2018 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

The 2018 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies were led by sixth-year head coach Rod Carey. They played their home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois as members of the West Division of Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 8–6, 6–2 in MAC play to finish as champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the MAC Championship Game where they defeated East Division champion Buffalo to become MAC champions for the first time since 2014. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they lost to UAB.

2018 Northern Illinois Huskies football
MAC champion
MAC West Division champion
Boca Raton Bowl, L 13–37 vs. UAB
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest Division
2018 record8–6 (6–2 MAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Uremovich (3rd season)
Defensive coordinatorJeff Knowles (1st season)
Home stadiumHuskie Stadium
(Capacity: 23,595)
2018 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
Team W L    W L 
East Division
Buffalo x  7 –1     10 –4  
Miami  6 –2     6 –6  
Ohio  6 –2     9 –4  
Akron  2 –6     4 –8  
Bowling Green  2 –6     3 –9  
Kent State  1 –7     2 –10  
West Division
Northern Illinois x$  6 –2     8 –6  
Western Michigan  5 –3     7 –6  
Eastern Michigan  5 –3     7 –6  
Toledo  5 –3     7 –6  
Ball State  3 –5     4 –8  
Central Michigan  0 –8     1 –11  
Championship: Northern Illinois 30, Buffalo 29
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions

Previous season

The Huskies finished the 2017 season 8–5, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. The Huskies received an invitation to the Quick Lane Bowl, their 11th bowl game in the previous 14 years. There they lost to Duke 36–14.

Preseason

Award watch lists
Award Player Position Year
Lott Trophy[1] Sutton Smith DE JR
Rimington Trophy[2] Luke Shively C SR
Chuck Bednarik Award[3] Sutton Smith DE JR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[4] Sutton Smith DE JR
Outland Trophy[5] Max Scharping T SR
Wuerffel Trophy[6] Max Scharping T SR
Ted Hendricks Award[7] Sutton Smith DE JR

Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Huskies predicted to finish as champions of the West Division.[8]

West Division
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Northern Illinois133 (15)
2Toledo125 (7)
3Western Michigan87 (1)
4Eastern Michigan67
5Central Michigan58 (1)
6Ball State34

Coaching staff
Name Title Years at NIU
Rod CareyHead Coach8
Jeff KnowlesDef. Coord./LB Coach6
Mike UremovichOff. Coord./Asst. Head Coach/TE/FB Coach3
Steve CrutchleyWR Coach2
Craig HarmonQB Coach7
Melvin RiceCB Coach4
Joe TripodiOL Coach/Run Game Coord.9
Walter StewartDL Coach1
Tyler YelkSafeties Coach1
Jake LandryRB Coach1
Dan Sabock Special Teams Coord. 1

Source:[9][10]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 12:30 p.m.at Iowa*
BTNL 7–3367,510
September 86:30 p.m.Utah*
ESPNewsL 6–1716,762
September 152:30 p.m.Central Michigan
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN+W 24–1612,354
September 223:30 p.m.at Florida State*
ESPNUL 19–3765,633
September 295:00 p.m.at Eastern Michigan
ESPN+W 26–23 3OT14,779
October 63:00 p.m.at Ball State
ESPN3W 24–167,159
October 132:30 p.m.Ohio
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN+W 24–2112,138
October 272:30 p.m.at BYU*
ESPNUW 7–651,084
November 16:00 p.m.at Akron
CBSSNW 36–2616,401
November 77:00 p.m.Toledo
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPN2W 38–155,887
November 147:00 p.m.Miami (OH)
  • Huskie Stadium
  • DeKalb, IL
ESPNUL 7–134,878
November 206:00 p.m.at Western Michigan
ESPNUL 21–2818,278
November 306:00 p.m.vs. Buffalo
ESPN2W 30–2910,255
December 186:00 p.m.vs. UAB*
ESPNL 13–3722,614
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Source[11][12][13]

Game summaries

at Iowa
See also: 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Northern Illinois at Iowa
1 234Total
Northern Illinois 0 007 7
• Iowa 0 31416 33
  • Date: September 1, 2018
  • Location:
    Kinnick Stadium
    Iowa City, IA
  • Game start: 2:40 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:11
  • Game attendance: 67,510
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), Wind: 5-10 MPH SSW, Overcast
  • Referee: Jeff Servinski
  • TV announcers (BTN): Joe Beninati (Play-by-Play), Chuck Long (Analyst)
Series Record Previous meeting Result
1–8 August 31, 2013 NIU, 30–27

Utah
See also: 2018 Utah Utes football team
Utah at Northern Illinois
1 234Total
• Utah 0 0710 17
Northern Illinois 3 003 6
Series Record Previous meeting Result
First meeting

Central Michigan
See also: 2018 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois
1 234Total
Central Michigan 0 376 16
• Northern Illinois 0 1473 24
Series Record Previous meeting Result
15–17 November 24, 2017 CMU, 31–24

at Florida State
See also: 2018 Florida State Seminoles football team
Northern Illinois at Florida State
1 234Total
Northern Illinois 0 766 19
• Florida State 14 6314 37
Series Record Previous meeting Result
0–1 January 1, 2013 FSU, 31–10

at Eastern Michigan
See also: 2018 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan
1 234OT2OT3OTTotal
• Northern Illinois 3 1000706 26
Eastern Michigan 10 003703 23
Series Record Previous meeting Result
24–5–2 October 26, 2017 NIU, 30–27

at Ball State
See also: 2018 Ball State Cardinals football team
Northern Illinois at Ball State
1 234Total
• Northern Illinois 7 773 24
Ball State 0 637 16
Series Record Previous meeting Result
17–18 November 9, 2017 NIU, 63–17

Ohio
See also: 2018 Ohio Bobcats football team
Ohio at Northern Illinois
1 234Total
Ohio 0 7140 21
• Northern Illinois 3 6015 24
  • Location: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois
  • Game attendance: 12,138
Series Record Previous meeting Result
11–10 November 24, 2015 OHIO, 26–21

at BYU
See also: 2018 BYU Cougars football team
Northern Illinois at BYU
1 234Total
• Northern Illinois 0 070 7
BYU 3 030 6
Series Record Previous meeting Result
First meeting

at Akron
See also: 2018 Akron Zips football team
Northern Illinois at Akron
1 234Total
• Northern Illinois 7 1757 36
Akron 7 3160 26
  • Date: November 1, 2018
  • Location: Info Cision Stadium, Akron, Ohio
  • Game start: 7:02 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:31
  • Game attendance: 16,401
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Wind: 3 MPH ENE, Intermittent Showers
  • Referee: Amanda S.-Cook
Series Record Previous meeting Result
8–5 October 12, 2013 NIU, 27–20

Toledo
See also: 2018 Toledo Rockets football team
Toledo at Northern Illinois
1 234Total
Toledo 3 606 15
• Northern Illinois 7 10147 38
  • Date: November 7, 2018
  • Location: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois
  • Game start: 7:05 pm
  • Elapsed time: 3:15
  • Game attendance: 5,887
  • Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), Wind: 6 MPH NNW, Intermittent Showers
  • Referee: Ron Hudson
  • Television network: ESPN2
Series Record Previous meeting Result
14–30 November 2, 2017 TOL, 27–17

Miami (OH)
See also: 2018 Miami RedHawks football team
Miami at Northern Illinois
1 234Total
• Miami 0 3100 13
Northern Illinois 0 070 7
  • Location: Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, Illinois
  • Game start: 7:00 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 4,878
  • Television network: ESPNU
Series Record Previous meeting Result
9–8 October 17, 2015 NIU, 45–12

at Western Michigan
See also: 2018 Western Michigan Broncos football team
Northern Illinois at Western Michigan
1 234Total
Northern Illinois 7 0140 21
• Western Michigan 7 687 28
Series Record Previous meeting Result
19–23 November 15, 2018 NIU, 35–31

vs Buffalo (MAC Championship Game)
See also: 2018 Buffalo Bulls football team and 2018 MAC Championship Game
Northern Illinois vs Buffalo
(MAC Championship Game)
1 234Total
• Northern Illinois 0 10713 30
Buffalo 7 1570 29
Series Record Previous meeting Result
11–1 October 14, 2017 NIU, 14–13

vs UAB (Boca Raton Bowl)
See also: 2018 UAB Blazers football team and 2018 Boca Raton Bowl
UAB vs. Northern Illinois
(Boca Raton Bowl)
1 234Total
• UAB 10 17100 37
Northern Illinois 7 330 13
  • Date: December 18, 2018
  • Location: FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, FL
  • Game start: 7:00 p.m.
  • Game attendance: 22,614
  • Television network: ESPN
Series Record Previous meeting Result
First Meeting

Players drafted into the NFL
See also: 2019 NFL Draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionNFL Club
255Max ScharpingOLHouston Texans
6175Sutton SmithLBPittsburgh Steelers

References
  1. "2018 Watch List | Lott IMPACT Trophy | Honoring College Football's Defensive Best". lottimpacttrophy.org. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  2. "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  3. "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List - Maxwell Football Club". Maxwell Football Club. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
  4. "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  5. "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  7. "Preseason Watch List - 2018 edition of the Ted Hendricks Award" (PDF). August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  8. http://getsomemaction.com/news/2018/7/23/niu-ohio-picked-as-divisional-winners-in-2018-mac-football-media-preseason-poll.aspx
  9. 2017 Football Coaching Staff. Northern Illinois Athletics. Accessed April 16, 2017.
  10. "NIU Football Coaching Staff Set for 2018 - Northern Illinois University". NIU Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  11. "Northern Illinois Huskies (NIU) Football Schedules | Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  12. "2018 NIU Huskies Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
  13. "NIU Football Set for Five-Game Home Schedule in 2018 - Northern Illinois University". NIU Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
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