NCAA Football Preview - Northern Illinois Huskies

Philadelphia, PA – 2013 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Northern Illinois Huskies rode the wave of success in 2013 thanks in very large part to starting quarterback Jordan Lynch, who finished in third in the Heisman Trophy voting that capped the college season.

Northern Illinois finished the season with a 12-2 overall record, which included a perfect 8-0 mark in conference play. The Huskies were defeated, however, but Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference title game, 47-27.

Still, NIU was invited to play in the Poinsettia Bowl, where the team was defeated by the Mountain West's Utah State, 21-14. The Huskies ended the season ranked No. 24 in the nation.

Coach Rod Carey's first season at the helm of NIU was extremely successful, but with no more Lynch on the roster, will the Huskies be able to complete their fifth straight season of double-digit wins?

2014 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Again, Jordan Lynch is gone. That could be a problem, since he accounted for 24 passing touchdowns and 23 rushing scores in the 2013 season, and helped NIU to 297.2 rushing ypg. Even though he was a gifted athlete with his feet, he showed off his arm by passing for 2,892 yards on 253-of-404 attempts, and he only threw eight interceptions all season. The Huskies averaged 222.6 passing ypg last season.

The offense, which averaged 39.6 ppg in 2013, is seeking a new quarterback. The offensive coaching staff will likely choose between two candidates: Junior Matt McIntosh and sophomore Drew Hare, and possibly Anthony Maddie. McIntosh and Hare saw minimal time on the field a year ago, with Hare completing 5-of-9 pass attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and McIntosh hitting a perfect 2-of-2 passing for 54 yards and two scores.

A significant portion of the running game disappears with Lynch, but there's no doubt the Huskies have an answer to that. Current senior Cameron Stingily had a very productive 2013 season that lived in the shadow of Lynch's monster stat line. Stingily registered 1,147 yards and nine touchdowns on 203 carries a year ago, and should build on those numbers in 2014 with four of the team's five starting offensive linemen returning for another season. Stingily will miss the first four games of the season due to an injury.

Da'Ron Brown (nine touchdowns) and Tommylee Lewis will provide the new Huskies quarterback with some sturdy weapons at receiver. Sophomore receiver Aregeros Turner and senior tight end Luke Eakes are reliable secondary options on an offense filled with returners, but unsure of the quarterback position.

"You'll probably see less quarterback runs, but philosophically we're not going to be a whole lot different," offensive coordinator Bob Cole said. "We're still going to do what we do. We have to see how it plays out and who wins the job."

DEFENSE: The Northern Illinois defense wasn't exactly spectacular in 2013, as the Huskies allowed 25.1 ppg to opponents and 414.3 ypg. But with an offense as explosive as last season's, the defense just had to be good, not great.

Like the offense, the defense is losing a stud playmaker in safety Jimmie Ward, who was a first-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers. Ward was the team's leading tackler with 95 stops in 2013, and also added 10 pass breakups and seven interceptions. Lucky for the Huskies, Marlon Moore (11 pass breakups) and Dechane Durante (three interceptions) are returning to hold down the safety slots. The secondary will be the strength of the defense in 2014.

Linebackers Jamaal Bass and Boomer Mays (the second- and third-leading tacklers from 2013) will retake their starting positions in the middle of the defense, while all four defensive line spots are vacant. Seniors Jason Meehan and Donovan Gordon are expected to be the leaders of a fresh group up front.

SPECIAL TEAMS: NIU doesn't get place kicker Mathew Sims back after the 2013 season in which Sims connected on 17-of-29 field goal tries. Instead, senior Tyler Wedel, who hit 3-of-5 attempts last season, will be the most likely starter at both kicker and punter in 2014. Wedel handled the punting duties in 2013, sending 50 punts flying for an average of 40.4 yards per boot. He downed 14 inside the 20-yard line and hit a long of 56 yards.

OUTLOOK: Northern Illinois has enjoyed four consecutive seasons of at least 11 wins, and has made a bowl game appearance in all five of the past campaigns. Losing Lynch and Ward certainly hurts the program in terms of talent, but you can be sure the Huskies won't see that much of a dip in terms of success.

"Obviously as a head coach you're never going to be happy all the time because it's give and take," Carey said. "That's what you like to see, you don't want one side of the ball dominating the other out there."

NIU opens the season with a matchup against FCS opponent Presbyterian before embarking on a tough three-game road trip to Northwestern, UNLV and Arkansas. In conference play, the Huskies will face Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Toledo, among others.

Northern Illinois did rely heavily on a defense that created turnovers a year ago, finishing the season with a plus-13 turnover margin. Only five starters return to that defense, but plenty of others saw the field in at least limited action. It may not be a 12-win season for the Huskies in 2014, and it may not even be an 11-win or 10-win season, but there's no doubt NIU will be a contender for the MAC title once again when the season starts to wind down.