It would be safe to say this year’s NIU football team has ventured into unfamiliar territory.

The Huskies (5-3, 4-0) have won four straight games for the first time under coach Joe Novak and won’t need any help to claim a MAC West Division title.

“We’re not the only ones to control our own destiny,” Novak said. “So do Bowling Green and Toledo. But I’d certainly rather have it this way than any other way. As we told our team, it’s just a matter of us going out there and getting the job done. There’s a lot of football to play.”

Saturday’s 1 p.m. (EST) game against Western Michigan (2-5, 1-2) in Kalamazoo marks the 28th time the two schools have met with WMU holding a 20-7 series advantage.

“They are very good,” Novak said. “They’re a heck of a football team. We haven’t won up there in 15 years, and we got to be real good to win Saturday.”

The Broncos, who Bowling Green coach Urban Meyer calls one of the most talented in the league, enter Saturday’s contest losers of two straight MAC games by a combined seven points. Western Michigan also has losses to Virginia Tech, Michigan and Purdue, which makes their 2-5 record look deceiving.

Western Michigan’s defense, rated second in the MAC, is anchored by Bryan Lape and Jason Babin.

Lape, a senior linebacker, registered 122 tackles last season and has accumulated 62 this season, including six for loss.

Babin leads the MAC with 10 sacks from his defensive tackle spot and has 54 tackles, two forced fumbles and one recovered fumble.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Broncos rank last in the MAC in rushing offense but are third in passing.

Chad Munson and Jon Drach have split time at quarterback in WMU’s one-back offense.

Drach, a St. Charles native, made his first collegiate start last year in Huskie Stadium and was intercepted four times.

The Huskies offense will continue to look to Michael Turner to lead the offense. Turner is second in the nation in rushing (157.4 yards per game) and is the only running back to rank in the top 10 in the NCAA in four individual categories.

Turner is first in all-purpose yardage (201.8), second in rushing, No. 8 in scoring (10.5) and No. 9 in kickoff returns (26.9).

The Huskies were able to end a six-game losing streak to WMU in last year’s 20-12 win at Huskie Stadium. But the Huskies haven’t won in Kalamazoo since Sept. 19, 1987.

A Huskie win on Saturday would make NIU 5-0 in the MAC going into its bye week.