But don't forget about the gusty winds, and NIU plays to run a lot.
Huskies` game plan concerns total bettors
Josh Hansen
Joe Novak has a plan: Keep the ball out of the hands of Miami (Ohio) quarterback Josh Betts.
No, but really Joe, how do you plan on doing this when your team owns one of the worst defenses in the MAC?
Easy.
“We need to run the ball. That`s our identity,” the Northern Illinois head coach said when he spilled the beans on his game plan for tonight’s nationally televised game against Miami (Ohio).
“When we throw the ball 40 times, that`s not us, that`s not what we`re about.”
For those playing under the 62-point total, Novak’s news is less than encouraging. Running the ball eats precious seconds off the game clock, limiting the amount of time the MAC’s second-best QB can work against a brutal Huskies defense.
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Comprised of a number of freshmen, Northern Illinois’ defense has fallen away from the basics of football. They’ve allowed over 445 yards of total offense in three of their first four games, with their only strong defensive performance coming against Divison II Tennessee Tech.
“We`re just not a very good defensive football team right now," Novak admitted. "That side of the ball has to get better. We`re not doing the fundamental things, like tackling, very well."
Or blocking. Last week, freshman running back Garrett Wolfe was held to just 52 yards rushing against a sparse Akron defense. Wolfe was the MAC’s leading rusher heading into the game, so he needs a better performance from his offensive line tonight.
"For me it’s a difficult game to cap because NIU is the ultimate over team," says Covers Expert Ted Sevransky. "Their defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone and Novak apparently doesn’t think they can stop Betts.
"But on the other hand their offense is grade- A. They moved the ball at Michigan, Northwestern and shouldn`t have a problem doing it against Ohio."
The RedHawks` defense is allowing over 150 yards on the ground this season and will be up against the thunder and lightning duo of Garrett and A.J. Harris.
Wolfe rumbled for over 200 yards in back-to-back games to open the season, while Harris is averaging over 12 yards per carry for the Huskies.
My picks are as follows:
NIU-3 -105 and U64 -110
Good Luck All!
KCD |