The football team is playing for a Mid-American Conference Championship berth Friday when it takes on the Central Michigan University Chippewas on their turf.

The Huskies’ last appearance in the MAC Championship game was Dec. 4, 2015 when they fell 34-14 to Bowling Green. The team finished the 2016 season 5-7 and was never in postseason contention.

The Huskies (8-3, 6-1 MAC) are back in the hunt this season, but will need some help from the co-leaders of the MAC West, the Toledo Rockets.

The Rockets (9-2, 6-1 MAC) are tied at the top with NIU, but hold the tiebreaker after defeating the Huskies 27-17 Nov. 2. If NIU wins against Central Michigan and Toledo loses to the Western Michigan Broncos Friday, the Huskies win the MAC West and qualify for the championship game.

Head Coach Rod Carey said the Huskies need to take care of their business and not worry about the Toledo game.

“We have an opportunity to play for MAC West championship and we don’t control our fate for the MAC title game because of how we played in the Toledo game,” Carey said. “We do control [our game], so that’s what we focus on and what we’ve said about it.”

The Chippewas (7-4, 5-2 MAC) are eliminated from postseason contention but is a team that cannot be overlooked. They have won four games in a row and have scored at least 35 points in those outings, including putting up 56 against Ball State Oct. 21.

Carey praised the talent of Central Michigan on both sides of the football.

“Central Michigan is a really good football team,” Carey said. “[They have] outstanding skill and scheme and everything they do on offense. Defensively, the best defensive backs as a group that we have played this year. Have a ton of respect for them that way.”

One of the leaders on NIU’s defense all season long has been Sutton Smith, redshirt sophomore defensive end. Smith is coming off a game against Western Michigan Wednesday where he broke the NIU single season record for quarterback sacks with 13 and scored on a 58-yard fumble return.

“I think he makes my job so much easier because he gets after the quarterback in almost every play, and he’s exciting to watch,” redshirt sophomore safety Mykelti Williams said. “He’s a complement to our game. I help him out on the back end and he helps me out up front.”

Smith’s game earned him MAC Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. Carey praised his young defensive end and made his prediction on another award Smith should receive.

“I didn’t even know he got it, but it’s deserved,” Carey said. “He deserves to be in that conversation [of] conference player of the year.”

Smith broke Larry English’s record of sacks with 12 in 2006, as English took conference player of the year that season.

Kickoff in the regular season finale against Central Michigan is set for 11 a.m. Friday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Toledo will host Western Michigan at 10:30 a.m. Friday.