NIU Football Preview 2014

SPECIAL NIU FOOTBALL PREVIEW SECTION

TOUCHDOWN 2014 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 | DAILY-CHRONICLE.COM

I

N

S

I

D

E

Familiarity keys way

Top Dawgs

Up next

NIU’s defense has come a long way since Jay Niemann took over in 2011 / 4

A look at key players on offense, defense and special teams this season / 6-7

Drew Hare, Anthony Maddie and Matt McIntosh battle for the starting QB job / 8

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

2

A LOOK INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS’ 2014 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE Presbyterian Blue Hose

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday TV: ESPN3 Coach: Harold Nichols (6th season, 11-44) Last year: 3-8 Location: Clinton, South Carolina Last meeting: First meeting between the

two schools Keep an eye on: Senior wideout Tobi Antigha, who hauled in 54 passes for 764 yards and six touchdowns a year ago.

Also: Senior tailback Demarcus Rouse led the Blue Hose with 542 yards on the ground in 2013. Junior linebacker Breyon Williams returns after posting a team-high 70 tackles last year.

2014 outlook: Presbyterian isn’t exactly an opponent whcih will make fans flock to Huskie Stadium.

The Football Championship Subdivision Blue Hose have won just five games the past two years combined.

It’s one of those games that should be over at halftime with Presbyterian leaving with a big paycheck.

UNLV Rebels

AP file photo

Illinois quarterback Reilly O’Toole (4) is tackled by Northwestern linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo (44) and linebacker Drew Smith (55) during the first half of Northwestern’s 50-14 victory over the Illini on Nov. 24, 2014. Northern Illinois will face the Wildcats on Sept. 6 in Evanston. This will be the first time the Huskies have played Northwestern in Evanston since suffering a 38-37 loss Sept. 10, 2005.

Northwestern Wildcats

WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Sept. 6 Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (Ninth season, 55-46) Last year: 5-7 Location: Evanston, Illinois Last meeting: Northwestern 38, NIU 37 on Sept. 10, 2005 in Evanston Keep an eye on: Senior outside linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo leads the defense, he had 106 tackles an four picks last season.

Also: Senior Trevor Siemian takes over for Kain Colter, but Siemian does have experience.

Last year, he threw for 2,149 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior running back Treyvon Green provides depth at that position. All five

starters return on the offensive line. Northwestern will be without senior tailback Venric Mark, who was suspended for the first two games of the season due to a violation of team rules.

2014 outlook: Two years ago, the Wildcats came away with their first-ever bowl win, and expectations were high heading into 2013.

However, things fell apart as Northwestern finished 5-7, lost seven in a row at one point and missed a bowl game for the first time since 2007.

Expectations should be high again for Northwestern this season with the Wildcats looking to rebound from a disappointing 2013.

Look for a lot of NIU support in Evanston when

FUTURE NORTHERN ILLINOIS NONCONFERENCE OPPONENTS 2015 Sept. 5 – vs. UNLV Sept. 12 – vs. Murray State Sept. 19 – at Ohio State Sept. 26 – vs. Wyoming 2016 Sept. 3 – at Wyoming Sept. 17 – San Diego State 2017 Sept. 16 – at Nebraska

Sept. 30 – at San Diego State 2018 Sept. 1 – at Iowa Sept. 8 – vs. Utah Oct. 27 – at BYU TBA – vs. Idaho 2019 Sept. 7 – at Utah Sept. 14 – at Nebraska

2020 Sept. 5 – at Iowa Sept. 12 – at Maryland Sept. 24 – vs. BYU 2021 Sept. 4 – at Nebraska Sept. 25 – vs. Maryland 2023 Sept. 16 – at Nebraska

When: 6 p.m. Sept. 13 Coach: Bobby Hauck (Fifth year, 13-38) Last year: 7-6 (Lost to North Texas in the Heart of Dallas Bowl) Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Last meeting: NIU 62, UNLV 14 on Oct. 7, 1995 in DeKalb Keep an eye on: Senior receiver Devante Davis had 87 catches for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

Also: Senior wideout Marcus Sullivan had a big season, grabbing 45 catches for 505 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, the Rebels are led by safety Peni Vea, who finished with 108 tackles and two interceptions in 2013, as well as sophomore linebacker Tau Lotulelei.

2014 outlook: The Rebels made their first bowl game since 2000 last season, but they won’t be going to a bowl game this year. UNLV is ineligible for the postseason because of a poor academic progress rate. UNLV lost starting quarterback Caleb Herring. Juniors Nick Sherry and Blake Decker spent camp battling for the starting job.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Coach: Bret Bielema (Second year, 3-9) When: Time TBA, Sept. 20 Last year: 3-9 Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas Last meeting: Arkansas 30, NIU 27 on Nov. 12, 1994 in Fayetteville Keep an eye on: Sophomore running back Alex Collins. Collins made headlines on signing day 2013, when his mother confiscated his letter of intent in hopes that he would stay in South Florida and play for Miami. Collins ended up in Fayetteville anyways, and ran for 1,026 yards and four touchdowns.

Also: Junior tailback Jonathan Williams ran for 900 yards and four scores last year. Quarterback Brandon Allen will look to improve after a sophomore season in which he completed just 49.6 percent of his passes. On defense, end Trey Flowers was a second-team All-SEC pick, while tackle Darius Philon was a member of the league’s All-Freshmen team.

2014 outlook: Arkansas didn’t win a conference game last year, and will have to compete in the SEC West with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Texas A&M.

2013 MAC STANDINGS WEST DIVISION

Con. Overall

W L W L Northern Illinois 8 0 12 2 Ball State 7 1 10 3 Toledo 5 3 7 5 Central Michigan 5 3 6 6 Eastern Michigan 1 7 2 10 Western Michigan 1 7 1 11 EAST DIVISION

Con. Overall

W L W L Bowling Green 7 1 10 4 Buffalo 6 2 8 5 Ohio 4 4 7 6 Akron 4 4 5 7 Kent State 3 5 4 8 Massachusetts 1 7 1 11 Miami (Ohio) 0 8 0 12 MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Bowling Green 47, Northern Illinois 27 MAC IN THE BOWL Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Dec. 21, 2013 San Diego State 49, Buffalo 23 Beef O’Brady Bowl – Dec. 23, 2013 East Carolina 37, Ohio 20 Poinsettia Bowl – Dec. 26, 2013 Utah State 21, Northern Illinois 14 Little Caesars Bowl – Dec 26 Pittsburgh 30, Bowling Green 27 GoDaddy.com Bowl – Jan. 5 Arkansas State 23, Ball State 20 2013 MAC AWARDS Vern Smith Leadership Award Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois Offensive Player of the Year Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo Coach of the Year Rod Carey, Northern Illinois Special Teams Player of the Year Jeremiah Detmer, K, Toledo Freshman of the Year Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan ON THE COVER – Northern Illinois defensive end Jason Meehan, safety Dechane Durante and linebacker Boomer Mays anchor an over-looked defense hoping for a bounce back season. Story on page 4.

Photo by Danielle Guerra dguerra@shawmedia.com

Pocket A Great Rate!

PL ATINUM 8.99% Rates as low as 8.90% APR

No Annual Fee No Balance Transfer Fee

TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com

No Overlimit Fee

3

Transfer your high-rate credit cards to Illinois Community Credit Union.

Sycamore • DeKalb • Plano ilcomcu.org • 815-895-4541 ILLINOIS COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

Central Illinois Loan of DeKalb 2587 Sycamore Road, Suite A, DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone 815-217-2539

We would like to wish all the local teams the best of luck in 2014!

John Hackman, Manager

I have over 17 years of experience helping families meet their borrowing needs.

Located just across from Aldi.

Give me a call today! *Subject to our liberal credit policies*

adno=0287942

815-217-2539

• Wednesday, August 27, 2014

adno=0287945

*Rates are subject to change. All loans are subject to approval. Your APR is determined by your credit score (FICO Score). The higher your credit score, the lower your rate.

4

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

NORTHERN ILLINOIS KEY PLAYERS RETURNING ON DEFENSE DECHANE DURANTE Class: Senior Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina High School: Vance Height/Weight: 6-2/193 Position: Safety Highlights: Third time All-MAC selection in 2013. …

Finished sixth on NIU in tackles (55), including 31 solo in 2013. … His three interceptions ranked second on the Huskies. … Was ranked as the MAC’s best NFL prospect. … Led NIU with 10 tackles Sept. 14 against Idaho. …

Led the Huskies with three fumbles in 2012. … Was named to Rivals.com MAC All-Freshman Team in 2011. …

His 36-yard interception for a touchdown sealed the Huskies’ GoDaddy. com Bowl win Jan. 8 against Arkansas State.

Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois linebacker Boomer Mays (left) defends during an Aug. 18 practice in Huskie Stadium.

COMING A LONG WAY

Familiarity keys recent strong defensive play Three players who started the Orange Bowl – safety Jimmie Ward (San Francisco 49ers), defensive tackle Ken eKALB – Northern Illinois Bishop (Cowboys) and cornerback drew plenty of attention Rashaan Melvin (Tampa Bay Buccabecause of Jordan Lynch and neers) were on NFL rosters as of Aug. the Huskies’ high-powered offense 15. Ward was selected by San Franduring their 24-4 run over the past few cisco with the 30th overall pick of the seasons.

2014 NFL Draft, becoming the second Deservedly so. Lynch set numerous first-round pick in school history records during his two years as NIU’s after the San Diego Chargers selected starter and the Huskies’ attack lit up Larry English in 2008. scoreboards, culminating in Lynch The defense has come a long way being named a Heisman Trophy final- since 2011, when NIU gave up 30.3 ist last year. points a game (a total which ranked But what about NIU’s defense?

85th in the country) in defensive coTwo seasons ago when the Huskies ordinator Jay Niemann’s first season earned their Orange Bowl berth, they running the defense. finished 21st in the nation in points Niemann is entering his fourth allowed at 19.9 a game, second in the season, and there’s a familiarity with Mid-American Conference. his system.

Last season, NIU’s defense wasn’t “Our teaching progression, that’s as solid, finishing 52nd in the counwhy we have the ability to plug new try in scoring defense (25.1 points a guys in like we did last year, like game), as the MAC Championship loss we’re doing this year, and not have to Bowling Green in which NIU gave much of a learning curve because the up 47 points definitely didn’t help. system is set, because Jay’s leading

By STEVE NITZ

snitz@shawmedia.com

D

it, along with Kevin (Kane) and Brett (Diersen) and Sigs (Kelvin Sigler),” said NIU coach Rod Carey, mentioning the other assistants on the defensive staff. “This is their Year 2 (for Diersen and Sigler) but Kevin and Jay have been together for four years.

That’s a huge deal.”

Niemann said he’s tweaked different things, but his philosophy and plan is still the same.

“I think it’s a product of all those things along with good recruiting, and just everybody moving forward with the same golden aspirations,” he said.

Niemann said one reason for the Huskies’ early defensive struggles in 2011 – NIU improved at the end of the year, giving up just more than 17 points a game the final three contests of the season – was his players getting used to what he calls a pretty intricate system with checks based on formations that took awhile to get down.

See DEFENSE, page 5

JAMAAL BASS Class: Senior Hometown: Miramar, Florida High School: Miramar Height/Weight: 5-10/214 Position: Linebacker Highlights: Named to the Lombardi Award Watch for this season. …

First-team All-MAC selection in 2013. … Finished second on the Huskies with 87 tackles, six of which were for loss. … Also had 1.5 sacks. … Finished third on the team in tackles with 83 in 2012. … Named to Rivals.com MAC All-Freshman Team in 2011. … Ranked sixth with 62 tackles.

BOOMER MAYS Class: Junior Hometown: Lawrence, Kansas High School: Eudora Height/Weight: 6-0/243 Position: Linebacker Highlights: Started all 14 games at middle linebacker in 2013. … His 82 tackles last year ranked third on the Huskies. …

Also had 5.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. … Had a career-high 11 tackles and intercepted a pass in the end zone against Toledo last year. …

Played in 13 games while starting four at middle linebacker in 2012, finishing with 31 tackles.

• DEFENSE Continued from page 4 “I think that had a lot to do with our early struggles in our first year.

We got better and better as we went along,” Niemann said. “It’s painful sometimes to go through, it’s just a process that takes time. Hopefully we’re on top of it now, I think if we look at here we are today after 12 or 13 practices compared to last year, even with a really young secondary that’s very involved in those adjustments, I think we’re on pace to be where we want to be.”

Gone from last year’s team are Ward, who had the rare corner and safety skills, and Bishop, a key component of the defensive line. Not to mention pass rusher Joe Windsor.

This season, players like defensive ends Perez Ford and Jason Meehan will be counted on in the defensive line, while linebackers Jamaal Bass and Boomer Mays are the veterans.

The Sporting News ranked safety Dechane Durante as the league’s best NFL prospect.

“For the most part, we have lots of guys that have been in the system for

to have to blitz more than he wants to depending on personnel, and said the Huskies have been fortunate to be able to rush four for the most part.

This year, NIU will count on players like Ford, Meehan, Austin Smaha at end and Donovan Gordon, Corey Thomas and Michael Ippolito at defensive tackle to take pressure off of a secondary which could see some true freshmen get time.

“Good defensive backs that can cover people, I think that’s a key to our defense,” Durante said. “Coach Niemann, he wants to get up in guys’ faces, not let them throw the ball around. I think just a good secondary and players who want to get to the ball, make tackles, that’s all it really is.”

Ward was obviously a huge part of last year’s team, but he’s competing on Sundays this year. However, there’s plenty of players who will Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com have the chance to step into a familNIU coach Rod Carey talks to the defense at the end of an Aug. 18 practice in Huskie iar scheme and make an impact.

“I think as the years went on, us Stadium in DeKalb. just playing, things got easier for us,” awhile now,” Bass said. “We really so that plays a lot on us.”

Durante said. “We just want to get know the system front and back, so Niemann’s philosophy is to rush more aggressive and get better, and just that gel that we have with each four players, avoid blitzing and cover better. And that’s what we did, comother. We know how each other play with seven. Some years, he’s going ing in game after game each week.”

“For the most part, we have lots of guys that have been in the system for awhile now. We really know the system front and back, so just that gel that we have with each other. We know how each other play so that plays a lot on us.”

Jamaal Baas, Northern Illinois senior linebacker on the defense’s play since 2011

to a Good ll a Lu rea ck tea ms!

50 Off %

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Visit us on Facebook!

605 E. State Street, Sycamore, IL

Shopping • Dining • Entertainment

Located 6 Blocks East of the Courthouse

815-895-6700

.com

Haven’t Gotten Around To It?

Find someone to do it for you in the Service Directory of the classified section.

✓ ✓

Finish the Basement Fix Damaged Drywall

✓ Add a Deck ✓ Yard Work

✓ ✓

Wallpaper the Living Room Everything Else

adno=0268537

TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Durante named MAC’s best NFL prospect by Sporting News 5

A LOOK AT THE 2014 SEASON

vs. Presbyterian

at Northwestern

at UNLV

at Arkansas

vs. Kent State

vs. Central Michigan

vs. Miami (Ohio)

at Eastern Michigan

at Ball State

vs. Toledo

at Ohio

at Western Michigan

6 p.m. Thursday ESPN3

2:30 p.m. Sept. 6

6 p.m., Sept. 13

Time TBA Sept 20

Time TBA Oct. 4

4 p.m. Oct. 11

Time TBA, Oct. 18

Time TBA Oct. 25

7 p.m. Nov. 5 ESPN2/ESPNU

7 p.m. Nov. 11 ESPN2/ESPNU

7 p.m. Nov. 18 ESPNU/ESPN3

Time TBA Nov. 28 ESPNU/ESPN3

NORTHERN ILLINOIS’ TOP DAWGS NIU ROSTER

Offensive Line

Defensive backs

NIU ROSTER

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 1 Dechane Durante S 6-2 193 SR* 1 Anthony Maddie QB 6-1 201 SO* 2 Marlon Moore S 5-9 192 JR 3 Akeem Daniels TB 5-7 189 SR* 4 Da’Ron Brown WR 6-0 196 SR* 5 Mayomi Olootu CB 5-9 173 FR 6 Jamaal Bass LB 5-10 214 SR* 7 M. Santacaterina LB 5-10 205 SR* 8 Ladell Fleming LB 6-0 224 SO* 9 Rasheen Lemon LB 6-0 206 JR* 9 Matt McIntosh QB 6-1 213 JR* 10 Tommylee Lewis WR 5-7 159 SR 11 Juwan Brescacin WR 6-4 224 JR* 12 Drew Hare QB 6-1 215 SO* 13 Jackson Abresch S 6-1 209 FR* 13 Landon Root QB 6-2 202 FR 14 Ezra Saffold WR 5-7 164 FR 15 Christian Blake WR 6-1 170 FR 16 Renard Cheren LB 6-1 195 FR 17 Ryan Graham QB 6-1 198 FR 18 Peter Deppe P 6-1 194 FR* 18 Bobby Jones IV LB 6-0 218 FR* 19 Kenny Golladay WR 6-4 200 JR 19 Shawun Lurry CB 5-8 172 FR 20 Mycial Allen S 5-11 193 SO 20 Keith Harris Jr. TB 5-8 193 JR 21 Deion Hallmon CB 5-10 162 FR 21 Skyler Monaghan WR 5-9 162 FR 22 Darion Henderson LB 5-11 175 FR 22 Aregeros Turner WR 5-11 172 SO 23 Jordan Huff TB 5-11 217 FR* 23 Devan Ingram S 6-0 189 FR 24 Brandon Mayes S 5-11 187 FR* 25 Josh Orne K 6-0 220 SO 26 Tyler Wedel P/K 5-11 192 SR 27 Jawuan Johnson S 5-11 203 FR 28 Joel Bouagnon TB 6-2 222 SO 28 Will Daniels S 5-11 207 FR 29 Paris Logan CB 5-9 184 JR* 30 Tifonte Hunt CB 5-9 164 FR 31 Anthony Brooks CB 5-11 189 SO* 32 Jimmy Russell CB 5-10 194 FR* 32 Andrew Stark K 5-10 168 FR 33 Jamaal Payton LB 6-0 229 SO 34 Christian Hagan K 6-0 171 FR 35 Khalil Rogers LB 6-0 239 FR 35 Shane Wimann TE/FB 6-4 248 FR* 36 Draco Smith TB 5-9 191 SO 37 Desroy Maxwell TE 6-2 257 JR 38 Alex Morrow TB 5-8 203 SO* 40 Sean Folliard LB 6-2 227 SO 40 Ryan Stendler TE 6-4 263 FR* 42 Alex Schwab LB 6-1 206 SO 42 Cameron Stingily TB 6-1 235 SR* 43 Albert Smalls CB 6-1 206 FR Roster continued on Page 7

Ryan Brown

Dechane Durante

No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 44 Perez Ford DE 6-0 228 JR 45 Boomer Mays LB 6-0 243 JR* 46 Aaron Fischer FB 5-10 227 FR 46 Terrell Harris LB 5-11 237 SO* 47 Rob Sterling FB 5-10 245 SR 48 Ricky Connors FB 6-1 250 SR* 48 David O’Gorman DE 5-11 229 FR 49 Jason Meehan DE 6-1 252 SR 50 Austin Smaha DE 6-1 227 SO 51 Brian Canoy OL 6-5 275 FR* 52 Cody Sullivan LB 6-0 224 FR* 53 M. Baltimore DE 6-3 257 SO* 54 C. Clinton-Earl DE 6-1 245 JR* 55 Ty Harmston DE 6-4 231 FR 55 Andrew Ness OL 6-3 298 JR* 56 Ben Compton DE 6-4 273 JR 57 Scott Taylor OL 6-2 295 SO* 58 Jareem Fleming DE 5-11 202 FR 59 Michael Gegner OL 6-3 287 SR* 61 Aidan Conlon OL 6-3 297 JR* 62 Mike Smith OL 6-4 310 FR 64 Luke Shively OL 6-2 273 FR 65 Wes Ott OL 6-3 306 SR* 66 Bobby Ramlet LS 6-3 231 SO* 67 Tyler Pitt OL 6-5 314 SR* 68 Ron Brown OL 6-3 333 SO* 69 Corey Thomas DT 6-2 302 SO* 70 Josh Ruka OL 6-5 311 SO* 71 Levon Myers OL 6-5 311 SO* 73 Max Scharping OL 6-6 287 FR 74 Lincoln Howard OL 6-5 291 SO* 75 Tyler Loos OL 6-5 302 SR* 76 Nick Calhoun OL 6-5 303 FR* 77 Shane Evans OL 6-4 294 FR 78 Ryan Brown OL 6-6 297 SR* 80 David Senior WR 5-11 149 FR 81 Clayton Glasper WR 6-4 218 SO* 82 Chad Beebe WR 5-9 171 SO 83 Luke Eakes TE 6-3 253 SR* 84 Brian Mayer LS 6-2 209 SR* 85 Malik Mitchell WR 6-4 182 FR* 86 Jacob Brinlee WR 5-9 185 JR 87 Denzel Tolliver TE 6-2 241 FR 88 Tim Semisch TE 6-8 267 SR* 89 Dale Brown OL 6-3 265 FR 90 William Lee DT 6-2 301 FR* 91 Russell Chambers DE 6-3 251 FR 92 Mario Jones DT 6-0 270 SO* 93 Rajshawn Mosley DE 6-2 235 FR 94 Donovan Gordon DT 6-0 293 SR* 95 Ruben Dunbar DE 6-3 254 FR 96 Michael Ippolito DT 6-3 275 SO* 97 Herlandez Corley DE 6-2 256 FR 98 Cal Breedlove DT 6-1 276 FR* 99 Siosifa Malolo DT 6-3 255 SO * – Denotes redshirt

Senior • 6-6 • 297

Senior • 6-2 • 193

E Receivers Tommylee Lewis Senior • 5-7 • 159

L

ewis is a speedy weapon who could be in for a very big year provided he stays healthy. The senior finished with 715 yards and three touchdowns on 86 receptions (8.3 yards a catch) last season after gaining 539 yards and five touchdowns on 48 catches in his sophomore campaign at Northern Illinois. He also had 356 yards and a touchdown on 30 rushing attempts in 2013. Lewis is also a threat on kickoff returns after scoring a touchdown in each of his past two seasons while taking two back in 2011.

Also returning are players like senior Da’Ron Brown and junior Juwan Brescacin.

Sophomore Aregeros Turner was a highly-touted prospect who played as a true freshman, while NIU wide receivers coach Thad Ward said fellow sophomore Chad Beebe had the best spring of any of his receivers.

Redshirt freshman Malik Mitchell could contribute as well.

D

xperience is heavy on the offensive line.

Four starters return from last season, and projected starting right guard Tyler Pitt has experience. Left tackle Tyler Loos returns after missing the final four games of 2013 after suffering a broken left fibula, dislocated left ankle and torn deltoid ligament against UMass. Loos was still named first-team All-Mid-American Conference.

Whoever starts at quarterback will benefit greatly from the experience NIU has up front that helped pave the way for 4,161 yards and 39 rushing touchdowns on 655 carries in 2013.

S

tingily, a converted Running Backs linebacker, was a nice surprise for Akeem Daniels the Huskies in 2013, Senior • 5-7 • 189 running for more than AND 1,000 yards. However, he’ll miss at least the Cameron Stingily first four games of the Senior • 6-1 • 235 season due to injury.

Luckily, NIU will have the help of Daniels. He came on strong Jordan Huff.

Linebackers Jamaal Bass

Senior • 5-10 • 214 at the end of 2012 but missed last year due to a foot injury.

NIU has a lot of depth with players like sophomores Joel Bouagnon and Draco Smith, who both played as true freshmen, as well as junior Keith Harris Jr. and redshirt freshman

Defensive Line

O

ne of the veterans of the defense is Bass at outside linebacker.

The senior will be a four-year starter this season. Bass was second on the Huskies last season with 87 tackles, and earned first-team allconference honors.

Baas was also named to the Lombardi Award Watch list for this season.

Junior Boomer Mays is the returning starter in the middle, while Jamaal Payton will man the other outside spot.

Payton played as a true freshman last season, starting two games and making 42 tackles.

Jason Meehan

L

Senior • 6-1• 252

osing players like defensive ends Joe Windsor and George Rainey and defensive tackles Ken Bishop and Anthony Wells will be tough, but there’s plenty of talent in the Huskies’ front four.

Junior defensive end Perez Ford finished with four sacks and eight tackles for loss a season ago. Senior end Jason Meehan led the Huskies with 6.5 sacks. Senior Donovan Gordon played in six games at defensive tackle, while sophomore Mario Jones appeared in 13 games.

The question is who provides depth. Expect to see names like Cameron Clinton-Earl and Austin Smaha at defensive end, and Michael Ippolito, William Lee and Corey Thomas at tackle. True freshman Ruben Dunbar could see some time at defensive end.

Analysis:

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com

Photos:

Danielle Guerra dguerra@shawmedia.com

and Monica Maschak mmaschak@shawmedia.com

W

edel took over as the Huskies’ punter last year, and will add fieldgoal kicking duties this year.

He had a net average of 40.4 yards per punt a year ago, and went 3 of 5 when filling in for Matthew Sims on field goals.

He’s been the Huskies kickoff specialist the past three years, and averaged 59.8 yards on

Special Teams Tyler Wedel

Senior • 5-11 • 192 kickoffs last season.

Expect punt and kickoff returns to fall to a combination of Paris Logan, Tommylee Lewis, Aregeros Turner and Chad Beebe.

urante, a four-year starter, will be heavily counted on in the defensive backfield after a 2013 campaign that saw him finish sixth on the team in tackles (55) and second in interceptions with two. He also lead Northern Illinois in fumbles in 2012 with three.

Durante enters the season ranked as the MAC’s best NFL prospect according to The Sporting News.

Marlon Moore moves over from corner and will start opposite Durante, while Paris Logan is a veteran at corner.

Depth-wise, there is some youth in the secondary, and you could see some true freshmen get time here, especially after losing cornerback Jimmie Ward, who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round in April.

• Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

7

TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

6

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

8

WHO IS NEXT IN LINE?

Hare, Maddie, McIntosh vying for quarterback job

By STEVE NITZ snitz@shawmedia.com

D

eKALB – Anthony Maddie wanted to be a part of Northern Illinois’ high-powered, fastpaced spread attack.

During the 2012 season, Maddie didn’t feel home at Western Michigan. When Broncos coach Bill Cubit was fired, and his spread offense replaced by P.J. Fleck’s pro-style attack, his decision to leave Kalamazoo to find a new program was made easier.

Maddie, who spent fall camp competing for the starting quarterback spot along with Drew Hare and Matt McIntosh, wanted to come to NIU out of high school, but never received an offer. He finally got his chance to be a Huskie when he transferred before the 2013 season.

NIU was close to his home in Plainfield, and he wanted the chance to play in NIU’s spread attack, which has been extremely successful over the past few years under Chandler Harnish and Jordan Lynch.

“The success that they had, I felt it was exciting for me because they were running the type of offense I felt like I fit best into,” Maddie said.

“That’s what really excited me about [coming to NIU].”

McIntosh ran a triple option system at Reitz High in Evansville, Indiana. He wanted to be able to run the ball, so for him, going to a high-tempo spread made sense. Hare was part

Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com

Northern Illinois quarterback Anthony Maddie passes the ball during an Aug. 2 practice at Huskie Stadium. of a spread offense in Missouri, so this seemed like a good transition for someone who ran for over 1,000 yards in his high school career.

“I felt like I could run with anybody,” Hare said. “When thy offered

me I felt like it was a good fit, Jordan and Chandler both ran the ball a lot.”

It wasn’t long ago when NIU was known for its running backs, producing a string of successful backs like Michael Turner, Garrett Wolfe and

Chad Spann.

But over the past few years, the main reason for NIU’s success has been all about the quarterback position.

See QUARTERBACKS, page 9

BREAKING DOWN THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS QUARTERBACKS Anthony Maddie

Matt McIntosh

Drew Hare

Class: Sophomore Hometown: Plainfield High School: Aurora Christian Last College: Western Michigan Height/Weight: 6-1 / 201 Highlights: Did not play in 2013 because of NCAA transfer rules. ... Named Offensive Scout Player of the Week for the Akron (Oct. 12) game and the Ball State ( Nov. 13) game. ... Redshirted as a true freshman at Western Michigan. ... Earned all-state honors at Aurora Christian in 2011. ... Passed for 3,799 yards and 52 touchdowns in 2011, while rushing for 1,117 yards and 18 scores on the ground. Earned conference and state title game MVP honors. ... Responsible for 33 touchdowns as a junior. ... Guided Aurora Christian to state title in 2009.

Class: Junior Hometown: Evansville, Indiana High School: Reitz Height/Weight: 6-1 / 213 Highlights: Backup quarterback saw action in five games in 2013. ... Completed both of his passing attempts for touchdowns in 2013. ... Rushed for 44 yards on six carries. ... Threw a 36-yard touchdown pass versus Eastern Michigan (Oct. 26). ... Threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tim Semisch at Purdue (Sept. 28). ... Appeared in seven games as Jordan Lynch’s back-up in 2012, completing seven of his 13 pass attempts for 57 yards and a score. ... Finished fifth on the team in rushing yards (92 yards) on 25 attempts. ... Had a season-long pass of 34 yards against UMass (Nov. 3, 2012).

Class: Sophomore Hometown: O’Fallon, Missouri High School: Fort Zumwalt West Height/Weight: 6-1/215 Highlights: Appeared in three games as the Huskies’ third-string quarterback in 2013. ...

Finished completing five of his nine attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown on five attempts. ... Threw his first touchdown Oct. 26 to Ricky Connors for 11 yards against Eastern Michigan, and went 3 for 5 for 55 yards. ... Played his first career college game against Purdue on Sept. 28. ... Went 2 for 4 for 98 yards Nov. 2 against Massachusetts. ... Threw the team’s longest touchdown pass of the season with an 81-yard strike to Chad Beebe at UMass. ... Redshirted in 2012.

• QUARTERBACKS Continued from page 8 Chandler Harnish won the Vern Smith Award as Mid-American Conference MVP in 2011, and Lynch put up record-setting numbers in 2012 and 2013, finishing third in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season and winning MAC MVP each year.

It will be hard, maybe nearly impossible, for any of the three quarterbacks to replicate what Lynch did. But one thing is for certain, each of the three fits the system well. All are athletic players who can throw, as well as tuck the ball in and get some yards on the ground.

McIntosh has played under four different coordinators – Matt Canada in 2011, Mike Dunbar and Rod Carey in 2012 and current offensive coordinator Bob Cole, who has ran the offense the past two seasons.

McIntosh said there hasn’t been much change with the different coordinators, and the system has been one of the reasons for the Huskies’ recent offensive success.

“We’ve just tried to keep the same offense, the same base. I think that’s why we’ve been so successful here, we’re bringing the same guys in here, doing the same offense, doing the same thing, so I think that’s really important to us,” McIntosh said. “Because as a Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com team, as an offense, we really love Quarterback Drew Hare passes the ball during an Aug. 2 practice at Huskie Stadium. Hare, the system. We really love the temalong with Anthony Maddie and Matt McIntosh, looks to replace Jordan Lynch as the Huspo, and that’s why we came here. kies’ starting quarterback.

It’s a great fit for us.”

Good luck this year to all our local football teams!

9

1. Chandler Harnish (2008-11)...... 8,944 2. George Bork (1960-63).............. 6,782 3. Chris Finlen (1997, 99-2001)..... 6,511 4. Jordan Lynch (2009-13)............. 6,209 5. Josh Haldi (2001-04).................. 6,015 6. Phil Horvath (2004-06)............. 4,887 7. Marshall Taylor (1985-88)......... 4,167 8. Bob Heimerdinger (1948-51).... 4,076 9. Dan Nicholson (2005-08)......... 3,559 10. Pete Kraker (1976-78).............. 3,290

TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 28, 2014

NIU QBs won MAC MVP in ’11, ’12, ’13

TOP 10 NIU CAREER PASSING LEADERS

TOP 10 NIU SINGLE SEASON LEADERS 1. Chandler Harnish (2011)............. 3,216 2. Jordan Lynch (2012)................... 3,138 3. George Bork (1963).................... 3,077 4. Jordan Lynch (2013)................... 2,892 5. Josh Haldi (2003)........................ 2,544 6. Chandler Harnish (2010)........... 2,530 7. George Bork (1962).................... 2,506 8. Ron Christian (1962).................. 2,101 9. Chris Finlen (2001)..................... 2,036 10. Josh Haldi (2002)...................... 2,027

SEASON-BY-SEASON PASSING LEADERS 2013 – Jordan Lynch....................... 2,892 2012 – Jordan Lynch....................... 3,138 2011 – Chandler Harnish................ 3,216 2010 – Chandler Harnish............... 2,530 2009 – Chandler Harnish.............. 1,670 2008 – Chandler Harnish.............. 1,528 2007 – Dan Nicholson.................... 1,633 2006 – Phil Horvath....................... 1,932 2005 – Phil Horvath....................... 2,001 2004 – Josh Haldi........................... 1,384

Delano’s Decorating Homes and Businesses Since 1945

• Merillat Cabinets • Window Treatments • Custom Picture Framing • Paint & Wallpaper • Complete Line of Flooring adno=LV73705 adno no=LV73705 223 North Fourth Street Street • DeKalb • 815-756-2951 815-756-2951 www w.DelanosHomeDecorating.com

BREAKING DOWN THE BOWLS

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

10

Five options for Northern Illinois, Mid-American Conference

By STEVE NITZ

snitz@shawmedia.com

T

he 2014 season brings about a new era in college football. Gone is the BCS, and in comes the widely-celebrated College Football Playoff.

There will be no more debate about the No. 2 team in the nation, as that debate now belongs to who’s the fourth-best team, as the top four teams will make up the four-team playoff and face off in the Rose and Sugar Bowls and meet in Arlington, Texas for the national championship.

Six bowls make up the CFP – the two semifinal sites (which will rotate each year), the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona and Orange Bowl in South Florida.

If NIU plays well and things break their way, the Huskies, who earned an Orange Bowl berth two years ago, will be playing in one of these games.

The top-ranked team, as chosen by a selection committee, from the “Group of Five” mid-major conferences will earn a berth in either the

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL Date: Saturday, Dec. 20, 4:45 p.m. (ESPN) Location: Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho Matchup: MAC vs. Mountain West The skinny: One of the few non-warm weather bowl games, the contest kicks off on the first day of bowl season. NIU competed in the 2010 version, defeating Fresno State with Chandler Harnish named the Huskies’ MVP. Tom Matukewicz was named interim coach after Jerry Kill’s departure to Minnesota and led the team that day.

San Diego State defeated Buffalo in last year’s game.

RECENT BOWL HISTORY Dec. 21, 2013: San Diego St. 49, Buffalo 24 Dec. 15, 2012: Utah St. 41, Toledo 15 Dec. 17, 2011: Ohio 24, Utah St. 23 Dec. 18, 2010: Northern Illinois 40, Fresno St. 17 Dec. 30, 2009: Idaho 43, Bowling Green 42

Cotton, Peach or Fiesta Bowl.

If not, it’s likely NIU will be headed to its seventh straight bowl appearance. Here are the options for NIU and the MAC, a league which now has five bowl agreements.

Gone is the possibility of traveling to Detroit in late December, and

entering are the chances of going to Boca Raton, Montgomery, Alabama or the Bahamas.

In terms of matchups, the GoDaddy Bowl gets the first pick among MAC schools, and doesn’t have to select the conference champion.

The league will work with the

other bowl games when it comes to selections, taking things like matchups into consideration.

The conference doesn’t want teams in the same bowl game every year.

Here is a breakdown of the five games (all start times CST):

CAMELLIA BOWL

BOCA RATON BOWL

BAHAMAS BOWL

GODADY BOWL

Date: Saturday, Dec. 20, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN) Location: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, Alabama Matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt The skinny: From 1939-2001, the Cramton Bowl hosted the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic, which was usually held Christmas Day. This year, postseason college football returns to the 25,000seat Stadium.

Montgomery may not be the ideal bowl site, but the average high in December is 60 degrees, and Montgomery has an airport fans can reach from Chicago via connection.

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 23, 5 p.m.

(ESPN) Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, Florida Matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt The skinny: South Florida now has three bowl games, with the new Boca Raton and Miami Beach bowls in addition to the Orange Bowl. This is a good thing, as the average high for December in Boca Raton is 78 degrees, and Fort Lauderdale is 30 minutes south while Miami is 50 minutes away.

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 24, 11 a.m. (ESPN) Location: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, Nassau, Bahamas Matchup: MAC vs. Conference USA The skinny: A bowl game returns to the carribean for the first time since 1937, when the Bacardi Bowl was played in Havana, Cuba. The MAC has some interesting matchup possibilities with Conference USA as well.

It will be the first time a bowl game has been held outside the United States since the International Bowl, which took place in Toronto from 2007 through 2010.

Fans who make the (expensive) trip to the game will have the chance to take in the resorts, hotels and nightlife of the Bahamas.

Date: Sunday, Jan. 4, 8 p.m.

(ESPN) Location: Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama Matchup: MAC vs. Sun Belt The skinny: This is the last postseason game before the National Championship Game, which just doesn’t seem to make sense. NIU was here in January 2012, when the Huskies defeated Arkansas State in a game that also was the last bowl victory for NIU after losses the past two seasons.

Mobile has an average high of 61 degrees in January and is serviced by a regional airport.

RECENT BOWL HISTORY First year of existence

RECENT BOWL HISTORY First year of existence

RECENT BOWL HISTORY First year of existence

RECENT BOWL HISTORY Jan. 5, 2014: Arkansas St. 23, Ball St. 20 Jan. 6, 2013: Arkansas St. 17, Kent St. 13 Jan. 8, 2012: Northern Illinois 38, Arkansas St. 20 Jan. 6, 2011: Miami (Ohio) 35, Middle Tennessee 21 Jan. 6, 2010: Central Michigan 44, Troy 41

2014 MAC PREDICTIONS

VIEWS Steve Nitz This season brings forth a new era in college football.

The BCS (which, seriously, wasn’t so bad) is history, and in its place comes the College Football Playoff, something fans have been clamoring for seemingly forever.

The 2014 season also brings about a new era in Northern Illinois football.

The past two seasons brought together the best two-year stretch in school history. A BCS bowl berth, Mid-American Conference championship, three victories over BCS schools, a 12-0 start which put the Huskies on the cusp of a second consecutive BCS game, not to mention a Heisman Trophy finalist.

However, the Jordan Lynch era, as good as it was, is behind us. The odds are we’ll never see a player like him in DeKalb again. Lynch bailed the Huskies out of tough situations so often over the past two years at NIU’s starter. Seeing him bounce off tacklers and put together highlight-reel plays in last year’s game against Ball State are two situations which come to mind.

Regardless of the fact that Lynch is no longer in DeKalb, there’s plenty of optimism for the future of both NIU and college football in general.

Let’s start with the new playoff system, which is great. Sure, the BCS had its detractors and rightfully so. At the same time, look at how things were before. The BCS finally pitted No. 1 against No. 2 on a consistent basis, and

The Mid-American Conference poll was announced July 23 at the league’s annual Football Media Day at Ford Field in Detroit and was determined by members of the league’s media members.

Danielle Guerra – dguerra@shawmedia.com

NIU coach Rod Carey signals a second down during an Aug. 18 practice at Huskie Stadium. for the most part got things right. It also paved the way for mid-major programs like NIU to make it into major bowl games.

Yet things will be better under the College Football Playoff. Teams 1 through 4 deserve to have things settled on the field, first of all. It will also bring back the significance of New Year’s Day, which is when the two semifinal games will be played at the Rose and Sugar Bowls, respectively.

In terms of the Huskies, thing still look bright without Lynch. One positive aspect of the College Football Playoff is the top-ranked conference champion from the “Group of Five” getting a major bowl berth.

With the momentum from the past

few seasons (with all that’s happened since, the 2011 MAC title seems like a decade ago), the Chessick Practice Center (which was completed last season), the good recruiting classes, not to mention the schedule NIU athletic director Sean Frazier has put together, things are looking good at Huskie Stadium.

Maybe it doesn’t happen this season, but I don’t see any reason why the Huskies can’t be in contention for that Group of Five bid in the future.

The next few years should be a good time, whether your an NIU fan or college football fan in general.

• Steve Nitz is a sports reporter for the Daily Chronicle and can be reached at snitz@shawmedia.com.

MAC East Division Team (1st-Place Votes) Points 1. Bowling Green (18) 144 2. Akron (3) 114 3. Ohio 107 4. Buffalo 87 5. Kent State 72 6. Miami 43 7. UMass 23 MAC West Division Team (1st-Place Votes) Points 1. Toledo (11) 114 2. Northern Illinois (8) 110 3. Ball State 82 4. Central Michigan (2) 67 5. Western Michigan 44 6. Eastern Michigan 24 2014 Marathon MAC Championship Game Winner: Bowling Green 11; Toledo 6; Central Michigan 2; Northern Illinois 1; Akron 1.

Your Back – Quality Care.

For a Healthy Body & Healthy Life 815.758.9999

adno=0287948

Dr. Dan Monaghan

3301 Resource Parkway, Suite 3 DeKalb IL 60115 • www.drdaninc.com

TOUCHDOWN 2014 | Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

New era to start for NIU, college football

11

12

Daily Chronicle / Daily-Chronicle.com • Wednesday, August 27, 2014

| TOUCHDOWN 2014

15TH ANNUAL

CASTLE SHOW YOUR

SCHOOLSPIRIT Support DeKalb and Sycamore Booster Clubs

Sycamore B A R B S vs. SPARTANS DeKalb

ORANGEOUT/GOLDOUT NIGHT DATE Friday, September 19 NIU Huskie Stadium

TICKETS Adults..............$12.00 Students...........$6.00

Tailgate, Hy-Vee Pork Chop Meal & music by Back Country Roads...5-7 pm Sophomore Game...4:45 pm Varsity Game...........7:30 pm adno=LV75569

Tickets available at DeKalb & Sycamore High Schools & Middle Schools, Castle Bank, DeKalb and Sycamore Chambers, Kishwaukee Family YMCA, and by student athletes throughout both communities. Includes admission to football game, tailgate party activities and Hy-Vee pork chop meal.