Nov. 23, 2009

DEKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois junior defensive end Jake Coffman (German Valley, Ill./Forreston HS) was named Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week Monday after posting a stellar defensive performance in the Huskies' 38-31 loss at Ohio University, Nov. 21.

Coffman recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss totaling 33 yards in Saturday's contest against the Bobcats. Coffman's first sack of the game came when he stopped a Bobcats' drive early in the third quarter. He recorded a sack against Ohio's quarterback Theo Scott for a loss of 19-yards in the play.

The lineman notched his second sack of the game late in the fourth quarter when he sacked Scott for a loss of 12 yards to place the ball on the Ohio 29-yard line. Coffman also recorded a tackle for loss in the contest against the Bobcats when he had an unassisted tackle for a loss of two yards in the second quarter.

Coffman led a Huskie effort that allowed just 84 rushing yards and 228 total yards on the game. The junior leads NIU with 7.5 sacks for losses of 71 yards on the season, while also leading the team with 12 tackles for minus 79 yards. Coffman has started at either defensive end or nose guard in all 10 games in which he has played, totaling 30 tackles, including 17 solo tackles, and adding four pass break-ups, this season.

This week's honor marks the second time this season Coffman was named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week. The junior first received the MAC weekly award after the Huskies 38-3 victory over Western Michigan Oct. 5. He is the 10th Huskies to receive the league's player of the week award, and the fourth to receive honors twice this season. Huskie linebacker Cory Hanson, running back Chad Spann and kicker Mike Salerno also have each received honors twice.

The Huskies (7-4, 5-2 MAC) will return to action Friday, Nov. 27, when they travel to Mt. Pleasant, Mich. to take on 2009 MAC West champion Central Michigan. The contest, which is set to kick-off at noon, will be aired on ESPN360.com. The game can be heard on the Northern Illinois ISP Sports Network, specifically on WLBK AM 1360 in DeKalb and WTJK AM 1380 in Janesville, Wisc. In Chicago, radio stations WNTD (950 AM) and WAUR (930 AM) will carry the game