The two squads open up MAC play this Saturday, when the Bulls travel to DeKalb to take on the ranked Huskies
The Buffalo Bulls and #23 Northern Illinois Huskies will open conference play this week when the teams meet on Saturday afternoon.
Buffalo (2-1, 0-0 MAC) is coming off a 34-3 beat down of future MAC team UMass, where they controlled all phases of the game and really shut down the Minutemen’s offense. This is the second time this season that the Bulls will face a ranked opponent, as they fell 38-0 to the then-ninth ranked Missouri Tigers back on September 7th.
The Huskies (2-0, 0-0 MAC), who are coming off a bye-week, have had ample time to bask in their stunning upset win over the then-fifth ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish back on September 7th. The win vaulted NIU into the top-25 for the first time in over a decade – last being ranked back in 2013 – and, after some helpful losses from other teams, the Huskies gained two spots during their bye.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, September 21st at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN+
- Location: Huskie Stadium — DeKalb, IL
- Spread: NIU (-14)
- Over/under: 44.5
- All-time series: NIU leads 13-2
Getting to know the Bulls
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Buffalo will be looking to take down a ranked opponent for just the second time in team history. The Bulls enter the game 1-15 against top-25 teams, with their lone win coming against #14 Ball State in the 2008 MAC Championship Game. They have also historically struggled against Northern, winning just two of the fifteen match ups. However, the last time the Bulls were in DeKalb, they walked out of Huskie Stadium with a 49-30 win back in 2020.
The Bulls enter the game averaging just over 21 points per game, gaining an average of 295 yards per game (145.0 yards passing and 150.3 yards rushing). Like NIU, the Bulls focus on their ground game – running the ball about twice as much as throwing it (116 rushing attempts to just 66 passing attempts).
Three players have more than 20 carries, with quarterback C.J. Ogbonna right behind at 19 attempts. Jacqez Barksdale leads the team with 35 carries and 184 yards (5.3 yards per rush). Lamar Sperling is also over the century mark, with 105 yards on his 21 rushes and Al-Jay Henderson has 26 carries for 75 yards. Each of the three, plus Ogbonna, have a touchdown on the season.
Ogbonna stuggled against Mizzou but has looked real solid in the other two games. Against Lafayette and UMass, he was a combined 28/46 (60.9%) for 380 yards and three touchdowns with no picks and just two sacks. Against the Tigers he was a mere 6/20 and threw for just 55 yards with an interception and three sacks.
His favorite target is 5-8 sophomore Victor Snow, who has nearly a third of all of Buffalo’s receptions – 10 of the Bulls’ 34 completions – and is the only player with more than 100 receiving yards, with 107. However, Taji Johnson, and JJ Jenkins are also threats outside. Johnson and Jenkins each have three grabs and a touchdown with 73 and 57 yards, respectively. Nik McMillan, who was injured in the Mizzou game and missed last week, is expected to miss this game as well, which is a huge loss for the Bulls as he has 76 yards and a TD on five catches in less than two full games.
Defensively the Bulls are allowing just 18 points and 311.3 yards per contest. Buffalo’s defense has held opponents to 123.3 rushing yards per game and 188.0 passing yards, while tallying seven sacks and picking off four passes.
Leading the way is senior linebacker Shaun Dolac. His 43 total tackles is tied for the most in the NCAA this season. He has tallied double digit stops in every game this season, including 16 stops in each of the last two games. Dolac also has five tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, and a pass break up. He will be all over the field come Saturday.
Red Murdock is another linebacker that NIU has to be aware of this weekend. He’s second on the team, with 29 tackles, but leads the Bulls with 6.5 TFL and also has a sack, a quarterback hurry, and a forced fumble.
In the secondary there are a trio of players that can make plays. Cornerback Marquis Cooper is third on the team, with 22 stops, and also had a huge 100-yard pick six last week to go with his two TFL. Charles McCartherens, also at CB, has nine stops, a pick, and two pass break ups while nickle Solomon Brown has netted 17 stops.
Up front edge rusher Kobe Stewart leads the team with 2.5 sacks but most of the Bulls’ backfield pressure has come from linebackers and corners – as no other defensive linemen has a full sack or more than 1.5 TFL.
Getting to know the Huskies
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The Huskies entered the season with one of the best offensive performances we’d seen in quite some time from them – racking up over 700 yards against Western Illinois – and they followed that up with one of, if not, the greatest wins in MAC history.
During the Notre Dame game running back Antario Brown left in the third quarter with speculated cramps while wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph also missed time on the field. However, both seem to be okay and are expected to play in this game.
NIU’s offense is averaging 35 points and 547 yards per game – seventh most in the NCAA. Their 251 rushing yards per game ranks 17th in the FBS while their 296 passing yards is best in the MAC.
Quarterback Ethan Hampton has played rather well this season, making few mistakes and controlling the game quite nicely. He’s completing 71.8% of his throws (28/39) and has 526 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions. Hampton’s passer rating of 235.9 is second best in the NCAA, only trailing Utah’s Cam Rising (241.9). He also has yet to be sacked this season. NIU is one of just eight teams to not allow a sack so far this season.
Rudolph and tight end Grayson Barnes have been Hampton’s go-to receivers. Rudolph has four grabs for 104 yards and TD while Barnes leads the team with six catches and has 108 yards and a score.
In a twist, however, leading the Huskies in receiving yards is actually their running back Brown. The half back has four grabs for a team-high 171 yards and a touchdown. And he’s been tearing it up on the ground as well, rushing for 168 yards on just 28 carries (6.0 yards per carry). Right behind him has been Gavin Williams, who did a great job in relief in the fourth quarter against the Irish. Williams has 100 yards on his 26 carries but neither he, nor Brown, have scored a rushing TD yet this season.
Unlike Buffalo’s Dolac, no one on the Huskie defense has close to 40 stops. Instead their team leaders is linebacker Christian Furhman, who has just 13 total tackles, .5 TLF, and an interception. And behind him is fellow LB, Jaden Dolphin, who has 11 tackles and half a TFL as well.
But they have still be very effective as a unit. NIU’s defense is allowing a mere 14.5 points and just 292 yards per game (183.5 passing and 108.5 rushing). The Huskie defense has also held teams to 6/21 (28.6%) on third down conversion attempts, which is 28th best in the NCAA.
Up front, Devonte O’Malley has been great and was even named the national defensive player of the week after the Notre Dame game. He leads the team in tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (2) and also has a forced fumble and quarterback hurry.
Northern’s secondary has also played really well this season, breaking up seven passes, intercepting two, and allowing less than six yards per pass attempt. Jacob Finley leads the team with three pass break ups, while Amariyun Knighten had a 33-yard interception return that set up the Huskies’ game winning field goal in South Bend.
Prediction
While the Bulls do have a defensive stud in Dolac, both defenses have played really well this season and might be quite evenly matched. However, the Huskies seem to have the advantage on offense, with Brown, Rudolph, and Hampton playing a bit better than Barksdale and Ogbonna at the moment.
It will be an interesting test for the Huskies. Even though NIU had the bye-week, the Huskies are coming off a massive win and then have ACC foe NC State scheduled next week. This could very well be a trap game for the Huskies. Northern’s head coach, Thomas Hammock, will need to make sure they don’t overlook the Bulls, who would love nothing more than to knock off a ranked team for the second time in school history.
Might be closer than it should be but the Huskies win at home.
Buffalo – 17
NIU – 31