Scouting Northern Illinois football
Navy (6-4) at Northern Illinois (6-5)
When: 6 p.m. at Huskie Stadium
TV: ESPN Classic
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Series: Navy leads 1-0.
Coaches: Ken Niumatalolo (6-4, first year at Navy); Jerry Kill (6-5 at NIU; 110-62 in 15th year overall).
Players to watch: Navy boasts the nation's No. 2 rushing offense (295.0 yards per game) thanks to its balanced triple-option attack. Shun White leads with 873 yards and 7 TDs, while Eric Kettani adds 715 yards and 2 scores. The Midshipmen have tried just 74 passes this year.
Northern Illinois salutes 20 seniors before their final home game. It's a group that has started a combined 379 games - and that doesn't include three-year punter Andy Dittbenner. The nation's No. 17 scoring defense (18.3 ppg) bids adieu to the equivalent of seven full-time starters: DE Larry English, DE Craig Rusch, DT Alex Krutsch, MLB Tim McCarthy, OLB Josh Allen and CBs Chase Carter, Melvin Rice and Bradley Pruitt.
The skinny: While Navy already has its Congressional Bowl bid in hand, Northern Illinois needs to win this regular-season finale in order to claim its own postseason trip. Huskies coach Jerry Kill spent his week with two objectives: Trying to draw a massive crowd - to counteract Navy's large expected showing as well as to celebrate both teams - and trying to find a way to stop Navy's triple-option:
"Nobody sees it. Nobody practices against it. Then all of a sudden you're supposed to get ready for the triple-option in four days? You can't do it. It's very difficult to do. That's what makes it special."
By the way, Northern Illinois redshirt freshman QB Chandler Harnish gets better every week. He was nearly perfect last Tuesday at Kent State with 117 yards and 2 TDs on the ground and 173 yards and 2 scores through the air.
- Lindsey Willhite