Quarterbacks

Junior Ryan Radcliff should start for the Chippewas on Saturday at quarterback. Although Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos played backup A.J. Westendorp for a few snaps against Michigan State, there may be some competition brewing at quarterback. Radcliff comes off a decent season last year after replacing Dan LeFevour. NIU cornerback Rashaan Melvin said Radcliff still lacks the maturity at this point in his career to lead his team through adversity.

“I remember that last year he did pretty good,” Melvin said. “Overall, he’s a pretty good player. But this year I heard that he’s having some competence issues [in grasping the playbook].”

Radcliff has thrown for 765 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions this season. Huskies’ outside linebacker Jordan Delegal said if the defense gets to Radcliff early, he shouldn’t be a problem.

“On film, he does the right things,” Delegal said. “But I think if we rattle him early, we’ll get some takeaways from him.” Grade: C-

Running backs

Look for sophomore Tim Phillips and senior Paris Cotton to split the load against the Huskies. The Chippewas lost their other starter, sophomore Zurlon Tipton, against Kentucky, and have given Phillips and Cotton more playing time. Phillips leads the team in rushing with 144 yards, and Cotton is third with 28 yards. Delegal said the NIU defense will be ready to play against CMU’s two-running-back system.

“They’re a two-back team similar to Wisconsin and a couple of other teams we’ve played,” Delegal said. “The coaches will scheme them up pretty good. We’ll come in with the right game plan and we just have to sit it right and do our job.” Grade: D+

Wide receivers

Juniors Cody Wilson and Jerry Harris will start as wide receivers for Central Michigan. Wilson is the man the Huskies will have to watch out for as he’s the primary downfield threat for the Chippewas. Melvin said he’s prepared for the challenge.

“He’s a good player,” Melvin said. “I look forward to matching up against him, and if he comes up and starts talking trash, as a football player, I just have to stay focused and stay humble in every situation because you never know who is going to make the plays out there on the field.” Grade: B

Offensive line

Right guard Rocky Weaver is the only senior in this group and is a three-year starter at his position. Weaver, at 6’6” and 300 pounds, has a lot of size and anchors the inside of the Chippewas’ line. On the outside, Central Michigan has juniors Jake Olson at right tackle and Eric Fisher at left tackle, both of whom stand at 6’8” and weigh over 300 pounds. The Chippewas have a size advantage over NIU, but with an offense that has mustered only 13.8 points per game, it’s obvious the Chippewas have some issues up front.

“They’re pretty big NFL prototype type of guys, and every year we’ve played them since I’ve been here they’ve had big guys,” Delegal said. “But we’re going to treat it like every other week: Respect our opponent, come in and do what we have to do.” Grade: C-