Ohio vs. NIU: 3 things to watch for in the Huskies’ homecoming game

DeKALB – Last week at Akron, the NIU offense scored 55 points – only two touchdowns fewer than they had scored during the entirety of a four-game losing streak they snapped with the big win against the Zips.

Just as the offense seems to be finding its stride, the Huskies (2-4, 1-1) are tasked with Ohio (5-1, 2-0), the Mid-American Conference East preseason favorites with the nation’s fourth-best defense.

Kickoff for the Huskies’ homecoming game is at 3 p.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPNU. Here are three things to watch for:

Resurgent offense to be tested

Coach Thomas Hammock said for the first month of the season, the offense was the Huskies’ Achilles’ heel.

After managing only seven points in the first half against Toledo two weeks ago, the Huskies have scored 81 points in the past six quarters. Ohio enters the game allowing 235.7 yards per game, fourth best in the country. They are ninth in passing defense (162 per game) and fifth in run defense (73.7). NIU running back Antario Brown is coming off a 280-yard performance against the Zips.

Hammock said more players are stepping up to make plays – although the team’s leading receiver, Kacper Rutkiewicz, is expected to miss the game with an undisclosed injury. Hammock also credited the coaching staff with adjusting when needed.

“I think we are less predictable,” he said. “We’re giving you different looks, different presentations. ... When you’re struggling on a particular side of the ball, you really have to dig deep and find yourself and find your confidence. And I’m proud of the way the offensive coaches have really stuck together, bonded together to put our players in the best possible position to be successful.”

One big reason for the offensive output against Akron was Trayvon Rudolph. The wide receiver who missed all of last year with a knee injury had his longest catch, his longest run and his longest kickoff return of the season against the Zips.

“Even with the ‘L’ against Toledo, that was just building us for the Akron win and getting more wins in general,” Rudolph said. “We’re coming to practice with a whole new mentality, making sure we’re having fun with it. At the end of the day, if you’re not having fun and just stressing stuff, it’s like, why are you here?”

Strong signs from the defense

The defense also has put up a strong showing the last game-and-a-half or so. Despite allowing 542 yards in a 35-33 loss to Toledo, the Huskies recorded three-and-outs on the Rockets’ last three drives, allowing the offense to come back and get within about 10 yards of attempting a winning field goal.

Hammock said the players on defense showed who they are against Akron. Even with a 35-7 lead at the break, the defense didn’t allow Akron to score in the third quarter until after the offense added two more touchdowns.

The Bobcats are averaging 144 yards per game on the ground, 204 through the air. Quarterback Curtis Rourke has thrown for 909 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 64% of his passes.

“We had the motto to stand on business,” linebacker Tyler Jackson said. “No matter what the odds were, no matter what the score was, we were going to go out there and get our licks back from last year [when the Huskies lost 44-12 to the Zips in DeKalb]. That’s what we did.

“And the third quarter and the second half on defense was a big thing to us, because ... we just wanted to be able to show we can play a full four-quarter game and shut teams down the entire team.”

Practice makes perfect

Two weeks ago, Hammock noted Rocky Lombardi had been practicing well and expected a big game from him, and the QB turned around a seasonlong slump by throwing for 258 yards with no turnovers against Toledo.

The next week, he said it was Rudolph who was practicing well, and he went out and had by far his biggest game of the season.

Hammock on Tuesday declined to run his hot streak to three straight weeks – although he did say he noticed one offensive and one defensive player with extra bounciness, but decided to keep it close to the vest.

But he stressed in football, more than any other sport, how you practice is how you play.

“It’s the most important thing, because it takes so much muscle memory and repetition to get where you need to be,” Hammock said. “That’s why I think the last two weeks we’ve turned the corner offensively.”

Prediction: Ohio 27, NIU 14