DeKALB | NIU tailback Garrett Wolfe is on pace to break many records this season.

The Chicago native has rushed for 828 yards in four games, which leads all Division I rushers.

With eight more games remaining on the schedule, Wolfe is on pace for 24 touchdowns and 2,484 yards rushing.

Wolfe has moved to second all-time on the NIU rushing list with 4,064 yards. Michael Turner (2000-03) is in first with 4,941. Wolfe is only 877 yards shy of owning the No. 1 spot.

“Our whole focus is on winning the football game,” NIU coach Joe Novak said of his decision to take Wolfe out of Saturday’s game against Indiana State. “Maybe I’m too old-fashioned, but I’ve got too much respect for this game and for the Heisman Trophy to have any guy get it because he’s padding his stats.

“You can’t ever say that about what Garrett has, because his stats haven’t been padded and they won’t be. This youngster has what he has when the game is important. He’s had big games against everybody.”

That’s not all. Wolfe is also on pace to tie an NCAA record.

The NCAA record for earliest to which a 1,000 yards is five games, Wolfe is 172 yards shy of tying the record. If Wolfe does, he would be in company with NFL Hall of Fame running backs Barry Sanders (1,004) and Marcus Allen (1,136), who both rushed for 1,000 yards in five games.

Defend this

Despite not playing well the first two games of the season, the NIU team defense has improved — at least statistically. The Huskies gave up 70 points, and 997 yards of offense the first two games with zero sacks. The last two, the Huskies allowed 613 yards with seven sacks.

The Huskies have three players in the top three of the MAC in fumble recoveries.

Defensive end Ken West leads the MAC with two, Linebacker Tim McCarthy and Defensive Anthony Antonacci are tied with one.

Hitting them where it hurts

NIU’s leading tackler last year was safety Dustin Utschig.

So far this season, McCarthy leads the team with 32 tackles, which puts him at second in the MAC.

If he keeps this trend going, the Wisconsin native would end up with more than 80 tackles this season.

Lacy Searcy is a Sports Reporter for the Northern Star.