Football: A Look At The Rockets' Fifth Opponent - Northern Illinois
8/14/2001 12:00:00 PM | Football
Written by Northern Illinois University Sports Information Office.
Aug. 14, 2001
DeKalb, IL - Raymond Chandler. Ellery Queen. Arthur Conan Doyle. Sara Paretsky. Dashiell Hamett. Mickey Spillane, Agatha Christie. Ed McBain. Please, let me introduce you to Northern Illinois University head football coach Joe Novak - the latest member of your literary genre. Mystery writers.
"We're a mystery, a mystery team," the sixth-year Huskie boss replied when asked about his team's 2001 prospects. "It depends on how we mature, how quickly we develop. By comparison to last year, we're young. We don't have too many seniors (11). We're younger, we're athletic, and - at this point - we're a mystery."
Novak's "whodunnit" storyline began in 2000 when Northern Illinois climbed back to respectability and posted its first winning season (6-5) since 1990. The accomplishments - team and individual - were many. You beat a good Central Florida team, 40-20, three weeks before it upended Alabama. You outscore Mid-American Conference East Division frontrunner Akron, 52-35, on its home turf. You dazzle Buffalo with 33 first downs, 646 yards total offense, and Northern Illinois' largest victory margin (63 points) since 1912. You blank NCAA I-AA powerhouse Illinois State, 52-0, for the program's first shutout in 88 games. You beat Ball State in Muncie, 43-14, for the first time since 1983.
Yes, those Huskie "firsts" started stacking up like O'Hare International during a blizzard. The first Northern Illinois 1,000-yard rusher, 1,000-yard passer, and 1,000-yard receiver threesome since 1978. The most All-MAC performers (eight) since The Championship Season (10) in 1983. The first Huskie team to score 40 or more points six times since forever. The first Northern Illinois club to register six 400-yard total offense outings since the high-powered triple-option days in 1989 and 1990. The Cardinal and Black's most postseason All-Americas (two) since 1993 and most National Football League draft picks (two) since 1987. The only Mid-Am performer last fall to receive votes for the Vern Smith Award, MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and league Special Teams Player of the Year. The school's most Mid-Am Player of the Week citations (six) since the 10-2 campaign in 1983. The program's initial First-Team Academic All-America pick. Six team statistical categories ranked among the National Collegiate Athletic Association's major-college Top 50 and seven individuals rated in 14 Division 1-A areas.
"The national, regional, and conference recognition for our kids is great," Novak said. "People are starting to notice and that's a tremendous accolade for our entire program in itself."
Disappointments last fall? Yes, there were. Outside of a nightmarish fourth-quarter collapse and a 39-32 setback at Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois lost to four Top 35 ballclubs in (1) Big Ten Conference tri-champion and Alamo-Bowl bound Northwestern (35-17), (2) No. 20-ranked Southeastern Conference West Division winner and Citrus Bowl rep Auburn (31-14), (3) MAC West titlist and No. 30 Western Michigan (52-22), and (4) No. 34 and 10-1 Toledo (38-24) which toppled Penn State in Happy Valley.
Frankly, both the Northwestern and Auburn outcomes were literally closer than the scores would indicate. The Huskies misfired on three second-half scoring opportunities inside the five yard line against the Wildcats and trailed the Tigers, 24-14, with possession on the AU 36-yard line in the game's final 4:30.
Growing pains? Turning the proverbial corner? Maybe premature for an ambitious and now competitive Northern Illinois program.
"There's no doubt that we've improved and made some great strides since the 23-game losing streak," Novak said, referring to the Great Huskie Drought during 1996-98. "At the same time, this shows we still have some ways to go until we break into the MAC's upper echelon. That's our next challenge."
Now, the plot thickens.
To talk about 2001, you must give credit for 2000's success. Basically, that fell to Novak's 14-man senior class that featured 10 Northern Illinois household name regulars, nine four-year lettermen, and five NFL prospects. That nine "insiders" group: Third-Team Football News All-America OT Ryan Diem. Honorable Mention Football News All-America FLK Justin McCareins. All-MAC C McAllister Collins. OG Kyle Jakubek. DE Lewis Miskowicz. LB Rocky Newton. FS Buster Sampson. LB Cameron Saulsby. LB Kevin Selover.
Now, just don't get the mistaken impression that the 2001 Huskie cupboard might be as empty as Old Mother Hubbard's. With 39 returning lettermen (19 on offense, 18 on defense, and two on special teams) and 13 regulars (seven on offense, four on defense, and two on special teams) back this season, there's enough talent for Northern Illinois to register its first back-to-back winning seasons since the Jerry Pettibone regime in 1989 (9-2) and 1990 (6-5).
The Offense
Hey, Madison Avenue was right. It's what's up front that does count. Obviously, last season's Huskie success started with the most dominating O-line in the MAC and maybe one of the nation's most underrated interior groups that blocked and protected for single-season school records in (1) points (409), (2) touchdowns (51), (3) total offense yardage (4,706), (4) first downs (255), and (5) extra points (38). Northern Illinois wound up the year ranked No. 12 in NCAA 1-A team rushing (228.1 yards-per-game average), No. 12 nationally in major-college scoring (37.2 ppg.), and No. 19 in 1-A total offense (427.8 ypg.).
So the Huskie O-line rates as a No. 1-type priority with Novak.
"Yes, that is a concern," he said, referring to the experience factor as the 6-foot-7, 330-pound Diem (40), the 6-3, 277-pound Jakubek (34), and 6-2, 295-pound Collins (32) combined for 106 Northern Illinois career starts. Not to mention that Diem (now with the Indianapolis Colts), Jakubek, and Collins (now with the Jacksonville Jaguars) ranked 1-2-3 in team 2000 "dominator" blocks with 25-16-12.
"We lose three O-line regulars - two to the NFL," Novak said. "The best news is that we have two back."
Much improved junior OT Tim Vincent (6-6, 275) and junior OT Greg Clemens (6-5, 299) return. With 18 career starts, 18 reps of 225 pounds, and a 475-pound back squat, Vincent could fill the role of Diem: The Next Generation and win All-MAC honors. Clemens enters August drills with nine 2000 starts. Two others - senior OG John Pedersen (6-6, 296) and junior OG Graham Sleight (6-3, 310) - do own a combined 10 starts.
To paraphrase Clara Peller, where's the new Huskie O-line beef? The new-look Northern Illinois "Hogs" waiting in the wings include such physical specimens as soph Todd Ghilani (6-3, 280) and red-shirt frosh Matt McGhghy (6-4, 284) at center, soph Joel Ellis (6-5, 310), soph ex-DT Shaun Schroeder (6-2, 284), and red-shirt frosh Ben Lueck (6-4, 308) at guard, plus soph Mark Orszula (6-7, 318), red-shirt frosh Jake Verstraete (6-4, 283), and red-shirt frosh Gary Young (6-5, 310) at tackle.
Logically, one question mark leads to another. Can senior QB Chris Finlen (131-of-231 passes for 1,857 yards and 11 TDs last fall), junior TB Thomas Hammock (1,083 yards and 16 TDs on 215 carries in 2000), or sophomore TB Michael Turner (983 yards and seven TDs on 200 attempts a year ago) do their respective Huskie things with new "bodyguards?"
A resourceful, all-purpose QB, Finlen ranked No. 27 in NCAA passing efficiency (133.6 rating) in 1999 and No. 26 in the same department (132.2) in 2000. His 1,857 passing yards set the school's 1-A single-season record last fall. The 6-3, 205-pounder brings 336-of-599 passes (.561 percentage) for 4,515 career yards and 28 TDs (1997, 1999-2000) into his final campaign.
Only College Football Hall of Fame QB George Bork has thrown more Northern Illinois career completions (577) and air yardage (6,782 in 1960-63). Back-up at QB? No. 2 man, junior Dan Urban?˜who set a school, MAC, and NCAA record with a 99-yard TD completion vs. Ball State last year?˜opted to play baseball. Look for JC transfer Kyle Padia, red-shirt frosh Josh Haldi, and fleet-footed frosh recruit Joe Stamm on that QB depth chart.
What major-college program in the country owns a better one-two punch at tailback? Name the school. Novak thinks his stable of talented backs rank as his team's No. 1 asset. No unsolved mysteries at TB. Hammock, the nation's No. 4 returning 1-A scorer and No. 6 returning rusher, and Turner combined for 2,066 rushing yards in 2000. The easy choice as team Most Improved Player last fall, the 5-foot-10, 218-pound Hammock upgraded his status from No. 3 team TB (81 yards in 1999) to the school's ninth 1,000-yard single-season rusher (1,083 in 2000). His bruising tackle-to-tackle running style produced six 100-yard games before fracturing his right ankle in the third quarter vs. Toledo. A First-Team Academic All-America and First-Team All-MAC selection, Hammock led the Mid-Am in scoring (96 points), finished No. 3 in loop rushing, and wound up No. 5 in league all-purpose yards. He gained a career-high 174 yards and tied a league record with five rushing TDs vs. MAC East leader Akron last fall.
At six-foot and 214 pounds, Turner is a burner with big play potential - exploding for a 64-yard TD run vs. Eastern Michigan and gaining 511 of his 983 yards in the Huskies' final two games subbing for Hammock. His rushing total represented the No. 2 true frosh season in Northern Illinois history behind Hall of Fame TB Allen Ross (1,043 yards in 1977) and No. 44 in the country last fall. Rugged senior Alan Rood (6-0, 246) and junior James Johnson (5-10, 244) top the list of fullback candidates.
Novak, Finlen, and all Huskie fans must get used to life without No. 85, i.e., FLK McCareins went to the NFL Tennessee Titans with the Northern Illinois receiving Triple Crown and the school's all-time marks in career catches (204), reception yardage (2,991), and receiving TDs (29). Question of the Year at Huskie Stadium: How do you replace (a) the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year, (b) 66 electrifying catches for 1,168 yards and 10 TDs in 2000, (c) a mega-numbers guy who put his name in five Top 50 individual NCAA stats categories (No. 3 nationally in punt returns, No. 4 in all-purpose yards, No. 4 in reception yardage, etc., etc.) last year?
"We spread it out. We won't have a go-to-guy. We'll have several," Novak answered. Northern Illinois does return 10 of its top 11 receivers and could replace one NFL prospect with another in senior FLK Darrell "The Thrill" Hill (6-3, 197) - an athletic package (:04.30 speed in the 40 and a 44-inch vertical jump) with more raw talent, believe it or not, than McCareins. Hill, who missed nine games in 2000 due to a right hand fracture, caught 32 balls for 578 yards and six TDs in 1999 - including a 96-yard score vs. Eastern Michigan.
Ex-walk-on soph Keith Perry (6-3, 222) made a major contribution in Hill's absence with 35 receptions for 462 yards and one TD last fall and feisty junior P. J. Fleck (5-10, 175) should be feister than ever in 2001 after catching 17 balls for 146 yards and missing four games with a left shoulder dislocation. Soph WRs Turner Pugh (6-2, 177), Mike Archie (6-1, 186), and Kandras Bledsoe (5-8, 160) also own one letter apiece. Red-shirt frosh David McDermott (6-2, 175) and Rob Lee (6-0, 190) bolster the Huskie receiving corps. Novak likes his two-headed tight end situation with junior Matt Dunker (6-4, 253) and senior Joey Reed (6-6, 240). With nine catches for 128 yards and two TDs last fall, All-MAC candidate Dunker might get "typed" as the "receiver" while Reed carries the reputation as the "blocker."
The Defense
To Novak's chagrin, this was not a mystery. A year ago, an athletic, hard-hitting Northern Illinois Attack Four-Three alignment played inconsistently at best. "We were a Duncan yo-yo on defense. I told our coaches and our players that we were 6-5 on defense. When we gave up a ton of yardage or scores, we got beat," Novak said.
Exactly right, coach. In the five 2000 setbacks, the Huskies surrendered 411 total offense yards to Auburn, 412 to Northwestern, 418 to Western Michigan, 503 to Eastern Michigan, and 561 to Toledo. Rhetorical Question of the Year: Does a revamped Northern Illinois offense possess enough firepower in 2001 to outmuscle contending teams such as Akron, 52-35, on the scoreboard and 494-440 in total offense? Actually, the Huskies looked respectable in the 2000 Mid-Am team statistics?˜ranking No. 5 in scoring defense (25.5 ppg.), No. 5 in rush defense (150.7 ypg.), No. 6 in total defense (360.8 ypg.), and No. 8 in pass defense (210.1 ypg.). Best of all, Northern Illinois rated second in league turnover margin and No. 18 in the NCAA (+0.7 pg.) as Novak's Rapid Deployment Force "D" pounced on 27 turnovers (15 fumbles and 12 interceptions) last autumn.
Experience-wise, the Huskie defense features 18 letter-winners, four returning regulars, and more D-line muscle.
On paper, Novak's Front Four rates as the deepest in his six Northern Illinois seasons. Eight monogram winners fill the top D-line spots headed by steady senior All-MAC DE candidate Trent Clemen (6-3, 240), who led the defensive front in tackles (54), pass deflections (6), and QB hurries-pressures (11). Key losses would be DE Lewis Miskowicz, who started 11 times last fall and 38 times overall, and senior-to-be NT Darian Tate, a nine-game regular with 30 stops in 2000 who was sidelined by eligibility problems this year. Junior NT Eric Didesch (6-5, 282) reported to camp at 220 pounds in 1998 and won seven starts last fall. Junior DT Anthony Falbo (6-5, 263) added six starts in 2000. Seniors Jon Peters (6-3, 273) and Rashad Walker (6-0, 263) will also vie for interior playing time. End prospects include junior Joe Busald (6-4, 243), soph Jason Frank (6-5, 242), plus converted junior FB Sean Hopson (5-10, 263).
At linebacker, Northern Illinois lost the prolific S&S boys - combat-tested seniors Kevin Selover (307 career tackles in 39 starts) and Cameron Saulsby (233 career tackles in 30 starts and now with the Carolina Panthers) - plus invaluable back-up Rocky Newton.
The new regime belongs to junior WLB Larry Williams (6-0, 236) - the 21st Century LB with 21 career starts, 181 stops, a 34-inch vertical jump, and a 485-pound back squat. Named to the 2001 preseason Rotary Lombardi Award watch list, No. 26 made First-Team All-MAC as a soph, ranked fifth in league hits (112), and tied for tenth in tackles for loss (13 for 31 yards) - the most by a Huskie LB since All-Century star Bob Gregolunas (14 for 43 yards in 1975). Precocious soph MLB Nick Duffy (6-1, 231) called the Northern Illinois defensive signals on a part-time basis a year ago while senior Ryan Laurenti (6-2, 228) holds down the No. 1 spot at SLB. Watch for soph Vinson Reynolds (6-2, 227), red-shirt frosh Brian Atkinson (6-2, 208), Travis Moore (6-2, 228), and Kursten Strothman (6-3, 214), plus ex-TB Jason Hawkins (6-2, 225) as back-ups.
Despite some personnel losses, there basically is no change in the M. O. (modus operandi) in the Huskie secondary. Jocks R Us continues in the Northern Illinois defensive backfield. True, Novak loses First-Team All-MAC SS Jermaine Hampton (112 tackles in 2000 and now with the Indianapolis Colts), and Second-Team All-MAC FS Buster Sampson (107 stops, nine deflections, and two "picks" in 2000) to graduation, plus junior-to-be CB Demerist Whitfield (five pass interceptions in 2000) to grades.
Start with ex-CB-turned FS Vince Thompson (5-11, 169) who tied for the No. 20 spot in NCAA I-A interceptions (0.45 pg. average). Athleticism? How about junior SS Justin Dole (6-0, 197) and soph SS Akil Grant (5-10, 188) who both blocked punts last season. Soph CB Randee Drew (5-10, 181) made school history with three 2000 starts - one at nickel back and two at WR?˜as a walk-on. Soph letterman Gerard Taylor (5-9, 182) moved from FS to CB, soph CB Lionel Hickenbottom (5-11, 187) played well in the spring, and junior JC transfer CB Richard Pickens (5-9, 180) comes aboard in August.
The Special Teams
There's Good News and there's Bad News.
The Good: What an impressive debut for ex-walk-on PK Steve Azar (5-7, 193) last year. In nine 2000 appearances, Azar converted 38-of-40 PAT kicks and 14-of-15 field goals for 80 points. The soccer-style booter wound up No. 9 in NCAA field goals (1.6 pg.) and No. 19 nationally in 1-A scoring (8.9 ppg.) and became the school's first freshman All-America since 1988. Azar made Honorable Mention All-MAC, First-Team Football News Frosh All-America and Second-Team Sporting News Frosh All-America, plus set four major Northern Illinois kicking standards.
The Bad: Losing instant-field-position McCareins on punt (19.1 ypr. average) and KO (22.8 ypr.) returns. Hill, Fleck, Drew, and Bledsoe inherit these return responsibilities in 2001. Novak wants more consistent punting from junior Jimmy Erwin (6-2, 215) who averaged 38.1 yppg. (tenth in the MAC) and netted 30.6 ypp.
