2020 NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY HUSKIES 2020 SCHEDULE Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 - 11 AM CT Kalamazoo, Michigan • Waldo Stadium (30,200) Day, Date Opponent (TV) Time (CT) Wed., Nov. 4 BUFFALO* (ESPN2) L, 49-30 Wed., Nov. 11 CENTRAL MICHIGAN* (ESPNU) L, 40-10 Wed., Nov. 18 at Ball State* (ESPNU) L, 31-25 GAME Sat., Nov. 28 at Western Michigan* (ESPN+) 11 a.m. 4 Sat., Dec. 5 TOLEDO* (TBD) TBA WESTERN MICHIGAN NIU Sat., Dec. 12 at Eastern Michigan* (TBD) TBA 3-0 Overall Record 0-3 Fri., Dec. 18 MAC Championship (TBD) TBA 3-0 Conference Record 0-3 Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. Tim Lester Head Coach Thomas Hammock WMU 2000 Alma Mater NIU 2002 *Mid-American Conference Game; All Times Central. 23-18/4th Career Record/Year 5-10/2nd Same School Record/Year Same TV RADIO HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS Head Coach ..........................................................Thomas Hammock Alma Mater/Year ................................................................. NIU ‘02 HUSKIE BITES Record at NIU/Years .............................................................5-10/2nd • The young NIU Huskies travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a Thanksgiving Career Record/Years ...................................................................Same Weekend MAC West match-up versus WMU on Saturday. The Huskies’ last win Basic Offense/Defense .................................................Multiple/4-3 at Waldo Stadium was a 31-21 victory in 2014. First Year of Football .......................................................................1899 • After playing back-to-back home games to open the season, NIU plays three of 2019 Record/MAC Record/Finish ............................5-7/4-4/3rd its last four games on the road in 2020. All-Time Record .................................................................. 592-504-51 • The Huskies have the second-youngest roster in the Football Bowl Subdivision Last Bowl Game ................2018 Cheribundi Roca Raton Bowl (see complete chart p. 3) with underclassmen making up 73 percent (81 of 111) of ..................................................................................... UAB 37, NIU 14 the 2020 roster. Bowl Appearances (FBS) ..................................................................13 • Seven freshmen, including six first-year players, are slated to start on defense for MAC Championship Appearances, Last ........................ 8, 2018 NIU this week, with three more rookies listed atop the depth chart on offense. MAC Championships, Last .....................................................5, 2018 Of the 46 names on NIU’s two-deep on offense and defense this week, 25 are Letterwinners Returning/Lost ............................................... 34/35 freshmen, including 17 true freshmen and eight redshirts. Starters Returning .....14 (6 offense, 5 defense, 3 specialists) • NIU graduate Thomas Hammock, a two-time first team Academic All-American Starters Lost .............................................. 11 (5 offense, 6 defense) who rushed for over 1,000 yards to lead the Huskies in both 2000 and 2001, is in his second season as head coach at his alma mater. Prior to returning to NIU, he NIU FACTS served as running backs for the Baltimore Ravens for five seasons. • After making the most catches by a Huskie receiver since 2017 with 11 at Ball Location .......................................................................... DeKalb, Illinois State, senior Tyrice Richie’s average of 9.0 receptions per game leads the MAC Founded ................................................................................................1895 and ranks fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Enrollment ........................................................................................ 16,769 • Already one of the top freshmen kickoff returners in the country, Trayvon Rudolph added 95 yards on five catches at Ball State. His 166.3 all-purpose yards per Affiliation ..................................NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game leads all FBS freshmen and ranks 13th nationally. Conference ....................................Mid-American (West Division) • On Sunday (Nov. 22), freshman defensive end Devonte O’Malley became the Colors.......................................................................Cardinal and Black latest Huskie walk-on to earn a scholarship when he received a message on Nickname ...................................................................................... Huskies a football following a “tip drill.” See the video, and the emotion, on the @NIU_ Stadium.....................................Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium Football Twitter account. Surface/Capacity............................................FieldTurf /23,595 • Following Saturday’s contest, NIU returns to DeKalb to play host to Toledo in the Huskies’ final home game of 2020. NIU and the Rockets face on Saturday, Dec. 5 Acting President ...................................................Dr. Lisa Freeman at 11 a.m. in Huskie Stadium. 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 NIU HUSKIES 2020 FOOTBALL WEEKLY MEDIA SCHEDULE THIS WEEK’S GAME CLOSEST COMPETITOR: NIU makes its shortest Mid-American Conference road NIU WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE trip when the Huskies travel the 208 miles to Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan • NIU will host a weekly Zoom video conference with for the MAC West match-up versus Western MIchigan on Saturday, November 28th. Thomas Hammock and several Huskie players through- out the season. SERIES HISTORY: Western Michigan holds a 25-20 advantage in the all-time series • All press conferences will be virtual in 2020. with NIU, and have won 14 of the 22 games played in Kalamazoo. NIU’s last victory • The press conference prior to the Western Michigan in Waldo Stadium came in 2014, a 31-21 win. Four of the last five games between the game will be held Tuesday, November 28, at 1 p.m. CT. teams have been decided by one possession or less, including NIU’s 17-14 win in • Contact the NIU Athletics Communications staff for the 2019. WMU won 14 of the first 15 games of the series between 1950 and 1982, while Zoom link. the Huskies are 14-5 versus the Broncos since 2001. • See a recording of the weekly press conference later in the day on the NIU Athletics YouTube Channel. THE LAST MEETING: A year ago, NIU upset the Broncos 17-14 in the regular season finale as the Huskie defense forced a pair of turnovers, including one on WMU’s final NIU PLAYER & COACH AVAILABILITY drive that sealed the victory. Tyrice Richie scored on a dynamic 71-yard catch and • Huskie players and coaches are available for telephone run in the second quarter to give NIU a 10-0 halftime lead. After WMU closed the or video interviews Monday through Wednesday. gap to 14-7 on a Levante Bellamy TD, the Huskies’ scored the game-winner on a • Contact the NIU Athletics Communications Office to seven-yard pass from receiver Michael Love to tight end Mitchell Brinkman. The arrange either all interviews. Huskies held the ball for more than 34 minutes and allowed the Broncos to score • Please provide 24-hour notice for interview requests so just twice on four trips into the red zone. that times can be arranged. • Contact Joe Summins (players and assistant coaches) LAST TIME OUT: Ball State scored a pair of second half touchdowns to break a or Donna Turner (head coach) to arrange interviews. 14-14 halftime tie and went on to a 31-25 win over NIU on Wednesday, November 18 in Muncie, Indiana. Two of the Cardinals’ scores were set up by big plays, a 46-yard PRACTICE COVERAGE run and a 64-yard pass and they added a 71-yard interception return score. NIU’s • Following the 10 day “mini-bye” during the changeover Erin Collins scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and QB Ross Bowers threw for 300 to a Saturday schedule, NIU will practice for the WMU yards on 27-of-40 passing to lead the Huskies. game Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. • Weekday practices will be held at 6 a.m. in 2020. MITTEN NATIVES: NIU’s 2020 roster features eight Michigan natives. Six have • Please contact the NIU Athletics Communications to played for the Huskies this season and five are listed on the depth chart - three as arrange practice access. starters - going into the WMU game. The Huskies have seven Detroit area players with freshman back-up quarterback Dustin Fletcher a Flint product. Sixth-year INFORMATION, VIDEO & PHOTO REQUESTS senior tight end Daniel Crawford (Macomb/Dakota HS) is the Huskies’ most veteran • To be added to the NIU AthComm e-mail distribution list Michigander while four of NIU’s eight Michigan players are freshmen, including (media only), contact Donna Turner. starting defensive tackle James Ester (Detroit/Cass Tech). • Contact Joe Summins to request photos and/or video. • Information on all MAC teams, including releases, depth NIU ON THE MAC ROAD: After dropping its first road game of 2020 last week at charts and photos, logos, league stats and more are Ball State and posting a 2-2 mark in MAC road games last year, the Huskies are 21-8 available online at CollegePressBox.com. Media can in conference road games since 2013 and 84-94-1 all-time in league games away register for access at collegepressbox.com/register.