NIU football: 5 things to expect from the Huskies this year

The Northern Illinois University football team held its 16th practice of the fall Saturday, a scrimmage that also was the third and final open practice the team has scheduled.

With the season starting in two weeks against Western Illinois, here is what to expect – and what not to expect – from the Huskies on Aug. 31.

Don’t expect: Clarity on the quarterback situation

On Saturday, Ethan Hampton and Jalen Macon shared a majority of the snaps, a change from the scrimmage a week ago when Josh Holst was in the mix as well. You don’t want to read too much into one practice. However, it was the first of the three open practices where time wasn’t equally split between the three.

Coach Thomas Hammock said he isn’t commenting on the quarterback situation in camp, a policy that seems likely to extend during the week leading up to Western Illinois. Hammock believes playing things close to the vest gives him a competitive advantage.

And with no more open practices, we won’t be able to see things like QB usage. Was this Holst resting or is it a two-QB battle for the spot?

Expect: Hampton as the starter, with a short leash

Call this a hunch. But if I were a betting man I would put my money on Hampton being the guy trotting out against Western Illinois first.

I also know that with Antario Brown and this team’s rushing attack behind an experienced line, turnovers are brutal. I mean, they’re always brutal. But even more so on a team built the way this team is built.

So if Hampton commits too many turnovers, expect Macon to come in. The two have such different skill sets you may see them sharing time, although in the past Hammock has indicated he prefers one guy handling things. But it’s also a wrinkle that makes the Huskies harder to gameplan for.

Expect: Lots of Wildcat

I feel tempted to broaden this out and say to expect a lot of chicanery in general from the Huskies’ offense. There’s a lot of multi-use weapons (for instance Trayvon Rudolph and Justin Lynch are former quarterbacks) that open up a lot of possibilities.

Hammock has said he’s not showing a lot in open practices, not knowing who is there watching. But one thing that happens frequently is a running back lining up at the QB spot in the Wildcat formation. And with Brown not getting a ton of time on the field in an effort to keep him fresh, Wildcat duties have rotated around with a lot of different guys.

The team didn’t shy away from the formation last year. They may lean into it even more this season with Brown, Gavin Williams, Jaylen Poe or Justin Lynch.

Don’t expect: Defensive regression

For as good as the defense was last year, you’d normally expect some regression toward the mean. Probably not with this squad though.

For starters, of the 12 defensive players who started at least six games last year, nine are back. The Huskies were 23rd in total defense last year, allowing 319.5 yards per game.

But there’s a lot the team should improve on, starting with run defense. They were 60th nationally, allowing 148.4 yards per game. They were 97th in forcing turnovers and 112th in tackles for a loss. There was much room for this defense to grow, and it almost certainly has.

Expect: Week 1 to be a bellwether for the season

How NIU does against an FCS opponent under Hammock explains how the season goes.

Take last year, a 14-11 loss to SIU. It started a four-game losing streak in an up-and-down season, including a win at Boston College and the team’s first bowl in over a decade.

The team went 3-9 in 2022 and beat Eastern Illinois by a single touchdown. The year they won the MAC they dismantled Maine. And in Hammock’s first year they didn’t exactly win as easy as a fan would hope, 24-10 against Illinois State. They went 5-7 that year.

So sure, a win is theoretically a win, whether by one point or 1,000. But a struggle against an FCS team that was winless last season probably doesn’t bode well for the current season.