Redshirt senior linebacker Jamaal Bass, while reflecting on his final season, mentions four times how unfortunate it was for him that he ended his career on the sideline. He also says three times after a December practice how great he felt to see his...
Redshirt senior linebacker Jamaal Bass won’t play at Saturday's football game, and junior tailback Keith Harris Jr. “probably” won’t play, coach Rod Carey said at a news conference.Redshirt senior tailback Akeem Daniels didn’t participate in...
Jamaal Bass, redshirt senior outside linebacker, may be ready to play against the Arkansas Razorbacks 6 p.m. Saturday, head coach Rod Carey said at a Tuesday news conference.Bass, a 2013 All-MAC First Team selection and NIU’s leading returning tackler,...
Quarterback: Without a doubt, the difference maker for the Huskies is senior Jordan Lynch. As he goes, the Huskies offense goes.
Lynch produced one of the most historic seasons in college football history last season, becoming the only quarterback to run for more than 1,500 yards as well as throw the ball for more than 3,000 yards. Going into this season, Lynch looks to continue that success starting with Iowa. In the season opener against Iowa last year, it was Lynch’s first collegiate start and was seemingly one-dimensional, relying heavily on the running game. Lynch is a different quarterback than he was then so expect him to exploit the Iowa defense throw the air as well as on the ground for big plays.
Running back: Senior Akeem Daniels has had trouble staying on the field due to nagging injuries. Cue junior Cameron Stingily as he is expected to get the start and carry the workload for the Huskies. Stingily came into NIU as a middle linebacker but last season he was converted to running back. Stingily does not have a lot of experience under as belt as last season he made one carry for 5 yards. But he will be a strong addition to the run game as a power back, something the Huskies have lacked the last few of seasons. You can expect Stingily to pound the ball right up the middle and fight for every extra yard.
Wide receiver: Junior TommyLee Lewis comes in this season as the most experienced wide receiver on the team. He will need to step up to fill the void left by former receivers Martel Moore and Perez Ashford. With Lewis generally playing in the slot, he creates mismatches for defenses with his speed and is able to create a number of big play opportunities. He can make big plays by stretching the defense or catching short passes and running for big gains after the catch. Last season, Lewis made 48 receptions for 539 yards and five touchdowns.
Offensive line: Protecting the quarterback’s blind side may be the most important job for the offensive line. That’s why junior left tackle Tyler Loos will be such a factor against Iowa as well as the rest of the season. Last season, Loos and the offensive line did a great job of protecting Lynch’s blind side and they only gave up eight sacks all season. Loos and the line not only kept Lynch off the ground but they opened up numerous, gaping holes for Lynch and others to run through for big gains. If Loos and the rest of the line are able to contain Iowa’s bigger defensive line, the Huskies’ offense should thrive in Iowa City.
Defensive line: Last season in the Huskies’ matchup against the Hawkeyes, the Huskies recorded six sacks. Senior Joe Windsor led the Huskies that game with his two big sacks for a loss of 19 yards in limited action. In a backup role all season, Windsor made a case that he could even be a starting defensive end as he was third on the team with seven sacks. With Windsor’s speed around the edge he is a constant threat, and he should put a lot of pressure on Iowa’s new starting quarterback, Jake Rudock. Now that Windsor will start, expect to hear his name called a lot.
Linebacker: Junior Jamaal Bass is someone who just has a nose for the football. You can expect him to be around the ball at all times making big tackles left and right. Last season, Bass was third on the team with 83 tackles, 45 of them solo. He was behind senior defensive back Jimmie Ward and former linebacker Tyrone Clark. With the departure of Clark and his 86 tackles from last season, Bass becomes the leader of the line backing core. Bass doesn’t come in as the biggest guy on the field, standing at 5’10”, 225 pounds, but he makes up for it with his speed and ability to cover the field.
Defensive Back: The leader of the defensive backs and defense falls on senior Jimmie Ward.
Last season, Ward did it all for the Huskies. He led the team in tackles by recording 104 and 65 of them solo. His mentality for each game is to record at least 10 tackles a game and he prides himself on making big stops. He was also a ball hawk in coverage for the Huskies, leading the team with three interceptions and was second with 11 pass breakups. You can expect Ward to continue flying around the field this season recording tackle after tackle.
Special teams: Coach Rod Carey has said the keys to victory against Iowa are to have good ball control and a strong kicking game.
Although not really needed for anything more than extra points last season, senior kicker Mathew Sims has been more than reliable. Last season he went 15-19 on field goals. He’s also proven his clutch factor as he made one of the biggest kicks in NIU history, a 40-yard field goal against Kent State in the MAC Championship to tie the game and send it into double overtime. Sims has also proven he can be good from beyond 50 or more yards as he hit a 54 yard field goal against Western Michigan last season.
With football’s season opener just more than one week away, the Huskies may very well be down a leader on defense early on as they continue their search for the offense’s new leader.Jamaal Bass may not play in season openerJamaal Bass, redshirt senior...
With football’s fall camp in full swing, things are beginning to heat up on the practice field.While no quarterback has emerged in the race to replace Jordan Lynch, a number of players, including Tyler Loos, Rasheen Lemon and Jamaal Bass, are making...
Five football upperclassmen made preseason watch lists over the past two weeks.A total of 15 watch lists are revealed during 10 days in July. The watch lists are whittled down throughout the season, and the winner of each award is announced in early December.Tommylee...
For football’s defense, it was a tale of two halves in its 45-35 victory over Idaho.In the first half, the Vandals exploited the Huskies’ defense, scoring 28 points on four touchdowns.The Vandals got off to a quick start, marching right down the field...
The departure of former linebacker Tyrone Clark is a huge blow to football’s defense and linebacking core.Clark was a force for the Huskies as he was the second leading tackler last season, recording 86 tackles and 10 tackles for a loss. He will not...
In a game where NIU had a lot of the breaks go its way, it still could not muster up enough to pull out a victory over the Florida State Seminoles. The crucial play of the game came in the third quarter. After scoring a touchdown on a connection between...
While NIU’s offense put up a relatively high score, what was more impressive for the football team was the defensive effort turned in against Eastern Michigan. The 49 points in the game for NIU was the third-highest scored against the Eagles as well...
With a spot in the MAC Championship already locked up, NIU football heads to Ypsilanti, Mich., for its final regular season game against Eastern Michigan Friday. On top of clinching a spot in the MAC Championship game, the Huskies (10-1, 7-0 MAC) have...
