WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
Honestly, I hate the first game of the year. Teams have a month to prepare...mistakes happen...and playing teams like N. Illinois can provide you plenty of anxiety. They have a very good nucleus on offense coming back, 4 on the OL...although the QB is unproven if he has to beat you throwing. Good read though. Nebraska sure enjoyed playing them last year.
My guess is that we find out really quickly how good our LBs are going to be...and maybe how good the whole defense will be. The good news...is that I think we can score enough points to beat them regardless.
Today at No. 60: Northern Illinois
Coach: Rod Carey (44-24, entering seventh season; 44-24 overall)
2017 record: 8-5, 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference; tied for second in West Division
Look back: It didn’t take long for Northern Illinois fans to see that the 2017 campaign was going to be different than the previous season. A 21-17 road win at Nebraska in the third week was enough to catch everyone’s attention.
The Huskies would go on to win six of their next eight games and while a conference championship wasn’t in the cards, it was certainly a nice bounce-back season.
Offensive starters returning: 8
Offensive starters lost: 3
Defensive starters returning: 6
Defensive starters lost: 5
Key losses: RB Jordan Huff, WR Christian Blake, WR Chad Beebe, TE Shane Wimann, LB Jawuan Johnson, LB Bobby Jones IV, DB Shawun Lurry
Top returnees: QB Marcus Childers, WR Spencer Tears, WR D.J. Brown, OL Max Sharping, OL Luke Shively, OL Nathan Veloz, OL Jordan Steckler, DE Sutton Smith
Strengths: The Huskies featured the best defense in the conference last season led by a handful of all-conference selections and defensive end Sutton Smith, who earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in sacks (14.0).
Smith’s return bolsters a group that must make up for losing nearly a third of its production from last season.
The offensive line returns virtually intact, including a pair of all-conference performers in tackles Max Sharping and Jordan Steckler.
Weaknesses: Quarterback hasn’t necessarily been strength for the Huskies during the past few seasons. Injuries thrust five different players into the starting job the past two years, making the position one of the most inconsistent on the team. Marcus Childers earned Freshman of the Year honors after taking over the job five games into last season and leading the team to a 5-3 record. Childers’ ability to make plays on the ground and through the air makes him a valuable commodity heading into the 2018 season.
The 178 yards per game the Huskies averaged on the ground last season were the worst production from a Huskies team since 2008. Junior Marcus Jones (350 yards), who stepped into the starting lineup on a limited basis last season, earns a shot a much broader role in 2018. Sophomore Tre Harbison (290 yards) also will compete for carries. Northern Illinois is looking for its first 1,000-yard rusher since Joel Bouagnon in 2015.
Three of the top five NIU receiving threats are gone via graduation, leaving junior Spencer Tears (528 yards) as the strongest returning target.
Outlook: Northern Illinois played in six consecutive conference championships from 2010 to 2015 before injuries help end the streak. Last season’s turnaround was a nice start for the Huskies and Carey. With 14 returning starters and a slew of experience up and down the roster, there’s no reason this team couldn’t contend for another division title.
My guess is that we find out really quickly how good our LBs are going to be...and maybe how good the whole defense will be. The good news...is that I think we can score enough points to beat them regardless.
Today at No. 60: Northern Illinois
Coach: Rod Carey (44-24, entering seventh season; 44-24 overall)
2017 record: 8-5, 6-2 in the Mid-American Conference; tied for second in West Division
Look back: It didn’t take long for Northern Illinois fans to see that the 2017 campaign was going to be different than the previous season. A 21-17 road win at Nebraska in the third week was enough to catch everyone’s attention.
The Huskies would go on to win six of their next eight games and while a conference championship wasn’t in the cards, it was certainly a nice bounce-back season.
Offensive starters returning: 8
Offensive starters lost: 3
Defensive starters returning: 6
Defensive starters lost: 5
Key losses: RB Jordan Huff, WR Christian Blake, WR Chad Beebe, TE Shane Wimann, LB Jawuan Johnson, LB Bobby Jones IV, DB Shawun Lurry
Top returnees: QB Marcus Childers, WR Spencer Tears, WR D.J. Brown, OL Max Sharping, OL Luke Shively, OL Nathan Veloz, OL Jordan Steckler, DE Sutton Smith
Strengths: The Huskies featured the best defense in the conference last season led by a handful of all-conference selections and defensive end Sutton Smith, who earned MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in sacks (14.0).
Smith’s return bolsters a group that must make up for losing nearly a third of its production from last season.
The offensive line returns virtually intact, including a pair of all-conference performers in tackles Max Sharping and Jordan Steckler.
Weaknesses: Quarterback hasn’t necessarily been strength for the Huskies during the past few seasons. Injuries thrust five different players into the starting job the past two years, making the position one of the most inconsistent on the team. Marcus Childers earned Freshman of the Year honors after taking over the job five games into last season and leading the team to a 5-3 record. Childers’ ability to make plays on the ground and through the air makes him a valuable commodity heading into the 2018 season.
The 178 yards per game the Huskies averaged on the ground last season were the worst production from a Huskies team since 2008. Junior Marcus Jones (350 yards), who stepped into the starting lineup on a limited basis last season, earns a shot a much broader role in 2018. Sophomore Tre Harbison (290 yards) also will compete for carries. Northern Illinois is looking for its first 1,000-yard rusher since Joel Bouagnon in 2015.
Three of the top five NIU receiving threats are gone via graduation, leaving junior Spencer Tears (528 yards) as the strongest returning target.
Outlook: Northern Illinois played in six consecutive conference championships from 2010 to 2015 before injuries help end the streak. Last season’s turnaround was a nice start for the Huskies and Carey. With 14 returning starters and a slew of experience up and down the roster, there’s no reason this team couldn’t contend for another division title.
