NIU outlook? Even Novak isn't sure

DEKALB - For those who arrived late to the Northern Illinois party, perhaps only upon discovering the joys of Garrett Wolfe, here's a primer on the Huskies' string of successes:

Joe Novak's crew represents the only school in the Mid-American Conference - and one of just 18 in the crowded Division I Bowl Subdivision - to post winning records every season in the 2000s.

Of those 18 schools, seven can be found in their usual high-rent district that is this year's preseason Top 10 in both national polls.

Five more schools made both the Associated Press' and USA Today's preseason Top 25 polls. From there, five more are listed under "Others Receiving Votes."

For those scoring at home, that leaves just one perennially winning program without any preseason acclaim from either the media or coaches.

Yep, Northern Illinois.

But before every perpetually suffering Huskies fan cries foul, there are good reasons for this status.

Aside from oohs and aahs from everyone who gazes upon the $14 million Yordon Center that radiates class from beyond Huskie Stadium's north end zone, nobody knows what to expect at NIU in 2007.

Not even the wily Novak himself, who enters his 12th season as the Huskies' boss and his 34th as a Division I coach.

"We could be all the way one way or all the way the other," Novak said Wednesday after NIU's final double sessions of the preseason. "I don't really know."

Here's what we do know as the Huskies gun for their eighth straight winning season:

• The MAC news media, which should know NIU's consistency better than anyone, pegged Novak's team for fifth in the six-team West Division.

Only one of the 36 voters picked the Huskies to represent the West in the MAC championship game on Dec. 1. Western Michigan and Central Michigan are expected to duel for the title with Toledo and Ball State not too far behind.

Why not NIU?

• The Huskies lost 14 fifth-year seniors, including Wolfe and Dallas Cowboys left tackle Doug Free, from last year's Poinsettia Bowl squad.

There are just 10 seniors on this year's team - and only tight end Brandon Davis, left tackle Chris Acevedo and kicker Chris Nendick are likely to start the Sept. 1 opener against Iowa at Soldier Field.

• Not only did the Huskies lose 85 percent of their rushing yardage AND 75 percent of their passing yardage AND their best lineman, they lost four of the five coaches that comprise their offensive staff.

Former Eastern Illinois coordinator Roy Wittke, who discovered Tony Romo and launched him into NFL orbit, returns to the Land of Lincoln after two years at Arkansas and a one-year stint with Arizona State.

Novak didn't ask Wittke to reinvent NIU's run-first style, yet he has introduced several new ways for quarterback Dan Nicholson to trigger the offense.

That conundrum explains why sophomore center Eddie Adamski (Carmel), the leader on the offensive line, proclaimed "the scheme's pretty much the same" in one breath and "we've got a whole new offense this year" with the next.

"It's really exciting," Adamski said. "Because it's a lot of motion and a lot of new guys in the backfield. We're going to throw the ball a lot, but we're still going to run it, too."

Shifty junior Montell Clanton (204 career yards), who missed most of last season with a torn knee ligament, should take the first handoff of the post-Wolfe era.

But Novak promises brawny sophomore Justin Anderson (117 career yards) and true freshman walkon Chad Spann, an Indianapolis native who's a slighter larger version of Wolfe, will be part of a three-man rotation.

Nicholson, who made 5 starts in his first two seasons, possesses a deep receiving corps led by junior Britt Davis (99 career catches, 1,172 yards, 6 TDs).

Juniors Marcus Perez, Matt Simon and Greg Turner (Driscoll), along with sophomore Marcus Lewis (Warren) and true freshman Landon Cox, give new receivers coach P.J. Fleck lots of choices.

During the two-a-days portion of the preseason, Northern Illinois' defensive needed choices as several first-stringers missed time.

Middle linebacker Tim McCarthy sat out this week's practices after being hospitalized with a staph infection on his upper foot. As a diabetic, the third-year starter has been monitored more closely and needs extra time to heal.

"I'm still hopeful that we will (have McCarthy for Iowa)," Novak said. "I think we will."

If McCarthy plays, then sophomore John Tranchitella (Driscoll) can stay outside and doesn't need to fill in the middle. Junior Josh Allen, who displayed ample potential as a true freshman in 2005, has claimed the other spot with Cory Hanson the top reserve.

Junior defensive end Larry English (Marmion), who tied the single-season school record with 12 sacks last year, has practiced irregularly to protect his surgically repaired knee. The Nagurski watch list honoree expects to be ready for Iowa.

NIU has shuffled players all over the secondary due to injuries, though that's fine with Novak as he sees more quality depth than in previous years. At this point, junior-college transfer Chase Carter and veteran Melvin Rice are slotted at the corners with redshirt freshman Alex Kube (Cary-Grove) alongside former corner Bradley Pruitt at the safeties.

"Kube's tough," Novak said. "When he sees the football, he doesn't worry about getting hurt. He has very little regard for his body. He'll strike you."

Can NIU get in enough shots against a tough schedule to post another winning season? History suggests yes. Novak suggests...

"We may be a year away," he said. "But I've said that before and we've turned out pretty darn good."