NIU senior wide receiver P.J. Fleck will take the field for his final Homecoming game in a Huskies uniform Saturday.

Before a sellout crowd, Fleck and the Huskies will take on Western Michigan (3-3, 2-1 MAC) at 3:05 p.m. at Huskie Stadium.

“For me, it’s the pride of the university,” Fleck said. “I’m a Huskie, I’m always going to be a Huskie. It’s a time for all the other people who used to be Huskies, who are part of the Huskie family, to come back and watch the 2003 Huskies.”

NIU (6-0, 2-0 MAC) is ranked No. 12 and is one of five unbeaten teams remaining in Division-IA. Last week, NIU spoiled Central Michigan’s Homecoming with a 40-24 victory.

NIU will come into its own Homecoming banged up. Senior linebacker Nick Duffy broke his right fibula on Saturday, ending his season and career as a Huskie. Defensive ends Travis Moore and Jason Frank and linebacker Javan Lee also will miss Saturday’s game with injuries. Receiver Dan Sheldon rounds out the Huskies’ injured list. Sheldon, the nation’s leading punt returner a year ago, is done for the season with a dislocated left elbow.

Junior linebacker Jason Hawkins will get his first start on Saturday, replacing Duffy.

“The injuries certainly affect us,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “There’s a lot of football left to be played, though. I just feel awful for those kids. I know how hard they’ve worked. We’ll have people step in and play well, though. We have decent depth, but if we keep getting injured, we’ll lose that depth quickly.”

WMU comes to Huskie Stadium in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season. The Broncos, who lost to Bowling Green last week, will play NIU on Saturday and face Marshall next week.

The Huskies have won five consecutive Homecoming games and 12 of their last 16.

WMU leads the all-time series 20-8 over the Huskies, but NIU has won the previous two meetings and owns an eight-game winning streak over Michigan schools.

WMU coach Gary Darnell said in his weekly MAC press conference that playing in DeKalb will be anything but easy.

“I have always thought that it is a tough place to play,” Darnell said. “We have never had an easy time on their home field. Our wins have been by a last-second field goal or have come in the last minute of the game. We’ve had some real classic games there. Believe me, playing there is a real challenge for us.”