OFFENSE: The Huskies come into the new season with possibly the most potent
offensive attack in the MAC and it is all thanks to Phil Horvath and Garrett
Wolfe. At just 5-7 and a few pounds shy of the 180 mark, Wolfe showed last
season size does not matter as he rushed for an impressive 1,580 yards and 16
touchdowns. Wolfe churned out 6.5 ypc on the season and also played a small
part in the passing game, catching 20 balls for 222 yards. The speedster's
superb season earned him his second consecutive First Team All-MAC honor. As
for Horvath, he shined in his first season as the starting QB for the Huskies,
completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 2,001 yards to go along with an
impressive 18-8 TD-to-INT ratio. Unfortunately for the senior he suffered a
broken arm against Central Michigan and was lost for the reminder of the year.
However, this season he will be back and there is no reason why Horvath should
not eclipse last year's numbers. For him to achieve that feat he must find a
new favorite target, as the Huskies leading receiver from a year ago, Sam Hurd
(65 catches, 1,074 yards and 13 scores), has moved on to the NFL. Britt Davis
seems to be the likely choice as the go-to guy this year. The quarterback
turned wide out finished last year with 42 receptions for 441 yards and three
scores. Also adding depth to the receiving corps are guys like Marcus Perez and
Orlando Moore. Perez caught 10 passes as a true freshman in '04, but missed the
entire '05 season. As for Moore, he was redshirted last season, but will give
Horvath another solid target down field.
DEFENSE: Last year the Huskies came in with several questions on the defensive
end, and although the team struggled at times, there was definite signs of
improvement. The weakest link is at linebacker. Although the Huskies are
returning eight players at the position the team will most likely start three
sophomores with the best being middle linebacker Tim McCarthy. McCarthy started
just six games last season, but finished second on the squad with an impressive
101 tackles. As for the front line it took a few steps back from '04 to last
season. In 2004, the Huskies allowed just 3.9 ypc and recorded 30 sacks,
however, last season the team struggled against the run and totaled just 19
quarterback takedowns. This year NIU returns defensive ends Ken West and Larry
English, so the sack total should improve. Unfortunately, the team will be
inexperienced up the middle with Adam Schroeder and Zack Holycross most likely
getting the starting nod, so expect the Huskies to once again have trouble
against the run. The defensive backfield features free safety Dustin Utschig,
who led the Huskies last season with 121 stops and three interceptions. Also
returning to the mix are the Hansbro twins, Adriel and Alvah, who will lock
down the cornerback slots giving the Huskies a solid secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The loss of Shatone Powers and A.J. Harris will surely hurt the
Huskies' return game this season. Powers averaged 8.3 yards per punt return and
an impressive 25.8 yards per kick off return, while Harris netted 27.2 ypr on
kick offs. Fortunately for the Huskies, there are no questions about their
kicking game as Chris Nendick returns. Last season, the junior was 9-of-13 on
field goal attempts and a perfect 50-of-50 on extra points. Nendick also
excelled at kick offs, recording 20 touchbacks on 70 attempts.
OUTLOOK: Since 2002, the Huskies have been one of the premiere teams in the
MAC, posting a 33-14 ledger during that span. Unfortunately for fans in DeKalb,
they have been unable to witness their team take home the MAC Title. With 13
starters returning and possibly the best offensive attack in the MAC, Novak's
team should be at the top of the conference standings once again.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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