SB Nation - Martel Moore

Know Thy Opponent 2013: Northern Illinois Huskies

BoilerTMill — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:59:16 -0000

MAC teams are a staple on the early season Big Ten schedule. Lying almost entirely in the footprint of the Big Ten and with approximately 47 schools from Ohio, the conference makes natural sense as early non-conference opponents. They are just good enough to push teams, at least more than an FCS opponent, but more often than not it results in a comfortable win for the Big Ten team. The Big Ten team is often tested for a half or even three quarters before pulling away late.

Every year at least one MAC team seems to bite a Big Ten team. Last year Ohio got Penn State, Central Michigan got Iowa, and Ball State got Indiana to name just a few. There are plenty of prime targets for the MAC to rise up and get another Big Ten scalp this season as well:

August 31 Northern Illinois at Iowa

August 31 Western Michigan at Michigan State

September 14 Bowling Green at Indiana

September 21 Kent State at Penn State

We fall into the last of the five most likely chances a MAC team beats a Big Ten team, and it may be the best chance the MAC. Purdue is coming in with a ton of question marks, while Northern Illinois broke ground as the first MAC team to ever make a BCS Bowl (and first non-AQ team to get in with a regular season loss). They return an excellent quarterback and they have a stingy defense, making them dangerous even before you factor in their new coach.

This is not your typical MAC fodder. This is a legit top 25 team that could potentially bust the BCS again.

2012 Record: 12-2, 8-0 (MAC Champions)

Bowl Result: Lost to Florida State 31-10 in Orange Bowl

Blog Representation: Red & Black Attack

Series With Purdue: Northern Illinois leads 1-0

Last Northern Illinois win: 9/19/2009 at Purdue 28-21

Last Season for the Huskies:

Many of us remember the last (and only) time Purdue played Northern Illinois. The Huskies came to West Lafayette a week after Danny Hope's young team shocked many by coming within two points of an upset at Oregon. There were high hopes, then Chandler Harnish happened. Aaron Valentin had a punt return for a touchdown to give Purdue a 7-0 lead, but the defense followed by giving up two straight TD drives. The second of two straight fumbled punts by Valentin set up a third second quarter touchdown to make it 21-7 at halftime.

Purdue was stopped on 4^th and 1 at the NIU 28 early in the third quarter and gave up a 72-yard TD drive before the offense finally woke up down 28-7. Joey Elliott had TD runs of 58 and 6 yards to make it 28-21 with 5:42 left and Purdue appeared to have them stopped for a potential tying drive, but a fake punt allowed NIU to run the clock down to 25 seconds and seal the win.

That victory broke a 21-year losing streak for NIU against the Big Ten as they were 1-32-1 coming in. They haven't exactly lit the Big Ten on fire since, but they did beat Minnesota in 2010 and Kansas in 2012 for major conference wins. The last three seasons they have gone 34-8 with two MAC titles, an appearance in the MAC title game all three years, and two bowl wins.

This is a very, very good team even after losing Jerry Kill to Minnesota and Dave Doeren to NC State. Doeren was mentioned as a target for our own vacancy last December before we hired Darrell Hazell, NIU's opponent coach in the last MAC title game.

The 34-8 record may be daunting, but NIU has still struggled to beat major conference competition. Minnesota was 3-9 the year they lost to NIU and fired their coach. Kansas was 1-11 last year with hardly any defense to speak of but only lost 30-23 to NIU. Iowa was 4-8 and edged out an 18-17 win as NIU's only regular season loss in 2012. Six of the eight losses in the last three years have been to BCS conference opposition in Iowa State, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Florida State. The Orange Bowl, despite the final score, was still a 17-10 going game into the final quarter as the best team NIU has faced recently.

Northern Illinois Offense:

The 2013 season will be the Jordan Lynch show, and any fledgling Heisman campaign the senior quarterback has will be built on the two games against BCS conference teams in Iowa and Purdue. Lynch was brilliant last year and deserves all the praise he has gotten. In his first full year as a starter after replacing Harnish (who is now with the Colts). He threw for 3,138 yards and 25 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He also rushed for an astounding 1,815 yards and 19 touchdowns. Only Montee Ball, Stephon Jefferosn and Ka'Deem Carey ran for more yards and they were all running backs.

To put it into perspective, Johnny Manziel won the Heisman last year as a dual threat QB and he ran for 405 fewer yards. Lynch rushed for over 100 yards in all but two games (Florida State and Tennessee-Martin). Iowa did the best at defending his passing with only 54 yards given up, but he had a season low 16 attempts.

Despite the gaudy stats, Lynch is not a mad bomber of a passer. He only threw for over 300 yards in a game twice last year. He is an incredibly dangerous runner, however. Leighton Settle (453 yards, 5 TDs) and Akeem Daniels (447 yards and 9 TDs) provided some help out of the backfield, but for the most part this offense focuses on Lynch.

The loss of 1,000 yard receiver Martel Moore will pose a challenge in the passing game. He is currently getting a look from the Falcons after catching 75 passes for 1,083 yards and 13 TDs. That leaves Tommylee Lewis (48-539-5), at just 5'7" as the top returning receiver. Daniels (20-259-2) was adept at catching passes out of the backfield, but the receivers will need find someone to replace Moore.

Northern Illinois Defense:

While the offense was potent at 38.6 points per game, the defense was sneaky good at 19.9 points per game. As a unit they sacks opposing quarterbacks 40 times, which was nearly three times per game. Fortunately, many of those sacks are gone as Alan Baxter and Sean Progar are gone after combining for 18 sacks. Joe Windsor, who had seven sacks and 36 tackles from his defensive end position returns as a solid pass rush threat.

Safety Jimmie Ward comes back as the leader of the defense with 104 tackles and three interceptions. He was excellent at protecting the middle of the field in the passing game. Linebacker Jamaal Bass will be a solid, experienced linebacker that has been a two-year starter to this point and had 83 tackles and an interception last year.

It is hard to say what new coach Rod Carey will try to do defensively. Northern Illinois was very much a swarming defense last season with over 100 takcles for loss to go with the 40 sacks. They also picked off 15 passes and recovered 12 fumbles, giving NIU a +7 turnover differential. He was primarily an offensive line coach on staff the last two seasons and he has a special connection in this game since he is a graduate of Indiana. Carey was a three-year starter at Indiana at center, where the Hoosiers went 20-14-1 in that time and played in two bowl games.

The NIU defense lost some key pieces and does not have a lot of time to replace them. The Huskies have five road games in their first seven with a long road trip to Idaho in there too. The MAC is still their main focus, but after playing in the Orange Bowl and with winnable games against Purdue and Iowa as their only two BCS conference opponents this will be a key game for them.

Northern Illinois Special Teams:

Matthew Sims gives them a solid placekicker and an edge over our up and down rotation of Sam McCartney and Paul Griggs. He was 15 of 19 last season with only two misses inside 40 yards and a long of 54 yards. As a senior, NIU has complete confidence in him if it comes down to a field goal. He connected on the game-winner as time expired to win the 2011 MAC Championship.

The punting game needs to be figured out, but it should be noted that Lynch, in his 'do everything' role, punted twice for a 57.5 yard average last year, including a long of 63 yards.

In the kick return game Tommylee Lewis is a danger after he had an average of 24.5 yards and a 93 yard return for a score. He also was good on punt returns with a 15.8 yard average, giving them an edge because I think the last time Purdue had a great punt return was Valentin's TD in 2009.

Game Outlook:

This could be a critical game for both teams. Northern Illinois has dreams of an unbeaten season and return to the BCS with a quarterback that is a fringe Heisman candidate. Put Lynch at any BCS school and he is a front-runner for the award. They cannot get either without getting Purdue as their marquee win to give them two over Big Ten teams.

For Purdue, the Boilers are in a transition from an awful coaching staff to a competent one that still made consecutive bowl games. If Purdue is going to reach a bowl game in 2013 this could be a must-win. I expect wins over the four I's on the schedule (Indiana State, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana), meaning two wins need to be found elsewhere. Given the tough starting slate Purdue easily could be 1-3 coming into this game and that could extend to 1-7 before a much easier finishing kick against the three I's in the Big Ten and a depleted Penn State team. That makes this game huge.

Purdue has done an admirable job against mobile quarterbacks in the past. You would think Braxton Miller would go crazy against us, but Purdue kept him in check for the most part. Like when we play Ohio State we have to realize that Lynch running is the first option on most every play. Ricardo Allen has to lead the secondary to take away their under-sized receivers and the linebackers must stay home in the middle to protect against the run.

As an added bonus, Lynch's worst game on the ground came last year in the Orange Bowl where he had only 44 yards on 23 attempts. The braintrust behind the defense that stopped him just happens to be Greg Hudson, our new defensive coordinator. He was the linebackers coach at FSU and helped design the defense that contained Lynch all night in Miami. That experience will be huge in this game.

Prediction:

It is tough to call this one. NIU was 12-2 last year and played in a BCS bowl, but it lost to an awful Iowa team and barely beat Army and Kansas, who were far, far worse that Purdue. The two common opponents were Iowa and Eastern Michigan. Both teams easily handled EMU while Purdue beat Iowa on a last second field goal. That tells me the teams were nearly even. I want to avoid the Danny Hope-ism of saying, "But we'd be a BCS team in the MAC!" but I couldn't avoid his voice in my head saying that.

Ultimately, I think Purdue needs this game. Hazell and Hudson both saw Lynch late last season and did well against him. Hazell has better athletes on defense than he had at Kent State and Hudson has the schemes. They need to hold NIU under 30 points, as the Huskies were 12-0 scoring 30 or more last year and 0-2 when they did not.

I think Purdue does just that, barely. Purdue 30, Northern Illinois 28

A list of MAC NFL draftees and undrafted free agents

Matt Sussman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:50:48 -0000

It's that wonderful time where all those former faces of MAC football are going into the NFL with a dream at cracking a 53-man roster. It ain't easy and most of them, sadly, won't make it. But they're going to try, and that's the point.

Here's our as-up-to-date-as-we-have-tried list of all former MAC players who have inked pro contracts in some fashion. All undrafted free agents will be sourced, because the Internet is a terrible place designed to lie to you.

Akron (3)
Dalton Williams, QB (Cowboys, UDFA) (source)
Quentin Hines, RB (Patriots, UDFA) (source)
Adam Steiner, LS (Raiders, UDFA) (source)

Ball State (2)
Austin Holtz, OT (Lions, UDFA) (source)
Kitt O'Brien, OL (Giants, UDFA) (source)
Scott Kovanda, P (Bengals, UDFA) (source)

Bowling Green (2)
Chris Jones, DT (Texans, 6th round)
Jordon Roussos, OG (Seahawks, UDFA) (source)

Buffalo (3)
Steven Means, DE (Buccaneers, 5th round)
Willie Moseley, LB (Buccaneers, UDFA) (source)
Gokhan Ozkan, OT (Jets, UDFA) (source)

Central Michigan (5)
Eric Fisher, OT (Chiefs, 1st round)
Jahleel Addae, S (Chargers, UDFA) (source)
Cody Wilson, WR (Lions, UDFA) (source)
Ryan Radcliff, QB (Redskins, tryout) (source)
Mike Repovz, OT (Redskins, tryout) (source)

Eastern Michigan (7)
Mike Zupancic, LS (Patriots, UDFA) (source)
Andy Mulumba, DL (Packers, UDFA) (source)
Garrett Hoskins, TE (Browns, UDFA) (source)
Jay Karutz, P (Bears, tryout) (source)
Korey Neal, OL (Redskins, tryout) (source)
Alex Gillett, WR (Redskins, tryout) (source)
Justin Cudworth, LB (Chargers, tryout) (source)

Kent State (2)
Brian Winters, OL (Jets, 3rd round)
Josh Kline, OL (Patriots, UDFA) (source)

Miami (Ohio) (2)
Zac Dysert, QB (Broncos, 7th round)
Andy Cruse, WR (Texans, UDFA) (source)

Massachusetts (4)
Michael Cox (Giants, 7th round)
Stephane Milhim, OL (Jaguars, UDFA) (source)
Nick Speller, OL (Buccaneers, UDFA) (source)
Darren Thellen, S (Giants, tryout) (source)

Northern Illinois (5)
Perez Ashford, WR (Browns, UDFA) (source)
Alan Baxter, DT (Steelers, UDFA) (source)
Rashaan Melvin, DB (Buccaneers, UDFA) (source)
Martel Moore, WR (Falcons, UDFA) (source)
Sean Progar, DE (Jets, UDFA) (source)

Ohio (5)
Eric Herman, OL (Giants, 7th round)
Skyler Allen, C (Lions, UDFA) (source)
Neal Huynh, DL (Falcons, UDFA) (source)
Jordan Thompson, TE/LS (Chiefs, tryout) (source)
Gerald Moore, S (Raiders, tryout) (source)

Toledo (4)
Dan Molls, LB (Chargers, UDFA) (source)
T.J. Fatinikun, DE (Chiefs, tryout) (source)
Jermaine Robinson, S (Chiefs, tryout) (source)
Danny Farr, DL (49ers, tryout) (source)

Western Michigan (3)
Alex Carder, QB (Lions, UDFA) (source)
Paul Hazel, DL (Jaguars, UDFA) (source)
Dann O'Neill, OL (Texans, UDFA) (source)

An incomplete list of names that aren't on this list, but initially stood out as missing:
~~Ball State P Scott Kovanda~~
Ohio K Matt Weller
Eastern Michigan LB Justin Cudworth
Bowling Green LB Dwayne Woods
Central Michigan QB Ryan Radcliff

Breakdown by NFL team:

Buccaneers 4
Lions 4
Giants 4
Chiefs 4
Redskins 4
Jets 3
Chargers 3
Patriots 3
Texans 3
Browns 2
Jaguars 2
Raiders 2
Bears 1
Bengals 1
Broncos 1
Cowboys 1
Falcons 1
Packers 1
Seahawks 1
Steelers 1
49ers 1

None: Cardinals, Bills, Dolphins, Vikings, Panthers, Eagles, Saints, Ravens, Rams

As always, we'll update this with new signees as they come along. If we have omissions or errors, please share in the comments.

49ers pre-draft visits tracker: A final rundown of what we can find

David Fucillo — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:15:03 -0000

Over the last three months, the 49ers have spent time visiting with prospects in a variety of situations. Whether it be a private workout, dinner, or a simple sit-down at the East-West Shrine Game, Senior Bowl or NFL Combine, the 49ers have been plenty active.

A variety of resources track the visits, and I thought I would do what I could to compile everything. We've got Matt Maiocco's pre-draft visit tracker, which hits most of the big visits and private workouts. We've also got Walter Football's list of prospect meetings, which does a solid job tracking meetings at the Shrine Game, Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.

I've also been able to find a few additional meetings, with the most recent mention involving Michigan offensive lineman Patrick Omameh. He apparently had a pro day in which Jim Harbaugh took some snaps from the lineman. Of course Harbaugh did!

If you think I'm missing a player, let me know in the comments.

Running backs
Le'Veon Bell (Michigan State), personal session at pro day (Eric Branch)
Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina), visit/workout (Lattimore comments)
Zach Line (Southern Methodist), Combine/East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)

Wide receivers
Keenan Allen (California), Combine (Walter Football)
Perez Ashford (Northern Illinois), private workout, March 15, (DeKalb Daily Chronicle)
Tavon Austin (West Virginia), visit, April 2 (Matt Barrows)
Tyrone Goard (Eastern Kentucky), private workout (Aaron Wilson)
Martel Moore (Northern Illinois), private workout, March 15 (DeKalb Daily Chronicle)
Quinton Patton (Louisiana Tech), Combine (Walter Football)
Terrell Sinkfield (Northern Iowa), private workout (Associated Press)
Robert Woods (USC), Combine (Walter Football)

Tight ends
Travis Kelce (Cincinnati), scheduled visit (Matt Barrows)
Zach Ertz (Stanford), Combine, workout during local pro day, April 17 (Walter Football)
Gavin Escobar (San Diego State), visit, March 18 (Tony Pauline)
Matt Furstenburg (Maryland), private workout (XM/Sirius)

Offensive linemen
Jeff Baca (UCLA) East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)
Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M), Combine (Walter Football)
Luke Marquardt (Azusa Pacific), offensive line coach Mike Solari spent extended time with him after pro day, April 11 (Matt Maiocco)
Jordan Mills (Louisiana Tech), private workout (Aaron Wilson)
Patrick Omameh (Michigan), private workout (Adam Schefter)
David Quessenbery (San Jose State), visit, April 15 (Matt Barrows)
Brian Winters (Jason LaCanfora)

Defensive linemen
Tank Carradine (Florida State), defensive line coach Jim Tomsula had dinner with him night before workout (Matt Barrows)
DT Quinton Dial (Alamaba), visit (Aaron Wilson)
NT John Jenkins (Georgia), visit (Ian Rapoport)
DE Lawrence Okoye (British Olympian in discus), visit, April 10 (Detroit Free Press)
DT Sheldon Richardson (Missouri), Combine (Walter Football)

Linebackers
Kiko Alonso (Oregon), scheduled to attend 49ers local pro day, April 17 (Matt Maiocco)
Gerald Hodges (Penn State), visit/East-West Shrine Game (Aaron Wilson)
Sio Moore (Connecticut), East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)

Cornerbacks
Terry Hawthorne (Illinois), East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)
D.J. Hayden (Houston), visit, April 15 (Adam Caplan, Gil Brandt)
Tyrann Mathieu (LSU), visit, April 6 (Matt Maiocco)
Rashaan Melvin (Northern Illinois), private workout, March 15 (DeKalb Daily Chronicle)
Melvin White (Louisiana-Lafayette), East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)

Safeties
Jahleel Addae (Central Michigan), visit (Aaron Wilson)
Jonathan Cyprien (Florida International), visit (Pro Football Talk)
Josh Evans (Florida), private workout (Aaron Wilson)
Zeke Motta (Notre Dame), East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)
Phillip Thomas (Fresno State), Senior Bowl (Walter Football)
Shamarko Thomas (Syracuse), East-West Shrine Game (Walter Football)
Duke Williams (Nevada), personal session at pro day (multiple reports)

Special teams
LS Kevin McDermott (UCLA), private workout (Tony Pauline)

MORE DRAFT COVERAGE

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NFL Draft 2013: Updated List of Seahawks Pre-Draft Visits to VMAC

Davis Hsu — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:13:07 -0000

Regrettably, I was not as successful in 2013 tracking the Seahawks Pre-Draft VMAC visits as in the past. Teams have a maximum of 30 "Non-Local" visits, and the Seahawks used all 30. I was only able to dig up 20 of the 30. (Last year Danny and I were able to nail 30 of 30, so the Seahawks are getting better at getting the players/agents to keep quiet, or we are getting worse at digging.)

The Seahawks also had 17 "Local" visits, and this list does not reflect those local players

2013 Seahawk Pre-Draft VMAC Visits

OFFENSE: (9)

WR Russell Shepard - LSU
WR Martel Moore - Northern Illinois
WR Tyrone Goard - Western Kentucky
WR Perez Ashford - Northern Illinois
RB Christine Michael - Texas A&M
RB Jeremy Wright - Louisville
OL Ryan Jensen - Colorado State
FB Kyle Juszczyk - Harvard
TE Michael Williams - Alabama

DEFENSE: (10)

DE Rufus Johnson - Tarleton State
DE Mike Catapano - Princeton
DT Stefan Charles - Regina
DT Michael Brooks - East Carolina
LB Craig Wilkins - Old Dominion
S Cooper Taylor - Richmond
S Duke Williams - Nevada
CB Jeremy Harris - New Mexico State
CB Tyrann Mathieu - LSU
CB Dontra Peters - New Hampshire

SPECIALISTS: (1)

LS Kevin McDermott- UCLA

In addition, there were five private workouts that I was able to dig up. I am not sure if the Aaron Mellette workout was at his college or at the VMAC. The QB workouts were done offsite (not at the VMAC).

QB Matt Scott - Arizona
QB BJ Daniels - USF
QB Zac Dysert - Miami Ohio
P/K Quinn Sharp - Oklahoma State
WR Aaron Mellette - Elon

***
As you can see, most of these players are late round or UDFA type players, many of whom did not get a Combine invite. The six "consensus" highest graded players on the above lists are:

Christine Michael, Tyrann Mathieu, Duke Williams, Kyle Juszczyk, Matt Scott and Zac Dysert

Interestingly, Duke Williams, Christine Michael and Tyrann Mathieu are all talented players who may fall a bit due to some character issues. Perhaps the Seahawks were seeking some answers and seeking opportunity with those three names.

NFL Draft private workout tracker 2013: The latest visit list from around the NFL

Griffin Gotta — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:30:05 -0000

As the NFL Draft nears, prospects and teams are busier than ever, with private workout meetings taking place around the nation and around the clock.

Tuesday's latest updates confirmed that BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, a steady-rising overall prospect and the second-rated defensive end by SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn, recently visited the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns (via NFL.com's Ian Rapoport).

More: 2013 NFL Draft coverage at Mocking the Draft

Elsewhere, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o paid a visit to the Detroit Lions on Tuesday, and the Lions hosted Alabama offensive lineman Chance Warmack as well. Warmack is projected to go 18th overall to the Dallas Cowboys in Matthew Fairburn's latest mock draft for SB Nation.

For more private workout news and updates, follow SB Nation's always-fresh StoryStream. The following is as comprehensive a list as we could gather as of now, and it features visits either set to happen or that have already taken place.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Justin Hunter - WR - Tennessee

Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Landry Jones - QB - Oklahoma

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Jeff Tuel - QB - Washington State

Matt Barkley - QB - USC

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Tyler Bray - QB - Tennessee

Robert Woods - WR - USC

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

New England Patriots

Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina

Marquess Wilson - WR - Washington State

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stone Brook

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Derrick Washington - RB - Tuskegee

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Steve Lattimer - LB - ESU (as opposed to Lattimore)

Reid Fragel - OT - Ohio State

Kenny Stills - WR - Oklahoma

Dion Jordan - DE - Oregon

Desmond Trufant - CB - Washington

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

New York Jets

E.J. Manuel - QB - FSU

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Margus Hunt, DL, SMU

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stone Brook

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

William Campbell - DL - Michigan

Courtney Gardner - WR - Sierra College

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Miami Dolphins

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Xavier Rhodes - CB - Florida State

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Reid Fragel - OT - Ohio State

Don Jones - DB - Arkansas State

Quinn Sharp - P/K - Oklahoma State

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB - Connecticut

Shamarko Thomas - S - Syracus

Will Davis - DB - Utah State

Nik Embernate - OT - San Diego State

Malliciah Goodman - DL - Clemson

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Tyler Bray - QB - Tennessee

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Vance Williams - LB - Florida State

Johnathan Franklin - RB - UCLA

Josh Boyce - WR - TCU

Michael Mauti - LB - Penn State

Cincinnati Bengals

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

Travis Kelce - TE - Cincinnati

Reid Fragel - OT - Ohio State

Eric Reid - S - LSU

Matt Elam - S - Florida

Giovanni Bernard - RB - UNC

Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina

Alex Okafor - DE - Texas

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Sam Montgomery - DE - LSU

Baltimore Ravens

Russell Shepard - WR - LSU

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Cornellius Carradine - DE - Florida State

Damontre Moore - DE - Texas A&M

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

Cleveland Browns

Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Sheldon Richardson - DL - Missouri

Kenny Stills - WR - Oklahoma

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Don Jones - S - Arkansas State

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Logan Ryan - CB - Rutgers

Larry Warford - G - Kentucky

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

Ezekiel Ansah - DE - BYU

AFC South

Houston Texans

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

Indianapolis Colts

Edmund Kugbila - OG - Valdosta State

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Tennessee Titans

Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina

Brian Schwenke - OG/OC - California

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Jordan Rodgers - QB - Vanderbilt

Quinton Patton - WR - Louisiana Tech

Zac Stacy - RB - Vanderbilt

Brian Winters - OT - Kent State

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Xavier Rhodes - CB - Florida State

John Jenkins - DT - Georgia

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Ryan Swope - WR - Texas A&M

Uzoma Nwachukwu - WR - Texas A&M

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Sylvester Williams - DL - North Carolina

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Datone Jones - LB - UCLA

Sheldon Price - CB - UCLA

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Sharrif Floyd - DT - Florida

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU

AFC West

San Diego Chargers

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Kiko Alonso - LB - Oregon

Sam Montgomery - DE - LSU

Kansas City Chiefs

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Lane Johnson - OT - Oklahoma

Luke Joeckel - OT - Texas A&M

Damontre Moore - LB - Texas A&M

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

Derrick Washington - RB - Tuskegee

Oakland Raiders

Luke Joeckel - OT- Texas A&M

Denver Broncos

Zac Dysert - QB - Miami (Ohio)

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

NFC East

New York Giants

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stony Brook

Khaseem Greene - LB - Rutgers

Ray Graham - RB - Pittsburgh

Reid Fragel - OT - Ohio State

Dallas Cowboys

Terrance Williams - WR - Baylor

Jonathan Cooper - OG - North Carolina

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

Bennie Logan - DL - LSU

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Clemson

Philadelphia Eagles

Star Lotulelei - DL - Utah

Khaled Holmes - C - USC

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Cornellius Carradine - DL - Florida State

Vance McDonald - TE - Rice

Zac Dysert - QB - Miami (OH)

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

Josh Hill - S - Cal

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Zach Ertz - TE - Stanford

Dion Jordan - DE - Oregon

Luke Joeckel - OT - Texas A&M

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Gavin Escobar - TE - San Diego State

Washington Redskins

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

Manti Te'o - LB - Notre Dame

Detroit Lions

Cody Davis - S - Texas Tech

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Chance Warmack - OG - Alabama

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

David Amerson - CB - North Carolina State

Onterio McCalebb - RB - Auburn

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Justin Hunter - WR - Tennessee

Manti Te'o - LB - Notre Dame

Travis Kelce - TE - Cincinnati

Chicago Bears

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Brandon McGee - CB - Miami (FL)

Arthur Brown - LB - Kansas State

Reid Fragel - OT - Ohio State

Minnesota Vikings

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

Gavin Escobar - TE - San Diego State

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Carolina Panthers

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Clemson

Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU

Zeke Motta - S - Notre Dame

Kawann Short - DL - Purdue

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Quinton Patton - WR - Louisiana Tech

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Clemson

David Bass - DL - Missouri Western

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Stedman Bailey - WR - West Virginia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Stedman Bailey - WR - West Virginia

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

Sylvester Williams - DT - North Carolina

Akeem Spence - DT - Illinois

Datone Jones - DL - UCLA

Atlanta Falcons

Corey Lemonier - DL - Auburn

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Desmond Trufant - CB - Washington

Malliciah Goodman - DL - Clemson

Mike Gillislee - RB - Florida

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

New Orleans Saints

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Kawann Short - DL - Purdue

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

NFC West

St. Louis Rams

David Bass - DL - Missouri Western

Brandon Williams - DL - Missouri Southern

Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Mike Gillislee - RB - Florida

T.J. Moe - WR - Missouri

Terron Armstead - OT - Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Spencer Ware - RB - LSU

Johnathan Franklin - RB - UCLA

Eddie Lacy - RB - Alabama

Keenan Allen - WR - Cal

Justin Hunter - WR - Tennessee

Khaseem Greene - LB - Rutgers

Kyle Long - OL - Oregon

Gerald Hodges - LB - Penn State

Arthur Brown - LB - Kansas State

San Francisco 49ers

John Jenkins - DT - Georgia

Duke Williams - DB - Nevada

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Greg Wilson - WR - Fordham

Matt Furstenberg - TE - Maryland

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Gavin Escobar - TE - San Diego State

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Quinton Dial - DT - Alabama

Jamar Taylor - CB - Boise State

Seattle Seahawks

Martel Moore - WR - Northern Illinois

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

Quinn Sharp - P/K - Oklahoma State

Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Mike Glennon - QB - North Carolina State

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Brandon McGee - LB - Arizona State

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

Matt Barkley - QB - USC

Ezekiel Ansah - DE - BYU

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• Jets to work out Geno Smith | Will release Tebow

• Sneak peek at the Chargers' new offense

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• Potential surprise picks in the NFL draft

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NFL Draft private workout tracker 2013: Updated list of prospect visits

Griffin Gotta — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:00:04 -0000

With April sitting squarely in the present, NFL teams are down to only their pre-draft visits with prospects before the draft and each front office's subsequent future-altering decisions. These visits, of which every team is allotted a total of 30 before draft day, are becoming less and less a secret.

Teams and players will be criss-crossing reported connections, presumably until those 30 visits are up around the league, and Tuesday's roundup brought another wave of high-stakes workouts and meet-and-greets.

Among them, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jarvis Jones before the draft, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Mark Kaboly on Tuesday.

More: Behind The Steel Curtain's reaction to the visit 2013 NFL Draft coverage

Also, offensive tackle D.J. Fluker of the Alabama Crimson Tide is adding visits to the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, according to a report from Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Stanford tight end Zach Ertz worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Adam Caplan of the team's web site, while West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin is adding meetings with the Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams to his list (via The Baltimore Sun). Tuskegee running back Derrick Washington, formerly of the Missouri Tigers before legal problems derailed his collegiate career, will meet with the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, according to a report from DraftInsider.net.

Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib, along with a visit to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, will meet with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, as well as the Arizona Cardinals next week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

And of course, if we've missed anyone, please let us know in the comments.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Landry Jones - QB - Oklahoma

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Jeff Tuel - QB - Washington State

Matt Barkley - QB - USC

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Tyler Bray - QB - Tennessee

Robert Woods - WR - USC

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

New England Patriots

Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina

Marquess Wilson - WR - Washington State

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stone Brook

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Derrick Washington - RB - Tuskegee

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Steve Lattimer - LB - ESU (as opposed to Lattimore)

New York Jets

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Margus Hunt, DL, SMU

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stone Brook

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

William Campbell - DL - Michigan

Courtney Gardner - WR - Sierra College

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Miami Dolphins

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Xavier Rhodes - CB - Florida State

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers

Malliciah Goodman - DL - Clemson

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Tyler Bray - QB - Tennessee

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Vance Williams - LB - Florida State

Cincinnati Bengals

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Baltimore Ravens

Russell Shepard - WR - LSU

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Cornellius Carradine - DE - Florida State

Cleveland Browns

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Sheldon Richardson - DL - Missouri

Kenny Stills - WR - Oklahoma

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Don Jones - S - Arkansas State

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Logan Ryan - CB - Rutgers

Larry Warford - G - Kentucky

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

AFC South

Houston Texans

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Indianapolis Colts

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Tennessee Titans

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Jordan Rodgers - QB - Vanderbilt

Quinton Patton - WR - Louisiana Tech

Zac Stacy - RB - Vanderbilt

Brian Winters - OT - Kent State

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Barkevious Mingo - DE - LSU

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Ryan Swope - WR - Texas A&M

Uzoma Nwachukwu - WR - Texas A&M

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Sylvester Williams - DL - North Carolina

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Datone Jones - LB - UCLA

Sheldon Price - CB - UCLA

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Sharrif Floyd - DT - Florida

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

AFC West

San Diego Chargers

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Kansas City Chiefs

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Dee Milliner - CB - Alabama

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Lane Johnson - OT - Oklahoma

Luke Joeckel - OT - Texas A&M

Damontre Moore - LB - Texas A&M

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

Derrick Washington - RB - Tuskegee

Oakland Raiders

Luke Joeckel - OT- Texas A&M

Denver Broncos

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

NFC East

New York Giants

Miguel Maysonet - RB - Stony Brook

Dallas Cowboys

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

Bennie Logan - DL - LSU

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Kenny Vaccaro - S - Texas

Philadelphia Eagles

Star Lotulelei - DL - Utah

Khaled Holmes - C - USC

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

Geno Smith - QB - West Virginia

Cornellius Carradine - DL - Florida State

Vance McDonald - TE - Rice

Zac Dysert - QB - Miami (OH)

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Ezekiel Ansah - DL - BYU

E.J. Manuel - QB - Florida State

Matt Scott - QB - Arizona

Josh Hill - S - Cal

Ryan Griffin - QB - Tulane

Zach Ertz - TE - Stanford

Washington Redskins

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

Manti Te'o - LB - Notre Dame

Detroit Lions

Eric Fisher - OT - Central Michigan

David Amerson - CB - North Carolina State

Onterio McCalebb - RB - Auburn

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Justin Hunter - WR - Tennessee

Chicago Bears

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Brandon McGee - CB - Miami (FL)

Minnesota Vikings

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Le'Veon Bell - RB - Michigan State

Gavin Escobar - TE - San Diego State

Christine Michael - RB - Texas A&M

Carolina Panthers

Kawann Short - DL - Purdue

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Quinton Patton - WR - Louisiana Tech

DeAndre Hopkins - WR - Clemson

David Bass - DL - Missouri Western

Sharrif Floyd - DL - Florida

Stedman Bailey - WR - West Virginia

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Stedman Bailey - WR - West Virginia

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Atlanta Falcons

Corey Lemonier - DL - Auburn

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

D.J. Swearinger - S - South Carolina

Desmond Trufant - CB - Washington

Malliciah Goodman - DL - Clemson

Mike Gillislee - RB - Florida

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Sean Porter - LB - Texas A&M

New Orleans Saints

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

Jarvis Jones - LB - Georgia

Kawann Short - DL - Purdue

NFC West

St. Louis Rams

David Bass - DL - Missouri Western

Brandon Williams - DL - Missouri Southern

Marcus Lattimore - RB - South Carolina

Alec Ogletree - LB - Georgia

D.J. Fluker - OT - Alabama

Mike Gillislee - RB - Florida

T.J. Moe - WR - Missouri

Terron Armstead - OT - Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

San Francisco 49ers

Tavon Austin - WR - West Virginia

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Gavin Escobar - TE - San Diego State

Tyrann Mathieu - CB - LSU

Seattle Seahawks

Martel Moore - WR - Northern Illinois

Tyrone Goard - WR - Eastern Kentucky

Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Cyprien - S - Florida International

Mike Glennon - QB - North Carolina State

Dion Jordan - LB - Oregon

Brandon McGee - LB - Arizona State

Ryan Nassib - QB - Syracuse

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• Geno Smith's scathing scouting report

• NFL Mock Draft: SB Nation bloggers are on the clock

2013 Northern Illinois football's 10 things to know: Still the king

Bill C. — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:18:36 -0000

Confused? Check out the glossary here.

1. It was a seven-point game heading into the fourth quarter

As the past few months of the football offseason have elapsed, I've noticed that Northern Illinois' performance in the 2013 Orange Bowl has been lumped pretty closely to Hawaii's performance in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Granted, NIU did not put up a Boise State- or TCU-esque performance in its BCS bowl opportunity, but I did want to take the time to remind everybody that, heading into the fourth quarter, the score was Florida State 17, Northern Illinois 10. Yes, FSU scored twice early in the fourth to make it a 21-point cushion. Yes, FSU physically dominated. But of course FSU physically dominated. The Seminoles were one of the most physically impressive teams in the country, and NIU was small even by MAC standards.

Under Dave Doeren (and before him, Jerry Kill), NIU consciously sacrificed size for speed in instances when it couldn't have both. In a way, they have become a winning program again because of this, not despite it. The Huskies have won 34 games in three years by pummeling away with an efficient run game, making big strikes in the passing game, and bending, bending, bending, and rarely breaking on defense. That was exactly what they tried to do against Florida State, and it worked for a while. The offense went nowhere -- despite quarterback Jordan Lynch, it was actually the lesser of NIU's units -- but the defense did what the NIU had done all year. The Huskies forced a fumble at the NIU 29, held FSU to a (missed) field goal attempt in the second quarter, scored following a long strike to Akeem Daniels early in the third quarter, and was actually driving to tie the game late in the third quarter before Lynch forced a pass that was intercepted. There was no margin for error in this strategy, but it worked for quite a while.

Or, to put it another way...

F/+ Rankings for non-AQ BCS bowl participants (since 2005):

2010 TCU (+33.3%, fifth overall)
2009 TCU (+32.1%, fourth overall)
2009 Boise State (+28.5%, seventh overall)
2008 Utah (+24.3%, 11th overall)
2006 Boise State (+21.5%, ninth overall)
2012 Northern Illinois (+11.9%, 33rd overall)
2007 Hawaii (+8.0%, 41st overall)
2010 UConn (-1.4%, 63rd overall)

Yes, NIU was a lot closer to Hawaii than Boise/Utah/TCU. But they were more competitive, and they deserve credit for that.

(What's that? UConn wasn't a non-AQ team? Wait ... are you sure?)

2. Time to roll the dice again

Life as a mid-major is, as has been said many times, a bit frustrating. If you make a bad hire, your program falls apart. If you make a good hire, you lose your coach within a couple of years, and you have to hire a new one. Some reward. NIU was able to withstand the loss of Jerry Kill to Minnesota by making an inspired hire of then-Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren. But after just two years (and 23 wins), he's now at N.C. State. To keep the good vibes rolling, NIU looked inward; they promoted Doeren's offensive coordinator, Rod Carey (who served as interim coach in the Orange Bowl), to the top spot.

For mid-majors, it's almost as if a program's own infrastructure matters as much as the coach it hires. If this is indeed the case, then Carey has a good chance of succeeding. Over the course of 12 seasons in DeKalb, former head coach Joe Novak helped to lay the groundwork for a quality program. Granted, he couldn't maintain success forever (NIU went 2-10 in his last season, 2007), but NIU averaged 8.2 wins per year from 2002-06, a lovely total in the parity-addled MAC, and despite 2007, it didn't take Jerry Kill long to re-establish momentum. Now, NIU has been to five bowls in five years; the program is built for success, and Carey inherits quite a seasoned roster for the 2013 season. He even retained defensive coordinator Jay Niemann; NIU's defense is strong but unique, and avoiding turnover at the coordinator position was huge.

2012 Schedule & Results

Record: 12-2 \| Adj. Record: 10-4 \| Final F/+ Rk: 33
Date	Opponent	Score	W-L	Adj. Score	Adj. W-L
1-Sep	vs. Iowa	17-18	L	13.6 - 22.6	L
8-Sep	UT-Martin	35-7	W	22.8 - 31.2	L
15-Sep	at Army	41-40	W	40.5 - 28.9	W
22-Sep	Kansas	30-23	W	21.6 - 26.8	L
29-Sep	Central Michigan	55-24	W	35.7 - 25.1	W
6-Oct	at Ball State	35-23	W	31.6 - 26.7	W
13-Oct	Buffalo	45-3	W	41.2 - 18.2	W
20-Oct	at Akron	37-7	W	31.1 - 11.8	W
27-Oct	at Western Michigan	48-34	W	37.1 - 25.6	W
3-Nov	Massachusetts	63-0	W	43.2 - 22.1	W
14-Nov	Toledo	31-24	W	36.3 - 27.3	W
23-Nov	at Eastern Michigan	49-7	W	32.7 - 18.0	W
30-Nov	vs. Kent State	44-37	W	34.3 - 14.8	W
1-Jan	vs. Florida State	10-31	L	20.8 - 28.6	L

Category	Offense	Rk	Defense	Rk
Points Per Game	38.6	14	19.9	21
Adj. Points Per Game	31.6	40	23.4	26

3. It takes a little while sometimes

Following the departures of starting quarterback Chandler Harnish, running back Jasmin Hopkins, and all five starting offensive linemen, one had to assume NIU's offense would take a step backwards in 2012, and it did ... at first. Despite scoring 30 points or more in three of four games (versus awful defense), the Huskies really weren't very good in September. But once NIU hit conference play, Jordan Lynch found an almost inconceivably impressive rhythm.

Adj. Points Per Game (first 4 games): Opponent 27.4, NIU 24.6 (minus-2.8)
Adj. Points Per Game (next 9 games): NIU 35.9, Opponent 21.1 (plus-14.8)
Adj. Points (Orange Bowl): Opponent 28.6, NIU 20.8

Yes, the train slowed down in the Orange Bowl. Florida State was just a little too physically impressive, the run game vanished, and Lynch made some mistakes. But in nine MAC contests, Lynch and the offense were nearly untouchable. The defense, meanwhile, started out average and ended up good. Even against Florida State, the D was reasonably able to avoid the big, dagger plays (aside from two 30+ yard Lonnie Pryor runs, anyway).

Offense

Category	Yards/ Game Rk	S&P+ Rk	Success Rt. Rk	PPP+ Rk
OVERALL	20	54	61	51
RUSHING	12	45	42	45
PASSING	64	61	75	53
Standard Downs		55	62	52
Passing Downs		52	59	47
Redzone		63	58	63

Q1 Rk	68	1st Down Rk	91
Q2 Rk	48	2nd Down Rk	57
Q3 Rk	54	3rd Down Rk	40
Q4 Rk	80

Quarterback

Note: players in bold below are 2013 returnees. Players in italics are questionable with injury/suspension.

Player

Ht, Wt

2013
Year

Rivals

Comp

Att

Yards

Comp
Rate

INT

Sacks

Sack Rate

Yards/
Att.

Jordan Lynch

6'0, 216

Sr.

** (5.4)

237

394

3,138

60.2%

4.1%

7.4

Matt McIntosh

6'1, 197

So.

** (5.3)

53.8%

0.0%

4.4

Matt Williams

6'1, 188

RSFr.

*** (5.5)

Drew Hare

6'1, 200

RSFr.

** (5.4)

4. Jordan Lynch was almost a better Chandler Harnish than Chandler Harnish

Chandler Harnish's odd power run/pass combination seemed nearly irreplaceable. It was easy to assume that his departure would hit the NIU offense about as hard as Dan LeFevour's loss hit Central Michigan a few years earlier. And for a while, it did. Jordan Lynch was pretty awful through the air against Iowa in the season opener (6-for-16 for 54 yards), but pretty quickly thereafter he began putting up stat lines that even Harnish couldn't match. He was 18-for-27 for 342 yards and four touchdowns with 125 rushing yards versus Army. He was 16-for-23 for 195 passing yards and a touchdown with 207 rushing yards versus Ball State. He was 18-for-28 for 274 yards and four touchdowns with 136 rushing yards versus Western Michigan. And in his most ridiculous performance, he was 25-for-36 for 407 yards and three touchdowns with 162 rushing yards versus Toledo.

Lynch's completion rate sagged at times (44 percent versus Central Michigan, 56 percent versus Kent State, 37 percent versus Florida State), and it took a toll on NIU's overall passing efficiency; but his ability to soften defenses up with zone read keepers between the tackles, find quick receiving options like Tommylee Harris and Akeem Daniels out of the backfield, and occasionally strike deep, was too much for MAC defenses once he found his sea legs, and in the end he produced a disturbingly Harnish-esque stat line, slightly worse through the air and better on the ground:

Harnish (2011): 3,216 passing yards, 62% completion, 28 TD, 6 INT; 1,462 pre-sack rushing yards, 11 TD
Lynch (2012): 3,138 passing yards, 60% completion, 25 TD, 6 INT; 1,898 pre-sack rushing yards, 19 TD

Running Back

Player	Pos.	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Rivals	Rushes	Yards	Yards/ Carry	Hlt Yds/ Carry	TD	Adj. POE
Jordan Lynch	QB	6'0, 216	Sr.	** (5.4)	277	1,898	6.9	6.8	19	+46.0
Leighton Settle	RB				101	453	4.5	3.4	5	-7.8
Akeem Daniels	RB	5'7, 184	Sr.	** (5.2)	68	447	6.6	4.5	9	+10.9
Keith Harris Jr.	RB	5'8, 181	So.	NR	55	226	4.1	4.4	4	-3.9
Matt McIntosh	QB	6'1, 197	So.	** (5.3)	25	92	3.7	2.8	2	-2.3
Tommylee Lewis	WR	5'7, 155	Jr.	** (5.3)	19	111	5.8	3.7	1	+1.1
Giorgio Bowers	RB	5'8, 218	Jr.	*** (5.5)	12	64	5.3	2.9	0	-0.5
Aregeros Turner	RB	5'11, 180	Fr.	*** (5.7)
Jordan Huff	RB	5'10, 205	Fr.	** (5.4)
Joel Gouagnon	RB	6'2, 225	Fr.	** (5.4)

5. Akeem Daniels builds a picket fence

Akeem Daniels was NIU's leading returning running back heading into 2012, but he didn't really get untracked until late in the season. He carried just 28 times for 161 yards in the first 10 games of the year, and he gained just 31 yards in eight carries against Toledo in Game 11. But he ripped off 112 yards and four touchdowns in just 12 carries against Eastern Michigan, and with Kent State focused on stopping Lynch in the MAC title game (with iffy success), Daniels hit the corner repeatedly and gained 128 yards in 17 carries (with four catches for 67 yards).

With Daniels clicking like he did against Kent State, NIU basically forms a picket fence with an opposing defense. It can stretch you to the max horizontally with Daniels, it can stretch you vertically with its wideouts (thought finding a replacement for the prolific Martel Moore and his 14.4 yards per catch is far from certain), and it can stretch you up the middle, between the tackles, with Lynch. NIU stretches you to the max, finds your breaking point, and destroys you with it. And with Rod Carey's promotion, we can assume that little will change in 2013. Against a defense as athletic as Florida State's, this might not work quite as beautifully (to state the obvious), but ... try to find a defense as athletic as Florida State's on the 2013 schedule. You can't.

Receiving Corps

Player

Pos.

Ht, Wt

2013
Year

Rivals

Targets

Catches

Yards

Catch Rate

Yds/
Target

Target
Rate

%SD

Real Yds/
Target

RYPR

Martel Moore

121

1083

62.0%

9.0

30.8%

65.3%

8.8

113.6

Tommylee Lewis

5'7, 155

Jr.

** (5.3)

539

69.6%

7.8

17.6%

52.2%

7.8

56.5

Perez Ashford

373

69.4%

7.6

12.5%

73.5%

8.0

39.1

Da'Ron Brown

6'0, 194

Jr.

*** (5.5)

156

47.2%

4.3

9.2%

69.4%

4.4

16.4

Akeem Daniels

5'7, 184

Sr.

** (5.2)

259

66.7%

8.6

7.6%

66.7%

8.8

27.2

Jamison Wells

5'11, 193

Sr.

180

53.3%

6.0

7.6%

30.0%

5.1

18.9

Juwan Brescacin

6'4, 219

So.

223

78.6%

15.9

3.6%

35.7%

15.1

23.4

Luke Eakes

6'3, 250

Jr.

** (5.2)

268

61.5%

20.6

3.3%

92.3%

29.0

28.1

Angelo Sebastiano

6'0, 205

So.

*** (5.6)

62.5%

8.0

2.0%

62.5%

8.2

6.7

Leighton Settle

50.0%

2.5

2.0%

62.5%

2.4

2.1

Jason Schepler

50.0%

10.8

1.5%

50.0%

10.6

6.8

Tim Semisch

6'8, 266

Jr.

33.3%

1.5

1.5%

83.3%

1.1

0.9

Jacob Brinlee

5'9, 185

So.

66.7%

0.0

0.8%

66.7%

0.3

0.0

Charlie Miller

5'10, 176

RSFr.

*** (5.6)

Shane Wimann

6'4, 216

Fr.

** (5.4)

Blake Holder

6'2, 190

Fr.

** (5.4)

Offensive Line

Category	Adj. Line Yds	Std. Downs LY/carry	Pass. Downs LY/carry	Opp. Rate	Power Success Rate	Stuff Rate	Adj. Sack Rate	Std. Downs Sack Rt.	Pass. Downs Sack Rt.
Team	104.8	3.30	3.43	44.2%	78.8%	15.3%	131.1	2.8%	4.7%
Rank	48	11	45	13	9	12	36	29	35

Player	Pos.	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Rivals	Career Starts/Honors/Notes
Tyler Loos	LT	6'5, 282	Jr.	** (5.3)	11 career starts; 2012 2nd All-MAC
Jared Volk	LG	6'3, 315	Sr.	** (5.3)	15 career starts
Andrew Ness	C	6'3, 286	So.	*** (5.6)	14 career starts
Aidan Conlon	RG	6'3, 287	So.	** (5.2)	14 career starts
Ryan Brown	LT	6'6, 283	Jr.	** (5.4)	13 career starts
Matt Krempel	RT	6'5, 307	Sr.	** (5.2)	4 career starts
Tyler Pitt	LT	6'5, 292	Jr.	** (5.2)	1 career start
Michael Gegner	C	6'3, 283	Jr.	** (5.2)
Matthew Killian	RG
Wes Ott	RT	6'3, 281	Jr.	NR
Scott Taylor	OL	6'2, 295	RSFr.	*** (5.5)
Levon Myers	OL	6'5, 267	RSFr.	** (5.4)
Josh Ruka	OL	6'6, 295	RSFr.	** (5.4)

6. Experience matters?

I spoke with handicapper "Dr. Bob" Stoll last December; we were comparing notes and stat tidbits, and he mentioned that one of the most overrated, overused factors in college football was our reliance on experience to project offensive line quality. I struggled with that a bit, simply because I can pull together decent correlations between experience and improvement/regression in the line stats listed above, but a) the correlations aren't quite as strong as I might have originally thought they'd be, and b) let's just say that NIU's 2012 offensive line is pretty good evidence in support of Stoll's theory.

NIU entered 2012 with just 24 returning career starts -- 22 from guard Logan Pegram and two from guard Jared Volk. But then Pegram was lost for the season (and the rest of his career) with injury, leaving NIU with just two career starts. And the Huskies were Top 50 in Adj. Line Yards and Top 40 in Adj. Sack Rate. Despite a few more injuries during the season, the line protected Lynch, created opportunities for NIU running backs and did its job beautifully in short-yardage situations. And now it returns almost everybody from last year's two-deep.

Stoll's theory is that a team's offensive line coach matters almost as much as its experience level. Who was NIU's line coach in 2012? Rod Carey. We'll see if his move to the big chair affects this unit in some way, but with decent continuity on the offensive staff (new line coach Joe Tripodi was last year's TE/FB coach) and infinitely greater experience, there's no reason to expect a drop-off in production from what might be the conference's best line.

Defense

Category	Yards/ Game Rk	S&P+ Rk	Success Rt. Rk	PPP+ Rk
OVERALL	40	45	57	37
RUSHING	48	35	60	22
PASSING	48	63	64	63
Standard Downs		33	34	36
Passing Downs		75	107	49
Redzone		17	16	20

Q1 Rk	56	1st Down Rk	16
Q2 Rk	39	2nd Down Rk	82
Q3 Rk	36	3rd Down Rk	81
Q4 Rk	54

Defensive Line

Category	Adj. Line Yds	Std. Downs LY/carry	Pass. Downs LY/carry	Opp. Rate	Power Success Rate	Stuff Rate	Adj. Sack Rate	Std. Downs Sack Rt.	Pass. Downs Sack Rt.
Team	107.7	2.91	2.81	35.6%	82.1%	20.6%	143.7	4.2%	11.1%
Rank	34	59	27	26	121	45	8	74	8

Name	Pos	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Rivals	GP	Tackles	% of Team	TFL	Sacks	Int	PBU	FF	FR
Ken Bishop	DT	6'1, 308	Jr.	*** (5.5)	14	42.5	4.8%	9.5	2	0	2	0	1
Nabal Jefferson	DT				14	41.0	4.7%	6.5	1	0	2	0	0
Alan Baxter	DE				14	40.0	4.5%	11.5	9.5	0	2	0	0
Sean Progar	DE				14	36.5	4.1%	10.5	8.5	1	1	2	0
Joe Windsor	DE	6'0, 236	Sr.	** (5.2)	13	30.0	3.4%	10.5	7	0	3	0	1
Anthony Wells	DT	6'3, 276	Sr.	*** (5.6)	14	21.5	2.4%	8.5	4	0	1	0	1
George Rainey	DE	6'2, 222	Sr.	NR	13	19.5	2.2%	6.5	2.5	0	1	0	0
Donovan Gordon	DT	6'0, 275	Jr.	NR	14	16.0	1.8%	2.5	1	0	0	0	0
Jason Meehan	DE	6'1, 241	Jr.	*** (5.5)	13	14.5	1.6%	0	0	0	0	1	0
Perez Ford	DE	6'0, 218	So.	*** (5.5)	13	5.0	0.6%	1	0	0	0	0	0
Zach Anderson	DT	6'1, 300	Sr.	** (5.3)	7	4.0	0.5%	0	0	0	0	1	0
Daniel Green	DE				5	3.0	0.3%	2	0.5	0	0	0	0
Mario Jones	DT	6'0, 275	RSFr.	*** (5.5)
Michael Ippolito	DE	6'3, 259	RSFr.	*** (5.5)
Matthew Baltimore	DE	6'3, 230	RSFr.	** (5.4)

7. Size matters?

Against Florida State, NIU's starting DL averaged 6'1, 264. The starting linebackers averaged 5'10, 224. Again, the Huskies never had a chance to compete from a size standpoint with the Seminoles, but NIU got to the Orange Bowl, in part, because of this line's aggressiveness and competency. NIU was top 40 in Adj. Line Yards despite the size issues, with seven different linemen compiling at least 6.5 tackles for loss, with a lovely opportunity rate (the ability to prevent chances for opposing running backs) and an even lovelier sack rate.

Three starters have departed, but NIU's depth should come in handy. Ends Joe Windsor and George Rainey combined for 17 tackles for loss last year, comparable to the 22 last year's starters managed. NIU utilized its depth to great success last year, and it should help the Huskies get through some attrition mostly unscathed.

Linebackers

Name	Pos	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Rivals	GP	Tackles	% of Team	TFL	Sacks	Int	PBU	FF	FR
Tyrone Clark	OLB				14	68.5	7.8%	10	1	1	6	1	1
Jamaal Bass	OLB	5'10, 225	Jr.	*** (5.6)	14	64.0	7.3%	6	0.5	1	0	1	0
Victor Jacques	MLB				9	32.5	3.7%	2	0.5	0	1	0	0
Boomer Mays	MLB	6'0, 230	So.	** (5.4)	13	24.5	2.8%	5	0	0	0	0	0
Michael Santacaterina	OLB	5'10, 210	Jr.	** (5.2)	14	21.5	2.4%	2	0	1	3	2	0
Rasheen Lemon	OLB	6'0, 206	So.	** (5.4)	14	9.0	1.0%	0	0	0	0	0	1
Bobby Winkel	LB	6'1, 227	Jr.	NR	9	4.0	0.5%	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mike Cotton	LB	6'1, 224	So.	*** (5.6)	9	3.0	0.3%	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ryan Gorrell	LB	6'1, 225	Jr.	** (5.2)	2	1.0	0.1%	0	0	0	0	0	0

Secondary

Name	Pos	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Rivals	GP	Tackles	% of Team	TFL	Sacks	Int	PBU	FF	FR
Jimmie Ward	S	5'11, 192	Sr.	** (5.4)	13	84.5	9.6%	1	0	3	11	1	0
Demetrius Stone	S				14	63.0	7.2%	1	0	2	5	0	3
Rashaan Melvin	CB				12	47.0	5.3%	1.5	0	1	17	1	0
Marlon Moore	CB	5'9, 180	So.	** (5.2)	12	34.5	3.9%	1	0	2	4	0	0
Dechane Durante	S	6'2, 196	Jr.	*** (5.5)	9	30.0	3.4%	1	0	1	0	3	1
Dominique Ware	S	5'11, 180	Sr.	** (5.1)	14	24.5	2.8%	1	0	0	3	0	0
Sean Evans	CB	5'10, 174	Sr.	** (4.9)	13	20.5	2.3%	1.5	1	1	7	0	0
Jhony Faustin	CB	5'8, 174	Sr.	** (5.2)	10	19.5	2.2%	0	0	0	0	1	1
Marckie Hayes	CB	5'8, 176	Jr.	** (5.2)	13	15.5	1.8%	0	0	0	0	0	0
Courtney Stephen	S				10	12.0	1.4%	0	0	1	0	0	0
Paris Logan	CB	5'9, 179	So.	** (5.2)	13	7.0	0.8%	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tre' Moore	S	5'9, 194	So.	** (5.4)	8	3.5	0.4%	0	0	0	0	0	1
Mycial Allen	DB	5'11, 183	Fr.	*** (5.6)

8. Depth, depth, depth

Again, depth -- both of the intended and unintended (injuries) variety -- could pay off for NIU in 2013. The Huskies must replace a stellar safety in Demetrius Stone and a wonderful corner in Rashaan Melvin, but returning corners Marlon Moore and Sean Evans combined for 14 passes defensed, and NIU still returns seven defenders who logged at least 15.5 tackles in 2013.

Special Teams

Punter	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Punts	Avg	TB	FC	I20	FC/I20 Ratio
Ryan Neir			51	38.1	2	25	24	96.1%

Kicker	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Kickoffs	Avg	TB	TB%
Tyler Wedel	5'11, 186	Jr.	96	59	32	33.3%

Place-Kicker	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	PAT	FG (0-39)	Pct	FG (40+)	Pct
Mathew Sims	5'9, 181	Sr.	67-68	8-10	80.0%	7-9	77.8%
Tyler Wedel	5'11, 186	Jr.	2-2	0-0	N/A	0-0	N/A

Returner	Pos.	Ht, Wt	2013 Year	Returns	Avg.	TD
Tommylee Lewis	KR	5'7, 155	Jr.	24	24.5	1
Angelo Sebastiano	KR	6'0, 205	So.	6	22.7	0
Angelo Sebastiano	PR	6'0, 205	So.	17	6.3	0
Perez Ashford	PR			9	8.6	0

Category	Rk
Special Teams F/+	19
Net Punting	49
Net Kickoffs	62
Touchback Pct	74
Field Goal Pct	31
Kick Returns Avg	34
Punt Returns Avg	68

2013 Schedule & Projection Factors

2012 Schedule
Date	Opponent	Proj. Rk
31-Aug	at Iowa	47
14-Sep	at Idaho	121
21-Sep	Eastern Illinois	NR
28-Sep	at Purdue	69
5-Oct	at Kent State	80
12-Oct	Akron	120
19-Oct	at Central Michigan	96
26-Oct	Eastern Michigan	118
2-Nov	at Massachusetts	124
13-Nov	Ball State	84
20-Nov	at Toledo	62
26-Nov	Western Michigan	93

Five-Year F/+ Rk	50
Two-Year Recruiting Rk	88
TO Margin/Adj. TO Margin*	+7 / +19.4
TO Luck/Game	-4.4
Approx. Ret. Starters (Off. / Def.)	12 (8, 4)
Yds/Pt Margin**	-6.4

9. I can talk about Toledo … I can talk about Ohio … I can talk about Bowling Green...

...but NIU is still the king of the MAC. And until someone takes down the Huskies, it is probably rather silly of me to be saying "This is the year" for Toledo or anybody else. The Huskies must replace some play-makers on defense, and they will now be working with a third head coach in four years. These are red flags if nothing else. But the coaching staff has strong continuity considering Dave Doeren's departure, the defense's 2012 depth should come in handy, and, well, Jordan Lynch returns.

NIU must make road trips to Kent State, Central Michigan and Toledo in conference play, and trips to Iowa and Purdue loom in non-conference. So another Top 15 finish and BCS bid might be too much to ask for. But NIU is the MAC favorite until it proves it no longer deserves to be.

10. MAC Power Poll

This is the final MAC team profile, so I thought it would be interesting to lay out what I consider to be the MAC balance of power as we plod through spring ball.

Tier 1
1. Northern Illinois
2. Toledo
3. Ohio
4. Bowling Green

Tier 2
5. Ball State
6. Kent State
7. Buffalo
8. Western Michigan
9. Central Michigan

Tier 3
10. Miami (Ohio)
11. Eastern Michigan

Tier 4
12. Akron
13. UMass

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New Year's college football bowl recap: Streaks, turnovers and the best hit you'll ever see

Bill C. — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:30:20 -0000

687. Northwestern games between bowl wins. The No. 7 Wildcats beat No. 5 California, 20-14, in the 1949 Rose Bowl, then set off on one of college football's greatest droughts.

They went 0-8-1 in 1955, 0-9 in 1957, 1-9 in 1968, 1-10 in 1976, 1-10 in 1977, 0-10-1 in 1978, 1-10 in 1979, 0-11 in 1980, 0-11 in 1981, and 0-11 in 1989. They came out of nowhere to win the 1995 Big Ten title but lost in the Rose Bowl. They lost in the Citrus Bowl the next year. And then the Alamo Bowl in 2000. And the Motor City Bowl in 2003, the Sun Bowl in 2005, the Alamo Bowl again (barely) in 2008, the Outback Bowl (barely) in 2009, the TicketCity Bowl in 2010, and the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas in 2011.

Barnett raised the profile of the program, Randy Walker gave it an identity, and Pat Fitzgerald raised expectations, but none of them could win a bowl … until Tuesday, when Northwestern surged to a 13-0 lead in the Gator Bowl, watched Mississippi State tie the game in the third quarter, then calmly pulled away for a 34-20 win.

Northwestern underwent a record losing streak in the early-1970s and early-1980s, but even though it had figured out how to win football games over the past two decades, this streak still tied the Wildcats to their miserable past. No more.

472. Stanford games between Rose Bowl wins. In comparison to Northwestern, this is almost nothing, as Stanford has at least gotten other bowl wins in the meantime.

Still, most of the parents of the members of Stanford's roster were young children the last time the Cardinal took the Rose Bowl title. Like Northwestern, Stanford's football reputation has changed a few times along the way. The Cardinal were a giant killer in the early-1970s under John Ralston. Ranked 12th, they beat No. 2 Ohio State, 27-17, in the 1971 Rose Bowl; the upset prevented the Buckeyes from winning the national title. Then, ranked 16th, they beat No. 4 Michigan, 13-12, in 1972. When Ralston left for the Denver Broncos, however, it set in motion a long chain of ups and downs. Stanford won between five and seven games for eight of the next 11 years, hovered around .500 for most of the Jack Elway era (1984-88), won 18 games in 1991-92 (first under Dennis Green, then Bill Walsh), cratered to 3-7-1 in 1994, reached the Rose Bowl at just 8-4 in 1999, then completely and totally fell apart following Tyrone Willingham's departure in 2001 (2-9 in 2002, 1-11 in 2006). Jim Harbaugh showed up in 2007, crafted an incredible, brute-strength-as-underdog-tactic identity, and won four games in 2007, five in 2008 and eight in 2009.

Stanford has now gone 35-5 in the last three seasons. The Cardinal went to two BCS bowls with Andrew Luck at quarterback, and in his absence their record has improved. Their Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin moved them to 12-2 for the season, complete with a Pac-12 title and a higher season-ending poll ranking than they achieved in 2011. Stanford did not need a Rose Bowl title to prove its legitimacy; it has already done that. But it's still pretty nice, no?

159. Yards gained by Stanford in its first two Rose Bowl possessions. The Cardinal gained 105 yards in four passes, faced just one third down and scored two easy touchdowns in bolting to a 14-0 lead, then basically coasted. They would gain just 52 yards in their proceeding 16 passes and gain just 185 yards the rest of the way. They managed just two field goal drives the rest of the game, but with a dominant defense, that was all they needed.

82. Yards gained by Wisconsin in the second half of the Rose Bowl. The Badgers battled back from their 14-0 deficit with a couple of lovely second-quarter touchdown drives, but they trailed 17-14 at halftime and could never make up that deficit. They never advanced beyond Stanford's 46 in the second half, and their hopes for a fourth Rose Bowl win for interim coach Barry Alvarez went down the drain when Curt Phillips was picked off by Usua Amanam at the Stanford 42 with 2:03 remaining.

Man Stanford can just beat the crap out of you.
— Smart Football (@smartfootball) January 1, 2013

67.3. Tyler Russell's passer rating. The Mississippi State quarterback struggled all afternoon against an opportunistic Northwestern defense. But hey, he at least improved. After 12 passes, Russell was 4-for-12 for 18 yards and three picks. Passer rating: minus-4.1. Russell's first pick was returned by Quentin Williams for 29 yards, a touchdown and a 7-0 Northwestern lead. His second and third took place in Northwestern's red zone. His fourth, in the fourth quarter, was returned by Nick VanHoose to the MSU 10 and set up the game-icing touchdown. It was a miserable performance for a reasonably solid quarterback.

37. Jordan Lynch's completion percentage. Unlike Russell (who managed a 43-percent completion rate), the Northern Illinois quarterback avoided catastrophe for the most part, but he was constantly harassed by a dominant Florida State front four, and he was forced to throw difficult passes to well-covered receivers. He was 2-for-13 to start the game, then completed 13 of 28 thereafter.

Thanks to some excellent field-flipping by the NIU punting game (plus a NIU fake punt), the Huskies managed to trail just 7-3 late in the first half and 17-10 heading into the fourth quarter. But they could ever trust that the offense would bridge the smaller-than-expected gap, and eventually the defense fell apart.

9. Completions of at least 18 yards for Georgia's Aaron Murray. Georgia's junior quarterback was far from flawless. He threw two interceptions in his first nine passes and completed only 55 percent of his passes for the game. But when you throw a deep ball this pretty, you can get away with some mistakes.

He threw a pick six to Nebraska's Will Compton in the first quarter, then immediately threw a 75-yard bomb to Tavarres King. With Nebraska up 31-23 midway through the third quarter, he pumped and found Chris Conley for a 49-yard touchdown to tie the game. He scrambled and found running back Keith Marshall on a beautiful 24-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Then, with 11 minutes left, he iced the game with an easy one: a third-and-12 slip screen to Conley that went for a cool 87 yards and a touchdown.

Oh yeah, and there's this:

Aaron Murray on third downs yesterday: 11-for-14 for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Goodness.
— Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) January 2, 2013

4.9. Equivalent point value (as defined here) of this play, as it appears in the box score:

Mich 1-10 at Mich41 Smith, Vincent rush for loss of 8 yards to the MICH33, fumble forced by J. Clowney, fumble by Smith, Vincent recovered by SC J. Clowney at MICH33, J. Clowney for 2 yards to the MICH31.

Without seeing the play, you know it was a big one. Michigan led South Carolina, 22-21, with 8:22 remaining in the Outback Bowl. The Wolverines had just gotten lucky in a confusing scenario; they attempted a fake punt, seemingly came up a chain link or two short when the officials measured for the first down, and were granted the first down anyway.

South Carolina's best player responded by forcing a huge fumble, one upon which South Carolina would capitalize on the next play with a touchdown pass. Again, without visual context, you know that was big.

But here's some visual context for you:

The No. 1 recruit in the country doesn't always end up living up to the hype. It is incredibly difficult to do so. But it's safe to say that Jadeveon Clowney has met the hype in his first two years, and he will start his third season at South Carolina as a serious Heisman candidate.

Also, if you're in the market for some strange parallels: Before Tuesday, this hit was known as one of the biggest in South Carolina's history. It involved Michigan, a run up the middle and a flying helmet.

Of course, that was the 1980s. South Carolina wasn't very good, Michigan was, and Michigan won, 34-3. Almost 28 years later, South Carolina has won 22 games in two seasons.

4. Lead changes in the final 15:02 of the Outback Bowl. I called it the most "telling" Big Ten-SEC battle of the day, and it also ended up being the closest and most entertaining. Michigan responded to Clowney's ridiculous hit by immediately driving for the go-ahead touchdown, but South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw avoided about 17 total sacks on the Gamecocks' final drive and kept moving S.C. downfield, and Dylan Thompson found Bruce Ellington for the game-winning 32-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left. Really, really fun game.

3. Touchdowns scored in one minute of the first quarter in the Capital One Bowl. Nebraska scored a touchdown, then picked off a pass for a touchdown; then Aaron Murray responded with the aforementioned bomb to Tavarres King. The first quarter also featured a blocked punt for a safety and a second interception. If you were worried about either team starting the game in a funk following conference title game disappointments, some early-game silliness made sure that wasn't a problem.

1. Games won by the Big Ten on January 1. The conference was once again outmanned with its unfavorable (and lucrative) bowl matchups, and the situation was made even worse by the postseason ineligibility of Ohio State and Penn State. Still, it's not like the conference wasn't mostly competitive. A 2.5-point underdog, Northwestern won by 14. A five-point underdog, Michigan indeed lost by five. A 10-point underdog, Nebraska led at halftime before eventually falling by 14. And 6.5-point underdog Wisconsin lost by six. Only Purdue laid an egg, but ... 6-6 Purdue shouldn't have been playing on January 1 to begin with. The near-misses by Michigan and Wisconsin hurt, but the conference still acquitted itself reasonably well. So there's that. And the money.

0.97. Points per minute scored by Oklahoma State against Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. When your second string is basically the same as your first string, you don't really slow down when the backups come in. OSU gained 524 yards, forced five Purdue turnovers, and scored on every possession of the second half (sans the one in which they ran out the clock at the Boilers' 14). Kudos to Mike Gundy for doing something USC's Lane Kiffin couldn't: get his disappointed team up for its bowl game. I expected Purdue to surge early before being overtaken. OSU had other ideas.

0.96. Northern Illinois' per-play average in its final four drives of the Orange Bowl. When you are an outmanned underdog (and considering NIU was pretty small even for a MAC team, the Huskies were certainly outmanned physically), you try to shrink the game down to a small set of winnable moments. NIU stalled like crazy in the first half, repeatedly pinning FSU deep (FSU's average starting field position in the first half: 21.4), forcing the Seminoles to drive the length of the field, and eventually hoping for mistakes. FSU fumbled at the NIU 29 on its first possession and missed a long field goal in the second quarter, and despite completely dominating the game, the Seminoles led only 17-10 early in the third quarter.

NIU had a small window for success, and it presented itself early in the second half. Quarterback Jordan Lynch found Akeem Daniels for 55 yards on third-and-15, then found Martel Moore for an 11-yard touchdown strike to cut FSU's lead to seven points. Then the Huskies tore a page directly out of the Upset Playbook, executing a perfect surprise onside kick and taking over near midfield. A 13-yard pass to Tommylee Lewis got NIU to the 25-yard line. Here was NIU's window. But on third-and-8, Lynch scrambled right, couldn't find an open receiver, and forced a pass that was picked off by FSU's Terrence Brooks. Window: closed. In their final 28 plays, the Huskies gained just 27 yards. Thanks to FSU penalties, they twice more advanced into FSU territory, but they never seriously threatened t score, and eventually FSU, led by Lonnie Pryor (five carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns), put the game away. The Huskies followed the script precisely, but they couldn't score when they had the chance.

And a bonus number: 239.

Enjoy today, because there won't be another day with multiple FBS games until Aug. 29. Yikes.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) January 1, 2013

That's 239 days away. Hope you enjoyed yesterday.

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Orange Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. FSU final score: Seminoles blow game open late to win 31-10

Scott Coleman — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:35:53 -0000

For three quarters, the Northern Illinois Huskies held tough with the Florida St. Seminoles. The fourth quarter was not as kind to NIU, though, and the Seminoles took advantage. In the end, FSU came away with a big 31-10 win to claim the 2013 Orange Bowl title.

With just under 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Jordan Lynch connected with Martel Moore on an 11-yard touchdown strike to make the score 17-10 in Florida State's favor. NIU's defense came up with a couple of big stops in the following minutes, but they would eventually break in the fourth.

Quarterback E.J. Manuel went untouched from nine yards out to give the Seminoles a 24-10 lead on the first play of the final quarter, and then Lonnie Pryor put the icing on the cake with a long touchdown run five minutes later. The Huskies were unable to score late to keep themselves in the game.

Lynch had a game to forget against one of the nation's top defenses. He completed just 15 of his 41 pass attempts for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception. As a team, Northern Illinois carried the ball 32 times for just 83 yards.

NIU finishes the season with a 12-2 mark. While they may be disappointed in the final outcome, they held tough against the ACC conference champions. It was a magical season, and one they will look to build from in the offseason.

Orange Bowl, Northern Illinois vs. FSU score update: Seminoles lead Huskies, 24-10 early in 4th quarter

Tom Lewis — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:47:52 -0000

The No. 12 Florida State Seminoles lead the No. 15 Northern Illinois Huskies, 24-10, after E.J. Manuel scored from 9 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter at the Orange Bowl.

Florida State took the kickoff following halftime and marched down to the NIU 2-yard line before having to settle for a field goal. Dustin Hopkins knocked in the chip shot field goal to set a record for career made field goals and give FSU a 17-3 lead.

The Huskies came to life on their first possession of the second half, marching 87 yards to score their first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Jordan Lynch connected with Martel Moore on the passing touchdown.

NIU then recovered an onside kick to add to the momentum of their comeback bid. But Lynch tried to force a pass down field after getting the ball inside the FSU 25-yard line, resulting in an interception. Florida State is closing in on 500 total yards for the game.