Running back Garrett Wolfe has been cleared by doctors and will play Saturday against Eastern Michigan.

Wolfe sat out Nov. 9 against Toledo with an eye injury. The sophomore still leads the nation with 12.0 points per game, but is one touchdown behind Texas running back Cedric Benson, who has 19.

Benson entered the season as the top returning rusher in the nation and is only the sixth player in NCAA history to have four straight 1,000-yard seasons.

Nendick questionable

Kicker Chris Nendick did not practice Sunday night because of a “hernia-type” injury and may not play Saturday against Eastern Michigan, NIU football coach Joe Novak said Monday.

If Nendick does not play in the Huskies’ final regular-season game, Anthony Gallagher would both punt and place kick. Gallagher has no place-kicking experience, but has started the last 24 games at punter.

Novak said Nendick was in a “lot of pain” and wasn’t sure if the freshman would be able to kick Saturday.

Defensive end Ken West is also a question mark for Saturday’s game, Novak said.

The sophomore, who leads the Huskies with eight sacks, left the Toledo game with an ankle injury.

The bottom of the MAC

In 2003, the MAC may have attracted attention with wins over BCS teams and rankings in the top 25 , but this season, the MAC has attracted just as much attention for its poor teams.

Central Florida, which NIU squeaked by with a 30-28 win Oct. 9, is the only team in Division I-A football without a win. The Golden Knights have lost all 10 games they’ve played this season.

The MAC held the top three spots in ESPN.com’s Bottom 10 ranking Monday. UCF (0-7 MAC, 0-10) leads Western Michigan (0-7, 1-9) and Buffalo (2-6, 2-8). The three teams have a combined record of 3-27.

Darnell fired

Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell’s contract will be terminated at the end of this season despite having two years left.

Darnell was the MAC Coach of the Year in 2000 and helped WMU to the MAC championship game in 1999 and 2000.

The Broncos end their season Saturday at Marshall.

More bowl options for NIU?

With teams playing an 11-game schedule this season instead of last year’s 12-game season, fewer teams will have the six wins needed to become bowl eligible.

The MAC has two bowl tie-ins in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. and the Motor City Bowl in Detroit but some think the MAC may get more this season.

“I’m hearing rumors just like everybody else,” Novak said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we did get a third, maybe even fourth, bowl bid.”

Instead of assigning bowls before the season, Novak said bowls should be given to the best teams at the end of the season.

“That’s what’s ridiculous,” Novak said. “The thing that’s most frustrating to me is that an eighth-place team in the Big Ten can get a bowl bid and a 10-2 team can’t. To see 6-5 teams go over teams like that just isn’t right.”