Toledo wideouts pose gigantic threat

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DeKALB – Mid-American Conference teams haven't had any fun covering Toledo wide receiver Stephen Williams for the past 3 1/2 seasons.

Those same teams already are finding out that Eric Page will be the same headache for the next 3 1/2 seasons.

Williams, a senior, and Page, a freshman, are two of the top receivers in the MAC and present gigantic matchup problems for any team that faces them, and that includes Northern Illinois, who will see the Rockets at 6 p.m. today at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio.

The two are dramatically different wide receivers. Williams stands 6-foot-5 and is a big target near the end zone while Page is 5-10 and uses his speed to get around defenders.

"I don't know if you can keep them in check," NIU coach Jerry Kill said. "Steve is a big guy and uses his body very well. He has good hands, runs good routes and he's a mismatch because of his size.

"[Page] is a talented young guy. Not many people can come in and play as a true freshman. He's smaller in stature but has great quickness. He lines up in the slot and does good things. He's kind of a Wes Welker-type, only with more speed."

Williams enters tonight's game with 41 receptions for 641 yards while Page has 40 receptions for 621 yards. Those numbers are good for second and third in the conference in receiving statistics.

Williams' size is a huge concern but he's not the only big receiver Toledo starts. Robin Bailey, who stands 6-foot-5, has 13 catches for 129 yards.

"Big wide receivers are usually hard to guard because corners are usually smaller," safety Tracy Wilson said. "The main thing is just don't let them get into our bodies. We have to get on them before they get on us. We can't let them get on our bodies, and stay over the top and don't let them throw jump balls."

Kill and NIU players emphasized getting off to a fast start on offense will be key to try to help the defense against one of the MAC's top offenses. If they don't, it could turn into a long night with plenty of scoring through the air from the Rockets.

"They play with different tempos and speeds and they just make it very tough," Kill said. "They've got some mismatches on you, just with some powerful receivers.

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Run, baby, run
The Huskies already have gained 684 yards on the ground as a team, good for 19th in the country. Me'co Brown and Chad Spann have been a great 1-2 punch and that needs to continue for the MAC's highest-scoring offense.

2. Keep throwing strikes
Quarterback Chandler Harnish has remained remarkably efficient through three games. He's completed 62.5 percent of his passes and his lone interception came on a tipped ball against Purdue. Interesting note: Harnish's quarterback rating (139.28) is ahead of Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour (125.01), Western Michigan's Tim Hiller (129.49) and Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor (133.38).

3. End Enderle's efficiency
Idaho junior quarterback Nate Enderle is on pace for his best season yet and NIU coach Jerry Kill said earlier this week that Enderle is one of the more accurate quarterbacks the Huskies will face this season. NIU will need to get pressure on Enderle and force him into mistakes. Enderle has been prone to throwing interceptions in the past (35 INTs his first two seasons) so look for cornerbacks Patrick George, Kiaree Daniels and Chris Smith to try and make a play on any inaccurate pass.

4. Fix the special teams
The fake punt against Purdue aside, NIU was flat-out bad on special teams. Punt coverage wasn't great even though NIU recovered two fumbles (none were forced). And whomever punts, whether it's Josh Wilber, Mike Salerno or even Ryan Neir, will have to do better than NIU's current 39.5 yards-per-punt average.

5. No letdown
The Huskies are coming off one of their best wins in recent memory and Idaho isn't exactly known for any success on the football field. But that doesn't mean NIU can take the Vandals lightly. Kill was a little harder on his team this week than he was in recent weeks to guard against any sort of letdown.