he Miami (Ohio) football team has not treated NIU well in recent times.

In two games in 1997 and 1998, the RedHawks manhandled the Huskies by a combined score of 83-10.

NIU hopes to change that Saturday when it plays the RedHawks at 1 p.m. at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.

The Huskies (3-3, 2-0 MAC) have won their initial two conference games under coach Joe Novak for the first time in his tenure.

“My concern is that after winning a couple, that we get satisfied,” Novak said. “As a football team and as a coach, that’s the last thing you want. You don’t want everybody fat and happy and sassy. You gotta have an edge.”

The Huskies will have a tough time getting that edge if Miami (4-2, 2-0 MAC) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has anything to say. The 6-foot-5 sophomore was a freshman All-American last season and has thrown for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Roethlisberger has spread the wealth remarkably well, as the top four RedHawk receivers are within 44 yards of each other. Michael Larkin leads the quartet with 222 yards and five touchdowns.

“[Roethlisberger] is a big, tall, lanky guy who wants to stay in the pocket and throw,” Novak said. “But he’s nifty enough to make you miss. He’s not going to take off and run 50 yards, but he’ll make time to throw the ball downfield.”

The Huskies made time to throw the ball downfield in their 41-29 win over Ball State on Saturday. Signal caller Josh Haldi passed for a career-high four touchdowns as NIU’s air game got back on track.

Novak said Haldi should be ready to drop back often in Saturday’s game as the RedHawks will look to shut down Michael Turner, the nation’s second-leading rusher with 872 yards.

Matt Edwards leads the RedHawks with five sacks.

“I’ll be surprised if they don’t come after us and try to take the run away,” Novak said. “They’ll make us throw it and I think they’ll probably try to pressure us. They’ve always been an aggressive-type football team.”

Against the Cardinals, the Huskies got their aggressiveness back as they intercepted four passes. The four turnovers were a high for the season.

Linebacker Larry Williams, second on the team with four sacks, said causing turnovers goes hand-in-hand with the offense putting up points.

“We try to pride ourselves on getting at least three turnovers,” Williams said. “The first few games we came up a little short, but this last game we had four, so we’re back on track. We want to put the offense in position to score and we (the defense) want to score ourselves.”

The NIU special teams has done some scoring of its own during the last two contests.

Dan Sheldon ripped off a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown against BSU and went 90 yards the week before against Kent State.

With Sheldon returning punts and Turner and cornerback Randee Drew running back kickoffs, the Huskies have three starters going the extra mile.

“Those guys are all capable of breaking a big play and going all the way,” Novak said. “With our passing game struggling at times, it’s important that we take advantage of every opportunity to score. I’d give them a rest on defense or offense before I gave them rest on special teams.”

Special teams is just one area the Huskies need to execute to defeat the RedHawks, a perennial MAC powerhouse.

“We still need to be up there and play with the big boys, and I consider Miami one of the big boys,” Novak said. “To win a game like this on the road I think would really be huge because I consider them part of the elite group.”