DeKalb | The opponent and setting for NIU’s bowl game match up is set.

On Dec. 18, the Huskies (10-3 overall, 8-1 MAC) will square-off against Fresno State (8-4, 5-3 WAC) at 3:30 p.m. playing on the infamous blue turf in Boise, Idaho for the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl.

NIU starting quarterback Chandler Harnish relished that the bowl game will be one of the earlier games that will be played in the coming weeks.

“Playing an earlier game means that you keep your routine pretty similar to how its been all year,” Harnish said. “You have just a couple weeks to prepare and we’re definitely looking forward to it.”

This marks the fifth meeting between the Huskies and Bulldogs. The all-time series is split as NIU earned its two victories in 1973 and 1990 while Fresno State won in 1972 and 1991.

For the third straight season, NIU will play in the postseason, however, Huskies head coach Jerry Kill will not have coach the team after accepting the head coaching position at University of Minnesota. Kill came up empty in his two bowl appearances with NIU as the Huskies lost the 2008 Independence Bowl and the International Bowl last season.

NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher is uncertain which coaches will remain with the Huskies in their bowl game.

“I was recruited here and given a scholarship to help this program win games and to make this program better and to be a leader,” NIU linebacker Alex Kube said. “And that’s what I’m going to continue to do whether the coaching staff is here or not, because I owe that to a lot of people.”

NIU’s last bowl victory came in 2004 when they defeated Troy, 34-21 under then head coach Joe Novak.

Kube is one of the 21 seniors who will be departing from the Huskie program. Going out on a winning note is that much more important to Kube after Friday’s loss to Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship game.

“I have a horrible taste in mouth [after losing the MAC Championship],” Kube said. “I want to get the taste out.”

The Huskies will play against a Bulldogs’ team that placed fourth in the Western Athletic Conference, which features two top 25 teams in No. 10 Boise State and No. 13 Nevada.

If the Huskies prevail over Fresno State, it will be their 11th victory, a school record for most victories in a season.

Fresno State’s regular season schedule didn’t feature a major victory as it defeated only one team with a winning record with a 38-17 victory over Cal Poly.

The Bulldogs nearly pulled off an upset over conference rival Nevada but fell 35-34.

Fresno State’s defense allowed an average of 29.2 points a game during the regular season, ranking 79th overall in the nation.

Despite that high allowance, Harnish didn’t hesitate to praise the Bulldogs’ defense.

“They have a really good defense,” Harnish said. “We have to bring our ‘A game’ as an offensive unit,”

The Bulldogs are well acquainted with playing in the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl. In their two appearances, Fresno State is undefeated with victories over Georgia Tech in 2007 and Virginia in 2004.

NIU expects to announce travel packages later this week. Compher said that NIU has a 2,000 ticket allotment through the conference.

Tickets for the uDrove Humanitarian Bowl can be purchased through the Bowl Central page on NIU’s Athletics’ website, www.NIUHuskies.com, or by calling the NIU Athletics’ Ticket Office at 815-752-6800.