I’m not going to sit here and tell you NIU has played great football this season. I won’t pretend to be as confident in the Huskies on Tuesday morning as I was more than a week ago — on a dark, humid Friday night in Maryland.
After hearing all the hooplah about NIU’s new-look offense, the vast experience on defense and the stacked freshman class, you might not have too much optimism about the Huskies after watching them barely squeak out a win over an FCS team at home, then fumble a very winnable game against a now-unbeaten Maryland team.
Normally, I’d agree with you, but my therapist tells me I need to be more optimistic. In service of that, I’d like to offer two bright spots and a defense of the Huskies as part of my nonsensical spin on “Two Truths and a Lie.” I’ll even throw in some “SpongeBob Squarepants” references, just for kicks.
Chavon Wright eats nails for breakfast… without any milk
As stagnant as NIU’s passing attack has been, the same can’t be said for the run game. The Huskies own the third-best rushing offense in the MAC (179 yards per game), led by running backs Telly Johnson Jr. and Chavon Wright. Together, they’ve produced NIU’s only two offensive touchdowns of the season — Wright’s 2-yard punch in the opener and Johnson’s 74-yard dash last week.
While it’s a two-man show in the backfield, no player has impressed me more this season than Wright. He’s about the size of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he runs like he’s Marshawn Lynch. According to PFF, Wright has forced 13 missed tackles this season. That’s good for 20th in the country, and everyone ahead of him has played one more game. If runs could speak, Wright’s might say, “I see your pathetic attempt to tackle me, and I simply don’t care. Get the hell out of my way.”
So, even if the offense can’t find a rhythm in the passing game, NIU will at least have a good source of offensive firepower in its 5-foot-8 running back.
Rob Harley, NIU’s hydro-dynamic spatula with port and starboard attachments
I will admit, I had my doubts about Rob Harley when he was hired as NIU’s new defensive coordinator, given his concerning track record at his last gig. In the four years he ran Arkansas State’s defense, the Red Wolves finished in the bottom quarter of the Football Bowl Subdivision in scoring defense every year and landed in the bottom 10 in total defense three times.
Two games into Harley’s NIU tenure, those doubts have been effectively erased. Even after replacing nine starters and multiple position coaches, the defense is still bringing the HEAT (see what I did there?). The Huskies lead the MAC in rushing defense (74 yards per game) and rank top-three in scoring defense (18.5 points per game) and total defense (278 yards per game).
Sure, it’s only been two games, and the Huskies aren’t playing at the same high level they did under Nick Benedetto. But outside of surrendering a 42-yard, fourth-down touchdown against Maryland, NIU’s defense has done enough to win football games. Now, it’s time for the offense and special teams to hold up their ends of the bargain.
Josh Holst is NOT a weenie
If you’ve watched any NIU football this season, you might be surprised to read this: Josh Holst hasn’t been a very good quarterback lately. He’s completed 65% of his passes for 192 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception. Not great, Bob!
Naturally, some have questioned Holst’s suitability for the starting quarterback role, myself included. In fact, my display name on the Northern Star’s Slack channel right now is “Skyler Kisellus, Josh Holst questioner.”
Holst ain’t it…..@HuskieGuys @HuskiesOnTap @NIU_Football
— David Kruse (@kruse3081) September 6, 2025
Holst experiment needs to end.
— Andrew Davis (@AndrewD65226732) September 6, 2025
Now, I’m not a quarterback expert by any means (I can throw a mean spiral, though), but from watching Holst play, a few things stand out. Obviously, he’s got wheels — I’d argue he’s faster than Jordan Lynch. However, there’s a notable hesitance in his game, a reluctance to pull the trigger when the opportunity arises.
Still, I’m not ready to call the Josh Holst experiment a failure — at least, not yet. It’s only been two games — one of them against a Power Four defense — and we saw flashes of what he could do last year in Idaho, where he finished with 182 yards and two touchdowns through the air, 65 yards on the ground and a critical 2-point conversion catch.
Obviously, those positives need to translate to this season, but the offense isn’t doomed with Holst under center, so long as he can get cleaner routes from his receivers and pick up some confidence, fast.
