DeKALB – After dropping a tight-fought contest with North Carolina State University, NIU football remains hungry for a win as the Huskies prepare to host a future Mid-American Conference cohort Saturday to close out the non-conference schedule.
NIU (2-2, 0-1 MAC), sitting on back-to-back losses, will welcome the University of Massachusetts Minutemen (1-4) – who will join the MAC as full members in July 2025 – to Huskie Stadium for the third-ever meeting between the schools.
The Minutemen will bring a 1-4 record to DeKalb after suffering a narrow 23-20 defeat by the hand of Miami University in overtime Saturday. Despite UMass’ poor record, the Huskies aren’t taking their upcoming opponent lightly.
“I don’t think their record has any indication of what type of football team we’re playing,” NIU football head coach Thomas Hammock said. “They have our undivided attention, and we have to play our best football to give ourself a chance a win.”
COMMITTED TO IMPROVEMENT (AND QB1)
The Huskies are back at home after a 24-17 shortcoming against NC State in North Carolina, where four turnovers committed by redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton proved costly. Despite the performance, Hammock reaffirmed his commitment to Hampton as NIU’s starting signal-caller.
“Ethan knows he needs to play better,” Hammock said. “He’s our quarterback. We’re comfortable with him. But guys have got to make plays around him.”
Senior running back Antario Brown rushed for a season-high 114 yards in the loss, moving him to 355 total on the season.
At the same time, NIU’s defense had its best statistical performance of the season-to-date, holding the Wolfpack to 171 yards of offense and giving up one third-down conversion on 11 attempts.
“We’ve got an older group, so we have a good connection with everyone,” redshirt junior defensive end Pierce Oppong said of NIU’s defense, now ranked No. 7 in the country after Week 5. “Since we’ve all been on the same page, we’ve been able to execute all of our plays, and it’s been showing out.”
However, forcing turnovers has proven difficult for the Huskies lately. After recording two interceptions against the University of Notre Dame in Week 2, NIU has recorded one takeaway since.
Now facing one of the 12 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision that hasn’t lost a fumble yet this season, forcing the ball free has been a focal point in NIU’s preparation for Saturday.
“We’re just putting an emphasis in practice (on) punching at the ball and also … the complementary aspect that works with defense,” Oppong said.
DR. BLITZ’S DEFENSIVE CLINIC
UMass – a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010 – continues to struggle under head coach Don Brown. The Minutemen are 5-24 since bringing Brown back for a second stint at the school in November 2021.
Despite those struggles, Massachusetts ranks 34th in the FBS in total defense and third-down conversion percentage. The Minutemen have allowed 308.6 yards per game and held opponents to 19-of-59 (.322) on third down (through five games this season)
“Coach Brown is a defensive savant,” Hammock said of Brown, sometimes nicknamed “Dr. Blitz” for his defenses’ reputation of always being on the attack. “He does a great job; he knows their scheme inside and out. And those players are playing like they have a great understanding.”
On defense, the Huskies will be met with a UMass offense that has had five players score on the ground this season. The Minutemen are led on offense by redshirt senior quarterback Taisun Phommachanh, a veteran passer with playing experience at two Power Four programs.
“He’s a big, physical player that can beat you with his legs and with his arms,” Hammock said of Phommachanh, who appeared in 15 games in three seasons at Clemson University (2019-22) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (2022-23). “They do a nice job of building the game plan around him.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT Saturday. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
“To get that momentum and confidence in this team would mean a lot,” Brown said of the importance of a win on Saturday. “This one right here could be definitely another tone-setter for the back end of this season.”
