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NCAA Football Betting Online: The Northern Illinois Huskies were plenty lucky to win six straight MAC West titles and capture three conference championships. Their luck ran out last year and their streak as the most dominant team in the league ended. From 2010 through 2015, the Huskies were an amazing 65-19, but trying to keep a healthy quarterback in the lineup was their undoing in 2016. NIU started four different QBs last season and still managed a 5-win season, which is saying something about the stability in DeKalb.
2017 Northern Illinois Huskies at a Glance
Huskies National Championship Odds: +50000
Huskies Regular Season Win Total: 6
Injuries are a part of football and every team has to deal with them at some point during a season. The Huskies had to overcome a slew of injuries at the most important position on the field and in the end, they just couldn’t do it. The misery actually started in 2015 when the Huskies had three QBs throw at least 45 passes. They ended up losing their final three games and were spanked by Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Drew Hare opened 2016 as the starter, coming back from an injury that forced him out of the previous season. He went down with a knee injury in the second game. Ryan Graham took over, but he was ineffective and replaced by Anthony Maddie two weeks later. Maddie broke his foot a little over a month after that, turning the offense back over to Graham, who split time with Daniel Santacaterina over the last few games.
Despite the musical chairs at QB, the Huskies showed signs of life, winning four of their last five games while scoring 35 points an outing. Both Graham and Santacaterina are back to battle for the starting job in 2017, but given how the last two seasons have gone, they’ll both be getting first team reps.
Because of the uncertainty, NIU will need a ground game to lean and that’s where Jordan Huff comes in. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry last season and figures to get a heavier workload with Joel Bouagnon gone. The defense needs to be more disruptive up front, but the unit got better as 2016 progressed and eight starters are back. The Huskies did well with all the turmoil, but their bowl streak was stopped and getting back could be difficult with a tough schedule.
2017 Northern Illinois Huskies Schedule
Week 1: Northern Illinois vs. Boston College, Friday, September 1
Week 2: Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois, Saturday, September 9
Week 3: Northern Illinois at Nebraska, Saturday, September 16
Week 4: OFF
Week 5: Northern Illinois at San Diego State, Saturday, September 30
Week 6: Northern Illinois vs. Kent State, Saturday, October 7
Week 7: Northern Illinois at Buffalo, Saturday, October 14
Week 8: Northern Illinois at Bowling Green, Saturday, October 21
Week 9: Northern Illinois vs. Eastern Michigan, Thursday, October 26
Week 10: Northern Illinois at Toledo, Thursday, November 2
Week 11: Northern Illinois vs. Ball State, Thursday, November 9
Week 12: Northern Illinois vs. Western Michigan, Wednesday, November 15
Week 13: Northern Illinois at Central Michigan, Friday, November 24
List of Northern Illinois Huskies Seasons
| Year |
Record |
Bowl Game |
| 2016 |
5-7 |
|
| 2015 |
8-6 |
L – Poinsettia Bowl |
| 2014 |
11-3 |
L – Boca Raton Bowl |
| 2013 |
12-2 |
L – Poinsettia Bowl |
| 2012 |
12-2 |
L – Orange Bowl |
| 2011 |
11-3 |
W – GoDaddy.com Bowl |
| 2010 |
11-3 |
W – Humanitarian Bowl |
| 2009 |
7-6 |
L – International Bowl |
| 2008 |
6-7 |
L – Independence Bowl |
| 2007 |
2-10 |
|
| 2006 |
7-6 |
L – Poinsettia Bowl |
| 2005 |
7-5 |
|
| 2004 |
9-3 |
W – Silicon Valley Bowl |
| 2003 |
10-2 |
|
| 2002 |
8-4 |
|
| 2001 |
6-5 |
|
| 2000 |
6-5 |
|
| 1999 |
5-6 |
|
| 1998 |
2-9 |
|
| 1997 |
0-11 |
|
| 1996 |
1-10 |
|
| 1995 |
3-8 |
|
| 1994 |
4-7 |
|
| 1993 |
4-7 |
|
| 1992 |
5-6 |
|
| 1991 |
2-9 |
|
| 1990 |
6-5 |
|
| 1989 |
9-2 |
|
| 1988 |
7-4 |
|
| 1987 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1986 |
2-9 |
|
| 1985 |
4-7 |
|
| 1984 |
4-6-1 |
|
| 1983 |
10-2 |
W – California Bowl |
| 1982 |
5-5 |
|
| 1981 |
3-8 |
|
| 1980 |
7-4 |
|
| 1979 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1978 |
5-6 |
|
| 1977 |
3-8 |
|
| 1976 |
1-10 |
|
| 1975 |
3-8 |
|
| 1974 |
4-7 |
|
| 1973 |
6-5 |
|
| 1972 |
7-4 |
|
| 1971 |
5-5-1 |
|
| 1970 |
3-7 |
|
| 1969 |
3-7 |
|
| 1968 |
2-8 |
|
It’s been an erratic history for Northern Illinois since being classified a major college program in 1969. The Huskies joined the MAC in 1975 and competed for 11 seasons before moving back to independent status. NIU then joined the Big West in 1993 for a three-year run that could be called forgetful at best. The Huskies returned to the MAC in 1997 and despite going 0-11 that first year back, they found a home.
NIU had a successful run at the small college level in the early 1960s, prepping the school for big time college football. The Huskies went 58-18-1 from 1960 to 1967 and were College Division Champions with a perfect 10-0 record in 1963. Times were tough after the transition as the team posted just three winning seasons in their first 15 at the major college level. The Huskies broke through for their first MAC title in 1983, capping a 10-2 season with a win over Fresno State in the California Bowl.
The Huskies left the MAC following the 1985 season and played seven seasons as an independent before joining the Big West. The move was as bad as it sounded with NIU winning a total of 11 games and never finishing higher than fourth in its three seasons. NIU was re-admitted to the MAC in 1997. The team shared four West Division titles during a five-year span in the early 2000s, earning its highest ranking in the AP poll in 2003 and reaching its first bowl game in 21 years in 2004. The Huskies won or shared six straight West titles and claimed three MAC Championships from 2010 to 2015 under three different head coaches. The streak ended last season.
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