In the midst of a two-game slump, NIU football is back home this weekend to host the University of Massachusetts for the final game of the Huskies’ non-conference schedule. NIU enters Saturday with a sluggish offense and one of the best defenses in college football.
On the other side, UMass will come to DeKalb with a 1-4 record after losing to four Mid-American Conference opponents. In their latest action against Miami University in Week 5, the Minutemen battled the RedHawks to overtime before Miami eeked out a 20-17 victory in Oxford, Ohio.
With UMass scheduled to join the MAC as a full member in July 2025, the Northern Star interviewed Dean Wendel, the head sports editor at the Massachusetts Daily Collegian, UMass’ student newspaper, to learn more about NIU’s soon-to-be conference colleague.
Northern Star: All four of UMass’ losses this season have come against Mid-American Conference schools. What lessons have the Minutemen learned from their recent MAC matchups that might help against NIU?
Dean Wendel: I think UMass has found out a lot about itself over its first four MAC games. Specifically, the team’s learned where it struggles the most, which is in its discipline and its special teams unit. Last week against Miami (Ohio), the Minutemen’s eight penalties for 65 yards actually marked one of the team’s most disciplined performances of the season. Even with last week’s game factored in, UMass is still averaging slightly over 88 penalty yards per game, which is sixth-worst in the FBS. On special teams, the Minutemen have struggled with kicking for years, and 2024 is no different. In his first year at UMass, Vanderbilt transfer Jacob Lurie is 6-of-12 on field goals this year and 2-of-8 from beyond 40 yards. The Minutemen have also struggled with kickoff and punt coverage, allowing multiple big returns to opponents. The trenches have also been an area of concern against MAC teams, although last week’s against the RedHawks saw noticeable improvement from both the offensive and defensive lines.
NS: Who are two players on either side of the ball that NIU should be looking out for on Saturday?
DW: On offense, Northern Illinois should be keyed on wideout Jakobie Keeney-James and running back CJ Hester. Keeney-James is in his first year at UMass after spending five seasons at Eastern Washington. With 2023’s leading wideout Anthony Simpson now off the team, Keeney-James has stepped up as a reliable option for the Minutemen’s passing game. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Keeney-James has good twitch and works well in space but can also bring in deep balls on occasion. Against Miami (Ohio), the wideout had four receptions for a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown. UMass has a trio of running backs that it uses regularly, but Hester had the most success last week with 14 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. The Western Michigan transfer is a little quicker and flashier than the other two backs that the Minutemen use.
On defense, senior linebacker Jalen Stewart led UMass in tackles last week and will probably be towards the top of the stat sheet again on Saturday. Stewart’s a ball hawk who finds his way into plays often. Te’Rai Powell has been a reliable safety for the Minutemen for five seasons now, and in his last year of eligibility, the senior has 24 tackles.
NS: Some might remember redshirt senior quarterback Taisun Phommachanh from his days at Clemson University, where he appeared in 13 games for the Tigers. Is he still the same QB he was then?
DW: In his first season-and-a-half as a collegiate starter, Phommachanh has shown development from his early days at Clemson and Georgia Tech. The senior has a thicker frame than he had at Clemson, which enables him to be more aggressive when scrambling. However, his aggression has only recently shown for UMass, as a knee injury early on in 2023 has bothered him to this day. Only recently has Phommachanh looked to finish runs more often instead of sliding with yards of space between him and his defenders. On offense, there have been a few bad mistakes, but the senior has mostly made the throws asked of him to keep the Minutemen in games.
NS: UMass has struggled against the run game this season, allowing 120.8 rushing yards per game thus far. With NIU senior running back Antario Brown coming off a 114-yard outing at NC State, how do you expect that matchup to play out?
DW: I expect a successful game out of Antario Brown on Saturday. Like I mentioned earlier, last week was the first game of the season where the UMass front seven made a noticeable impact. Even then, the unit’s success at creating havoc in the backfield was offset by a couple big running plays that they allowed to Miami (Ohio). Having watched Brown play against Buffalo earlier in the year, I noticed that patience seems to be one of the back’s top traits. I think his patience will pay off in a big way against the Minutemen, as holes will develop against this defensive line with time.
NS: How do you see this game playing out, and what’s your score prediction?
DW: I think this game will start off tight. Despite losing three games by double digits, only once in 2024 has UMass gone into halftime down multiple possessions. I think Don Brown’s blitz-heavy schemes will work against Brown and Northern Illinois early, but the UMass offense won’t be able to capitalize off of defensive stops. After carrying a one-possession lead into halftime, Ethan Hampton and Brown will have more success in the second half while the Huskies’ defensive athleticism stifles the Minutemen. Prediction: 24-10 Northern Illinois.
