Nebraska says there'll be no overlooking visiting NIU this time
Two years after an NIU upset of Nebraska in Lincoln, Cornhuskers players have been defiant at the thought of a similar letdown on their end.
"We didn't give them the respect that they deserved," linebacker Mohamed Barry said. "I feel like practice was very loose that week. I feel like people were like 'Oh, Sun Belt or whatever conference. We're going to beat them, we're going to dust them. Even playing relaxed football, we're going to beat them by 40.' "
The thought of Memorial Stadium isn't daunting to some of the Huskies. For those like Weston Kramer, who said he'd be content to play a Big Ten opponent every season, his first game was a memorable experience in many ways.
NIU's 2017 victory over the Cornhuskers (21-17) lingers heavily in Kramer's memory.
"It was a foggy day and you just walk out in the fog and you see 90,000 people going straight vertical up," Kramer said. "It was the coolest thing ever for me. I'm so excited to go back there. ... It was my third game I've ever played and it was incredible. It was the coolest environment I've ever played a football game."
Nebraska coach Scott Frost was especially complimentary of NIU's defense, and took notice of NIU play last week at Utah.
"They're like a swarm of bees or fire ants or something just trying to block," Frost said. "There's movement on the d-line all the time. There's linebackers sprinting through the line of scrimmage. We have to be able to block moving targets this week. They're going to load the box with that and make us earn it on the ground. So we need to complete some balls to our wideouts, and block them with movement and get some runs."
NIU coach Thomas Hammock, who coached at Memorial Stadium when he was with Wisconsin in 2012, said his team is prepared for the environment, and last week's game at Utah was a good test.
"The one thing I appreciate from last week is we didn't have penalties, and substitutions were good for the most part. They handled the environment. Utah got pretty loud at times. I didn't feel like we panicked or flinched at any moment," Hammock said.
The Huskies face another opponent with a strong defensive front. The Nebraska defense has seven sacks and 19 tackles for loss, and has allowed an average 86 yards rushing through two games.
NIU has just 78.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks 121st in the FBS, and the 267 yards through the air ranks 46th.
Nebraska sophomore quarterback Adrian Martinez leads an offense featuring playmakers JD Spielman at wide receiver and running back Maurice Washington, who had 111 yards receiving an 77 rushing in a 34-31 loss to Colorado.
"We've got to be able to tackle in space. That's what it comes down to," Hammock said. "They believe in getting speed in space. We have to be good enough on defense to get the ball down."
NIU linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis will play on the same field as his cousin, Nebraska linebacker Alex Davis.
"It's kind of like split in the family. My dad wants me to win, his dad wants him to win. There's going to be a lot of family at the game," Jones-Davis said.
Game Day
<b>Northern Illinois (1-1) at Nebraska (1-1)</b>When: 7 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb.
TV: FS1 Radio: WIND AM-560, WLBK AM-1380
Last meeting: NIU 21, Nebraska 17, Sept. 16, 2017
Fast facts: There are 18 NIU players who saw action when the Huskies beat Nebraska last time. ... Transfer QB Ross Bowers is 40-of-62 passing for 528 yards and two TDs. He scored one himself on a 9-yard run at Utah. ... This will be NIU's 47th game all-time against a Big Ten team, and the Huskies have won four of the last six.