Central Michigan will start its redshirt junior quarterback Ryan Radcliff against NIU Saturday.

Radcliff will need to be sharp to get through a surging and hungry Huskies defense.

“I know he’s not off to the start he wants,” said NIU head coach Dave Doeren. “Last year, he threw for a ton of yards, and he’s capable of that [this year].”

Through four games, Radcliff has thrown six interceptions while completing 60 passes for 765 yards.

Radcliff will need to limit his passes to the Huskies’ defense if Central Michigan wants to come out on top.

The Chippewas have struggled in their passing game.

Radcliff is not a threat to run, as he has -14 rushing yards on the season.

Either Radcliff is not mobile, or opposing defensive lines have had productive days against him.

The success of the Chippewas will come down to whether they can establish a balanced offense with Radcliff keeping interception numbers down.

If the NIU defensive line and linebackers get into the backfield, Radcliff could struggle under pressure.