Things are shaping up for the Northern Illinois offense, provided there aren’t any more injuries. Already gone for the season is tailback Marceo Haywood (166 yards last year) with a torn knee ligament. The Huskies will have to rely on Charles Talley (1,540 yards last season) and Scott Florence (267 yards) to move the ball on the ground, because depth is not a strength this year.
With a week to prepare for Maryland, it looks like Brandon Barker will start at quarterback. The Huskies may surprise skeptics because they have almost everyone back on offense.
On defense, one player impressing coaches is Mandell Hester. The senior linebacker is making a comeback from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Last fall he was listed as a preseason candidate for the Butkus Award.
Ouch: Maybe it’s better, or nicer, not to rate all 111 Division I-A schools in those polls everywhere. NIU was ranked 100th in Sports Illustrated and 95th in the Sporting News.
Also, Talley will attempt to become the third NIU player to lead the nation in rushing, not second as one publication had it. The first was Mark Kellar with 1,719 yards in 1973, and LeShon Johnson, with 1,976 in 1993.