The Huskies enter their second conference match this weekend with a 1-3 overall record. While they are 1-0 in MAC play, the Huskies had their share of ups and downs.

At times, the Huskies have looked like a top college football team, but more often than not their inability to throw the football down the field hinders their performance.

The Huskies need to take more shots down the field to gain bigger chunks of yards instead of three or four yard completions. Without the threat of being able to go over the top, opposing teams will stack the box against the run. The heavy pressure will make the Huskies unable to rely on the running game, and the offense will become very one-dimensional.

More plays have to be called, especially early on in the game, to take advantage of the speed-guys, like junior wide receiver Spencer Tears and senior D.J. Brown. Defenses will have to respect Childers’ arm and open up the rest of the playbook.

When needed, the running back position has been more than serviceable so far this season. Junior Marcus Jones, sophomore Tre Harbison and first year Jordan Nettles have combined for 479 rushing yards this season, even with a horrible combined 22-yard performance versus Florida State.

With the running game going, NIU still ranks dead last in the MAC in total offense. While the Huskies have played against some stout defenses, this does not excuse the poor production. The opportunities are there for the Huskies to win more than just the one game.

In the season opener against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Huskies defense bent but didn’t break in the first half. The offense, led by sophomore quarterback Marcus Childers, was unable to put points on the board in the first half, in part because senior kicker Andrew Gantz missed on both field goal attempts. After halftime, the Hawkeyes took advantage of the Huskies run-only offense and wore down the defense for a 33-7 finish.

At home against Utah, the Huskies had a chance to knock off their PAC-12 opponent until Childers tossed a decisive interception that sealed the game for the Utes. Childers totaled 216 yards and two interceptions through the first two games.

The offense still struggled in their lone win against Central Michigan as Childers threw for just 109 yards, though he connected for three touchdowns.

When the Huskies made the trip to Florida State, they were forced to play from behind from the very beginning. After FSU scored two quick touchdowns, NIU knew they couldn’t rely on the running game and were forced to put the ball into Childers’ hands. Childers threw the ball 41 times, completing 20 of them for 215 yards. All marks set season highs for the sophomore.

While the passing game seems to be heading in the right direction statistically, there’s still plenty of reason for concern. Childers’ 4.62 yards per attempt leaves him ranked 123 out of 125 qualified college quarterbacks. Childers’ play needs to improve if the Huskies want a shot at a MAC Championship. The Huskies need to wean themselves off dump passes for little-to-no yardage.

The defense is holding their own against some high-powered offenses, and the running backs are contributing. It’s time for Head Coach Rod Carey to see if Childers is capable of taking control.

With the Huskies facing their second conference opponent this weekend, the opportunity to finally put the offensive pieces together is there. Hopefully, this game kick starts the Huskies’ offense for the rest of the season.