NIU junior linebacker Kursten Strothman will get his first chance to start a game when the Huskies play Ohio at 6:35 p.m. Saturday at Huskie Stadium.

The 6-foot-1 Rochelle native will step in for sophomore Javan Lee, who strained his right hamstring in the win over Iowa State last Saturday.

“He’s always wanted to be a starter and it didn’t happen,” Kursten’s mother Lynn Strothman said. “He’s excited for it. I have confidence in him. He’s been playing football since he was a little kid.”

Strothman spent last season as the backup to current starter Nick Duffy, but did make his presence felt when he was on the field with two interceptions and a key blocked punt to help preserve a win over Western Michigan on Oct. 26, 2002.

He was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after the WMU game for the blocked punt that led to a touchdown.

Along with the injured Lee, junior right defensive end Travis Moore will be out of Saturday’s game for the Huskies (4-0). Moore suffered a left ankle sprain on Saturday and was on crutches this week. Senior Jason Frank will get the start in Moore’s place.

“It’ll be a day at a time,” said NIU coach Joe Novak, about the status of Lee and Moore coming back. “I know they won’t play Saturday and whether they’re back the week after or three weeks after, we’ll just have to wait and see. I don’t know.”

As for the game itself, it marks the start of the MAC season for No. 17 NIU.

Ohio averages 190.8 yards per game rushing, which ranks 24th in the nation. NIU’s run defense has been better than its pass defense, allowing 123.8 yards a game on the ground. The Huskies have been stingy when it comes to scoring, allowing 15.5 points per game – good for 18th best in the nation.

Ohio comes in as losers of its last three games, by a combined score of 129-72. The Bobcats allowed 48 points against Iowa State on Sept. 6. NIU held Iowa State to 16 points last week.

With the win against Iowa State, NIU became the second team in MAC history to defeat three BCS schools in one season. Now, the Huskies turn their attention to conference play.

“You got to be worried about every school,” NIU receiver Sam Hurd said. “We know they can come in here and beat us on any given day, just as well as we can beat them on any given day. We just got to be focused and not take them lightly, because they’re coming in here hungry like we went in hungry to Alabama.”