After allowing 453 yards of total offense per game last year, the NIU defense will need something, anything, to give it a boost and help reduce the astronomical offensive numbers of opponents.

Senior cornerback Rich Favor can do just that.

Favor, who is one of seven returning defensive starters, never really had the chance to showcase his talent last season due to rehabilitation from arthroscopic knee surgery in September. It showed as he finished No. 13 in team tackles with 29. Yet, he earned the third letter of his career.

“Rich Favor was probably the most solid defensive back we had last year,” NIU head coach Charlie Sadler said, “even though he played sparingly because of injury.”

The year of 1990 proved to be Favor’s best in an NIU uniform as he started all 11 games for the Huskies. He led the team in interceptions and pass deflections with four apiece. Along with those numbers, he finished the season No. 9 in team tackles.

Injury hardship struck Favor for the first time in the 1989 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. As a result, Favor filed for redshirt eligibility with the NCAA and was granted it.

Favor will probably be looking forward to NIU’s Oct. 31 date with Western Michigan. Last year, the Broncos racked up a total of 415 yards in the Huskies’ Homecoming game.

Favor is an All-Independent candidate, but in order for him to play like one, he’ll have to avoid the dreadful injury factor.

“We need him to stay healthy,” said Sadler. “He is a guy who could play at a lot of schools across the country.”

If Favor does, indeed, stay healthy, NIU opponents will surely not rack up the numbers that they have in years past.