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Opponent Preview Game 5: Northern Illinois Noon ET • Ross-Ade Stadium (West Lafayette) • TV: ESPN2 going to make his plays, but you can try to contain him," Purdue cornerback Ricardo Allen said. "He's a really good quarterback. He can run, he can pass, and he's a big body. He controls the offense and makes great decisions. You have to make him think, er team is …" keep moving around and just do That in mind, the Boilermak- all you can." ers will be hard-pressed to slow Those around the Huskie an offense that "hasn't missed program say Lynch has improved a beat" from last season, Hazell believes, as last year's coordinator, Rod Carey, took over for Dave Doeren, who left for North Carolina State prior to the Orange Bowl. Lynch is obviously the centerpiece. A fringe Heisman hopeful, the senior quarterback threw for more than 3,100 yards and ran for more than 1,800 as a junior, totaling 44 touchdowns and throwing only six interceptions. This season, he's totaled more yards of offense in three games than Purdue's entire Scott Walstrom/NIU team has in four. "There's no real way First-year coach Rod Carey has NIU undefeated through to stop him, because he's three games and looking to become the first MAC team familiar huskies will present a familiar challenge BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com be an opponent There won't schedulecoaching on Purdue's this year that the Boilermaker staff knows better than this one. When Coach Darrell Hazell's team lines up against Northern Illinois Saturday, its coaches will be seeing many familiar faces and presented with many familiar challenges. In an odd bit of circumstance, Purdue's first-year staff has the Huskies and star quarterback Jordan Lynch fresh in its mind from last postseason. Hazell and assistant coaches Jon Heacock, Marcus Freeman and Jafar Williams were at Kent State last winter when the Golden Flashes lost a doubleovertime nail-biter to the Huskies in the MAC title game; defensive coordinator Greg Hudson was the linebackers coach at Florida State, which marred Northern Il- Of course, the Seminoles carried out their plan with their typical NFL talent all over the field. Purdue, meanwhile, will attack Lynch with a defense that struggled mightily against the run against Wisconsin. That, coupled with Northern Illinois' porous-to-date Scott Walstrom/NIU defense, has led to Jordan Lynch will put pressure on Purdue's defense with both his some thought an arm and his legs. offensive shootout could unfold Satlinois' improbable Orange Bowl urday, provided Purdue's strugappearance with a 31-10 win. "I think any time you can see gling unit can hold up its end. Purdue defensive end Greg the same type of offense with the Latta doesn't want to hear such same personnel, it's an advantalk. tage," Hazell said. "It kind of irks me because But, he suggested, it was that's on the defense," Latta said. Hudson's background from Florida State that might provide "We can't let it be a shootout. If a better blueprint, since Kent (our) offense is lighting up the scoreboard, that's fine. If the othState's plan yielded 44 points. ever to beat two Big Ten opponents in the same season. GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 5 • 9