NIU

DeKALB – As much as the Mid-American Conference schedule comes under fire for various reasons, the schedule makers got the next two weeks right in terms of matchups.

DeKALB – The Northern Illinois men’s basketball team played like it was tired of moral victories.

CHAMPAIGN – Bryan Hall had worked on it the entire offseason.

DeKALB – The Northern Illinois women’s basketball team lost for the first time this season, falling in a 50-48 decision to Western Illinois on Tuesday night at the Convocation Center.

DeKALB – Cory Hanson took a look at Ohio's pistol offense and concluded one thing for certain.

CHAMPAIGN – Without injured guard Xavier Silas, Northern Illinois found production from its bench and stayed within reach of No. 23 Illinois midway into the second half, but it wasn't enough to climb all the way back from an early deficit.

Northern Illinois running back Chad Spann (shoulder) will be a game-time decision for Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at Ohio, NIU coach Jerry Kill said during Monday’s MAC coaches teleconference.

Editor’s Note: Mike Korcek is a former Northern Illinois Sports Information Director. His historical perspective on NIU athletics appears periodically in the Daily Chronicle.

DeKALB – When Xavier Silas showed his injured right hand to reporters after this past Friday’s loss at Northwestern, the discoloration made it look like a crayon box mauled by kindergartners, but the Northern Illinois guard didn’t believe at the time that it was broken.

If all goes right, the Northern Illinois football team could be playing for first place in the MAC West when they travel to face Central Michigan at noon on Nov. 27, the Friday after Thanksgiving.

EVANSTON – For all the talk of defending Northwestern’s offense, it was the Wildcats’ defense, plus foul trouble, that kept Northern Illinois from seriously competing with Northwestern on Friday night.

DeKALB – Seven wins doesn’t guarantee a bowl game, even in today’s 34-bowl environment, but it’s a lot better than sitting on six victories.

DeKALB – Ball State coach Stan Parrish had no doubt he would see Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish take the field at some point on Thursday.

DeKALB – After all the talk, hype and preseason prognostications, fans, players and coaches are anxious to see what kind of improvements Northern Illinois has made. Tonight, they all get their first glimpse.

Enjoy it, Northern Illinois football.

DeKALB – Senior wide receiver Preston Williams waited almost five years to make his first catch for Northern Illinois.

DEKALB – NIU assistant women’s basketball coach E.C. Hill calls Marke Freeman a “gym rat.”

Xavier Silas hasn't played a regular-season game in about 20 months.

DeKALB – Alex Kube knows exactly what he’s going to get when Ball State running back MiQuale Lewis carries the ball today.

Jermaine Johnson repeated it three times and then offered an illustration.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish practiced again on Tuesday at Huskie Stadium, his third straight practice after being cleared by the team trainers to return after suffering a knee injury against Toledo on Oct. 17.

Brown and Hanson earn MAC honors

When Ball State coach Stan Parrish takes a look at Northern Illinois on film, he sees the same thing he saw in MAC East leader Temple.

DeKALB – Junior guard Xavier Silas' 24 points on 8 of 16 shooting led six Northern Illinois players in double figures, lifting the Northern Illinois men's basketball team to a dominating 120-70 win over visiting Marygrove College (Mich.) in the Huskies' exhibition finale at the Convocation Center on Friday night.      

DeKALB – When the Eastern Michigan defense stacked the line with defenders Thursday night, they were testing Northern Illinois quarterback DeMarcus Grady to beat them.

DeKALB – For Chad Spann, it was a career night in the making by his second run. For Northern Illinois, it meant the Huskies can start thinking about a bowl game and possibly more.

DeKALB – Tommy Davis thought he was going to get tackled. So did almost everyone else in Huskie Stadium.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Michael Turner did some self-scouting last week to find out why he wasn’t breaking off big runs for the Atlanta Falcons.

DeKALB – Make no mistake about it, Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill wants his team playing fast tonight.

DeKALB – After quarterback Chandler Harnish did some light running at Monday's practice, Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill had a status update on Harnish's injured right knee at Tuesday's weekly news conference.

DeKALB – The natural question that arose from Northern Illinois' exhibition victory against Aurora University was why junior guard Jake Anderson saw more time at point guard than normal.

There is no question that running back Chad Spann has meant a lot to Northern Illinois this season, but over the past month Spann has stepped up his game considerably.

Northern Illinois true freshman defensive tackle Nabal Jefferson had his first career sack and a tackle for a 3-yard loss in the run game in Northern Illinois' 27-10 win against Akron on Saturday at Huskie Stadium. Daily Chronicle sports editor Jon Styf talked with Jefferson about his breakout performance after Saturday's game. Here is the edited transcript:

DeKALB – Playing essentially on one leg didn't do too much to hurt Jason Onyebuagu's overall performance, at least in the eyes of Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill.

DeKALB – Tracy Claeys has been at various stops in his coaching career, but when he was a student assistant, there was one rule that has stuck out lately: Don't talk about injuries.

NIU defeats Akron, 27-10

DeKALB – One of the most pressing questions for Northern Illinois – aside from who plays quarterback, which won't be revealed until just before kickoff this morning – is how the NIU offense will bring a little more balance today against Akron.

Before joining the Northern Illinois women’s volleyball team, Maddie Hughes bounced between positions for her club and high school teams.

MAC East Division Preseason Media Poll (1st place votes in parentheses)

DeKALB – Northern Illinois will find out a lot about some members of its secondary this week.

Kaneland filled its varsity girls softball coaching position internally, announcing Tuesday that Brian Willis is the Knights’ new coach.

After watching the film of Saturday's 27-22 victory at Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill says quarterback DeMarcus Grady's comfort level grew as the game progressed.

OXFORD, Ohio – DeMarcus Grady insists the next 2-3 weeks won’t be any different for him.

OXFORD, Ohio – It took one punt on Saturday afternoon before the Northern Illinois football team went to Plan B: two punt returners.

OXFORD, Ohio – More than anything, the Northern Illinois football team felt relief when it boarded the buses to head back to DeKalb Saturday afternoon.

DeKALB – While Northern Illinois' quarterback situation appears it will remained unresolved to the public before today, NIU coach Jerry Kill wants to see something that was lacking in last week's loss to Toledo.

Mauvolyene Adams earned her way into Northern Illinois' starting lineup nine games into this past season and ended her sophomore year averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds a game for the Huskies.

DeKALB – Marke Freeman can whittle down her offseason to one place: Huskie Stadium.

Northern Illinois sophomore forward Tyler Storm appeared in 28 games and started eight as a freshman for the men's basketball team. He averaged 3.6 points and 1.6 rebounds a game. Now a sophomore, Storm hopes to make an even bigger impact for an NIU team that has increased expectations. Before practice on Wednesday, the Daily Chronicle's John Sahly caught up with Storm to talk about a variety of topics.

DeKALB – Whether it's a young team maturing, the addition of new talent, an increase in strength and conditioning or a combination of the three, expectations are different in and around the Northern Illinois men's basketball team.

DeKALB – Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish is questionable for Saturday's game at Miami (Ohio) with a knee injury, coach Jerry Kill said after Tuesday's practice.

Bice earns weekly MAC West honor

Toledo coach Tim Beckman said he noticed something in Northern Illinois' blocking scheme on field goals against Idaho and a subsequent block installation paid off in the Rockets' 20-19 victory against the Huskies this past Saturday at Toledo.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Northern Illinois needed to get something going on offense to start the second half of the Huskies' 20-19 loss to Toledo, and not just a couple plays to gain back some momentum.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Mid-American Conference football has seen some great receivers.

TOLEDO, Ohio – They exited the locker room one by one, a few at a time headed straight for the bus and then sporadically out on the field for a few seconds, the same mystified looks accompanying each Northern Illinois football player and coach.

TOLEDO, Ohio – It just wasn’t Mike Salerno’s night.

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

DeKALB – Me'co Brown never misses an opportunity for a laugh.

Discredits NIU's recent struggles in Toledo