NIU football will play their first home game Saturday, and the team will attempt to put their previous game behind them and start fresh.

NIU (0-1) will play at home against Tennessee-Martin (1-0) in the first ever meeting between the two teams.

NIU head coach Dave Doeren believes that from an offensive standpoint, the Skyhawks are most dangerous with their passing play.

Their passing attack is led by senior quarterback Derek Carr and senior wide receiver Quentin Sims.

“They have a receiver and a quarterback,” Doeren said in a press conference. “I think if we can disrupt the quarterback, if we can get in that receiver’s hip pocket and make him make tough plays, I feel good about our matchups on the line of scrimmage if we play with good technique. Those are the two guys that I think are playing at a really high level for them.”

With this information in mind, the play of the secondary becomes integral for the success of the NIU defense. Doeren credits the secondary with not only doing their job well in the Iowa game, but also having solid play on pass coverage that allowed the defensive line time to get to the quarterback.

A key feature to watch for will be NIU’s offensive line and their ability to continue its success from the last game, which helped its morale.

“We feel like we can do very well and do the same thing that the offensive line did last year,” said red shirt junior Matt Krempel in a press conference. “That being our first start with the entire offensive line and doing what we did, I think that really builds confidence and gets the butterflies out.”

If the line can make the holes for run plays and allow enough time for Lynch to take his shots, Doeren believes in quarterback Jordan Lynch’s playmaking ability.

“He made some really good decisions in the game,” Doeren said in a press conference. “You got to take your shots when you get them and make them count. I felt like we did that, for the most part. We just missed a couple of plays. There were four drops, so that hurts you, numbers-wise. That changes his statistics pretty quickly. If those passes are completed, one of them was a big play.”

NIU’s defense will also look to continue its success from last week, and possibly keep their nation leading sack total intact for another week.

“That’s pretty cool too see,” said junior Joe Windsor in a press conference. “As a defense, we want to be a top defense and want to be recognized as a top defense. To be ranked nationally in one of those stats is pretty cool.”

Doeren believes his team has refocused from last week’s loss and is primed to make a statement on Saturday against Tennessee-Martin.

“I was in here talking to guys and they had a good look in their eyes,” Doeren said in a press conference. “A lot of them were pissed off, which you like because you want those guys to be angry, and the only way to get over it is to get out there and put it behind you on the field.”