Something interesting to pass along for Saturday's game...
Not only is Saturday's Northern Illinois-Idaho game the 1,000th game in program history for the Huskies, but the game will be officiated by a crew from the C-USA/MWC/WAC officials' group that includes the only female official in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Sarah Thomas.
The New York Times did a story on Thomas on Sept. 18, which you can read here.
Finally, the coaching staffs for both teams are taking part in the annual American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coach to Cure MD project.
This is the second straight year the AFCA has encouraged its members across the country to help raise awareness and funds to fight Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed during childhood which primarily affects boys across all races and cultures.
Both coaching staffs will wear a Coach to Cure MD logo patch, a public service announcement promoting the event will run on the video board and donation boxes will be set up in the Huskie Athletic Scholarship Fund tent. In addition, fans will be informed that they can donate to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research by texting the word CURE to 90999 and a $5 donation will automatically be added to your phone bill.
The Big Ten Conference office announced on its Web site that it will impose a one-game suspension on Purdue guard Zach Reckman for violating the Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement during Purdue’s game against Northern Illinois on Sept. 19.
The Big Ten determined that Reckman’s actions – a late hit on NIU defensive end Sean Progar after the final play – at the end of the Northern Illinois contest violated Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01.1.A.1 – “Striking or attempting to strike or otherwise physically abusing an official, opposing coach, spectator or athlete.” The conference office also publicly reprimanded Reckman for his actions.
“We appreciate Purdue’s and head coach Danny Hope’s attention to this issue and feel a one-game suspension is appropriate,” Commissioner James E. Delany said in a news release. “The behavior of Zach Reckman at the end of the Northern Illinois game is unacceptable and could have triggered a larger incident.”
The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.
As we reported yesterday, Progar didn't make a big deal over the late hit.
"Of course I wanted to take it back because I saw that green [grass] but I just made a decision," Progar said after Tuesday's practice. "We got the win so I just went down. I didn't even notice that guy hit me afterwards either until I watched the film the other day. I didn't even notice. I thought it was one of my own players jumping on me."
Asked if he thought it was a cheap hit, Progar said, "No. I mean, it was but I don't really care."
Northern Illinois defensive end Sean Progar isn't making a big deal over a late hit from Purdue guard Zach Reckman at the end of Saturday's 28-21 NIU victory.
You can refresh yourself with Reckman's hit here (or here or here). Progar recovered a fumble on the final play of the game and slid to the ground to end the play and clinch NIU's win.
"Of course I wanted to take it back because I saw that green [grass] but I just made a decision," Progar said after Tuesday's practice. "We got the win so I just went down. I didn't even notice that guy hit me afterwards either until I watched the film the other day. I didn't even notice. I thought it was one of my own players jumping on me."
Asked if he thought it was a cheap hit, Progar said, "No. I mean, it was but I don't really care."
We'll have more on Progar and the NIU defense in Saturday's Daily Chronicle and on HuskieWire.com
Kritikos at practice: Senior defensive end Mike Kritikos, who has been out since the spring with a leg injury, was in uniform at Tuesday's practice. Returning to the field in a game is still questionable at this point for Kritikos.
"He's moving around," NIU coach Jerry Kill said. "But I don't know what his status is as far as playing or anything like that. They're moving him around a little bit today. We're not going to play him tomorrow because he hasn't really been doing anything.
"But the kid's a senior. He wants to do well, so you give him credit for trying. We'll see what happens. We've got a long season. The way things are going, guys are getting nicked up, we may need him."
Schepler suffered the injury in the first half against Purdue this past Saturday.
Right guard Joe Pawlak (ankle) is questionable for Saturday. If he doesn't start, Panan Tense will. Pawlak was injured in the fourth quarter against the Boilermakers.
"Panan did very well and if Joe's not 100 percent we'll play Panan and we'll feel good about it," Kill said. "I think Panan did a nice job."
Linebacker/kick returner John Tranchitella (knee) will not play this week and the Huskies hope to have him back for next week's MAC opener against Western Michigan.
Finally, defensive end Jake Coffman is questionable for this week.
"That one I do not know where we're at," Kill said. "He will not practice today... Right now we're very. very cautious with that situation so he will not practice."
Coffman went down on the final play of the game and it's still unclear what happened.
Film analysis: Kill acknowledged that the win over Purdue was a great victory for the Huskies and how it meant a lot to the program to get its second-ever win over a Big Ten team.
But the game left Kill wanting a little more.
Here's what he had to say on what he saw on film...
"I have to look at it as a great week, but I have to go back in there and dissect it the film and I just see us, we could get so much better – just being honest with you – we could be so much better. Yeah, we won the game, we had this amount of yards and all that but we could have been so much better.
"Shoot, we left three touchdown passes on the field. We could be so much better. So that's my job. I've got to coach them. Everybody looks at the big picture but I've got to coach them on a day-to-day basis."
We'll have more on this and Kill's approach to this week in Wednesday's Daily Chronicle and right here on HuskieWire.com.
Kill also commented on the improving defensive line, specifically some of the young players...
"Sean Progar is gaining some confidence, he was a little banged up at the end of camp and now he's feeling better about himself," Kill said. "[Brian] Lawson is playing very well. Alan Baxter is playing unbelievable for a true freshman. Not good, unbelievable for a true freshman."
Quotable: "I don't think he has many bad days." – Kill on running back Chad Spann.
More fake punt: We'll have three videos up from today's news conference later tonight, including one of Kill being asked to rehash the fake punt from the fourth quarter of the victory against Purdue.
Kill credited Ron Newcomb for his play to help spring Justin Anderson on his first-down run.
"Ron Newcomb threw a critical block on that play," Kill said.
WEST LAFYETTE, Ind. – The punt fake came deep in Northern Illinois territory.
The Huskies needed just one yard, and seldom-used running back Justin Anderson scampered ahead to secure NIU its first win over a Big Ten team since 1988.
The Huskies beat Purdue 28-21 on Saturday at Purdue behind a career day from running back Me’Co Brown.
Purdue used a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown by Aaron Valentin to take a 7-0 lead.
Valentin fielded the line drive punt and made a few salsa moves that sent him east and west at midfield. He then used an illegal block that went uncalled to eventually find green grass up the far sideline.
An interception by Purdue linebacker Jason Werner on the ensuing NIU possession looked like the Boilermakers were in business. But the Huskies defense held, and when the offense took over, NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish was poised in the pocket.
The Indiana native orchestrated a 14 play, 62-yard scoring drive that Chad Spann capped with a one-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 7-7.The NIU defense was again stout on Purdue’s next possession and forced a punt.
A touchback gave NIU possession in its 20-yard line, where Brown ripped off a career long 67-yard touchdown run. Freshman wide receiver Martel Moore threw a key block, which allowed the sophomore running back to make a slick-jab step that tangled the legs of Purdue free safety Torri Williams. Harnish escorted Brown into the end zone but never had to throw a block as NIU took a 14-7 lead.
At this point NIU had 204 yards of total offense and Purdue had just 54. The Boilermakers needed to get something going and a punt to Valentin, who had a big return touchdown earlier, seemed to be the perfect tonic.
But, Valentin began a string of miscues that cost him hispunt returner job in the second half.
Tyrone Clark recovered a muffed punt by Valentin to give NIU possession. The teams traded fumbles as Spann coughed up the ball as he spun into the Purdue defensive line.
Valentin would set up the Huskies again at 3:03 of thesecond quarter as he fumbled a line-drive punt to give NIU possession at the Purdue 23-yard line. Below an avalanche of players, Kiaree Daniels recovered the fumble.
This time the Purdue turnover lead to a 10-yard touchdownpass as Harnish threaded a pass to Reed Cunningham over a pair of Boilermake rdefenders to make the score 21-7.
Spann added an 11-yard touchdown run and it looked like theroute was on for the Huskies with a 28-7 lead.
But Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott reeled of touchdown runs of 58 and six yards to make the score 28-21.
Northern Illinois confirmed on Tuesday that it will receive a $335,000 payout for traveling to play at Purdue on Saturday.
NIU will have taken home a total of $1.135 million this season for traveling to play two Big Ten Conference schools in Purdue and Wisconsin ($800,000 payout).
Facing a first-year head coach early in the season has its pitfalls, and some of those were discussed at Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill's weekly news conference this afternoon.
The Huskies have seen tape from Purdue's first two games under new coach Danny Hope and Kill said he's noticed a difference.
"Offensively they're totally different," Kill said. "There are some similarities [from last season] but they're doing it out of totally different personnel. They're running the football better. Their offensive line is a better than it was a year ago... Certainly coach Hope is doing what he's wanted to do in the program and it's certainly a change."
Purdue (1-1) has played Oregon and Toledo but Kill said because NIU plays a different style than those two teams, there is only so much he can learn about Hope's defensive system.
"The only problem is with that they, Oregon and Toledo, are strictly spread offenses," Kill said. "So you don't the entire look that you'd like to see. But it is what it is."
Kill said that Purdue's offensive line is a concern and the NIU coach said Purdue's offensive line is bigger than Wisconsin's offensive line, which did well against the Huskies in the season-opener.
"We can't go out and recruit anybody 6-foot-6 and 290 [pounds] for this week," Kill said. "We have what we have. But I think our kids, to be honest with you, held in there well against Wisconsin when we played them. I expect us to hold in there and fight and do whatever we need to do well against Purdue."
Other news conference notes:
Chad Spann is tied for first in the country in total points scored with his five touchdowns. He is one of eight players that have scored five touchdowns.
"I think Me'co's done really well but I think Chad Spann has done really well," Kill said. "...He's caught the ball out of the backfield, blocked well. I think both of those kids have done a good job. They compliment each other. We feel good about that position right now."
The Huskies will get a first-hand viewing of one of the other players Spann is tied with in Purdue running back Ralph Bolden, who also leads the nation in rushing with 357 yards.
Quarterback Chandler Harnish said there will be a contingent between 300 and 400 of his friends and family at Saturday's game. Harnish is from Bluffton, Ind., which he said is about 90 minutes from West Lafayette. We'll have much more on Harnish in Wednesday's Daily Chronicle and on HuskieWire.com.
As we reported yesterday, Kill again said today that safety David Bryant (sprained ankle) could have played against Western Illinois. But Kill felt he could hold Bryant out of the WIU game.
"We really talked on Friday and he said 'Coach I still really don't feel like I can accelerate and do the things that I'm used to doing,' " Kill said. "And I said 'Well, let's think about what's in the best interest for you and our football team.' "
Kill added that the Huskies need Bryant at full strength on Saturday and expect him to be.
Fullback Connor Flahive (back injury) should be ready to go for Purdue.
We'll have video from today's news conference up late tonight.
Safety David Bryant will be ready to go for Saturday's game at Purdue, Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill said during this morning's MAC coaches teleconference.
Bryant, who sprained an ankle a week-and-a-half before the Wisconsin game, was held out of NIU's 41-7 victory this past Saturday against Western Illinois as a precautionary measure.
"We held him out last week. We didn't have to," Kill said. "But we talked before the game and said if we could get going in the game we would try and let him heal up to where he was 100 percent instead of 90 percent. We were fortunate enough that we were able to get away with it. And he'll be ready to go against Purdue."
In Bryant's absence, safety Mike Sobol stepped up his play against the Leathernecks. Although he didn't get credit for it on the stat sheet, Sobol had a hand in a couple of Western Illinois turnovers.
"He had a good game," Kill said. "He played very well. He tackled well. He caused some turnovers. He played very aggressive."
Kill also offered a scouting report on the Boilermakers, singling out running back Ralph Bolden, who already has rushed for 357 yards.
"They have a tremendous running back," Kill said. "I've got a great deal of respect for him. He is a very, very good football player."
A few thoughts after Northern Illinois' dismantling of the Leathernecks...
It's kind of surprising that this has become a subplot to the season so far, but sophomore quarterback Chandler Harnish has done almost everything he's set out to do in his second year under center for the Huskies.
Harnish was again efficient on Saturday, taking what the defense gives him, not making mistakes and even picking up running back Me'co Brown after Brown's early fumble.
Harnish has completed 65.8 percent of his passes, has yet to commit a turnover, and is getting support from his run game. He is also on pace for 1,902 passing yards, which would be an increase of almost 400 yards from 2008.
"The line did a great job blocking, and they gave me time to throw the ball," Harnish said after the game. "The receivers were catching their passes, so everything just kind of worked itself out."
One note on Brown's fumble: The ball was in his right, non-injured hand. Brown carried the ball mostly in his right hand throughout the game.
I am increasingly subscribing to the theory that time of possession is one of the most overrated stats in football. Saturday was a perfect example of that.
Time of possession:
Western Illinois: 32:10
NIU: 27:50
Points:
Western Illinois: 7
NIU: 41
It doesn't matter how long you have the ball. What matters is what you do with it when it's yours. NIU had two touchdown drives of less than one minute (30 and 48 seconds).
Freshman linebacker Devon Butler keeps earning more snaps with his play. The same goes for Jordan Delegal and Tyrone Clark. That said, I think Alex Kube is close to a big game and Cory Hanson continues to impress.
Safety David Bryant (ankle) was held out and I really didn't see much of a reason to play him with Purdue next on the schedule.
NIU is 10 for 10 on red zone scoring opportunities this season. Obviously if that trend continues, NIU should at least remain competitive in its games.
Big questions for this week:
How will the NIU defense handle the high-scoring Purdue offense? What kind of role will Bryant play on Saturday?
Will Brown be able to hold onto the ball in his left hand against a Big Ten defense?
Can the defensive line get consistent pressure against Purdue?
Join Daily Chronicle sports reporter Nick Gerts for a live, interactive chat 30 minutes after tonight's Western Illinois-Northern Illinois game. Click here to get to the chat.
