After rushing for a career-high 226 yards and four touchdowns Saturday against Central Michigan, NIU’s Garrett Wolfe received the MAC West Offensive Player of the Week award on Monday.

Wolfe’s output against CMU was the most yards of any running back in the MAC this season. The 5-foot-7, 171-pound sophomore also has the second-highest single-game rushing total with 202 yards Sept. 24 against Bowling Green.

“I knew he had talent, but he’s not that big,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “I didn’t know he could carry it 35 times a game, but he’s very resilient and elusive to tackles.”

Wolfe also won the award after the Bowling Green game and was nominated last week.

Wolfe’s four touchdowns put him at 14 on the year, the most in Division I-A football. Both Wolfe and Novak attributed much of NIU’s running success to the offensive line.

“I don’t want to sell them short,” Novak said of his running backs, who have rushed for 200 yards more than any other team in the MAC. “But right now, our offensive line is playing really well, too. If they don’t block, those backs aren’t going as far.”

NIU linebacker Brian Atkinson was also nominated for the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week, but did not win. The senior captain had 10 tackles against CMU.

Harris and Lee go down

In NIU running back A.J. Harris’ first carry against CMU, he ran for three yards but limped off the field after the play.

Harris reaggravated an injury to his left ankle and did not return to the game. Novak said the junior running back will be “a go” for the team’s next game against Eastern Michigan, but Wolfe is expected to start.

“They’ll both play,” Novak said. “We’ll just play it by ear. Garrett has earned his start.”

Linebacker Javan Lee left the game early in the second half after spraining his left knee. Novak wasn’t sure if Lee will play Saturday.

Novak does the Hula

The Huskies boss will coach a postseason college all-star game for the second straight year Jan. 22 when he heads to Hawaii for the Hula Bowl Maui All-Star Football Classic.

Novak served as an assistant coach in the Blue-Grey Classic in Montgomery, Ala. after last season.

“I had a lot of fun,” Novak said. “It’s a great experience. I think it’s good exposure for our football program and any time you have that, it’s a plus.”

Cold-weather fans

NIU had the second-highest Homecoming attendance in school history Saturday. The 27,385 added to NIU’s attendance average, which is second best in the MAC to Marshall.

“The crowd support is wonderful,” Novak said. “We need to recognize that if we go to a bowl game, attendance is a big factor.”

Many fans left after halftime because of the cold temperatures and winds at nearly 40 mph. The stands looked at about half-capacity toward the end of the game.

“I was a little disappointed,” Novak said. “We’re playing good football and I know it’s cold, but it was cold in Wisconsin and Purdue as well.”

Bowling Green, which is 4-2 overall 2-1 in the MAC West, had an attendance of 16,669 for its homecoming game.

“I’m really disappointed in the fans,” Bowling Green coach Gregg Brandon told the Toledo Blade. “Our students showed up, but where was everybody else? This is homecoming and to have 17,000 is disappointing. Our kids deserve better than that.”

Movin’ on up

NIU received 10 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, putting the Huskies at No. 34. NIU received five votes in the same poll in the previous week.

The Huskies also received three votes in The Associated Press poll, which ranked NIU at No. 35.

Toledo received no votes in either poll, but was picked No. 6 on ESPN’s Mid-Major Six Pack, which ranks the top mid-major schools in the country.