Temple glitters under Golden
Remember when Northern Illinois was a winless joke in the late 1990s, only to revive under Joe Novak's supervision and appear in the BCS Top 10 in the middle of 2003?
Temple has enjoyed a similar turnaround under Al Golden, if not quite as high of an ascent as the Huskies.
The Owls won four games from 2003-06, but show up at NIU on Saturday (11 a.m., Ch. 50) with 13 wins in their last 16 games.
Their only loss this season came at Penn State, which didn't take the lead until late in the third quarter.
“I would say right now, athletically, they're a football team as good as anybody in the conference, said Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill. “I think they've proven that with the wins they have so far and they very easily could have beaten Penn State at Penn State. They are certainly the team to beat.
When the MAC media voted in the preseason, Temple was pegged to defeat NIU in the conference title game on Dec. 3 in Detroit.
Both teams prepped for the MAC race by facing three BCS teams. The Owls defeated Connecticut and Army while taking the aforementioned 22-13 loss at Golden's alma mater. NIU lost at Iowa State and Illinois before stomping Minnesota.
“This group that's coming in this week is as good as anybody we've played, including Minnesota and Illinois, Kill said. “I think when they take the field, you'll see why. I was talking to an NFL scout and he said, ‘Coach, they are big, big, big. And athletic.'
Temple's offensive line, which features all-MAC senior Colin Madison (Willowbrook High School) at right guard, averages 318 pounds.
Schiller's return: When linebacker Pat Schiller tore up his knee near the end of spring drills, Northern Illinois' coaches didn't expect him back this fall.Their best-case wishes had Schiller returning for the tail end of the season.Yet there was the 2007 Geneva High School graduate posting 4 tackles last week at Akron in his season debut.#8220;Schiller played more than I expected him to play, NIU coach Jerry Kill said with a chuckle, #8220;but it was good and I thought he did a nice job after he got going. We need him.The former starting middle linebacker now serves as Tyrone Clark's backup at weak-side linebacker.Harnish shines: Don't be fooled by Northern Illinois' 167.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 99th in the nation and eighth in the MAC.When it comes to passing efficiency, junior Chandler Harnish leads the MAC and ranks 20th in the country with his 158.6 rating.Harnish has hit 69 percent of his throws with 6 touchdowns and just 1 interception. He also owns 311 rushing yards, which doesn't count in the efficiency ratings.Jerry Kill said Harnish has provided the best execution at the position since he arrived at NIU in 2008.#8220;Let's give the kid a little credit, Kill said. #8220;Our quarterback is playing very, very good football right now. As long as he keeps playing the way he does, we're going to be in most ballgames.