2010 INTERNATIONAL BOWL Northern Illinois (7-5, 5-3 MAC) vs. South Florida (7-5, 3-4 BIG EAST) about THE GAME When ................................Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010 ..............................Noon (EST)/11 a.m. (CST) Where ............................................Rogers Centre ...............................Toronto, Ontario, Canada Capacity ............................................46,374 Television ..................................... ESPN2 (U.S.A.) ................................................TSN (Canada) NIU Radio .................... WSCR 670 AM (Chicago); ..............................WLBK 1360 AM (DeKalb); ..................WTJK 1380 AM (Janesville, Wisc.) huskie FACTS 2009 Record ................................................7-5 2009 MAC Record ........................................5-3 2009 MAC Finish ................................ 2nd, West Head Coach ...........................................Jerry Kill Alma Mater/Year .........Southwestern (KS)/1983 Record at NIU/Year ...........................13-12/2nd Seniors Eddie Adamski (50) and guard Jason Onyebuagu (65) lead the Huskie offensive line. Career Record/Year .......................117-69/16th Table of Contents Location ..................................... DeKalb, Illinois Enrollment ..............................................24,397 Media Information ................................................2 2009 Game Recaps ..........................................31 NIU News & Notes ................................................2 Honors & Awards ...............................................37 Conference ........... Mid-American (West Division) MAC Standings & Bowl Schedule.......................4 Team & Individual Statistics ...................... 38-40 Colors ...................................Cardinal and Black About South Florida .............................................9 2009 Participation Chart ................................. 41 Stadium .......... Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium Record Book Update ......................................... 10 2009 Game by Game Stats .......................42-43 Surface/Capacity............. Field Turf /24,000 NIU Depth Chart .................................................11 NIU in the Rankings .......................................... 43 President .....................................Dr. John Peters 2009 Huskie Rosters ..................................12-13 Highs and Lows ..................................................44 Associate VP/Athletic Director ....... Jeff Compher 2009 Player Bios ......................................... 14-25 The Last Time It Happened ..............................45 Ticket Information .......................815-752-6800 Head Coach Jerry Kill .................................. 26-27 NIU Bowl Games In Review .........................46-47 Assistant Coaches .......................................28-29 NIU Bowl History and Records .........................48 Football Staff ......................................................30 2009 NIU FOOTBALL RESULTS Day, Date Opponent Television Site W/L Score Attend. Sat., Sept. 5 at Wisconsin Big Ten Network Madison, Wisc. L 28-20 80,532 Sat., Sept. 12 WESTERN ILLINOIS Comcast SN/GamePlan DEKALB, Ill. W 41-7 21,427 Sat., Sept. 19 at Purdue Big Ten Network West Lafayette, Ind. W 28-21 53,240 Sat., Sept. 26 IDAHO Comcast SN/ESPN GamePlan DEKALB, Ill. L 34-31 16,320 Sat., Oct. 3 WESTERN MICHIGAN*-HC Comcast SN/ESPN GamePlan DEKALB, Ill. W 38-3 17,608 Sat., Oct. 17 at Toledo* Toledo, Ohio L 20-19 17,012 Sat., Oct. 24 at Miami (Ohio)* Oxford, Ohio W 27-22 9,884 Sat., Oct. 31 AKRON* ESPN Plus/ESPN GamePlan DEKALB, Ill. W 27-10 10,148 Thurs., Nov. 5 EASTERN MICHIGAN* ESPNU DEKALB, Ill. W 50-6 10,527 Thurs., Nov. 12 BALL STATE* ESPNU DEKALB, Ill. W 26-20 13,305 Sat., Nov. 21 at Ohio* Athens, Ohio L 38-31 14,756 Fri., Nov. 27 at Central Michigan* ESPN360.com Mt. Pleasant, Mich. L 45-31 15,113 Sat., Jan. 2 vs. South Florida ESPN2/TSN Toronto, Canada Noon (EST)/11 a.m. (CST) 2010 International Bowl *Mid-American Conference Game. Home games in BOLD, ALL CAPS, played at Huskie Stadium. (HC) Homecoming 1 www.niuhuskies.com Northern Illinois Football NIU NEWS & NOTES 2009 HUSKIES media INFORMATION Bowling Again games nine time in the past 10 years, dat- Northern Illinois (7-5, 5-3 MAC) concludes ing back to 2000. However, the Huskies DECEMBER PRACTICE SCHEDULE its 2009 season in Toronto, Ontario, have only reached the eight-win total three All NIU pre-bowl practices in DeKalb are OPEN to the Canada with an International Bowl meeting times this decade (2002, 2003, 2004). media, with players and coaches available for inter- versus the University of South Florida Bulls views at the DeKalb Sports and Recreation facility (7-5, 3-4 BIG EAST) on Saturday, January The Time for Kill (1765 S. 4th Street) following practices December 2, 2010. The game will be played in the NIU Head Coach Jerry Kill is 13-12 in two 16-23 and December 28. Please check with the NIU Rogers Centre beginning at Noon (EST)/11 seasons at Northern Illinois, and is the fi rst Media Relations Offi ce to confi rm practice times a.m. (CST) and will be televised in the coach to lead the Huskies to bowl games each day as the schedule is subject to change. United States on ESPN2. in each of his fi rst two seasons at the school. Kill also became just the second NIU PLAYER AND COACH AVAILABILITY Back-to-Back NIU head man to claim a victory over a Big Northern Illinois Head Coach Jerry Kill and Huskie players will be available for interviews in Toronto Northern Illinois will play in a bowl game Ten team with the Huskies’ win over Pur- through Thursday, Dec. 31. The optimum time to con- in back-to-back seasons for the fi rst time due earlier this season. A year ago, Kill led duct interviews is following practice at Rogers Cen- in its history as a major college program Northern Illinois to a four-game improve- tre. Please contact Donna Turner or Joe Summins (in- after playing in the Independence Bowl ment from 2007, and he has improved formation below) to confi rm the practice schedule. in Shreveport a year ago. In its college on that win total in 2009. Dating back to division day, NIU twice played in bowls his days at Southern Illinois, a team he PRACTICE COVERAGE in back-to-back seasons with trips to the built into an FCS powerhouse, Kill-coached Northern Illinois football practices in Toronto will be Mineral Water Bowl in 1962 and 1963, and teams have made seven straight post- open to the media. Please contact Donna Turner or appearances in the Turkey and Refrigerator season appearances. He was named the Joe Summins to confi rm practice times. Players and Bowls in 1946 and 1947, respectively. 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, coaches are available for interviews after practice. and in his 16th season as a collegiate Postseason Regulars head coach, owns a record of 117-69 and ADDITIONAL AVAILABILITY Including the 2005 MAC Championship a winning percentage of .629. Please contact NIU Media Relations personnel to set game, NIU has played in the postseason up interviews outside of practice, including at bowl fi ve times in the last six years. The Interna- North of the Border events and/or over the phone. tional Bowl is Northern Illinois’ fourth bowl For the fi rst time, Northern Illinois will play game during that time, dating back to a a football game in a foreign country with CREDENTIALS 2004 appearance in the Silicon Valley Clas- this trip to Toronto for the International All credentials for the International Bowl will be is- sic in San Jose, Calif. This year’s seniors will Bowl. With the MAC’s tie-in with the Inter- sued by the bowl and must be requested online at have been to three bowl games - the 2006 national Bowl, and anticipating a potential www.sportssystems.com/internationalbowl. The me- Poinsettia Bowl, the 2008 Independence bowl season, the Huskie team and coaches dia contact for the game is Campbell Blake (cblake@ Bowl and now the International Bowl. applied for and received their passports internationalbowl.net), 416-938-4097. earlier this fall. Only a handful of NIU play- NIUHUSKIES.COM Winning Ways ers have traveled to Canada before. The offi cial athletics website of Northern Illinois Uni- With seven wins on the year, Northern versity will have extensive coverage of the Huskies’ Illinois has guaranteed itself a winning Renewing Acquaintances bowl trip, including blogs, photo galleries, daily prac- season for the fi rst time since 2006 after The Huskies and South Florida have met tice and activities updates and video highlights. falling just short with six wins a year ago. twice previously as the teams split a pair Northern Illinois has won six or more of games in 2001 and 2002. NIU claimed NIU MEDIA RELATIONS a 20-17 victory in the fi rst meeting, on Aug. Donna Turner ........Associate AD/Communications huskie GRADS ................... 815-753-9513 (o); 815-793-5474 (c) In December, Northern Illinois honored 19 current and former football players who earned their bachelor’s degrees [email protected] following the Fall 2009 semester. Fourteen of the new NIU grads are members of the 2009 senior class. Joe Summins ..........Asst. Media Relations Director Eddie Adamski, Engineering Technology James Jefferies, Corporate Communications ...................815-753-9539 (o); 815-965-5213 (c) Josh Allen, General Studies Mike Kritikos, Business Administration [email protected] Anthony Antonacci,