Phil Horvath could start at quarterback again on Saturday when NIU hosts Southern Illinois at Huskie Stadium.

Starter Josh Haldi played just one series in NIU’s 23-20 loss to Maryland before reaggravating a stress fracture in his right foot.

He had the foot x-rayed Tuesday and is seeing a specialist today.

“Right now it’s very doubtful that Josh [Haldi] will play,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

Novak said he will not hesitate to play Haldi whenever Haldi is ready, whether it’s a non-conference game like Saturday’s or the MAC opener versus Bowling Green on Sept. 24.

“When he’s ready to play, he’ll play,” Novak said. “He’s put in an awful lot of time and effort for this football team. Whenever he’s right and capable, no matter who we’re playing, he’ll be in there.”

Track star

The Huskies may have a new “Burner.” True freshman wide receiver Marcus Perez entered August camp as the No. 4 flanker but made his collegiate debut against the Terrapins with a 13-yard reception. He won the 100- (10.8 seconds) and 200-meter (21.8) dashes this year in the Northern Indiana Conference.

“To be honest, we’ve got to play him more,” Novak said. “He’s a good football player, and he’s fast. And he’s much more mature than what I thought he’d be. Starting this week, you’re going to see him more and more.”

Running man

Linebacker Jason Hawkins, who returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown against Maryland, should be used to running long distances with the football in his hands.

As a senior at Schaumburg High School, the 6-foot-3, 233-pound Hawkins led Illinois high schoolers in rushing with 2,794 yards. At the time, the yardage was good for the second-most in Illinois high school history.

Freshmen impress

The defensive line was a question mark for the Huskies going into Maryland, but Novak was pleased with their performance against the Terrapins.

Sophomore defensive end Ken West caused the fumble by Maryland quarterback Joel Statham that led to Hawkins’ touchdown. The Terrapins managed to amass 198 rushing yards, but needed 46 carries to get there.

Two true freshmen made an impression on Novak.

“I was very encouraged by Ken’s [West] performance,” Novak said. “Zack Holycross and Larry English, I thought, played well also. I wasn’t discouraged by the line’s performance, but do we need to get better? We certainly do.”

Long road

Garrett Wolfe has come a long way since 2002, when he arrived in DeKalb as NIU’s No. 9 tailback. The 5-foot-7, 171-pound Wolfe now finds himself a regular member of the Huskies’ backfield rotation. He ran for 24 yards on nine carries against Maryland and caught a four-yard touchdown pass.

“Garrett Wolfe ran hard and tough for his first time out there,” Novak said. “I think you’ll see him be more confident and elusive as the year goes on.”