As NIU openers go, Iowa isn't so tough

It sounds crazy, considering Iowa hails from the Big Ten and has earned a bowl bid each of the last six seasons.

But when Northern Illinois and the Hawkeyes hit Soldier Field on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPNU), the Huskies will encounter their most lightly regarded opening-day opponent in five years.

Starting with 2003, NIU has faced No. 15 Maryland, No. 22 Maryland, No. 4 Michigan and No. 1 Ohio State in its last four openers.

The Huskies won the first of those four, which happens to be the only game played on their home turf.

Saturday's game is officially considered a Northern Illinois home game -- wrapping up a two-game series started last Oct. 28 when the Hawkeyes won 24-14 in Iowa City -- but Iowa fans have purchased at least 35,000 of Soldier Field's 61,500 seats.

Leave it to veteran NIU coach Joe Novak to spin a potentially unfriendly crowd into a positive.

"I know this much," Novak said. "We'll have more NIU people than in Iowa City (last year), so it'll help from that aspect. I appreciate those (Iowa) people helping make it a sellout."

Injury update: Northern Illinois middle linebacker Tim McCarthy intercepted a first-quarter pass in last year's game at Iowa City. He might not get the chance to pick off Jake Christensen again. McCarthy, a junior all-MAC candidate, is questionable after missing last week with a staph infection.

"He's better. He might do some things tonight," said coach Joe Novak. "It very well might be a game-time decision."

NIU's offense won't have junior tight end David Koronkiewicz for at least two games. The projected starter, who's known as an excellent blocker, has sat out fall camp with a bad elbow.

Koronkiewicz's absence prevents the Huskies from running their preferred two-tight end sets as much as they'd like. Junior Brandon Beal, who has yet to catch a collegiate pass, takes the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.

The future? Northern Illinois doesn't want this year's appearance at Soldier Field to be the school's last.

"I'd certainly love to play Illinois or Northwestern down there," Joe Novak said. "That was the original idea to this thing. I think that'd be a natural game to play."

Illinois wouldn't mind making its first Soldier Field appearance since 1994.

Though Novak probably will be retired before the Huskies and Illini could make a Soldier Field game reality, he and Ron Zook are friendly. That can't hurt negotiations.

Novak was an assistant coach at Miami (Ohio) when Zook started at safety for the then-Redskins. Novak lauded Zook's recruiting acumen on Tuesday.

"He's a recruiting fool," Novak said. "He's great at it, and he loves to work at it."