NC State coach Dave Doeren knows that to a program like Northern Illinois, playing a P4 squad means everything, because he used to be the Huskies coach.
Doeren went 23-4 in 2011-12 and won the MAC title twice, and earned a berth to the 2013 Orange Bowl. He then took the NC State job.
Northern Illinois travels to play NC State at 12 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium on the CW Network.
Five Northern Illinois players to watch
Redshirt freshman safety Santana Banner
The rangy Banner is tied for fourth on the team with 11 tackles this season. The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder played on special teams in their first four games of the year and in the Camellia Bowl. He attended Lawrenceville (Ga.) Mountain View High, where he had 74 tackles, five forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Senior running back Antario Brown
Brown is one of the top running backs in the country. The 5-10, 219-pounder has tallied 52 carries for 241 yards and two scores, and he’s added seven receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown in three games. Brown rushed 212 times for 1,296 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, and has 2,764 career rushing yards and 24 scores. He had 20 carries for 99 yards, and had two receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown against the Fighting Irish.
Senior inside linebacker Christian Fuhrman
The Southeast Missouri State transfer leads the Huskies with 19 tackles, plus 2.5 tackles for loss and one interception. The 6-1, 235-pounder had nine tackles in the win over Notre Dame. He has 148 career tackles, 4.5 sacks and one interception in his career. The Mesa, Ariz., played his first two years at Garden City (Kan.) C.C., and then two years at SEMO.
Redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton
The 6-3, 216-pounder has gone 51-of-82 passing for 720 yards, six touchdowns and on interception this season. He also has 11 carries for 45 yards. He threw for 198 yards and a touchdown, and added 21 rushing yards in the 16-14 win over Notre Dame. Hampton has 1,688 career passing yards and 15 touchdowns, plus nine interceptions.
Senior defensive tackle Devonte O’Malley
O’Malley is a force in the middle at 6-2 and 293 pounds, and has 10 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble this season. Both sacks and the forced fumble came in the win over Notre Dame. He has 100 career tackles and 16 sacks in his NIU career, plus an interception against Eastern Michigan last year.
What to watch for from Northern Illinois
1. Run, run, run. Northern Illinois is going to run the football, and then run the football some more.
The Huskies have an old and physical offensive line, led by redshirt senior J.J. Lippe, who is a 6-5 and 311-pound left guard. Lippe and the line hasn’t allowed a sack in six straight games. He’s started 37 games since 2021, playing left guard, right tackle and center.
Left tackle Evan Malcore, center Logan Zschemitz, right guard John Champe and right tackle Evan Buss have combined for 129 starts. Malcore is the young pup in the group as a redshirt sophomore.
Northern Illinois has rushed 128 times for 703 yards and five touchdowns, thanks to senior running backs Antario Brown and Gavin Williams. Brown is the star, but Williams has provided a nice backup punch after transferring in from Iowa. Brown has carries for 241 yard and two scores, and Williams has added 36 carries for 163 yards.
2. Defensive line has been aggressive. Northern Illinois has six sacks and 21 tackles for loss in three games played.
Junior defensive end Nevaeh Sanders isn’t listed on the depth chart, but he had three sacks and three tackles for loss last Saturday against Buffalo. The 6-4, 220-pound Iowa Western C.C. product had four tackles, two sacks three tackles for loss in 11 games played last year.
O’Malley provides the push up the middle and junior defensive end Roy Williams has nine tackles and one sack this season.
The defensive line helps make sure linebackers Jaden Dolphin and Christian Fuhrman, both seniors, can make plays. They have a combined 36 tackles and four tackles for loss.
3. NIU proved clutch on special teams when needed. Senior kicker Kanon Woodill made three of four field goals against Notre Dame — making ones from 42, 21 and 35 yards — and a miss from 53 in a 16-14 win over Notre Dame.
Former South Carolina kicker Mitch Jeter had a 48-yard field goal blocked, and then his “Hail Mary” from 62 yards was also blocked.
Woodill is 5 of 8 on the season on field goals and he has gone 9 of 11 on extra points. He missed a pair of field goals in four attempts in the loss against Buffalo.
Punter Tom Foley is averaging 37.1 yards on seven punts, and quarterback Hampton has dropped back into a mini-punt formation and is averaging 40.7 yards on three punts.
Three keys to the game for NC State football
1. NC State had success with freshman quarterback Cedrick “C.J.” Bailey throwing the football against Clemson, but it got lost in the storm of three turnovers.
NC State needs to take better care of the ball, with the first big turnover happening because Clemson sophomore defensive end T.J. Parker sprinted around senior left tackle Anthony Belton for a sack and forced fumble, deep in Wolfpack territory at the 18-yard line
NC State sophomore wide receiver Kevin Concepcion was stripped of the ball and Clemson took over at the NCSU 38-yard line. The last turnover was CU freshman cornerback Ashton Hampton picking off Bailey’s pass and returning it 53 yards for a touchdown.
2. NC State ran the ball 20 times for 29 yards in the first half against Notre Dame, and that won’t cut it against Northern Illinois. The Wolfpack did run well in the second half and finished with 38 carries for 183 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Notre Dame has two talented running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, plus quarterback Riley Leonard has good wheels for the position. The Fighting Irish mustered 28 carries for 123 yard sand two scores in the Huskies upset victory.
Bailey's job will become easier if the run game sets up second downs and short yardage.
3. Northern Illinois doesn't have an explosive offense, but have enough wrinkles that get damage done against a wounded NC State defense.
NC State gave up six rushing “explosive” plays and eight passing plays of at least 15 yards at Clemson, and that won’t cut it against Northern Illinois.
NIU has nothing to lose and could try trick plays, which they did attempt a halfback pass against Notre Dame. This will be a test of NC State's toughness, and the defense will be watched closely.
Three numbers of note
15 Bowl appearances by Northern Illinois, going 5-10. All but one of the bowl appearances have come since 2004.
19 Boneyard wins for the Huskies, which dates back to wins against “power” leagues since 1983. NC State coach Dave Doeren had one of the 19 wins with a 30-23 victory over Kansas on Sept. 22, 2012.
32 Seniors at Northern Illinois, which ranks tied for sixth nationally. Eastern Michigan is first with 39.
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