The NIU football team has a new fan.

Strongside linebacker Jason Hawkins is father to that fan after his fiancee, Katie, gave birth to 8-pound, 20 1/2-inch Nickolas Jonathan at 8:13 p.m. Sept. 17.

Katie will be in the stands when the Huskies (1-2) host Bowling Green (1-1) at 6:05 p.m. today in the MAC opener for both teams. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound Hawkins looks at himself as a leader on this year’s team.

“This is my fifth year in the program and I’ve been around the block, so to speak,” said Hawkins, who will marry Katie sometime next September. “I understand what’s expected and what needs to be done. You just have to make sure you manage your time well.”

NIU quarterback Josh Haldi, who is nursing a stress fracture in his right foot, will be a game-time decision. He has played only the first series of NIU’s opening loss to Maryland this season.

“I’m not real optimistic, but we don’t know,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “We’ll know about 6:05 [today]. Josh will tell us right before the game.”

If Haldi can’t go, Phil Horvath will get the call once again. He has had an up-and-down season, as his four touchdown passes and four interceptions last week against Iowa State attest.

“He’s had a few really bad plays,” Novak said. “He’s had a whole bunch of really good ones, too. He’s got to try to eliminate and cut down on the bad ones.”

The two teams have split their meetings the last two years. Host NIU knocked off an 8-0 Falcons squad in 2002 while Bowling Green defeated the unbeaten and No. 12-ranked Huskies last season.

The Falcons come into DeKalb with a new starting quarterback, Omar Jacobs. Jacobs replaces Josh Harris, who was known for being able to beat teams with his feet as well as with his arm.

“NIU always has a good defense,” Jacobs said. “We expect them to come out, play hard and come after us.”

Jacobs said he is more of a pure pocket-passer than Harris – but don’t tell that to Novak.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Novak said. “He will take off and they do have running plays for him. It’s the same offense and they’re using him just like they did Josh.”

Hawkins said the Huskies can’t have a repeat of last year’s game, when the Huskies never recovered from Bowling Green scoring two touchdowns right out of the gate.

The Huskies will have to be cognizant of the wide-open offense Bowling Green employs, Hawkins said.

“We’ve gotta be really disciplined on defense,” he added. “They really test your discipline because they spread you out and they have really skilled receivers, as well as an experienced line.”

Novak knows the Huskies are in for a fight, as the Falcons are the highest-scoring MAC team and give up the second fewest points in the conference. NIU’s true freshman kicker, Chris Nendick, could play a pivotal role tonight.

“I think the kicking game is going to be critical because I think you have two pretty even teams,” Novak said. “That could be a big difference.”