He may not be the obvious choice, but Chandler Harnish is the MVP of the NIU football team.

Sure, running back Chad Spann reached consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons Saturday, but Harnish showed why he is so vital to the Huskies after coming up in a big way against Western Michigan.

With the Huskies down 21-20 with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter, Harnish’s poise and leadership took over. The redshirt junior engineered a seven-play, 79-yard drive to give NIU its six straight win.

The Huskie tradition is to have strong running backs who are essentially the heart beat of the team, and Spann has been keeping that rhythm all season long. Coming into the season, however, it was almost certain that Spann would have another strong season while questions clouded the quarterback position.

Harnish didn’t even open the season as the Huskies’ starter as DeMarcus Grady got the nod. When the NIU offense looked out of sync against Iowa State, it became clearly evident that a change was needed.

Huskies’ head coach Jerry Kill called upon Harnish, who is rated as the most efficient quarterback in the MAC since returning under center for NIU.

What Harnish brings to the NIU offense, even the whole team, is a sense of balance.

The old stay at home formula for Kill’s team is simple: hand the ball off to the running back while letting your defense halt opposing offenses.

With a stout defense and a dangerously deep running game, life sounds easy for Harnish. He hasn’t played like just a “game managing” quarterback though.

His game has taken another step, creating a rapport with his receivers in Martel Moore and Nathan Palmer, who have emerged as legitimate threats down the field.

“I think we learned today that our quarterback is a tremendous football player,” Kill said. “He did a great job and continues to grow each week.”

With Harnish playing at a high level this season, the Huskies are no longer just competitive. They are downright dangerous.