Bowl preview: NIU vs. Arkansas State
By Associated Press
Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Arkansas State (10-2)
When: 8 p.m. Sunday at Ladd Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV/Web: ESPN and ESPN3.com
Line: Arkansas State by 1.
Series record: Northern Illinois leads 6-1.
What’s at stake: Arkansas State is trying to extend its nine-game winning streak and get a victory in its first bowl appearance since 2005. The Red Wolves won the Sun Belt Conference and are trying for their first bowl victory since 1970. Northern Illinois has an eight-game winning streak and is the Mid-American Conference champion. The Huskies are trying for their 11th win in coach Dave Doeren’s first season.
Key matchup: Arkansas State’s defense against NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish, who has set nearly every career quarterback record in school history and thrown for 2,942 yards, 26 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 106.3 yards per game, which ranks 18th overall in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is tops for a quarterback.
Players to watch: Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin has had a huge season, leading the Red Wolves from obscurity to the top of the Sun Belt Conference under first-year coach Hugh Freeze, who has since left for Mississippi. Aplin has thrown for 3,235 yards, 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while also leading the Red Wolves with 605 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Northern Illinois linebacker Pat Schiller, a Geneva grad, has been dominant for the Huskies this season, leading the team with 108 tackles, including 10 for a loss and two sacks. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound redshirt senior is also effective in the passing game, with six pass breakups.
Fast facts: Arkansas State’s nine-game winning streak is the second-longest in the country, trailing only LSU. ... David Gunn is the Red Wolves’ interim coach after Freeze left for the job at Mississippi in December. Arkansas State has already hired former Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn as the permanent replacement. ... Northern Illinois is playing its second January game in program history and the 36-day layoff since the MAC championship game is a program record. ... During the Huskies’ eight-game winning streak, five of those wins have come by less than a touchdown.