NIU ready to compete against tough nonconference schedule
Northern Illinois' nonconference schedule is certainly ambitious, maybe borderline insane. The Huskies lined up three Power Five opponents (Iowa, Utah, Florida State) and a major independent (BYU).
But look at it this way: Teams in the big conferences play Power Five opponents every week and look to schedule MAC teams as early season warmups.
NIU simply flipped the script, which seems appropriate for a program that's been probably the second-best non-Power Five program behind Boise State over the last 10 years. The Huskies' season begins Saturday at Iowa (2:30 p.m., BTN).
"At NIU we always hold ourselves to a really high standard," sophomore defensive tackle Jack Heflin said this week. "You've got to play the best to be the best, and we want nothing less."
Northern Illinois has gone 4-1 in its last five games against Big Ten opponents. Head coach Rod Carey, whose first win as head coach came at Iowa, dismissed that success as any sort of advantage, pointing out basically no current players were on the field when the Huskies beat the Hawkeyes, Purdue and Northwestern in 2013 and '14. The one comparison Carey was willing to make was last year's win at Nebraska.
NIU has been tabbed as the favorite to win the MAC West this season, but there are plenty of question marks beyond the team's highlight player - all-American defensive end Sutton Smith.
Smith helped advance a narrative that the Huskies are ready for anyone in a recent interview with the Des Moines Register.
"It's not like we're going to go into Iowa thinking, 'Man, I hope we can keep up with them,'" Smith said. "That's not our mindset. We're coming in there to punch them right in the face, just like we did at Nebraska."
Iowa's two starting offensive tackles, Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs, were suspended for this game for rules violations, so Smith will be lining up against a first-time starter on Saturday.
"That's kind of a disappointment," Smith said of not facing Iowa's starting tackles. "I'm sure all Iowa knows what my tricks are, but they're going to have to figure out what my new tricks are."
Smith, a converted running back, led the nation in tackles for loss last season with 29.5, to go with 14 sacks.
"Last year going into this game I was sitting here telling you guys I think this kid could be pretty good," Carey said of Smith. "He's embraced (the attention). I don' think you can fight that. You can't try to be what you were, you have to be what you are. He's taken on a leadership role, but still understood what got him to be successful was that film room and that practice field and those things haven't changed."
NIU has its own issue with a rules violation. Carey announced last year's leading receiver, Spencer Tears, will begin the season with a two-game suspension. True freshman Leon Payne from Simeon is listed as a starter at wide receiver on this week's depth chart.
The Huskies are settled at quarterback with redshirt sophomore Marcus Childers, who started eight games last season. Four starters return on the offensive line.
Carey thinks the Huskies are in good shape at running back, but the top returning rusher among that group is junior Marcus Jones with 350 yards. Carey singled out Bolingbrook High School grad Jaden Huff this week. He's a transfer from Division 2 St. Cloud State who was put on scholarship after fall camp. He's not related to last year's top rusher, Jordan Huff.