NIU notes: No front-runner at running back

Northern Illinois' muddled backfield got a little more murkier Saturday, and that's just fine with Huskies coach Jerry Kill.

The Huskies are still waiting for someone to emerge from their running back by committee. It's been a crowded backfield this fall, and it showed on the Huskies' two-deep chart with four tailbacks listed as possible starters.

All four of them - Me'co Brown, Montell Clanton, Justin Anderson and Ricky Crider - got a chance. The combined effort was pretty impressive, 285 yards, with Clanton contributing 61, Anderson 53, Brown 35, Crider 24. and quarterback DeMarcus Grady 53.

And just to add another name to the mix, none of the four led Northern in rushing. Sophomore Chad Spann broke free on a 55-yard touchdown run, the first in his career, in the fourth quarter and finished with a team-high 73 yards.

"This is a team game. This isn't an individual game. That's how I've always coached it," Kill said. "We're all in it together. If we have a guy who is way ahead, we're going to play that guy all the time. But if we've got guys who are very similar, then we are going to utilize them all.

"We get a hot running back, we are not going to take him out in situations. But right now we've got a lot of guys that are very similar."

Clanton doesn't mind his role sharing playing time with so many other backs.

"We just encourage each other," said Clanton, who is coming off two knee surgeries, "We've got a good group of guys."

Worth the wait: Northern Illinois' schedule this year, to be kind, is unusual.

In the first six weeks of the season, the Huskies play four road games and have their open date.

That left Saturday as the only chance before Oct. 11 for the Huskies faithful to see their team in person, and a sea of 20,936 red-dressed fans turned out to Huskie Stadium to do just that.

"It was a tremendous crowd," coach Jerry Kill said. "It was great Huskie Nation supported us so well."

Short field: NIU's special teams and defense continually made life easier for the offense.

After starting their opening drive on their own 30, the Huskies began their next four drives all inside Indiana State territory at the 43, 25, 44 and 27.

The Huskies scored on each of those drives except for one that ended on a Dan Nicholson interception in the end zone.

The trend continued in the third quarter. The Huskies began their first two drives at midfield and Indiana State's 10.

Making up for lost time: Northern Illinois entered Saturday without an interception in its first two games. Senior Bradley Pruitt and junior Cory Hanson changed that in the first half.

Pruitt returned his pick 54 yards for a touchdown, and Hanson also might have run his back if he didn't stumble while making the catch.

"We practice it all the time," Pruitt said. "When the quarterback looks, you jump it."

Patrick George made his first career interception in the second half, and safety Mike Sobol returned a fumble 20 yards to set up another score.

"Every opportunity to get a turnover we did," coach Jerry Kill said. "We focused on it the past couple of weeks. Overall, I think the defense played real aggressive and real well."

Local impact: Willie Clark, a redshirt freshman from Lake Park, blocked a punt in the first quarter, leading to a Northern Illinois field goal. Clark later made his first career reception. Geneva product Pat Schiller, also a redshirt freshman, made 3 tackles in his kick coverage and backup linebacker roles.

Never a doubt: So much for at least one question mark.

NIU entered the year trying to replace place-kicker Chris Nendick. The Huskies turned to a transfer from Wiona State, junior Mike Salerno.

Through three weeks, Salerno has yet to miss, improving to 6-for-6 on field goals by knocking in kicks from 46 and 39 yards out.

"He has to put up with me every day," Jerry Kill said. "I'm hard on the kicker. He says, 'Coach, game day is easy because I get away from you.' I'm proud of him; he's done a great job. He did a great job of kicking off."

Happy anniversary: Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of one of the biggest wins in NIU history, 19-16 at Alabama over the 21st-ranked Crimson Tide. Running back Michael Turner, now a star in the NFL with Atlanta, helped lead the way that night in the Huskies' only win over a SEC school.

They'll get a chance to add to it in two weeks when they play at Tennessee (1-2), a 30-6 loser Saturday to Florida.