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| | Monday, September 6 | |||||
| 1998 Record: 2-9 (2-6) | 1998 statistics | 1999 schedule Head coach: Joe Novak Returning starters: 13 (offense 6, defense 7) Outlook The folks at Northern Illinois might be letting a little success go to their heads. After snapping a 23-game losing streak last season, head coach Joe Novak is insisting that this is the season in which the Huskies post their first winning record since 1990. If the team can avoid the sort of bad luck it had last year (when it had to resort to starting a sixth-string quarterback for eight games due to various reasons), getting within spitting distance of six wins isn't impossible. The schedule features games against two of the weaker teams in the East Division, and the rest of the West doesn't have any real powerhouses outside Western Michigan. Offense The quarterback situation which plagued the team last year should be a thing of the past. Sophomore Chris Finlen will get the nod. He suffered a broken collarbone during the final two-a-day practice last year, but guided the offense well in the last five games of '97 (369.4 yards per game). He's an athletic type who also can throw the ball (he missed setting the team's freshman season passing record by 56 yards). Behind him, plenty of depth can be found due to last year's troubles. NIU also returns its top 11 runners from last year. Headlining the group is junior Ivory Bryant, who has rushed for more than 2,000 yards over the last two seasons. The receivers are also solid behind Justin McCareins. The junior receiver caught 54 balls for 486 yards and 5 TDs. The Huskies will miss Deon Mitchell, the school's all-time leader in all-purpose yardage. The senior-less line still remains a weakness. Tackle Ryan Diem (6-7, 325) is a force, but any development was slowed in the spring by injuries to Kyle Jakubek, Matt Cockrum and John Pedersen. It's a good sign if: NIU doesn't have to use a sixth-string anything.It's a bad sign if: The mysteries in the line don't get solved and the passing game suffers. Defense Northern Illinois had a problem very basic in nature: it couldn't stop teams from scoring. After giving up 34.7 points per game in 1997 and nearly 30 last season, that needs to change because the offense isn't good enough to keep up. There are a few solid players who can take care of themselves; now the rest of the unit needs to follow their lead. Tackle Lamain Rucker (6-2, 300) was a big-time recruit and showed why last season with nine tackles for loss. His left-side linemate, Lewis Miskowicz, added eight more stops behind the line of scrimmage. But the run defense needs to improve on its 24 rushing touchdowns allowed. For that to happen, the linebackers need to step up. A young unit last year, NIU will start two juniors and a sophomore. The secondary could be the strongest part of the defense. Strong safety Donnavan Carter made 124 tackles last year to lead the team and free safety Jermaine Hampton and cornerback Benji Peacock also return. It's a good sign if: Rucker continues to live up to his high-school nickname of "Bonecrusher."It's a bad sign if: No chemistry develops at linebacker, leaving too much run-stopping responsibility to Carter. Special Teams Senior punter Kent Baker averaged 37.4 yards per punt. The place-kicking duties are open, but it looks like Brian Grider will take over. -- Greg Collins |
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