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The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Football better prepared for Babers 2nd time around

By Frank Gogola | December 1, 2014

Football’s struggles against last season’s Dino Babers-coached Eastern Illinois Panthers should help this year’s squad be better prepared for the fast-paced offense it’ll face against the Bowling Green Falcons in the Marathon MAC Championship...

Employees eligible for 100 free tickets

By Northern Star Staff | December 1, 2014

Faculty and staff are eligible to receive one free ticket to the MAC Championship game, which is Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.One hundred free tickets are available to employees who call 815-752-6800 or go to the ticket office at the Convocation Center.Tickets...

NIU football players celebrate in the locker room after beating the Western Michigan Broncos Friday at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich. NIU won, 31-21.

NIU football takes down Western Michigan Broncos in comeback

By Frank Gogola | November 30, 2014

Football knew it had what it took to come back from a 21-10 halftime deficit against the Western Michigan Broncos to seal its fifth-straight trip to the MAC Championship game.The Huskies (10-2, 6-1 MAC) scored the game’s final 24 points, including 21...

NIU students celebrate Homecoming weekend by tailgating outside of Huskie Stadium Saturday before the football game.

NIU offers $20 student fan package for 2014 MAC Championship football game

By Northern Star Staff | November 30, 2014

NIU will sell a student fan bus package to the MAC Championship as the Huskies face the Bowling Green Falcons Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.The $20 packages include a coach bus ride to Ford Field, dinner at Rub BBQ Pub in Detroit, one student game ticket...

Football stuffs Fleck’s gamble

By Frank Gogola | November 30, 2014

P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan head coach and NIU alumnus, saw his opportunity to throw a knockout punch that would dethrone the four-time defending MAC West champion Huskies.Instead, Fleck’s fourth-down play call midway through the third quarter turned...

Rapid Reaction: NIU football 31, Western Michigan Broncos 21

November 28, 2014

What happened: The Huskies (10-2, 7-1 MAC) scored the game’s final 24 points to beat the Western Michigan Broncos (8-4, 6-2 MAC), 31-21, to clinch the MAC West title.How it happened: Freshman kicker Christian Hagan split the uprights on a 40-yard field...

Junior safety Marlon Moore (2) celebrates recovering a fumble in NIU’s 21-14 win against Ohio on Nov. 18 at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. NIU is now one win away from securing a trip to the MAC Championship. The Huskies take on the Western Michigan Broncos 10 a.m. Nov. 28 at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Football duels with Broncos’ balanced offense

By Frank Gogola | November 25, 2014

All that stands between football and the MAC Championship game are 60 minutes and P.J. Fleck’s surging Western Michigan Broncos.The Huskies take on the Broncos 10 a.m. Friday at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich. They need to win to secure the MAC West...

Breaking Down the Broncos

By Frank Gogola | November 25, 2014

The No. 14 football team will close out its regular season with a matchup against Western Michigan at 6 p.m. today at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies (11-0, 7-0 MAC) will look to win their 12th straight game, increase their nation-leading home winning streak to 26 games and extend their nation-leading conference winning streak to 25. The Huskies also look to claim the school’s first undefeated record as an FBS program in school history. Sports writer Brian Earle (@NSSBrianE22) will break down the Broncos.

Quarterback: The Broncos’ starting quarterback job has been back and forth all season between senior Tyler Van Tubbergen and redshirt freshman Zach Terrell. Van Tubbergen has made six starts compared to Terrell’s five, but he is out the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Terrell started in the Broncos’ most recent game against Central Michigan. He has been up and down in his first season, throwing eight touchdowns as well as eight interceptions. He completes 53.3 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,463 yards this season. He is not a mobile quarterback as on the season he has totaled -15 rushing yards.

Running back: The Broncos feature two running backs in their backfield with a similar number of carries. Senior Dareyon Chance has carried the ball 138 times for 658 yards while senior Brian Fields has 143 carries for 552 yards. Fields has done a better job of finding the end zone this season as he has six rushing touchdowns compared to Chance’s two touchdowns. In the red zone, Fields will see the bulk of the carries. Fields is used sparingly in the passing game as he has caught 13 passes for 122 yards.

Wide Receiver: The playmaker in the Broncos’ offense is freshman Corey Davis. Davis leads the Broncos and the nation’s freshman wide receivers in receiving yards, receptions, receiving yards per game, yards per catch and receiving touchdowns. He has recorded 64 receptions for 913 yards and six touchdowns. He averages 14.3 yards per catch and 91.3 yards per game. On the season he has recorded two 100-yard receiving games. With 87 more yards he will become the fourth wide receiver in MAC history to reach 1,000 yards in his freshman season.

Offensive line: The most experienced member of the Broncos’ offensive line is senior Terry Davisson. He is the anchor of a line that has surrendered 20 total sacks for a loss of 142 yards this season. They will be challenged by the Huskies’ defensive unit, which is fourth in the MAC with 28 sacks this season. Since Terrell is not a very mobile quarterback, the offensive line will have to buy as much time as it can for Terrell to find an open receiver. If Terrell doesn’t have any time to throw, it could be a long day for Western Michigan.

Defensive line: Senior Travonte Boles has done a little bit of everything for the Broncos at defensive tackle this season. He has recorded 51 total tackles on the season and been a force at stopping the run, with five tackles for a loss of 12 yards. Boles can also get after the quarterback as he has 1.5 sacks as well as a quarterback hurry on the season. Boles has also been solid in pass coverage this season as he grabbed an interception and broken up three passes. He is also coming off a game in which he blocked a PAT attempt against Central Michigan.

Linebacker: Senior Kyle Lark has been a tackling machine for the Broncos this season. He is the second-leading tackler on the team with 88 total tackles. He has been strong against the run, making five tackles for a loss of 11 yards. He has not recorded a sack on the season, but in pass coverage he has recorded two pass deflections and two pass breakups. He has not picked off a pass, but he has one fumble recovery on the season.

Secondary: The leader of the defense is junior strong safety Justin Currie. The strong safety leads the Broncos with 103 total tackles, 54 of them solo. He is a hard-hitting defensive back, recording two fumbles on the season. He has made seven tackles for a loss of 20 yards and gotten to the quarterback once this season. He is strong in pass coverage as he has picked off three passes while breaking up nine passes. The Huskies will want to be aware of where Currie is on the field at all times.

Special teams: Sophomore kicker Andrew Haldeman has been the Broncos’ leading scorer this season. He has been responsible for 66 points this season, which is 30 more than the next-highest scorer. He has been an accurate kicker this season, hitting 16-18 field goals. He has been busy kicking field goals of late as nine of his 16 field goals have come in the last two games. Haldeman hit six field goals against Eastern Michigan and three against Central Michigan. He also has not missed an extra point, hitting 18-18 PATs.

Redshirt senior Brian Mayer, 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, has been the Huskies’ long snapper for the past 53 games.

Football’s Brian Mayer reflects on uncle who taught him long snapping

By Frank Gogola | November 20, 2014

Playing college football wasn’t on Brian Mayer’s agenda after his sophomore season of high school. That changed after he learned from his great uncle how to long snap and won the starting job going into his junior season.Long snappers are responsible...

Junior safety Marlon Moore (2) celebrates recovering a fumble in NIU’s 21-14 win against Ohio on Nov. 18 at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. NIU is now one win away from securing a trip to the MAC Championship. The Huskies take on the Western Michigan Broncos 10 a.m. Nov. 28 at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich.

NIU vs. Ohio University 2014

By Courtesy NIU Media Relations | November 19, 2014

Junior safety Marlon Moore (2) celebrates recovering a fumble in NIU’s 21-14 win against Ohio on Nov. 18 at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. NIU is now one win away from securing a trip to the MAC Championship. The Huskies take on the Western Michigan...

Junior safety Marlon Moore (2) celebrates recovering a fumble in NIU’s 21-14 win against Ohio on Nov. 18 at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. NIU is now one win away from securing a trip to the MAC Championship. The Huskies take on the Western Michigan Broncos 10 a.m. Nov. 28 at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Mich.

1 win: That’s what NIU football needs to get back to MAC Championship

By Frank Gogola | November 19, 2014

Football’s victory over the Ohio Bobcats Tuesday positions the Huskies one win away from their fifth-straight trip to Detroit.The Huskies (9-2, 6-1 MAC) beat the Bobcats (5-6, 3-4 MAC), 21-14, at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio. If the Huskies beat the...

Football’s defense stifles Bobcats

By Danny Albers | November 19, 2014

Football’s defense showed up big once again, holding the Ohio Bobcats to only 14 points Tuesday.The Huskies (9-2, 6-1 MAC) defeated the Bobcats (5-6, 3-4 MAC), 21-14, in Athens, Ohio. The Huskies won for the 42nd time in their last 43 games in which...