Football began its spring practices last week with senior quarterback Drew Hare still sidelined, officially marking the start of its preparation for the 2016-17 season.The Huskies went 8-6 last season, their worst finish since the 2009-10 campaign when...
Football (8-4, MAC 6-2) will play in its sixth consecutive MAC Championship game Friday in Detroit, facing off against MAC East Champion Bowling Green (9-3, 7-1 MAC).The contest will be the third consecutive meeting between NIU and Bowling Green in the...
The Huskies (8-4, 6-2 MAC) earned a spot in their sixth consecutive MAC Championship this season despite fewer wins compared to years past.Football finished the regular season with its worst start to a year since 2009-10 when it went 7-5 before losing...
Football (8-3, 6-1 MAC) will look to defeat the Ohio Bobcats (7-4, 4-3 MAC) Tuesday for a chance to win the MAC West for the sixth straight season.The Huskies defeated Ohio 21-14 on the road last season behind a game-winning touchdown as junior quarterback...
Redshirt freshman Ryan Graham took over as quarterback for the Huskies earlier this year after a season-ending injury to junior Drew Hare, and has gone 2-0 in his first two starts.Graham went 9-12 for 132 yards and scored a touchdown in two quarters in...
Football (6-3, 4-1 MAC) will look to continue its road streak when it goes up against Buffalo (5-4, 3-2 MAC) in another weekday game Wednesday.The Huskies have a new starting quarterback in redshirt freshman Ryan Graham after losing Drew Hare for the...
Football (6-3, 4-1 MAC) prevailed in the Glass Bowl on Tuesday, increasing its current win streak against Toledo (7-1, 4-1 MAC) to six games.NIU suffered injuries to two of its top offensive players in the win. Senior wide receiver Tommylee Lewis and...
Football won bowl eligibility in a 32-27 victory against No. 20 Toledo, but lost two of its biggest offensive players in the process, placing questions around the remainder of the season.NIU lost junior quarterback Drew Hare and senior wide receiver Tommylee...
Football (6-3, 4-1 MAC) fought back from an early deficit to defeat Toledo (7-1) and gained bowl eligibility in the process.The Huskies surrendered 17 early points to the Rockets, but closed the gap as the first quarter ended with a score of 17-10. Sophomore...
Football (5-3, 3-1 MAC) will get back on the road to face undefeated Toledo (7-0, 4-0 MAC) Tuesday.The Rockets and Huskies rank second and third in the MAC in points-per-game, respectively. The Rockets lead the MAC in points allowed, giving up only 16.3...
Sports writer Thomas Hiley breaks down the key players for the Rockets as they prepare to take on the Huskies at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Toledo, Ohio. The Huskies have defeated Toledo five straight times dating back to the 2009-10 season, when the Rockets won a 20-19 affair against NIU.
Quarterback
Toldeo star senior quarterback Phillip Ely has led his team to an undefeated season at 7-0 and ranked at number 20 in the college rankings. This is the most he has played after missing some of last season due to a knee injury and sitting out the year before in 2013 after transferring from Alabama and having to redshirt. Ely has started in all seven games this season, throwing for 15 touchdowns on only seven interceptions. He has completed 61 percent of his passes for 682 yards and nine touchdowns on 3 interceptions in his last two starts against Eastern Michigan and Massachusetts. Ely currently averages 247.7 yards through the air for the Rockets.
Running back
Sophomore running back Terry Swanson is the leading rusher for the Rockets with 595 yards and five rushing touchdowns after a slow start — he missed the first game and had just one carry in the second. Swanson was listed as the number three running back on the depth chart coming into this season, but somehow found his way as the leading rusher, running for over 100 yards in three of the five games that he has played this season. This season has been a strong leap for Swanson from last season when he rushed for 732 yards, good for second for the Rockets and 10th in the MAC and averaging 6.5 yards-per-carry which was 15th in the country.
Offensive Line
The Rockets offensive line has been exceptional this year, not allowing a single sack on their starting quarterback Phillip Ely. The o-line has kept its starting quarterback upright, allowing him to make the plays necessary for the team to win. The Rockets have the second highest rushing attack in the MAC behind the Huskies at 213.1 due to the play of the offensive line, and the fourth ranked passing attack with 257.9 yards, giving them a very balanced offense.
Defensive Line
Senior defensive tackle Orion Jones, who was a second-team All-MAC selection last year, has been a workhouse for the Rockets’ defense. Jones has already come close to his season total from a year ago this year — he has totaled 33 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks on the season in only seven games. The Huskies’ offensive line will have trouble if it isn’t able to contain Jones as he is a force to be reckoned with and can take junior quarterback Drew Hare out of the pocket.
Linebacker
Redshirt junior linebacker Jaylen Coleman has become the No. 1 will-linebacker for the Rockets after being a reserve linebacker in the 2014 season. He came up with only 23 tackles last season and has already surpassed that this season with 48, the most on the Rockets defense. He also has been able to get to the quarterback, picking up 2.5 sacks on the year with one interception and one forced fumble.
Secondary
Redshirt senior cornerback Cheatham Norrils missed the entire 2014 season due to a viral illness, but has been able to start in every game this season for the Rockets. Norrils is the third leading tackler on the team through seven games. He’s been a shut-down corner whenever the ball comes his direction, causing eight breakups and eight pass deflections. Norrils has also been able to come from the secondary to rush the quarterback for 3.5 sacks on the season.
Junior quarterback Drew Hare took home the award for MAC West Division Player of the Week after his play in a 49-21 blowout over Eastern Michigan.Hare threw for 267 yards on 24-38 passing, throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for...
