NIU Huskies Toledo Rockets
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2018 NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY HUSKIES 2018 SCHEDULE Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 - 7 PM CT GAME DeKalb, Ill. Day, Date Opponent (TV) Time (CT) 10 Huskie Stadium (23,595) Sat., Sept. 1 at Iowa (BTN) L, 33-7 TV RADIO Sat., Sept. 8 UTAH (ESPNews) L, 17-6 Sat., Sept. 15 C. MICHIGAN* (ESPN+) W, 24-16 Sat., Sept. 22 at Florida State (ESPNU) L, 37-19 Sat., Sept. 29 at E. Michigan* (ESPN+) W, 26-23 (3OT) Sat., Oct. 6 at Ball State* (ESPN3) W, 24-16 Toledo Rockets Sat., Oct. 13 OHIO* - HC (ESPN+) W, 24-21 (5-4, 3-2) Sat., Oct. 27 at BYU (ESPNU) W, 7-6 Head Coach: Jason Candle (26-11, Third Season) Thu., Nov. 1 at Akron* (CBSSN) W, 36-26 Wed., Nov. 7 TOLEDO* (ESPN2) 7 p.m. VS Wed., Nov. 14 MIAMI* (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Tues., Nov. 20 at W. Michigan* (ESPN2/U) 6 p.m. Fri., Nov. 30 MAC Championship (ESPN2) 6 p.m. NIU Huskies Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. (6-3, 5-0 MAC) *Mid-American Conference Game; All Times Central. Head Coach: Rod Carey (50-27, Sixth Season) HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS HUSKIE BITES • NIU returns to Huskie Stadium to take on Toledo carrying a five-game Head Coach ........................................................................Rod Carey winning streak, despite playing five of its last six games on the road. Record at NIU/Years ....................................................50-27/Sixth • With its sixth win of the season, NIU is one of only two Group of 5 teams Career Record/Years ....................................................50-27/Sixth to achieve bowl eligibility 10 times in the last 11 seasons. Alma Mater/Year ........................................................Indiana/1993 • NIU and Toledo meet for the 46th time Wednesday night; the Rockets Basic Offense/Defense ..............................................Multiple/4-3 own a 31-14 series lead and have won the last two contests after NIU defeated UT six straight times from 2010-15. First Year of Football ................................................................. 1899 2017 Record/MAC Record/Finish ........... 8-5/6-2/T2nd West • Defensively, the Huskies rank among the Top 30 teams in the FBS in All-Time Record .............................................................585-491-51 sacks (second), tackles for loss (12th), rushing defense (13th) and scoring defense (29th). Last Bowl Game ..................... 2017 Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit) ............................................................................. Duke 36, NIU 14 • Rod Carey’s NIU teams own a 37-8 mark in MAC regular season games since 2013 for an .822 winning percentage; his 50 total wins are tied Bowl Appearances (FBS) ............................................................... 12 for 19th all-time among MAC coaches, and his .649 career winning MAC Championship Appearances, Last ...................... 7, 2015 percentage ranks him in the Top 30 FBS coaches (minimum five seasons). Letterwinners Returning/Lost ...............................................54/28 • Left tackle Max Scharping, a 48-game starter, is one of 13 finalists for Starters Returning .... 17 (9 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists) the 2018 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the top Scholar-Athlete in Starters Lost ....................9 (3 offense, 5 defense, 1 specialist) college football. He will receive an $18,000 scholarship and represent NIU at the National Football Foundation Dinner in New York this December. NIU FACTS • Tre Harbison has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in rushing yards three times this season after gaining a career high 169 yards at Akron. NIU has had Location ......................................................................DeKalb, Illinois a 100-yard rusher in each of its five MAC games: Marcus Childers (169 Founded......................................................................................... 1895 yards) vs. Ohio, Marcus Jones (130) at Ball State, and Harbison at EMU (136) and vs. CMU (124) in addition to Akron. Enrollment..................................................................................19,015 Affiliation ................................NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision • NIU is 20-3 in weeknight #MACtion games played on Tuesdays, Conference .................................Mid-American (West Division) Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010. Colors ...................................................................Cardinal and Black • Jalen McKie’s defensive two-point conversion off of Ben LeRoy’s blocked Nickname .................................................................................Huskies kick at Akron was the first by a Huskie since Kevin Woods returned a Jason Frank block at Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003 in a 19-16 NIU win, and Stadium .................................. Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium was the fourth blocked kick by NIU this season. Surface/Capacity .......................................... FieldTurf /23,595 President ...............................................................Dr. Lisa Freeman Assoc. VP/Athletic Director ................................. Sean T. Frazier Alma Mater, Year .................................................. Alabama ‘92 Tickets ............................................................815-753-PACK (7225) NIU Huskies @NIUAthletics niuhuskies NIU Athletics NIUHuskies.com | Twitter: @NIUAthletics | Facebook & Instagram: NIU Huskies 1 2018 NIU FOOTBALL THIS WEEK’S GAME — WEEKLY MEDIA SCHEDULE — SERIES HISTORY: Toledo holds a 31-14 advantage in the series between the two MONDAY MAC COACHES’ TELECONFERENCE • NIU’s Rod Carey will be available on the MAC Coaches’ schools, and has won the last two contests. The Rockets defeated NIU, 27-17, at the Call every Monday from 8:46-8:54 a.m. (CT). Glass Bowl in last year’s meeting. Toledo leads the all-time series in games played at Huskie Stadium, 11-9, however, the Huskies have won the last four meetings in • A replay is available Monday on MAC-sports.com. DeKalb. • For schedule and media call-in number, contact NIU or the Mid-American Conference. THE LAST TIME WE MET: A 14-point fourth quarter by the Rockets proved too much for the Huskies to overcome as Toledo posted a 27-17 victory over NIU in the NIU WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE Glass Bowl on Nov. 2, 2017. The Huskies took a 14-10 lead early in the third quarter • NIU will host a weekly press conference with Rod Carey on a one-yard touchdown run by Marcus Childers. However, the NIU offense was and several Huskie players throughout the season. held to a field goal the rest of the way. Terry Swanson rushed for two TDs and • Remaining dates for the weekly press conferences this Jameson Vest hit a 34-yard field goal for the win. year are: Nov. 9 (Friday) and Nov. 16 (Friday) • Press conferences will be held at 12:15 p.m. CT in the BOWL-ELIGIBLE HUSKIES: After improving to 6-3 on the season following its McCareins Auditorium (2nd floor) of the Yordon Center. victory at Akron, NIU is bowl eligible for the 10th time in 11 seasons. The Huskies • Telephone access is available. Contact NIU for the number. appeared in eight straight bowl games from 2008-15, including the 2013 Discover • Watch the press conference live on Facebook and later Orange Bowl. The only other Group of Five team to achieve that is Boise State. on NIUHuskies.com. STREAKING HUSKIES: NIU enters Thursday’s contest versus Toledo riding a five- NIU PLAYER & COACH AVAILABILITY game winning streak. It is the Huskies’ first five-game winning streak since 2015 • Huskie players and coaches are available for interviews when NIU won six straight from Oct. 10-Nov. 18. after practice on select days of the week. • The days of the week vary during #MACtion. SOME STRETCH: The Huskies return home Wednesday night versus Toledo after • Contact the NIU Athletics Communications Office to completing a stretch of five of six games away from Huskie Stadium. The Huskies arrange either in-person or phone interviews. went 5-1 in those games, with NIU’s only loss coming at Florida State on Sept. 22. • Please provide 24-hour notice for phone interviews. NIU posted wins at BYU and at Akron in the final two games of that stretch. • Contact Joe Summins (players) or Donna Turner (coach- es) to arrange interviews. MIDWEEK MACTION: With its 36-26 win at Akron last Thursday, NIU improved to 20-3 in league games played on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays since 2010. PRACTICE COVERAGE Toledo and Ohio are the only two schools to defeat the Huskies during midweek • NIU practices, held at Huskie Stadium and the Chessick MACtion. The Huskies fell to the Rockets in 2016 at Guaranteed Rate Field and in Practice Center, are open to the media. 2017 at Toledo, while Ohio scored a 26-21 win over NIU in 2015 at Huskie Stadium. • Media are asked to remain in the end zone (HS) or along the wall (CPC) and to inform NIU Athletics Com- RECAPPING LAST WEEK munications in advance if you plan to attend. • Contact the NIU Athletics Communications Office for HUSKIE HIGHS: NIU set season highs in points (36), total yards (484) and rushing the weekly practice schedule. yards (296) in its victory at Akron. The Huskies’ previous high in points was 26 in the • Video shooting times may be limited. triple overtime win at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 29), while the previous rushing yards (255) and total yards (400) marks were set in the 24-21 victory over Ohio (Oct. 13). INFORMATION, VIDEO & PHOTO REQUESTS • To be added to the NIU AthComm e-mail distribution list HUNDRED FOR HARBISON: NIU tailback Tre Harbison recorded his third career (media only), contact Donna Turner. 100-yard game and scored a touchdown in NIU’s triumph at