2016 NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY HUSKIES Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 - 2:30 PM CT 2016 SCHEDULE GAME Muncie, Ind. Day, Date Opponent (TV) Time (CT) Scheumann Stadium (22,500) Sat.., Sept. 3 at Wyoming (CBSSN) L, 40-34 (3OT) TV RADIO Sat., Sept. 10 at South Florida (CBSSN) L, 48-17 Sat., Sept. 17 SAN DIEGO STATE (CBSSN) L, 42-28 5 Sat., Sept. 24 WESTERN ILLINOIS (ESPN3) L, 28-23 Sat., Oct. 1 at Ball State* (ASN/ESPN3) 2:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 8 at Western Michigan* 5:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 15 CENTRAL MICHIGAN* TBA NIU Huskies Sat., Oct. 22 BUFFALO* (Homecoming) 2:30 p.m. (0-4) Tues., Nov. 1 BOWLING GREEN* (ESPN2/U) 7 p.m. Head Coach: Rod Carey (31-16, Fourth Season) Huskie Chi-Town Showdown Weds., Nov. 9 TOLEDO (ESPN2/ ESPNU)* 7 p.m. VS Weds., Nov. 16 at Eastern Michigan (ESPN2/ U)* 6/7 p.m. Fri., Nov. 25 at Kent State TBA Fri., Dec. 2 MAC Championship (ESPN2) 6 p.m. Ball State Cardinals Ford Field, Detroit, Mich. (3-1) *Mid-American Conference Game; All Times Central. Head Coach: Mike Neu (3-1, First Season) HUSKIE BITES HUSKIE FOOTBALL FACTS • NIU opens its 31st season of Mid-American Conference competition Saturday at 2:30 pm (CT) when the Huskies take on Ball State in 2015 Record/MAC Record/Finish ............. 8-6/6-2/T1st West Muncie. Head Coach ........................................................................Rod Carey • For the ninth straight season, NIU and Ball State will play for Record at NIU/Years .......................................................31-16/4th The Bronze Stalk, a trophy which honors the agricultural regions Career Record/Years .......................................................31-16/4th surrounding both schools. NIU has claimed the trophy for the last Alma Mater/Year ........................................................Indiana/1993 seven years after Ball State won the inaugural “battle”. Basic Offense/Defense ..............................................Multiple/4-3 • NIU has won the Mid-American Conference West Division title in each First Year of Football ................................................................. 1899 of the last six years. The Huskies are 44-4 in MAC regular season games All-Time Record .............................................................566-479-51 during that time. Consecutive Bowl Appearances ...................................................8 • The Huskies continue to be led offensively by receiver Kenny Golladay. Last Bowl Game .......................... 2015 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl The Chicago product recorded his second 100-yard receiving game ....................................................................Boise State 55, NIU 7 versus Western Illinois with five catches for 113 yards. In the fourth MAC Championship Appearances, Last ...................... 7, 2015 quarter alone, he accounted for 108 yards on just three touches (38- Letterwinners Returning/Lost ...............................................51/16 yard rush, 39- and 31-yard catches). Starters Returning ...... 16 (6 offense, 6 defense, 4 specialist) • The Huskies’ 16-point outburst in the fourth quarter versus the Starters Lost ................. 10 (5 offense, 5 defense, 0 specialist) Leathernecks was the most points it has scored in a quarter since a 49- 21 win over Eastern Michigan last year on October 24. NIU FACTS • Tailback Jordan Huff gained 130 yards on just nine carries versus WIU as he notched the first 100-yard rushing day by an NIU back this year. Location ......................................................................DeKalb, Illinois • Indiana (‘93) graduate Rod Carey is in his fourth season as NIU head Founded......................................................................................... 1895 coach; his 31-16 record ranks sixth all-time at the school in wins. Enrollment..................................................................................19,015 Affiliation ................................NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision • Senior quarterback Anthony Maddie came off the bench to spark Conference .................................Mid-American (West Division) NIU’s offense versus Western Illinois. He is the third Huskie QB to see Colors ...................................................................Cardinal and Black significant time as starter Drew Hare went down with a significant injury at USF and was replaced by sophomore Ryan Graham. Stadium .................................. Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium Surface/Capacity .......................................... FieldTurf /23,595 • NIU ranks tied for 11th nationally among FBS programs in Graduation President .......................................................Dr. Douglas D. Baker Success Rate and is tied for third among public FBS institutions. Assoc. VP/Athletic Director ................................. Sean T. Frazier Alma Mater, Year .................................................. Alabama ‘92 Ticket Information ....................................815-753-PACK (7225) NIU Huskies @NIUAthletics niuhuskies @NIUAthletics niuhuskiesdotcom NIUHuskies.com | Twitter: @NIUAthletics | Facebook & Instagram: NIU Huskies 1 2016 NIU FOOTBALL GAME NOTES OCT. 1 VS. BALL STATE SERIES HISTORY: NIU leads the all-time series between the two schools 21-20- — WEEKLY MEDIA SCHEDULE — 2, and the Huskies have won the last seven meetings. The Huskies are 11-9 at Scheumann Stadium all-time, and have won seven of the last eight meetings MONDAY MAC COACHES’ TELECONFERENCE between the two schools on Ball State’s home turf. The last time the Huskies lost • NIU Head Coach Rod Carey will be on the call each to the Cardinals in Muncie was 2008. week from 8:46-8:54 a.m. (Central). • Replay available Monday afternoon on www.MAC- THE LAST TIME WE MET: Drew Hare completed a sizzling 90 percent of his passes sports.com. for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Joel Bouagnon recorded his • For schedule and media call-in number, contact NIU or third 100-yard rushing game of the season to lead NIU to a 59-41 win over Ball the Mid-American Conference. State at Huskie Stadium (Oct. 10). NIU totaled 636 yards of total offense on the day. Ball State jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter before the NIU WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE Huskies offense erupted for four touchdowns before halftime. • NIU will host a weekly press conference with Rod Carey and several Huskie players throughout the season. TROPHY GAME: For the ninth consecutive year, NIU and Ball State will play for • Press conferences are held Tuesdays (for Saturday “The Bronze Stalk,” a traveling trophy designed specifically for this rivalry in honor games) at approximately 12:15 p.m. CT with telephone of the farming community locales of both institutions. DeKalb artist Renee Bemis access available (contact NIU for call-in numbers). designed the trophy, which depicts a cornstalk. In eight Bronze Stalk games, NIU is • Press conference is held in the McCareins Auditorium, 7-1 and the Huskies have won The Bronze Stalk in each of the last seven seasons. on the second floor of the Yordon Center in DeKalb. • Quotes and video from the press conference are post- HUSKIES IN THE MAC: NIU is 136-94-2 all-time in MAC games with a 100- ed on NIUHuskies.com. 49 (.671) record in league play since 1997 (when NIU rejoined the league). The Huskies have won 36 of 39 MAC regular season contests since Oct. 1, 2011 and NIU PLAYER & COACH AVAILABILITY 44 of their last 48 since 2010. Central Michigan and Ohio are the only two league • In general, Huskie players and coaches are available for foes to defeat the Huskies in the regular season during that time. The Chippewas interviews after practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays defeated NIU in 2011, 2014 and 2015, while Ohio scored a win over NIU in the (Saturday games). 2015 regular season finale at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies are in their 31st season • Please provide 24-hour notice for phone requests. as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2016-17, including an initial stint • Contact Donna Turner (coaches) or Joe Summins (play- in the league from 1975-85. ers) to arrange interviews. BACK TO THE BUS: NIU’s trip to Muncie is the first of two straight road games for PRACTICE COVERAGE the Huskies. Following Saturday’s contest at Ball State, NIU travels to Kalamazoo to • NIU practices, held at Huskie Stadium or the Chessick face Western Michigan. The Huskies opened the season with two road games this Practice Center, are open to the media. year, playing at Wyoming and South Florida, then played its two games prior to • Media are asked to remain in the end zone. this at home. Following this two-game road swing, the Huskies will only have two • Video shooting times may be limited. more road games left. NIU travels to Eastern Michigan on Nov. 16 and concludes the regular season at Kent State Nov. 25. INFORMATION, VIDEO & PHOTO REQUESTS • To be added to the NIU AthComm e-mail distribution list FOURTH QUARTER RALLY FALLS SHORT: Trailing Western Illinois 28-7 headed (media only), contact Donna Turner. into the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored 16 unanswered points to pull within a • Contact Joe Summins to request photos and/or video touchdown of the Leathernecks with 8:15 to play. NIU had two chances inside the and for player interviews. red zone in the final five minutes of the game. However, Western Illinois came up • Action shots from every Huskie football game are avail- with fourth down stops to thwart the Huskie comeback. able for use by media; contact NIU for the URL. • Media can find information on all MAC teams,