Me'co Brown News

DeKALB – From a recruiting standpoint, Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill called this month the busiest time of the year.

Tags: Football , mac , MAC Championship , Northern Illinois , Sports Photo courtesy of Ohio Athletics Photo courtesy of Ohio Athletics This game was supposed to mean everything.

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. – Any sort of momentum Northern Illinois wanted out of taking the ball to start Friday's 45-31 loss to Central Michigan was wiped out quickly.

Jerry Kill's Northern Illinois defense will do its best to disarm Ohio University and its "pistol" offense in today's matchup between the Mid-American Conference's two second-place teams.

ATHENS, Ohio – With Northern Illinois looking for someone to give the Huskies another option in the run game, safety Garrett Barnas seemed to fit what they were looking for.

NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish rushed the ball during the Huskies' 38-31 loss at Ohio on Saturday.

DeKALB – As much as the Mid-American Conference schedule comes under fire for various reasons, the schedule makers got the next two weeks right in terms of matchups.

DeKALB – Cory Hanson took a look at Ohio's pistol offense and concluded one thing for certain.

The Huskies play with an old-school mentality where the run game is king. They lead the Mid-American Conference in rushing at 229.6 yards per game, 60 more than the next-best running team.

DeKALB – Senior wide receiver Preston Williams waited almost five years to make his first catch for Northern Illinois.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson While Central Michigan has dominated many of the headlines in the Mid-American Conference this season with their 8-2 campaign, Northern Illinois has quietly crept up the standings to give the Chippewas a challenge.

Division I recruiters weren't wearing out a path to his home in Indianapolis, so Chad Spann knocked on their doors.

It's Week 10, and it's a big week. Alabama-LSU in Tuscaloosa and Ohio State-Penn State in Happy Valley are the spotlight games this weekend; the first has national title implications, the second has Big Ten title implications.

Thursday night in DeKalb, Ill. NIU won 37-0 the last time the teams met on Sept.

TV/radio: 11 a.m., WPWR-Ch. 50, WSCR-AM 670. Records: Northern Illinois 4-3, 2-1 MAC; Akron 1-6, 0-3. Last meeting: Akron won 31-30 on Dec.

TV/radio: Noon Sat.; WSCR-AM 670, WLBK-AM 1360. Records: Northern Illinois 3-3, 1-1 MAC; Miami 0-7, 0-3. Last meeting: NIU won 17-13 on Oct.

Last updated on 10/19/2009 at 11:07 p.m. It's never happened for NIU - and now the Huskies will have to wait at least two more years to try.

NIU QB Chandler Harnish stiff arms a Toledo defender on Saturday night. For more NIU coverage, visit HuskieWire.com TOLEDO, Ohio – Northern Illinois needed to get something going on offense to start the second half of the Huskies' 20-19 loss to Toledo, and not just a couple plays to gain back some momentum.

Barry Church walked into the postgame news conference stunned and disappointed. The University of Toledo had just endured a 58-26 beating from Western Michigan at the Glass Bowl on homecoming, so of course the senior safety was expected to be distraught.

Last updated on 10/07/2009 at 8:37 p.m. Ben Gross: Well Jackie, there's no football this Saturday; how are we going to fill up the sports section this week? Jackie Thyfault: Well, there may be no football games, but I happen to know there will be a couple of volleyball games this weekend.