Red And Black Attack: FanPosts

NIU Huskies Football Book Release Date Set for March 15, 2013

2013-02-11T18:29:23Z

Finally, the book many of us have been waiting for is going to come out! According to NIU Press, the book will be out around March 15. From what I understand there is going to be some sort of "kickoff" book promotion at the March 2 basketball game. It doesn't sound like the books will be on display at that game (guess they are at the printers?), but there will be some sort of brochure or flyer. The author is also supposed to be on the DeKalb radio station Thursday morning (a little after 9) and also on with Bill Baker at halftime of the March 2 game.

http://www.niupress.niu.edu/niupress/scripts/Book/bookresults.asp?ID=672

4 Points in 1 half? Are you kidding me!

2013-01-28T17:47:12Z

It just does not make sense. Bring back the days of Kenny Battle. At least it was fun to watch him play.What does it take to become an average team in the MAC Basketball world?

How Bad is this team. Either the coach is terrible, recruiting is terrible, or something else is not right at NIU Basketball. How can the football team do so well under the same conditions and the B-Ball team be so bad? It just does not make sense. Bring back the days of Kenny Battle. At least it was fun to watch him play.What does it take to become an average team in the MAC Basketball world?

Orange Bowl TV Ratings... Positive Post Orange Bowl Insight

2013-01-03T17:34:16Z

Orange Bowl TV Ratings

According to the ESPN Meida press release above NIU was able to pull off big time TV ratings in the Chicago market. From my perspective this is something the program desperately needs. The fact that so much of the Chicago area was tuned in to see what NIU was made of hopefully points towards a groing interest in the program. If this is something ESPN truly takes note of, maybe we will see ESPN more willing to put NIU on ESPN in primetime more often.

Also if the marketing team at NIU can find a way to maintain the interest of more than just the alum and student bodies, there is a good chance we see a sizable boost in attendance next year as well. But maybe I am just dreaming with that idea.

The key is though, even though NIU was outmatched, outsized, and failed to execute its A game on offense. The University and the football team were able to capture the interest of the market it most desperately needs, if the plan is to become the next Boise State or the TCU of the midwest.

Orange Bowl TV Ratings

Why now, JL?

2012-12-28T17:33:54Z

Why give FSU any board material. We are supposed to be a class act and lead by example. No need to bring them to their knees BS. Up until then, FSU had nothing but the coach to have things to talk about.

Will this kind of talk motivate them, maybe not. But, why even start something like that. I love what JL and crew have done in 2012 and they are deserving to be where they are. But, don't add fuel to the fire.

Come on Jordan. Now is not the time to start trash talking. DO it on the field.

There is a lot riding on this game for NIU. Respect, Recruiting and Opening up doors for NIU and the MAC. No one gives the MAC credit for beating the teams they beat this year. Do your talking on the field. not in the news.

Go Huskies. Will be watching from Portland OR.

NIU secures BCS bid for Orange Bowl

2012-12-02T23:17:07Z

Fresh off the press and though not technically official, this seems a legitimate leak.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/21234975/report-northern-illinois-is-orange-bowl-bound

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8702724/northern-illinois-wildcats-earn-bcs-bowl-bid

congrats to the Huskies for being the MAC champion for the second year in a row, and representing the MAC in the BCS. Is this the first MAC team in the BCS?

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8702724/northern-illinois-wildcats-earn-bcs-bowl-bid

congrats to the Huskies for being the MAC champion for the second year in a row, and representing the MAC in the BCS. Is this the first MAC team in the BCS?

Tyler Loos Injury??

2012-11-16T01:18:42Z

What a great game last night!! I wish I could of been there. I watched the game at Taco Surf in Dana Point California with another Huskie Alum. I think we make up the Southern California Huskie Nation. LOL.....

Anyone know the extent of the injury to Offensive Lineman, Tyler Loos. Tyler went down in that last drive and was carted off the field. The injury didn't look good.

GO HUSKIES.....3 more wins to go......13-1 sounds pretty nice

Anyone know the extent of the injury to Offensive Lineman, Tyler Loos. Tyler went down in that last drive and was carted off the field. The injury didn't look good.

GO HUSKIES.....3 more wins to go......13-1 sounds pretty nice

At A Crossroads: Northern Illinois vs. Central Michigan

2012-09-27T23:46:11Z

History

The history between inter-conference opponents can often be divided into different eras.

Eras see one team completely dominating the other and winning the annual contests every year. An example would be the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry, where Lloyd Carr's Michigan teams continually beat John Cooper's Buckeye teams in the 90's, only for Jim Tressel to reverse the process and continually beat Carr and the Wolverines in the 2000s. A more appropriate comparison would be Toledo and their domination of NIU in the late 90's and for most of the 2000's.

But there are also eras where instead of one-sided domination, there is a more competitive, more evenly matched, and more often than not more memorable struggle, where teams alternate wins each year and things become harder to anticipate and predict.

We can find an example of this kind of era by looking at the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry again, specifically the "Ten Year War" between the Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler led teams from 1969-1978, with Michigan winning 5, Ohio State 4, and a memorable 10-10 draw in 1973.

Utter Domination

NIU's recent history with its opponent this Saturday can be broken down into these two kinds of eras.

The first era, from the period from 1998-2005, began with the win that ended the nation's longest losing streak and resulted in the fish in the East Lagoon having to deal with a group of temporary student squatters and a pair of goal-posts. Starting with that initial 16-6 victory, NIU beat Central Michigan every year.

For those 8 years, NIU was on the rise, while Central Michigan was usually in the middle or at the bottom of the MAC. It was an era of NIU domination that Central Michigan couldn't break free of. Whether it was played in DeKalb or Mount Pleasant didn't matter. When this game came around, the Huskies were gonna win it. There was nothing CMU could do about it.

And then a guy named Dan LeFevour showed up.

Times They Are A Changin'

LeFevour's arrival in Mount Pleasant in 2006 signaled the end of the era of NIU domination and the beginning of a new, more competitive era, between the two teams.

NIU beat LeFevour and the Chippewas handily in 2006, so it at first appeared that nothing had changed from the previous years. For the next 3 years however, the Chippewas beat the Huskies all 3 times, twice by crushing margins.

After LeFevour's departure in 2010, NIU beat CMU easily. And of course last year, NIU lost to CMU (for everyone who just vomited thinking about that game, I apologize) in what was perhaps the most brutal NIU game to watch since the previous year's MAC Championship (again, I apologize).

The past 6 years seem to fit the model of a competitive era to perfection. But not entirely.

Unlike traditional competitive eras, where games are often very closely fought, with the exception of the 2008 contest in DeKalb where CMU won 33-30 in OT, the games between NIU and CMU during this period haven't been all that competitive. Here are the final scores:

2006 31-10 NIU

2007 35-10 CMU

2008 33-30 OT CMU

2009 45-31 CMU

2010 33-7 NIU

2011 48-41 CMU

The 5 other games in this era have been relatively one-sided. NIU made it close at the end last year, but they didn't deserve to win that game. And with the exception of 2008, the home side has won every game.

Crossroads

On paper, it seems easy to predict the result of this game.

NIU is statistically the better team and has looked the better team in the season's earlier games. The game is also in DeKalb, where NIU holds a 17-game winning streak.

But CMU has done the one thing that NIU has not done this year. They beat Iowa. While not a large accomplishment, the Chippewas deserved that win and will be riding high coming into DeKalb on Saturday, so an NIU win may not be set in stone just yet.

If we're still in the most recent era of alternating victories, then the game this Saturday won't be close and the home team will win.

The question is, will the 6-year long era continue, or will a new era begin?

History

The history between inter-conference opponents can often be divided into different eras.

Utter Domination

NIU's recent history with its opponent this Saturday can be broken down into these two kinds of eras.

And then a guy named Dan LeFevour showed up.

Times They Are A Changin'

LeFevour's arrival in Mount Pleasant in 2006 signaled the end of the era of NIU domination and the beginning of a new, more competitive era, between the two teams.

The past 6 years seem to fit the model of a competitive era to perfection. But not entirely.

2006 31-10 NIU

2007 35-10 CMU

2008 33-30 OT CMU

2009 45-31 CMU

2010 33-7 NIU

2011 48-41 CMU

Crossroads

On paper, it seems easy to predict the result of this game.

NIU is statistically the better team and has looked the better team in the season's earlier games. The game is also in DeKalb, where NIU holds a 17-game winning streak.

If we're still in the most recent era of alternating victories, then the game this Saturday won't be close and the home team will win.

The question is, will the 6-year long era continue, or will a new era begin?

How Long will Coach Doeren Stay in Dekalb?

2012-09-20T03:24:14Z

Not long in my opinion. He currently has a salary of around $371,000. Nice pay for most of us, but chicken scratch for an FBS coach. 370K is very near the bottom of all FBS head coaches salaries. Coach Kill left NIU to be a door mat for Big 10 teams but at the tune of 1.2 million a year. I'll take an ass kicking too for that kind of a raise!! Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz makes just under 4 million annually and has the 6th highest salary in FBS. After one year at NIU, coach Doeren was on the short list of candidates at Kansas University. The Jayhawks decided on Charlie Weis but coach Doeren being the Kansas native would of snatched that up in a minute. If NIU is serious about becoming the next Boise State? We are going to need to pay the kind of salary that keeps coaches in town.

Jordan Lynch: Expectations for the Successor to the Greatest Player in NIU History

2012-07-01T18:25:01Z

The Greatest

How do you replace the greatest player in school history?

It’s very surprising how few college football teams have had to answer that question over the past decade. In this era of big-name schools, conference expansion, cut-throat coaching politics, and faster, stronger, and more complete players, rarely has a team had to replace their best ever player, except possibly Tim Tebow at Florida.

That’s what NIU has to do this year however.

Over the past four years, Chandler Harnish rose from a red-shirt freshman who no one really knew what to expect from, to a conference MVP who completely re-wrote the team record book for offensive statistics and led NIU to its first MAC Championship in almost 30 years.

His numbers are staggering to look at:

· 47 games played. 45 games started.

· 8,944 yards passing.

· 2,983 yards rushing.

· 11,927 total yards of offense.

· 92 total touchdowns.

· 62% pass completion.

· 145.1 career passer rating.

· 22-5 record as a starter last 2 seasons

· 4 bowl appearances. 2 bowl wins.

· 2 MAC West Division Championships.

· 2011 MAC Championship.

Harnish was the undisputed leader of the 2011 Huskies. There were other great players around him, but there was no doubt that Harnish was the apex of the pyramid.

And now as Harnish moves on to the NFL, with the conference MVP title being eclipsed by the Mr. Irrelevant tag in the minds of many who had never heard of Harnish before draft day, NIU fans must also move on to next season. College football 2012 starts in almost exactly 2 months and Dave Doeren and co must begin the task of starting over. And the focus in the eyes of all NIU fans is now on the man who will step into Harnish’s place behind center and take command of the offense and team.

The Successor

For many NIU fans, Jordan Lynch has been an enigma at some point during his time in DeKalb. There were moments when some wanted to see him moved to defensive back during his early years. There were shaky moments under center in practice that made some of the most dedicated fans pine for another option as a backup.

But during the past two seasons, Lynch settled into the role of back-up QB, who would occasionally come in to spell Harnish for a play or two, mostly for a designed QB run that would mean one less hit for Harnish to take, or in garbage time with the game already decided.

Lynch showed us some things in his limited playing time that some fans liked. He’s a better runner than Harnish, with a bit more speed and a few more moves. In a spread offense of the type NIU has run over the past few seasons, you should have a QB that can run if needed and there’s no doubt that Lynch can roll-out of the pocket and escape trouble if necessary. This may be more than necessary if an almost entirely new offensive line takes a few games to gel.

During these few glimpses of him on the field, Lynch really wasn’t given an opportunity to throw much. His two regular season TD passes have both in garbage time during blowouts, so it’s hard to measure his accuracy and poise in the pocket based on what we’ve seen outside of practice. The argument could be made that if Harnish hadn’t aggravated his ankle in the Godaddy.com bowl last January, Lynch’s poise as a QB would be even harder to determine.

But in that brief moment when it looked like Harnish would end his NIU career limping off the field, Lynch didn’t panic, didn’t hesitate to take command. In the one full drive he led during the bowl game against a very good Arkansas State defense, he drove the offense 78 yards in 7 plays, including a very nice 44-yard completion to Martel Moore.

Many of those initial fears began to lessen. Maybe Lynch really could be a good QB. With Harnish coming back onto the field shortly thereafter, fans never got to really see what Lynch could do behind center for an extended period, but that brief glimpse gave many fans hope for a future that they had been silently dreading.

The Expectations

In conference like the MAC, where teams have little to no chance to get the athletic freaks that the BCS schools attract with regularity, QB performance has become the chief element separating the great teams, the good teams, and the bad teams.

Over the past decade, the QBs that have won the MAC Championship include Byron Leftwich, Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Dan LeFeavour, and Harnish. Each one had an outstanding supporting cast of teammates around them, but the primary reason they won championships was because they played at such a high level.

Lynch will have to take the next step as Harnish did in 2010 and prove that he can carry the team on his shoulders and be the spark that fires the engine on offense. A team can’t win a conference championship on the strength of a running game or defense anymore. The best BCS teams can have an awesome defense filled with NFL quality players, the fastest running backs and receivers anyone has ever seen, but if their QB play is mediocre, they won’t win anything. Same goes for the MAC.

In the MAC, especially the MAC West, teams have to have quality at every position, but particularly at QB, to make it to Detroit. Toledo, Ball State, and Eastern Michigan all nearly beat NIU last year, and Western Michigan still has Alex Carder, who may be the best returning QB in the entire conference. Lynch will have to produce and produce immediately if NIU has any shot of returning to Detroit for the Championship game.

NIU’s current situation makes for an even cloudier initial prognosis than previous seasons. In 2010, fans knew the team could rely on Chad Spann to carry the ball and a stronger than average defense. Last year, fans knew the offense would be the team’s strength, even with an almost entirely new defense and new coaching staff coming in.

This year, things are a bit different. The defense has many starters returning, but what about the offense? NIU doesn’t have a Harnish, or a Spann, or even an offensive line to fall back on and say, “Oh, that will be okay. We won’t have to worry about that.” The only returning starters are likely to be offensive lineman Logan Pegram and receivers Martel Moore and Perez Ashford. More than anyone else, Lynch needs to step up at the beginning and prove that he can play QB at this level.

If Dave Doeren and new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar are smart, they’ll try and keep Lynch from running as many QB draws as Harnish did in past seasons, but if no other options on offense materialize, they may not have a choice. Lynch’s best skills involve using his feet. His ability to create something out of nothing may be the only thing that keeps NIU in some games, just as Harnish did at points last year.

But if Lynch has to run more than 15 times a game, fans should hope that he doesn’t take a wrong step, or the dreaded turf monster swallows him up. NIU can’t afford to have Lynch injured. If he does, the QB situation as a whole is unknown beyond him.

Unlike Harnish, who had DeMarcus Grady as an experienced back-up in addition to Lynch for most of his career, Lynch’s current back-ups, Matt McIntosh and Devin Rose, are both red-shirt freshman who have never seen playing time. If Lynch is injured, NIU will have to rely on a QB that will be stepping into a real college game for the first time. This scenario is even worse than any NIU has faced since possibly 2007 when Dan Nicholson was injured and Ryan Morris was the only other QB on the roster that wasn’t a true freshman. And we all know how that ended up.

At the opening game at Soldier Field against Iowa, Lynch will have all of eyes on him. He will be the leader of the offense, the player who is most in control of NIU’s destiny for the 2012 season. Will he step up and reassume the figure of the disciplined, determined back-up who stepped into Harnish’s shoes during the bowl game and led the team down the field, or revert to the shaky form of previous seasons that made many NIU fans wonder if he could better serve the team at safety.

No one will know for sure until he steps onto the field in Chicago on September 1. But with so many other questions about the offense, and with expectations among NIU coaches and fans at an all-time high, Lynch needs to prove that he is capable of taking over for the greatest player in school history and lead NIU into the future.

He doesn’t have to be Chandler Harnish. It’s unlikely that NIU fans will ever see a QB as good as him for a long time to come. But if he can be Jordan Lynch and channel the poise and play-making abilities that made Harnish great, he can lead NIU to another MAC Championship.

The question is, can he and will he?

The Greatest

How do you replace the greatest player in school history?

That’s what NIU has to do this year however.

His numbers are staggering to look at:

· 47 games played. 45 games started.

· 8,944 yards passing.

· 2,983 yards rushing.

· 11,927 total yards of offense.

· 92 total touchdowns.

· 62% pass completion.

· 145.1 career passer rating.

· 22-5 record as a starter last 2 seasons

· 4 bowl appearances. 2 bowl wins.

· 2 MAC West Division Championships.

· 2011 MAC Championship.

Harnish was the undisputed leader of the 2011 Huskies. There were other great players around him, but there was no doubt that Harnish was the apex of the pyramid.

The Successor

The Expectations

The question is, can he and will he?

Expectations for 2012 HUSKIE Football

2012-04-05T00:35:56Z

Well, some of us may still be basking in the euphoria of last season's MAC championship and that great bowl win. But what can we expect this coming Fall?

From where I sit, I see three critical areas: 1) Offensive Line (no surprise here) 2) Linebackers 3) Kicking game

Obviously, the offensive line will have a whole new look. Who will step up in spring practice? WIll the new faces come together to protect Lynch and open up some holes for the running game?

At linebacker, will Tyrone Clark and Devon Butler be ready after a one year layoff? What about Jamal Bass? Will he be there to lay down the law on the field?

Kicking game: this one really concerned me last year......have we improved?

This much I know, we have a fantastic group of wide receivers and our defensive backfield grew up last year.

My prediction: 9-3 record or possibly 8-4.

What say youse guys??

Well, some of us may still be basking in the euphoria of last season's MAC championship and that great bowl win. But what can we expect this coming Fall?

From where I sit, I see three critical areas: 1) Offensive Line (no surprise here) 2) Linebackers 3) Kicking game

Obviously, the offensive line will have a whole new look. Who will step up in spring practice? WIll the new faces come together to protect Lynch and open up some holes for the running game?

At linebacker, will Tyrone Clark and Devon Butler be ready after a one year layoff? What about Jamal Bass? Will he be there to lay down the law on the field?

Kicking game: this one really concerned me last year......have we improved?

This much I know, we have a fantastic group of wide receivers and our defensive backfield grew up last year.

My prediction: 9-3 record or possibly 8-4.

What say youse guys??

Special Teams coach hired

2012-01-29T17:11:34Z

Uremovich leaving St. Francis for post at NIU

"Mike Uremovich is headed north.

More to the point, northern, as in Northern Illinois University.

The seven-year head coach of the University of St. Francis announced Friday he has accepted a position as the special-teams coordinator at NIU....Uremovich begins his new job on Wednesday."

Northern Illinois Huskies Football Book Coming Soon!

2011-12-17T19:12:00Z

This book will hit the shelves just in time for the 2012 season!

At Northern Illinois University football is king. With fans still savoring NIU’s victory over Fresno State in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl and the Mid-American Conference Championship in 2011, the Huskies have never been more popular. And with the team continuing to improve after several strong seasons, the ranks of its loyal supporters will only increase.

Newcomers and hardcore Huskie lifers alike will want to get their hands on Dan Verdun’s extensively researched guide to football at NIU. Verdun takes on Huskie history decade by decade, and each chapter is filled with fascinating interviews with dozens of players, coaches, and reporters on the local sports beat. Evoking a potent mix of school pride and nostalgia, Northern Illinois Huskies Football highlights important moments, memorable games, and enduring traditions. Lavishly illustrated with images from throughout the program’s storied history, and with a foreword by beloved former head coach Joe Novak, Verdun’s vivid and exciting work deserves a place on any college football fan’s bookshelf—or next to the cooler at your next Huskie tailgating party.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875804551/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

This book will hit the shelves just in time for the 2012 season!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875804551/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2011-11-26T02:32:13Z

Yes, the old Al Michaels call from the Olympics really fits here. Let's face it, we were outplayed by EMU and dodged numerous bullets. Their tight end dropped 2 TD passes. Our DB's looked lost on several throws. EMU's quarterback made some big plays, especially on 3rd down....thankfully, he forgot to throw it away on their final drive and was sacked for huge losses.

Look out for EMU next year. They have some talent and I'm impressed with Ron English (except for that 2 pt. conversion call).

Harnish had an off day and we still won. Now on to the Motor City. I expect a totally different performance from our offense and Harnish.

Look out for EMU next year. They have some talent and I'm impressed with Ron English (except for that 2 pt. conversion call).

Harnish had an off day and we still won. Now on to the Motor City. I expect a totally different performance from our offense and Harnish.

Something totally different!

2011-11-21T16:39:34Z

I know this is all about Huskie sports and I am a NIU Grad from 1987. But, I need some NIU Sports fans support.

I am currently a volunteer with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. Wait... Before you ignor this I just need a few minutes of your time. Afterall, our game is not until Friday.

Drum and Bugle corps is a musical and athletic event all combined into one. Our members, who pay to be on this team work on the football field 12 hours a day and compete in world championships.

We are in the running for a grant for $100,000.00. We need votes on Facebook to get this grant that is available to non-profits with an annual budget under $1,000,000.

Please go to www.oregoncrusaders.org to get to the voting area. You must be on facebook to vote. Please help this youth performance arts group out and win the $100K.

if you do not think this is a sport type event, please go to youtube and search for the Oregon Crusaders drum and bugle corps. They run around and play instruments all at the same time. It is quite amazing. Several of the NIU Huskie marching band members have marched drum corps and all I ask is a few minutes today. Today only to cast a vote for the Oregon Crusaders.

Thanks and Go Huskies, Beat EMU.

I know this is all about Huskie sports and I am a NIU Grad from 1987. But, I need some NIU Sports fans support.

I am currently a volunteer with the Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. Wait... Before you ignor this I just need a few minutes of your time. Afterall, our game is not until Friday.

Drum and Bugle corps is a musical and athletic event all combined into one. Our members, who pay to be on this team work on the football field 12 hours a day and compete in world championships.

We are in the running for a grant for $100,000.00. We need votes on Facebook to get this grant that is available to non-profits with an annual budget under $1,000,000.

Please go to www.oregoncrusaders.org to get to the voting area. You must be on facebook to vote. Please help this youth performance arts group out and win the $100K.

Thanks and Go Huskies, Beat EMU.

Oh Parity.......Stay the hell away from me

2011-10-23T19:47:30Z

After seeing this weekend's MAC results, my mind wandered back to an old John Mayer tune, "Gravity". And the lyrics almost seem to cry out about the current state of affairs in MAC football.

I've taken the liberty of rewriting some of the lyrics.....call it my own sports adaptation. Here goes:

Oh Parity, stay the hell away from me

Parity is working against me.

And parity wants to bring my team down.

Oh, I'll never know what makes this team

With all the skills that a coach can stand

Dream of ways to throw it all away.

Oh Parity, please stay the hell away from me.