends, a fullback and two tailbacks have caught passes. Northern Illinois has started six different wide receivers, with seniors Marcus Perez and Greg Turner earning their first starts of 2008 versus Eastern Michigan. Turner responded with a career best five catches while Perez made one of the biggest "defensive" plays of the game by breaking up a potential interception and instead forcing an incompletion. MP-Z: Marcus Perez' re-emergence in the Huskie offense has been one of the surprises of the early season. After catching just eight passes for 89 yards in an injury-plagued 2007 campaign, Perez leads Northern Illinois in catches with nine so far this year. One of the most versatile players on the NIU team, Perez scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a two-yard carry on the reverse versus Eastern Michigan. He added that score to his five career receiving and two passing touchdowns. Atop the MAC: On the basis of its last two defensive performances, Northern Illinois now ranks at the top of the Mid-American Conference standings in five different, primarily defensive, categories. The Huskies lead the MAC in rushing defense, surrendering an average of only 118.75 yards per game, total defense (305.50 yards/game), scoring defense (15.75 points/game), tackles for loss (7.50/game) and net punting. NIU defenders have compiled 19 tackles for loss in the last two games alone. Tennessee Ties: Prior to coming to DeKalb in June 2000, Huskie President Dr. John Peters was the provost and chief operating officer at the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Barbara, still maintain a residence in the area and will host Huskie fans there on Friday. Peters currently serves on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and on the Task Force on Commercial Activity in Intercollegiate Athletics. Fun Facts & Figures:
Overcoming Obstacles: Huskie senior tailback Montell Clanton achieved a milestone by coming out of the season's third game intact. In each of the last two years, Clanton has suffered a season-ending knee injury before the fourth game as he went down in game three of the 2006 season versus Buffalo with a left knee injury, then tore ligaments in his right knee last season versus Southern Illinois in game two. The Rockford, Ill. native who earned his bachelor's degree from NIU last spring, carried 10 times for 61 yards and a touchdown versus Indiana State and has tallied 111 rushing yards on the year. Senior-Laden: The term "senior-laden" certainly applies to the 2008 Huskies as NIU's senior class numbers 20 players. Northern Illinois features 10 seniors on offense, nine defensive seniors (seven of whom start) and one punter Andy Dittbenner. A year ago, NIU had just nine seniors and only four of those played a significant role on the 2007 team. Block Party: Northern Illinois recorded its second blocked punt of the season in the Indiana State game when wide receiver Willie Clark knocked down ISU punter Gabe Mullane's first attempt of the game. The block gave NIU the ball on the Indiana State 27 and led to a Huskie field goal and a 10-0 lead. Clark, like running back Chad Spann, who blocked a punt in the Minnesota game, made the most of his opportunities as a member of the punt block/return team. Northern Illinois blocked just one punt a year ago (versus Idaho). Pirkle for Two: Fittingly, NIU closed out its shutout victory over Eastern Michigan with a safety when noseguard D.J. Pirkle sacked EMU quarterback Jason Williams in the end zone with 1:29 left in the game. The two-pointer was Northern Illinois' first safety in 51 games, since the 2004 season opener at Maryland. Tim Mc is Back: Huskie middle linebacker Tim McCarthy, who missed the last nine games of the 2008 season with a knee injury, is back and in fine form, leading the 2008 Huskies in tackles through four games while providing a solidifying influence in the middle of the Huskie "d". McCarthy made his first interception of the season, and third of his career, to set up a Huskie touchdown at Eastern Michigan. He has four tackles for loss and a forced fumble (at Western Michigan). Grounded: NIU completed 8 of 13 passes for 78 yards versus Indiana State to mark the Huskies' lowest number of completions since the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl versus TCU (6). The 13 attempts were the lowest total since the 2005 Western Michigan game, when NIU also had eight completions in 13 attempts. The Huskies' passing yardage total of 78 yards was the team's lowest since Sept. 28, 2002 when NIU tallied just 60 passing yards versus Kent State. Safety Squeeze: Northern Illinois started the season with two players at safety who had never played a game at the position for the the Huskies but junior David Bryant, a converted running back, and sophomore Mike Sobol are doing just fine, thank you. The safeties rank among the Huskie team leaders in tackles with 22 and 21, respectively. They have also contributed some big plays as Bryant forced a fumble in the Indiana State game and Sobol scooped up a fumble and returned it 28 yards to set up a Huskie score. Bryant also leads Northern Illinois with two pass break ups this season. Newcomers: The list of players who have seen their first collegiate action for NIU this season grew to 20 when offensive linemen Scott Wedige, Adam Kiel and Panan Tense, along with defensive lineman Ron Newcomb, got into the Indiana State game. Thirteen players made their NIU debuts in the season opener while quarterback DeMarcus Grady, fullback Connor Flahive and offensive lineman turned tight end Joe Pawlak made their debuts at Western Michigan. In all, three true freshmen, 11 redshirt freshmen, four sophomores and two juniors have donned the Cardinal and Black for the first time with five members of that group also claiming starting roles. The new starters are QB Chandler Harnish, S Mike Sobol, LT Trevor Olson, K Mike Salerno and FB Kyle Skarb. Three-Deep: The Huskies have played at least two quarterbacks in each of the last three games. In all, four different players have lined up under center for the Huskies. Chandler Harnish, who started the first two games of the season, suffered a sprained foot in the WMU game and is not expected to return versus Tennessee. Senior Dan Nicholson, who underwent surgery on his right (throwing shoulder) in January and sat out all of spring drills, has started the last two games, both Huskie wins. Meanwhile, one of NIU's top runners has been quarterback DeMarcus Grady, who has over 100 yards rushing on the season and leads the team in rushing touchdowns with three.
HUSKIE MULTIMEDIA TELEVISION
RADIO
ON LINE
WEEKLY TV
|
• 2012 NIU Football Camps • 2011 Huskie Football: A Championship Season • 2011 NIU Football Weekly Release  • Interactive Guide • Football Depth Chart • Printable Season Statistics • Statistics • NIU Football Media Supplement • Huskies in the NFL • Huskie Stadium 360º • Yordon Center 360º • Game-Day Information • 2011 NIU Football Promotions • Archives • Football History • All Letterwinners • Visiting Team Guide 02/08/2012 - Football Huskies' Harnish Set to Participate in NFL Combine, Receive Two Awards02/02/2012 - Football Uremovich Named to Huskie Coaching Staff02/01/2012 - Football Northern Illinois' 31-Man Class Includes 16 In-State Players01/31/2012 - Football NIUHuskies.com Has 2012 Signing Day Covered02/01/2012 - Football FOLLOW THE HUSKIES: Week of January 30-February 501/26/2012 - Football NIU Signing Day Reception to be Held Prior to Huskie Men's Basketball Game01/18/2012 - Football Huskies to Celebrate 2011 Champions with Commemorative Book01/17/2012 - Football Frisman Jackson Joins Huskie Coaching Staff01/13/2012 - Football Nine Football Huskies Honored with Academic All-MAC Recognition01/11/2012 - Football Four Huskies to Play in Postseason Games
            |
