Article Season Opener Preview: The Northern Illinois Huskies

Season Opener Preview: The Northern Illinois Huskies

NIU Head Coach Thomas Hammock (Justin Gasterline-Getty Images)

Toe Meets Leather in three weeks, Yellow Jackets fans. That familiar smell of preseason optimism is wafting through the air of college campuses and homes across the U.S. Every team is undefeated, and every fan's opinion is unblemished.

Contrary to popular fan opinion, success and failure will not be defined solely by those bearing headsets on the west sidelines of Bobby Dodd Stadium nor only the players in white and gold. Come week 1, there's another squad with something to say about that. Coming to Atlanta for the Jackets' 2021 season opener are the Northern Illinois Huskies. This will be the first ever head-to-head match-up between schools. With that, for many Tech fans this will be a first look at a proud program out of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

The Huskies' recent history in the MAC is noteworthy, having won 4 conference championships in the last 10 years. They strung together 10 bowl appearances in 11 years from 2008-2018. All of this within a conference known for giving P5 teams a fit.

So what are they this year? To be determined, of course. Looking back at 2020 offers a glimpse. Coming off a disappointing 0-6 season in 2020, the Huskies have nowhere to go but up. They're led by third year Head Coach Thomas Hammock, a proud alum of the school who joined the program via assistant coaching stops at Wisconsin, Minnesota and most recently with the Baltimore Ravens.

A third year head coach, trying to right the ship, in a role that he describes as his "dream job". Sound familiar?

Winless seasons have few silver linings, and last year was no exception. The Huskies gave up 30+ points in each of their six conference-only games. They lost by 3+ scores in three of those tilts. They averaged 1.70 points per drive offensively (#104 nationally) and gave up 2.77 points per drive defensively (#96 nationally). For a relative comparison, the Duke Blue Devils' 2020 output comes close (1.63 offense, 2.77 defense). Disclaimer: that comparison does not account for strength of schedule.

But guess what? Much like many Tech fans are wont to dismiss 2020 as an anomaly, you can bet Northern Illinois is thinking the same. In a season without prior precedent, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for the Huskies to believe that. Per Phil Steele, the Huskies played 14 walk-ons last year.

Offensively, the Huskies were remarkably balanced in 2020, with 36.8 pass attempts and 36.8 rush attempts per game. That resulted in an average output of 240 yards passing and 127 yards rushing per game. Tyrice Richie, a six foot senior wideout, returns after averaging 8.8 receptions and nearly 100 yards receiving per game in 2020. The offense will likely be led by Michigan State transfer quarterback, Rocky Lombardi, who threw for 1,000+ yards, 8 TD and 9 INT during his final season with the Spartans.

Defensively, the Huskies lacked a disruptor. Only one player registered 2 sacks in 2020. They allowed 245 yards passing per game. A cornerback, 5'10" Jordan Gandy, led the team with 41 tackles. All-MAC linebacker Kyle Pugh returns after leading the squad with 3.5 TFL.

On special teams, the Huskies safely outperformed the Jackets in the placekicking game. Who didn’t?  Returning kicker John Richardson converted 7 of 9 field goal attempts in 2020, with a long of 46 yards. He was a perfect 14 for 14 on extra points.

There are reasons for optimism for Northern Illinois this year. According to collegefootballnews.com, the Huskies were really young in 2020. They bring back all five starters from the offensive line last year, a position that arguably has the greatest need for continuity and reps. They return 10 starters on defense. Phil Steele named 13 Huskies to his preseason All-MAC teams for 2021.  Safe to assume they will be an improved team.

It's also safe to say that, after putting up a donut in 2020, the Huskies have not lacked for motivation this offseason.  Combine that with their P5 opener on the road at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 4^th, and we have the all the makings of a feisty opener for the Jackets.

 

[Coloradojacket]

This is why I say that this first game will tell us a lot about our team. This is not like playing Acorn St. They are big and ready to prove something. We need to prove something as well.

 

[LargeFO]

Dino is finally off our front page!

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Dino is finally off our front page!

That is about the only thing that went right for Dino last year. As for Northern Illinois, they are not Alcorn State it is true but they are historically bad and still widely considered the worst team in the MAC. Anything less than a blowout will be considered disappointing by some but to me it will not mean all that much. Just win, baby because we are ready to quibble about style points.

 

[Technut1990]

Looking at their currently listed roster they have mid to lower ACC size on the OL but they are small everywhere else. We have matchups on the corners that should be exploited. We should also be able to push around their DL if size matters.

Given our tougher matchups latter in the season, I believe it’s important for us to dominate this game. I understand it’s everyone’s first of the year but we should physically own them.

 

[slugboy]

I’ve seen teams with smaller offensive and defensive linemen go for speed or length and try to play disruptively on the OL and DL. Even though they’re lightweight, they might punch above their weight class

 

[jacketup]

I hope we play 85 guys and don't have any injuries. If we do that and win by 1 point I'll be satisfied.

The difference in a lot of games like this is depth. We have better depth at pretty much every position than we've had in awhile. Even if their starters are better/more experienced than last year, we will be fresher in the 4th quarter--if they somehow manage to keep it close for that long.

 

[GT33]

I hope we play 85 guys and don't have any injuries. If we do that and win by 1 point I'll be satisfied.

The difference in a lot of games like this is depth. We have better depth at pretty much every position than we've had in awhile. Even if their starters are better/more experienced than last year, we will be fresher in the 4th quarter--if they somehow manage to keep it close for that long.

I'm kind of new around here but you're going to be ok with beating a 21 point dog at home by 1 point, really? We need to come out of this game not playing around and make a statement with our starters. If we get a 28-31 pt lead and then the 2nd/3rd stringers give back a couple TDs or TD & FG to make it closer as the clock winds down I guess that's ok. To struggle to win, that's not ok. We have a 4 star P5 QB with a year under his belt, we have the best RB stable in maybe the country, between transferring in an OL & regaining injured players, etc there is no way we're struggling to beat Northern Illinois unless we completely suck.

 

[Technut1990]

I’ve seen teams with smaller offensive and defensive linemen go for speed or length and try to play disruptively on the OL and DL. Even though they’re lightweight, they might punch above their weight class

Tech was described as being that type of team the entire time we ran the triple O. It’s true they showed extreme grit but I think in a head to head prototypical game, size should matter. If they are fast on defense then counters, screens and slants should beat them

 

[FightWinDrink]

That is about the only thing that went right for Dino last year. As for Northern Illinois, they are not Alcorn State it is true but they are historically bad and still widely considered the worst team in the MAC. Anything less than a blowout will be considered disappointing by some but to me it will not mean all that much. Just win, baby because we are ready to quibble about style points.

give Northern Illinois some credit. They're probably better than Bowling Green who has been straight garbage since Dino went to Cuse. both went winless last year but BG only scored 50 points in the season

 

[GTNavyNuke]

"... every fan's opinion is unblemished ...."? Sorry Cuse, does such a fan base exist? Not here

I hope we make at least two FGs and don't miss any FGs or EPs.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

give Northern Illinois some credit. They're probably better than Bowling Green who has been straight garbage since Dino went to Cuse. both went winless last year but BG only scored 50 points in the season

OK, I will give them credit in deference to a time not too long ago when the Huskies were a challenge for many Big Ten teams due to a fine rushing game but they have fallen on hard times lately. Though, perhaps not to the extent of Bowling Green which has been "garbage" as you phrased it since Dino left.

 

[ugacdawg]

NIU is a terribly bad football team. They were winless in an all-MAC schedule getting walloped by perennial powers like Buffalo, Toledo and Central Michigan. Their roster talent avg was an 80.26 last year. For reference winless Vandy was 84.49. They have a used up transfer QB and a massive rebuild underway. This is a game a team like Tech with the same coaches and coordinators for 3 years and much higher talent should dominate. Tech should be up by 4+ touchdowns at the half. This should be 51-3 with a lot of garbage backup time.

 

[MidtownJacket]

As an Atlien from birth, lemme intro this sacrifice to ATL

 

[Oakland]

I remember how small the Citadel was and how they lost their first two games to Towson and Elon before they played us. I hope our football support staff is performing at a high level.

 

[LibertyTurns]

I remember how small the Citadel was and how they lost their first two games to Towson and Elon before they played us. I hope our football support staff is performing at a high level.

Yeah ok, but if the staff has not improved any in 3 years then Houston we have a problem. I hate agreeing with the mutt above, but he’s right. We should have a 3 or 4 TD lead at the half & enjoying our beers at the game, not double sweating because a bad team from a weak conference has us on the ropes.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Yeah ok, but if the staff has not improved any in 3 years then Houston we have a problem. I hate agreeing with the mutt above, but he’s right. We should have a 3 or 4 TD lead at the half & enjoying our beers at the game, not double sweating because a bad team from a weak conference has us on the ropes.

First game of the year, shaking rust, making fixable mistakes, I expect a double-digit first-half lead, but definitely not expecting 3-4 TDs. I expect a final score more akin to what was predicted.

 

[LibertyTurns]

First game of the year, shaking rust, making fixable mistakes, I expect a double-digit first-half lead, but definitely not expecting 3-4 TDs. I expect a final score more akin to what was predicted.

Ah, the old GT is shaking off the rust but our opponent is firing on all cylinders excuse. Well played!

 

[forensicbuzz]

Ah, the old GT is shaking off the rust but our opponent is firing on all cylinders excuse. Well played!

Nope, not at all. But, offensively, if you're still honing in, you're going to have misses. Those misses will lead to missed scoring opportunities. As I said, Fully expect total domination and control of the game, especially on the defensive side. I think the O will kick in by halftime and we'll run away with it. As I said, double digits, just not 3-4 TD lead at halftime. Not everyone on here has an agenda.

Way to turn someone's opinion into a condemnation. If you're always expecting the worst...

 

[Huskie73]

First game of the year, shaking rust, making fixable mistakes, I expect a double-digit first-half lead, but definitely not expecting 3-4 TDs. I expect a final score more akin to what was predicted.

Hey all, NIU fan here. This feels about right.
I know a lot of you are expecting to mop us but the reality is we’re in the same position as GT, but at a G5 level of course. The staff is entering year 3 but due to a late hire and Covid he’s only had 1 “real” recruiting class. Last year we had 45 freshman and used the 6 games as a preseason, playing a number of under sized under coached true freshman to see what we had. A lot has changed since these guys have had time to build up their bodies and get some coaching. Lazy media and posters see the record and dismiss us this year. That’s a big mistake.

The jury is still out on our team and staff but there’s a lot of optimism for this season, just like for GT. The roster weights are a joke and loaded with true freshman numbers that have not been updated. The size advantage won’t be as big as it seems, nor should the depth. There’s no proof to say we’ll be the usual NIU that has a winning record against the Big10 the last decade, but do expect us to show up and bring the fight. We’re optimistic about our O this year. Secondary is a ? as well as our DL getting pressure. Supposedly our DL is much improved and deeper this year. GTs QB (sorry forgot his name) running scares the hell out of me, just hoping he still sucks at being a QB. Personally I think he’ll take a big step forward this year as well as your revamped OL. Bottom line, we just need both teams to stay healthy for conference play. GT should win by 1-2 scores, but if NIU plays them tough you guys really shouldn’t lose confidence. Nothing pisses me off more than beating P5s and instead of getting credit the coaches/players/fans make excuses. It’s opening day, no one has an excuse not to be up. NIU is not going south for a paycheck, they’re coming for the win. I think both teams are going to surprise a lot of people this year. Best of luck the rest of the way!

Oh, if anyone has specific questions I’d be happy to provide insight.