The Fall Lineup - Northern Illinois

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES

• Conference: Mid-American Conference (Won MAC title game, 44-37 over Akron)

• Returning offensive starters (8): OT Ryan Brown, OG Aidan Conlon, TB Akeem Daniels, TE Luke Eakes, OT Tyler Loos, QB Jordan Lynch, C Andrew Ness, OG Jared Volk

• Projected starting offense: QB Jordan Lynch (6-0, 216, Sr); RB Akeem Daniels (5-7, 184, Sr.); FB Rob Sterling (5-10, 231, Jr.); WR Da'Ron Brown (6-0, 194, Jr.); WR Tommylee Lewis (5-7, 155, Jr.); TE Luke Eakes (6-3, 250, Jr.); LT Ryan Brown (6-6, 283, Jr.); LG Aidan Conlan (6-3, 287, So.); C Andrew Ness (6-3, 286, So.); RG Jared Volk (6-3, 315, Sr.); RT Matt Krempel (6-5, 307, Sr.)

• Returning defensive starters (5): LB Jamaal Bass, DT Ken Bishop, S Dechane Durante, CB Marlon Moore, S Jimmie Ward

• Projected starting defense: DE George Rainey (6-2, 222, Sr.); DT Ken Bishop (6-1, 308, Sr.); NG Donovan Gordon (6-0, 275, Jr.); DE Joe Windsor (6-0, 236, Sr.); FLB Jamaal Bass (5-10, 225, Jr.); MLB Boomer Mays (6-0, 230, So.); BLB Michael Santacaterina (5-10, 210, Jr.); CB Marlon Moore (5-9, 180, So.); SS Jimmie Ward (5-11, 192, Sr.); FS Dechane Durante (6-2, 196, Jr.); CB Sean Evans (5-10, 174, Sr.)

• Returning specialists (1): K Mathew Sims (5-9, 181, Sr.)

• Key losses: WR Perez Ashford, WR Martel Moore, DE Sean Progar, DE Alan Baxter, DE Daniel Green

• Top 5 additions: S Mycial Allen (5-11, 183), K Josh Brebant (6-0, 195), LB Sean Folliard (6-2, 215), LB Robert Jones (6-0, 210), DL William Lee (6-2, 295)

• 2012 review: The Huskies lost to Iowa, 18-17, at Soldier Field in their first game of 2012. They didn't lose again until the 2013 Orange Bowl against Florida State. That was an amazing run for the the Mid-American Conference team out of DeKalb, Ill. When you're MAC team goes 12-2 and wins back-to-back championships, the coach becomes a hot commodity. Dave Doeren didn't make it to the Orange Bowl. He was swept away to North Carolina State with Rod Carey, the offensive coordinator, was promoted.

Dual-threat QB Jordan Lynch rolled up nearly 5,000 yards of total offense (4,953). He rushed for 1,815, passed for 3,138. He accounted for 44 TDs, rushing for 19 and throwing for 25 (vs. just six INTs). Lynch was the MAC MVP, second-team all-American and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.

• 2013 schedule: A31 -- at Iowa; S14 -- at Idaho; S 21 -- Eastern Illinois; S28 -- at Purdue; O5 -- at Kent State; O12 -- Akron; O19 -- at Central Michigan; O26 -- Eastern Michigan; N2 -- at UMass; N13 -- Ball State; N20 -- at Toledo; N26 -- Western Michigan

• Key stretch: The Huskies probably are looking at their November -- at UMass, Ball State, at Toledo and Western Michigan -- as key. Yes, NIU starts at Iowa and also travels to Purdue, but those games are ornamental compared to the MAC title chase that defines the Huskies' season and puts them in the national spotlight of the conference title game and a bowl. NIU plays host to Akron, the team it met in the MAC title game last season, on homecoming Oct. 12. Akron's coach, Darrell Hazell, is now at Purdue.

• Trap game: Let's go with at Central Michigan. The Chippewas finished 6-6 and played in a bowl game. CMU produced the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft in OT Eric Fisher. And, yes, the Chips won at Iowa last season. Coach Dan Enos is a gamer. He'll also face a set of expectations, and pressure to live up to them, that were very different from 2012.

• Glass half-full: The Huskies have Lynch, so they have a proven trigger for their offense and a chance to win every game on their schedule. Lynch is a linebacker who happens to play QB. He's tough, athletic and fearless, as Iowa fans know (Lynch put up 173 total yards vs. Iowa last season). Thirteen Huskies recorded at least half of a sack last season. Seven of those players return, including DE Joe Windsor (7) and DT Anthony Wells (4), who was listed No. 3 DT coming out of spring. NIU returns five OL who made starts in 2012, including left tackle Ryan Brown.

• Glass half-empty: Lynch does lose two of his top three wide receivers. Martel Moore led NIU with 75 catches for 1,083 yards and 13 TDs. Perez Ashford had 34 catches. Lynch was NIU's leading rusher by nearly 1,200 yards. Is it healthy that a team depends so much on a rushing QB, who could be gone with one wrong twist of an ankle? Akeem Daniels rushed for 447 yards and nine TDs. The Huskies also lose Alan Baxter and Sean Progar, who combined for 17.5 sacks last season. The schedule won't be easy, either, with trips to Iowa, Idaho and Purdue in three of the first four weeks.

• The Iowa angle: Iowa opens its 2013 season against the Huskies. When this game was scheduled, it was probably viewed as a win and probably an easy one. Now, where would you put the number? A 3.5 point spread that favored Iowa makes sense. It's had to see the spread climbing much higher than that. This is a game Iowa always will be expected to win. This season, it's a game that Iowa could very well lose. If that happens, a storm cloud will form over Kinnick Stadium and Kirk Ferentz's toughest job will be keeping his team's focus on trying to improve and push forward while the outside world goes into meltdown mode.

Quotable: "The way we look at it, the last game we played we lost. We got a bad taste in our mouth. We can't wait to get back on the field." - Jordan Lynch/QB from this spring, referring to NIU's Orange Bowl defeat to Florida State.

Leaders

Passing Yards:

J. Lynch

3138

Passing TDs:

J. Lynch

25

Rushing Yards:

J. Lynch

1815

Rushing TDs:

J. Lynch

19

Receiving Yards:

M. Moore

1083

Receiving TDs:

M. Moore

13

Interceptions:

J. Ward

3

Offense (FBS Rank)

Yards:

6574 (10)

Passing Yards:

3239 (47)

Rushing Yards:

3335 (10)

Points per game:

38.6 (13)

Yards per game:

469.6 (21)

Touchdowns:

70 (5)

Field Goals:

15 (49)

Defense (FBS Rank)

Yards:

5171 (75)

Passing Yards:

3121 (85)

Rushing Yards:

2050 (64)

Points per game:

19.9 (21)

Yards per game:

369.4 (40)

Touchdowns:

32 (26)

Field Goals:

15 (73)