(Photo credit: Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire)
Thomas Hammock’s Northern Illinois Huskies were 7-6 a year ago and winners of the Camellia Bowl over Arkansas State. They have won seven of their last nine, and last season managed a win over power four opponent Boston College in overtime. Last week they hammered Western Illinois at home 54-15. That’s good, but in fact Western Illinois has now lost 24 straight.
The Huskies return 18 of 22 starters, but they do have a new starter at quarterback in 6-3, 216 lb, Junior, Ethan Hampton. Hampton is in his 4th year in the NIU program. Last week he hit on 18-20 good for 328 yards and 5 TDs.
Hampton’s top receiver is senior Trayvon Rudolph who is a 5′ 10″, speed guy. Rudolph had 51 catches in each of his last 2 seasons, and he had a big game last week. He totaled 171 yards from scrimmage and scored on a 43 yard TD pass and a 60 yard jet sweep run. Both scores came in the 2nd quarter. Tight end Grayson Barnes is also a weapon, he led the Huskies with 5 TDs a year ago, and also had a big game last week with 5 catches for 95 yards and a TD.
Leading the running game is senior Antario Brown who was a first team All-MAC selection a year ago after a 1296 yard, 10 TD season. The offensive line (in stark contrast to the Irish) is a veteran group, having combined for 117 starts.
Defensively NIU will start nine seniors. And they come off a solid 2023. A year ago, the Huskies were 23rd nationally in total defense and 10th in passing efficiency defense. They allowed just 21.0 points per game (23rd). Key players include a pair of excellent defensive ends. Roy Williams who had a sack last week and led his team in tackles and Raisehin Thomas led last year’s team in tackles for the season with 74. Javaughn Byrd is a standout at corner, and a preseason All-MAC selection. Byrd had three interceptions in 2023.
Thomas Hammock is now in his 6th season as the Huskies head coach. 0-6 during the pandemic year, he has otherwise produced some solid seasons. He has established a reputation for putting physical, run first teams on the field with solid defenses. After starting last season 1-4, he has the Huskies on a 7-2 roll, and he has done that with most of the same players that will enter Notre Dame Stadium this week.
One word should terrify the Irish going into this one: letdown. An enormous amount of energy went into solving Texas A&M, but now the Irish must take on an underdog but veteran squad that knows how to win, with nothing to lose. To expect the Irish to be at anywhere near an emotional peak would not be rational.
The Irish have experienced plenty of unexpectedly close games against non-power four opponents over the last few years, and yes a few losses. That said, it was Notre Dame’s culture that sealed last week’s victory against the Aggies. That same culture to go along with vastly superior depth should be all Notre Dame needs to win this one comfortably.
The Over/Under is 44.5 and ND is a 28.5 point favorite.
The Fighting Irish Preview prediction: ND 34 Northern Illinois 7