Key player: NIU’s secondary

By Brian Belford

After Toledo wide receiver Eric Page and quarterback Austin Dantin blew up the Huskies with 322 yards and five touchdowns, it’s clear the NIU secondary needs to step up.

Bowling Green State has two senior receivers, Eugene Cooper and Kamar Jordan, that have 50 catches or more, and both could experience record-breaking days unless NIU’s defensive backs can create some turnovers.

NIU defensive back Demetrius Stone said the secondary knows what to look for against Bowling Green State’s receivers and is up to the challenge of stopping them.

“We’ve seen a lot of things,” Stone said. “We got some stuff prepared, and I feel like the secondary will be ready to play with the packages we have in place to handle them.”

In the past two games, the Huskies have allowed a combined 726 yards through the air to Buffalo and Toledo.

Both victories came down to the wire because of poor defensive play.

NIU can’t afford to let the Falcons get in a rhythm against its secondary on Tuesday.