NIU looks to become bowl eligible while the Zips hope to spoil their fun
The Northern Illinois Huskies host the Akron Zips this Wednesday evening with a potential bowl berth on the line.
The Huskies (5-4, 2-3 MAC) snapped a two-game losing skid last Wednesday when they upset the Western Michigan Broncos, 42-28, who had previously been undefeated in MAC play. A win for NIU would most likely secure them a bowl berth.
The Zips (2-7. 1-4 MAC) have lost five of their last six games, including a 41-30 loss to Buffalo last week. At one point, Akron trailed 38-7 but put up a fury of points in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 38-30. However, the Zips ran out of time and the Bulls claimed the win.
This will be the 19th meeting between the two schools, with the Huskies owning a 12-6 record against Akron. When playing in DeKalb, NIU has a 6-3 record but Akron won the last meeting at Huskie Stadium, 44-12, back in 2022.
Game Notes
- Time and date: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois
- Network: CBS Sports Network
- Gambling considerations: NIU (-15.5), with an over/under of 46.5.
- All-time series: NIU leads the all-time series, 12-6, with the Huskies winning seven of the last eight meetings.
- Last meeting: NIU 55, Akron 14 on October 7, 2023
Getting to Know the Zips
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Akron comes into the game with one of the worst scoring offenses in the nation, averaging just 18.9 points per game (125th out of the 133 FBS teams). Only Kent State is worse in the MAC.
Their rushing attack is even worse, with their 85.6 rushing yards per game ranking 130th in the nation. Jordon Simmons has gotten the bulk of the carries for the Zips, rushing the ball 87 times for 495 yards and two touchdowns. Charles Kellom is the only other Akron player with more than 100 ruhsing yards, as he has 174 yards on 43 carries.
While their ground game might be lacking, they do net just under 235 passing yards per game. Quarterback Ben Finley has 1955 yards on the season with 12 touchdowns and a 59.3% completion rate. However, he has thrown nine interceptions and been sacked 18 times. Tahj Bullock will also come in at QB for Akron and he is very much a dual-threat player. Bullock has 149 yards on 19-26 passing but is third on the team in rushing yards, with 84, and leads the team in rushing TDs. Akron has seven rushing touchdowns this season, with Bullock accounting for five of those.
Adrian Norton has been Akron’s biggest threat in the air. He leads the team in receptions (36), receiving yards (667), and touchdowns (6). However, Bobby Golden and tight end Jake Newell will also get plenty of targets. Golden has 25 catches for 397 yards and a score while Newell has hauled in 30 passes for 205 yards and two TDs.
On defense, the Zips are allowing 36 points per game (126th in the NCAA) and opponents are averaging 420.9 yards per game (111th in the FBS); 184.8 rushing yards and 236.2 passing yards per game.
But junior linebacker Bryan McCoy is ranked 15th in the nation in total tackles. He has been all over the field for the Zips, tallying 85 total stops with 1.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, and two pass break ups.
In the secondary, the Zips only have two interceptions on the season but they do have a trio of DBs that can break up passes. Darrian Lewis is second on the team in tackles, with 62, but has broken up five passes and has one of their two picks on the season. Paul Lewis III also has five PBU and has netted 55 tackles, 4.5 TFL, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a QB hurry. Devonte Golden-Nelson leads the team with six PBU and has 29 tackles.
CH Nunnally IV and Bennett Adler have been solid for Akron’s defense up front. Nunnally IV is fifth on the team, with 40 total tackles, leads the Zips with five QBH, and is tied for first with three sacks. Adler has matched Nunnally’s sack total, with three, and has the team lead in TFL, with seven, along with 28 total tackles, four quarterback hurries, and a pass break up.
Getting to Know the Huskies
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Northern Illinois comes into this game with the eighth ranked defense in the NCAA. They are only allowing 287.7 yards per game, 121.3 yards on ground (37th in the FBS) and 166.3 through the air (11th best in the nation). Opponents are scoring just 18.8 points per game, which is tied for 19th best in the FBS. The tough Huskie defense is also ranked third in the country on third downs, allowing opponents to convert just 25.2% of the time, and is seventh in the FBS in first downs gained, allowing just 145 first downs all season.
Linebackers Jaden Dolphin and Christian Fuhrman have covered the field all season. Dolphin lead the team in tackles, with 46, and has 2.5 TFL, an interception and two pass break ups. Fuhrman is right behind him, with 43 stops, and has 3.5 TFL, a pick, a pass break up, and a QB hurry.
Safety Santana Banner has come on strong the last few weeks. He is now tied with Fuhrman for second on the team, with 43 tackles. In the last two games, Banner has tallied 17 tackles and has an interception, which he returned 29 yards.
But it’s up front that the Huskies thrive. They have four solid defensive linemen that can stop plays early on: Skylar Gill-Howard, Roy Williams, Devonte O’Malley, and Cade Haberman. Gill-Howard is fourth on the team, with 39 tackles, and has six tackles for loss, four sacks, and three QBH. Williams and O’Malley each have 31 tackles but O’Malley leads the team in tackles for loss (7), sacks (5.5), and QBH (4). He also has forced and recovered a fumble. Williams has 4.5 sacks, 4.5 TFL, and three quarterback hurries. Haberman now has 20 tackles, with more than 25% of them being behind the line. He has 5.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, and two blocked kicks.
Offensively, NIU isn’t putting up great numbers, ranking 86th in points for (25.4 per game) and 106th in passing yards (187.3). However their ground game does net 211.3 yards per game which ranks in the top 20, at 17th.
Antario Brown still leads the team in rushing, with 567 yards and four TDs on 115 carries. But he went down with injury last week against WMU and it’s unclear if he’ll play this week. But it turns out the Huskies have another great running back backing him up – freshman Telly Johnson. Johnson has burst on to the scene over the last few weeks, netting 48 yards on six carries against Ball State and then exploding last week for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against the Broncos. And let’s not forget they also have Gavin Williams, who is right behind Brown, with 530 yards and two scores on his 114 carries.
It looks like quarterback Ethan Hampton has secured his starting role again, over Josh Holst. Hampton is now completing 60.2% of his throws and has 1256 yards and 11 TDs to five interceptions.
He has three main targets – wide outs Trayvon Rudolph and Cam Thompson and tight end Grayson Barnes. Thompson and Rudolph each have 25 receptions (first on the team), with Thompson gaining 372 yards and three TDs to Rudolph’s 275 yards and one score. Barnes is right behind them, snagging 21 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown.
Prediction
The Huskies should be able to comfortably win this game…although they really do embrace their motto of “The Hard Way” at times and let teams like this sneak up on them and/or keep it close.
But with NIU’s dominating defense going up against a struggling offense paired with the Huskies’ ground game attacking a team that allows nearly 200 rushing yards per game, Northern should be able to get their sixth win of the season and become bowl eligible.
Akron – 14
NIU – 31