NIU hopes to grind it out vs. SIU

In years to come when people reflect on Garrett Wolfe's 2006 national rushing title, they'll forget how his production subsided once injuries took a toll on Northern Illinois' offensive line.

Why bring that up when Wolfe no longer wears red and black?

To remind fans that, to some extent, it's the blockers who make a running back.

As Northern Illinois prepares for today's intriguing inter-subdivisional showdown with Southern Illinois, the Huskies' linemen find themselves on the line after a subpar showing in last week's 16-3 loss to Iowa.

"More of our problem to me is doing a better job upfront," said Northern Illinois head coach Joe Novak. "We've got to get that (running game) going. That's us."

Not only did NIU's tailbacks average just 3.3 yards on their 16 carries against Iowa, but quarterback Dan Nicholson suffered 3 sacks for minus-34 yards while taking "5 or 6 other big-time hits."

"It was a combination of things," Novak said. "I don't think our offensive line was terrible. Going in, I was concerned they might get overwhelmed more than they did."

Indeed, Novak believes NIU has faced the best defensive line it will see all year.

It's fair to assume Southern Illinois, being a Football Championship Subdivision school, can't field a defensive line that equals Iowa's quartet of three-year starters.

But just in case anyone on his team has assumed the Huskies own overall superiority over the Salukis, Novak has reminded them of the programs' previous meeting.

NIU held on for a 23-22 triumph in 2004, but only because SIU missed an open receiver on a last-minute 2-point conversion try.

"We were very fortunate," Novak said. "We had some chances early in the game to get a nice lead, but we didn't. The longer they hung around, the better they were."

Southern Illinois crashed through the Division I-A barrier last year when it won 35-28 at Indiana, marking the school's first such win since Jerry Kill started rebuilding the program in 2001.

Now the Salukis are riding a four-year playoffs streak, including quarterfinal appearances each of the last two years (one of them a loss to Appalachian State).

"I think (SIU) would be very competitive in the Mid-American Conference - very competitive," Novak said. "Even though Appalachian State won, there's still a big gap between Michigan and Appalachian State. There's not a big gap between Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois, if there is one at all."

SIU pounded Quincy 59-14 in its opener as Kansas transfer John Randle raced for 132 yards and 2 scores in just 18 carries.

Quincy plays at the NAIA level, so this will be a little bit of a leap for the Salukis. But in the wake of Appalachian State's upset, there's no chance SIU won't be ready for this opportunity.

"It was a huge win for all of us," Kill said. "It makes us all look a little bit better.

"I think the anticipation to go play a Division I program - and knowing it's going to be a big crowd there and everything - the kids naturally pick it up. They like to be on the big stage."

Southern Illinois (1-0)

at Northern Illinois (0-1)

When: 6:30 p.m. at Huskie Stadium

TV: Comcast SportsNet Chicago; Radio: WSCR 670-AM

Series: NIU leads 28-13-1

Coaches: Jerry Kill (44-30, 7th year at SIU; 93-55 overall); Joe Novak (61-67, 12th year at NIU).

Players to watch: Southern Illinois retains 13 starters, including talented senior RB John Randle (132 yards, 2 TDs) and fifth-year senior QB Nick Hill (13 of 18, 174 yards, 2 TDs). The Salukis' roster features nine Daily Herald products, though punter Scott Ravenesi (Glenbard North) and long snapper Travis Bloomfield (Harper JC) are the only starters.

While Northern Illinois' offense struggled against Iowa, its defense performed well enough to win. Linebacker John Tranchitella (Driscoll) and cornerback Melvin Rice led the way with 10 tackles apiece. Linebacker Cory Hanson managed the team's lone sack, while the Huskies forced no turnovers.

The skinny: Southern Illinois scored early and often last week against Quincy. The Salukis had 10 possessions. They scored 8 touchdowns, kicked 1 field goal and sat on the ball once to close the first half. That's pretty good. NIU, on the other hand, managed just 3 points against Iowa. The Huskies killed themselves occasionally, such as the time they had first down-and-3 for a score and came away with nothing. Considering the Salukis' competition is moving up a notch and the Huskies' competition is moving down a notch, this could turn into a riveting civil war.