NORTHERN ILLINOIS at CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Saturday, Oct. 23 -- Noon ET
Kelly/Shorts Stadium -- Mount Pleasant, MI
ESPNU
Saturday's matchup between visiting Northern Illinois and host Central Michigan figures as a huge "swing" verdict.
If CMU wins, the Chippewas will not only be tied for first place in the MAC West, they will hold a tiebreaker over NIU. On the other hand, a Huskie victory would keep Northern Illinois undefeated heading into a critical stretch run with four solid opponents -- two of them MAC West hopefuls.
Central Michigan, winner in six of the last seven meetings, owns a 31-24-1 record in its all-time series versus Northern Illinois. The Chippewas are 19-9 against NIU in Mount Pleasant. Last year's meeting in DeKalb resulted in a lopsided 40-10 CMU victory.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (5-2, 3-0 MAC)
>> The Huskies have won four straight since losses to Wyoming and No. 25 Michigan. NIU is the only remaining MAC team without a conference loss. After wins over Eastern Michigan (27-20) and Toledo (22-20), the Huskies defeated Bowling Green 34-26 last Saturday.
>> After trailing 7-0 through one quarter last week, NIU built a 21-13 halftime lead. Northern Illinois led 34-16 before the visitors tallied 10 points. A final Falcon drive could only make it to midfield.
>> Just before halftime versus BG, Trayvon Rudolph returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, NIU’s first KOR TD since 2016, tying the school record for longest scoring play. Northern is second (MAC) in kickoff returns (25.3 ypr).
>> The Huskies registered 357 yards of total offense, with just 38 through the air and 319 on the ground. Twenty-one of 23 NIU first downs came on rushes.
>> After posting its first 300-yard rushing game since 2017, NIU has the No. 11 rushing offense in the country and the top rushing offense in the MAC with a per game average of 237.9 yards per game.
>> QB Rocky Lombardy completed 4-of-8 passes for 38 yards and one TD. On the year, he has completed 56.8 percent of 146 pass attempts with six TDs and six interceptions.
>> Tyrice Richie leads the receiving corps with 32 catches for 333 yards. Cole Tucker and Trayvon Rudolph have 12 receptions each, combining for 376 yards and three TDs.
>> Jay Ducker’s 33 carries versus Bowling Green are tied for the thirdmost by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) runner this season, while his 210 yards rank 17th in the FBS this season and are the most by a MAC back in 2021.
>> For the season, Harrison Waylee tops Huskie runners with 101 attempts, good for 574 yards and four scores. Lombardy has 49 carries for 318 yards and five touchdowns.
>> After going 0-6 a year ago, NIU’s turnaround has come with a roster that includes 75 players who finished high school in 2020 or 2021 and 11 more who graduated in 2019; of those 86 players, 47 have seen action for NIU in 2021 and 32 are listed on the two-deep this week.
>> Four of the Huskies’ six games to date have been decided by a touchdown or less; NIU won both the Georgia Tech and Toledo games by scoring in the last 40 seconds.
>> Kicker John Richardson has hit 13-of-14 field goal attempts and all 20 PAT efforts. He has a long of 47 yards this year.
>> NIU is fifth among MAC teams in scoring (28.4 ppg) and ninth in scoring defense (30.6 ppg).
>> The Huskies are producing a MAC best 238 yards per game on the ground but are last in passing (139.0 ypg).
Kelly/Shorts Stadium -- Mount Pleasant, MI
ESPNU
Saturday's matchup between visiting Northern Illinois and host Central Michigan figures as a huge "swing" verdict.
If CMU wins, the Chippewas will not only be tied for first place in the MAC West, they will hold a tiebreaker over NIU. On the other hand, a Huskie victory would keep Northern Illinois undefeated heading into a critical stretch run with four solid opponents -- two of them MAC West hopefuls.
Central Michigan, winner in six of the last seven meetings, owns a 31-24-1 record in its all-time series versus Northern Illinois. The Chippewas are 19-9 against NIU in Mount Pleasant. Last year's meeting in DeKalb resulted in a lopsided 40-10 CMU victory.
Here's more on the two teams . . .
NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES (5-2, 3-0 MAC)
>> The Huskies have won four straight since losses to Wyoming and No. 25 Michigan. NIU is the only remaining MAC team without a conference loss. After wins over Eastern Michigan (27-20) and Toledo (22-20), the Huskies defeated Bowling Green 34-26 last Saturday.
>> After trailing 7-0 through one quarter last week, NIU built a 21-13 halftime lead. Northern Illinois led 34-16 before the visitors tallied 10 points. A final Falcon drive could only make it to midfield.
>> Just before halftime versus BG, Trayvon Rudolph returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, NIU’s first KOR TD since 2016, tying the school record for longest scoring play. Northern is second (MAC) in kickoff returns (25.3 ypr).
>> The Huskies registered 357 yards of total offense, with just 38 through the air and 319 on the ground. Twenty-one of 23 NIU first downs came on rushes.
>> After posting its first 300-yard rushing game since 2017, NIU has the No. 11 rushing offense in the country and the top rushing offense in the MAC with a per game average of 237.9 yards per game.
>> QB Rocky Lombardy completed 4-of-8 passes for 38 yards and one TD. On the year, he has completed 56.8 percent of 146 pass attempts with six TDs and six interceptions.
>> Tyrice Richie leads the receiving corps with 32 catches for 333 yards. Cole Tucker and Trayvon Rudolph have 12 receptions each, combining for 376 yards and three TDs.
>> Jay Ducker’s 33 carries versus Bowling Green are tied for the thirdmost by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) runner this season, while his 210 yards rank 17th in the FBS this season and are the most by a MAC back in 2021.
>> For the season, Harrison Waylee tops Huskie runners with 101 attempts, good for 574 yards and four scores. Lombardy has 49 carries for 318 yards and five touchdowns.
>> After going 0-6 a year ago, NIU’s turnaround has come with a roster that includes 75 players who finished high school in 2020 or 2021 and 11 more who graduated in 2019; of those 86 players, 47 have seen action for NIU in 2021 and 32 are listed on the two-deep this week.
>> Four of the Huskies’ six games to date have been decided by a touchdown or less; NIU won both the Georgia Tech and Toledo games by scoring in the last 40 seconds.
>> Kicker John Richardson has hit 13-of-14 field goal attempts and all 20 PAT efforts. He has a long of 47 yards this year.
>> NIU is fifth among MAC teams in scoring (28.4 ppg) and ninth in scoring defense (30.6 ppg).
>> The Huskies are producing a MAC best 238 yards per game on the ground but are last in passing (139.0 ypg).
CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS (4-3, 2-1 MAC)
>> After leading Toledo 20-3 in the third quarter last Saturday, CMU was forced into overtime by a Rocket rally. Meeder's 38-yard field goal in the extra period, however, saved the day for Central Michigan.
>> The Chippewas went 4-of-18 on third down and owned 13 first downs to 20 for Toledo.
>> Of the 328 yards of total offense, CMU got 204 through the air and 124 rushing.
>> Quarterback Daniel Richardson completed 20-of-34 passes for 172 yards and two scores. Kalil Pimpleton added a 32-yard toss and led receivers with six catches for 103 yards. Lew Nichols caught seven balls for 39 yards and a score.
>> Freshman Lew Nichols III accounted for 29 carries and 132 rushing yards (4.6 ypc).
>> Marshall Meeder hit all four field goal tries, with a long of 51. He is 11-of-16 on the year.
>> Linebacker Troy Brown burst onto the scene in 2019, earning First Team All-MAC honors and the Herb Deromedi Team Most Valuable Player Award. He followed that up with first team all-conference honors last season. He is trying to become the first CMU linebacker since Nick Bellore (2008-10) to earn first team all-conference recognition three times. Over the past two seasons, Brown has posted 133 tackles (106 solo), 24.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks. Those are the program’s top marks in total tackles, solo tackles and TFLs.
>> CMU is sixth among MAC teams in both scoring (27.7 ppg) and scoring defense (26.9 ppg).
>> The Chippewas are second in total offense (442.3 ypg), first in passing offense (184.7 ypg) and sixth in rushing (157.6 ypg).
>> Central Michigan is second in defending the pass (125.1 ypg) and last in pass defense (265.0 ypg). Overall, CMU is sixth in total defense (390.1).
>> After leading Toledo 20-3 in the third quarter last Saturday, CMU was forced into overtime by a Rocket rally. Meeder's 38-yard field goal in the extra period, however, saved the day for Central Michigan.
>> The Chippewas went 4-of-18 on third down and owned 13 first downs to 20 for Toledo.
>> Of the 328 yards of total offense, CMU got 204 through the air and 124 rushing.
>> Quarterback Daniel Richardson completed 20-of-34 passes for 172 yards and two scores. Kalil Pimpleton added a 32-yard toss and led receivers with six catches for 103 yards. Lew Nichols caught seven balls for 39 yards and a score.
>> Freshman Lew Nichols III accounted for 29 carries and 132 rushing yards (4.6 ypc).
>> Marshall Meeder hit all four field goal tries, with a long of 51. He is 11-of-16 on the year.
>> Linebacker Troy Brown burst onto the scene in 2019, earning First Team All-MAC honors and the Herb Deromedi Team Most Valuable Player Award. He followed that up with first team all-conference honors last season. He is trying to become the first CMU linebacker since Nick Bellore (2008-10) to earn first team all-conference recognition three times. Over the past two seasons, Brown has posted 133 tackles (106 solo), 24.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks. Those are the program’s top marks in total tackles, solo tackles and TFLs.
>> CMU is sixth among MAC teams in both scoring (27.7 ppg) and scoring defense (26.9 ppg).
>> The Chippewas are second in total offense (442.3 ypg), first in passing offense (184.7 ypg) and sixth in rushing (157.6 ypg).
>> Central Michigan is second in defending the pass (125.1 ypg) and last in pass defense (265.0 ypg). Overall, CMU is sixth in total defense (390.1).
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