Saturday’s upcoming Spring Game at 1 p.m. at Huskie Stadium is an event worth attending for football fans.

Though it’s a mere scrimmage, the Huskies will have the chance to showcase their team to the viewing public for the first time since their loss to TCU, 7-37.

NIU has a lot to prove in the 2007 season: Is the team poised for a disappointing season, or can they improve from their 7-6 record last year?

How will the Huskies account for losing both likely NFL-bound tailback Garrett Wolfe and left tackle Doug Free?

And arguably the biggest question, will NIU get another opportunity to go to a bowl game?

While the Spring Game won’t answer those questions, it will certainly provide classroom and workplace banter amongst peers about the prospects of the season.

Two NIU players will likely garner the most attention and most interesting stories after the game: linebacker Phil Brown and quarterback Dan Nicholson.

Brown spent all of the 2006 season off the field due to an injury sustained in last year’s Spring Game.

It’ll be interesting to see how Brown will perform on the field and how he has healed and rebounded since then. Brown will likely give the linebacking corps and the rest of the defense a much-needed boost.

NIU’s defense gave up an average of 364.7 yards per game in 2006. One of Brown’s best games came in the MAC Championship against Akron, where he had 10 tackles and an interception.

The game was telecast on ESPN – and unfortunately, a heartbreaker for the Huskies. He also had a solid game against No. 4-ranked Michigan with four tackles and a fumble recovery.

Nicholson will get the shot some NIU students have longed for since his stunning debut against Central Michigan. Nicholson led NIU to victory that day, completing 70 percent (19 of 27) of his passes for 320 yards and two TDs.

However, Nicholson could not take the starting job from Phil Horvath.

Now, it’s Nicholson’s time. How well will Nicholson run the offense in the Spring Game, and will that be a sign of things to come?

Can he prosper without a well established starting running back behind him and a left tackle position that has yet to be replaced with a definitive starter?

We’ll see Saturday afternoon – or at least get a preview of things to come.