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f r o m T e d i t o r b r i a OPPONENTe PREVIEW 2013 n n e u b r t • Sept. 28 • Ross-Ade Stadium • Time: Noon • TV TBD Northern Illinois Huskies Who's in Charge? COACH ROD CAREY here's simply no topping Northern Illinois' 2012. The MAC champion Huskies broke through the BCS ceiling a year ago, crashing the party as a mid-major participant before losing to Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Jordan Lynch returns from that team, subject of a newly launched Heisman Trophy campaign after he ran for 1,800-plus yards, threw for more than 3,100, and totaled 44 touchdowns, throwNorthern Illinois ing just six inter- Quarterback Jordan Lynch will garner some Heisman ceptions all season. talk based on the performance of last year's offense that Needless to say, averaged nearly 40 a contest. expectations are guided an offense that averaged high around the program. nearly 40 points per game and fin"Maybe too high, in my opinion," ished in the top 20 nationally in tosaid Steve Nitz, who covers North- tal offense. ern Illinois for the Daily Chronicle. He'll operate with an offensive "It would obviously be really tough line that remains intact, but withto top what they did last season. out star receiver Martel Moore. "Never say never on a BCS bid, I Lynch alone gives Northern Illiguess, but if they can win the MAC nois a chance to be very good on again, I think fans should probably offense, but the greater concern be happy." for the Huskies might be on deLynch is a tremendous founda- fense, where they were strong in tion after he finished seventh in 2012 but now must replace all but Heisman balloting last season and Record at Northern Illinois: 0-1 (first season) Record vs. Purdue: — Bottom Line: Offensive line coach Rod Carey takes over the Huskies after Dave Doeren left for North Carolina State, inheriting a program that returns its marquee star but must rebuild around him. No reasonable person can expect a BCS return, but Northern is well established as the class of the MAC and it's up to Carey to keep it that way. Homecoming Oddity Purdue on homecoming vs. non-conference opponents: 0-1 vs. UCLA 0-1 vs. Oregon State 2-1 vs. Carnegie Tech Note: Purdue hasn't beaten a non-conference team on Homecoming since 1937, last facing one in a 22-14 loss to Oregon State in 1967. Early line vs. Purdue: NIU -1 GBIprint.com GoldandBlack.com Gold and Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 6 • 99