Considering how long its been since I've written on RABA I debated even writing that I would be departing the NIU blogosphere/message board. After considering where I'm going from here, it's probably good to give a heads up. 

This August I'll be returning to Northern Illinois to begin my new adventure in graduate school, majoring in communications with a focus in public relations and hopefully will be gaining some experience in sports communication as well. As with many recent grads (journalism or not) the economy threw us all a curveball of Stephen Strasburg proportions.

That's why after working part-time for over a year now it's time to move on. So why am I leaving RABA and the boards? For at least one semester I'll be working back at the Northern Star to make some cash and hone some skills, while hopefully broadening and rekindling some connections with the people at NIU athletics and beyond.

I would like to thank the RABA readers for your time and thoughtful opinions of my writing while I was here. I hope I was able to show most of you that I am capable of a fair and balanced opinion on NIU sports.

I also hope whatever reputation I have now, good or bad, does not follow me. I know I have written some things that have not come down lightly on NIU (my Bleacher Report, Mike Korcek column) or have pushed the limits of ethical journalism which many major media outlets do by the day (Me'co Brown rumor mill story). (For the record: Breese heard the same Brown rumors I did and gave his consent to run it, so please nobody think that one was personal bias coming out).

At the same time I've written things that touched the general opinion (Fire Ricardo Patton), highlighted the people doing good things at NIU (Wolfe and English), while keeping things pertaining NIU athletics in perspective (staying humble after Purdue column) and giving knowledgeable analysis (sticking with the run game).

Anyways, I'm hoping for a fresh start this fall at NIU with everyone from my Star colleagues, to the students, the alumni, the Star readers, the Star haters, RABA, the message boards, and just as important, NIU Media Relations. Good reputation or bad, I'm giving NIU a fresh start and can only hope for the same.

Nothing was ever personal to any of the parties and I plan to continue to call things how I see them (there's the news side of my journalistic background). With that said, however, I'm also looking forward to further exploring what NIU athletics brings to NIU and the student body; a note I think has often been lost in wins, losses, money and student fees.

In the past year-plus I have grown and matured as a journalist, a writer, an interviewer and much more. I am beyond excited at the chance to put my growth on display for the NIU fan base. I hope you all keep reading and I am always open to your opinions on my writing, which I'm happy to accept via e-mail (jerry.burnes@gmail.com). If you're interested in any other writing, you can find various links on my website (sorry, had to self-promote).

In the meantime I thank you guys again. Best of luck to you all and a special thanks to Mike Breese for allowing me to come on and write for Red and Black Attack. I appreciate the opportunity and again, I appreciate all the feedback.

You'll be seeing my name again soon.

JB

No speculation this time, Me'co Brown is no longer a Huskie, but left on his own accord.

NIU head coach Jerry Kill said in a press release today that Brown has withdrawn from school for personal reasons. The junior back was earlier speculated to have been kicked off the team by Kill, but those reports were unfounded.

Brown was on the team as of Jan. 12 despite missing the International Bowl for family reasons.

In two seasons, Brown gained 1,155 rushing yards on 258 carries , and started14 games  for the Huskies. He was second on the 2009 team with 645 rushing yards on 148 carries and four touchdowns.

More to come on the impact of Brown's departure, filling the void, and any other information that comes available.

Here is the first of many breakdowns by position for this year's draft. I have my media credentials for NFL Scouting Combine next weekend, here's to hoping I can make it to Indy.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/347006-2010-nfl-draft-top-5-by-position-quarterback

Sources have told me that when the Spring roster comes out next week, sophomore running back Me'co Brown will not be listed, and has been kicked off the team by NIU head coach Jerry Kill.

Brown was in Kill's doghouse at the end of the 2009 season. He did not travel with the team to Toronto for the International Bowl against South Florida.  The original reports were that he had some 'family issues' to deal with in Mississippi.  He wouldn't have played anyways due to injuries. 

We have reason to believe there were some more serious issues that Me'co had to deal with regarding himself and his status on the team.

Brown's dismissal has not been made official and it is believed to be related to the running back's academics and/or a violation of player conduct policy. There is no word yet, if Brown is kicked off, that he will have a second chance to rejoin the team if his grades improve; or if this will be a final decision by Kill.

Continue reading this post »

We saw last season that Jerry Kill has some good recruiting ties SEC Country but not what he could do in homeland.

This year Kill has 11 recruits from Illinois and 14 total from Big Ten states (two from Michigan and one from Wisconsin). Highlighting the Illinois class is defensive lineman Frank Boenzi (6'3" 305, Geneva, Ill.).

Boenzi was recruited by almost every Big Ten school but his poor grades had the Midwest schools scampering away. As ESPN Chicago's Scott Powers reported, Boenzi still has some academic issues to work out and still may not be eligible by NCAA standards this season. 

Tyler Loos (6'6" 270, Sterling, Ill.) may be the next most promising Illinois recruit on the offensive line. Matt Battaglia (6'4" 240, Chicago, Ill.) needs to add some weight but Loos and Tyler Pitt (6'6" 278, McRae Ga.) may be a nice combination in a few years.

I'm interested to see how C.J. Compher works out as a true H-back with time to develop.

The rest of the IL recruits include: Monster LBs Mike Hellams, Cameron Stingily and Greg Barksdale.  What a trio. WR Da'Ron Brown of Morgan Park was one of the best pure athletes playing in the CPL.  And let's not forget a potential Punter/Kicker prospect in Tyler Anderson of Rockford.

The preferred walk-ons include DB Marckie Hayes of Sycamore and S Michael Santacaterina of Geneva.

While I like the numbers coming out of Illinois, it's obvious Kill still has some recruiting ties to lock down in the Chicago area. Looking through some of the top Chicago-area recruits, it was a bit disturbing how man ran off to MAC schools.  There's no indication whether we even recruited these players or if they fit our system, but you never know.  Just look at Benet graduate Dan LeFevour.

Continue reading this post »

Good Morning (or Afternoon), Huskie fans!

As I'm sure you all know by now today is National Signing Day and the Huskies are ready to lock down their 2010 recruiting class.

Unfortunately, thanks to a job interview on Friday that I need to prep for, I will not be traveling to the Yordon Center as originally planned for today. So instead I'll be sitting on the live teleconference and providing you with coverage from there (to be honest, being there really isn't as exciting as you may think).

Once signing day wraps up I'll have some commentary and a few other pieces on the big day.

Since I will be live tomorrow, 1 p.m. CT, I would like to offer you, the fans, an opportunity. My e-mail address is Jerry.Burnes@gmail.com. If you have any questions you would like asked, feel free to send them over and I'll see what I can do. I obviously have some of my own but send anything over in case I  missed it.

You can follow the action here or on my Twitter account, @JerryBurnes. I'm sure Mike will be tweeting from the RABA account.

So that's all. Hope you enjoy the coverage. Tune back in here about 11-11:30 a.m. (or earlier) for the official start of updates.

~JB~

The LOI's are starting to come in.  Click through to see profiles for every single recruit:

Continue reading this post »

Rough stretch here for NIU Hall of Famers as Tom Wittum passed away at the age of 60 on Friday, Jan. 22 in Antioch.

Wittum was an All-Pro punter for the San Francisco 49ers, a standout punter while at NIU, and Northern's first Academic All-American in baseball.

Here's some snippets of the official NIU release:

As a member of Northern Illinois' first three football teams in the "major college" (now NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision) era, Wittum left Northern Illinois with 10 kicking records, including the school's career, single season and single game records for punts, punting yards and punting average. For his career, he averaged 40.39 yards on 228 punts for 9,210 total yards, numbers which now rank third, fourth and third, respectively, in the Huskie record book. He still holds the top three single season totals for punts and punting yards with 78 for 3,129 in 1969 atop the lists.

As a kicker, Wittum currently ranks eighth all-time at Northern Illinois in points by a kicker with 113 points on 21 field goals and 50 PATs, all NIU records at the time. His career field goal totals of 21 made on 37 attempts, also school records at the time, are still the eighth and seventh-most in school history. He made 50 of 55 extra point attempts from 1969-71 and is eighth in the Huskie record book in those categories.

Wittum was drafted in the eighth round of the 1972 National Football League draft by the San Francisco 49ers, who made him the 200th overall selection. He proceeded to rank fourth in the NFL in punting average in 1973 (43.7) and 1974 (41.2), leading to his selection to the Pro Bowl each of those seasons. He was honored by Pro Football Weekly and The Sporting News both years as their first team All-NFC punter. He led the NFC in punting in 1973, was second in 1974 and '75 and third in 1976. In 1976, his 89 punts for 3,639 yards established 49er single season records; he also dropped 17 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line that year. In all, Wittum spent five seasons in the NFL (1973-77) and punted 380 times for 15,494 yards, compiling a 40.8 yard punting average in 70 career games.

Wittum's prowess on the baseball field at Northern Illinois matched and even surpassed his football exploits. Drafted in the fifth round of the 1968 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago White Sox with the 98th overall pick, Wittum instead chose to don the Cardinal and Black where he excelled as a third baseman for four years.

A power-hitting third baseman, Wittum hit a career-best .393 in 1971 and compiled a career batting average of .367. He ranks third all-time at NIU in batting average, sixth in runs batted in with 114, tied for third in home runs (23) and is the school's all-time leader in triples (11) and slugging percentage (.620). He posted a slugging percentage of .739 in 1971 and .693 in 1972, slugging nine and seven home runs, respectively, in those seasons. He was twice selected as team MVP.

As a senior in 1972, he helped lead Northern Illinois to a 24-8 record and helped NIU garner the school's first NCAA Tournament bid. Wittum hit .377 with seven home runs and 33 RBI that season en route to earning all-Midwestern Collegiate Conference honors for the second straight season, and ranked 13th in the country in slugging percentage. Following that campaign, Wittum became the first Huskie baseball player to be named a first team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America, graduating with a 3.41 grade point average in education.

Wittum was also named to the Northern Star's Top 50 Huskies of All Time. I'd tell you what spot but the link is not up at the moment and originals are not with me.

The point I'm leading to is that kickers and punters often go unrecognized. I bet about half the readers here wouldn't have known of Wittum until now. Like kickers, NIU history beyond 2003 goes far too unnoticed. Wittum was one of the true NIU greats. I would rival his abilities easily with Steve Azar and Chris Nendick, and probably put him beyond both of them.

Do some research, Huskies. The Hall of Fame at the Convo isn't there just for looks, by the way.

Prospect's QB Miles Osei made a verbal commitment to NIU. Not much of a surprise here, at least to me. Osei is one of the most athletic signal callers in the state. Should be interesting to see what happens with him and Jordan Lynch in the coming years. Either way, great recruit for Jerry Kill and the Huskies.

Here's a link to the Daily Herald's story by Marty Maciaszek on Osei's commitment.

Need any more proof that the BCS system is in need of a change?

During the teleconference with the BCS director, executive director and the five bowl reps, prank callers from an unknown radio show hijacked the phone lines.

No word on what was expressed yet, but you can be sure Executive Director Bill Hancock was a little embarrassed.

The attack on the BCS by fans has reached new heights thanks to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The BCS Facebook page and Twitter account (@INSIDEtheBCS) have been bombarded by upset fans.

Since being promoted Hancock felt it was needed to become more public with the social networking sites. Here's a few excerpts collected by HuffingtonPost.com:

Continue reading this post »

In a non-surprise selection NIU will be headed across the border to the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada.

The Huskies (7-5, 5-3 MAC) will face South Florida (7-4, 3-4 Big East) out of the Big East, so they will draw a BCS conference school. If you plan on going, might want to expedite your passport.

In other MAC Bowls:

GMAC - Jan. 6, Mobile, Ala.- 7 p.m. ESPN

No. 25 Central Michigan (11-2, 8-0 MAC) vs. Troy (9-3, 8-0 Sun Belt)

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Dec. 30, Boise, Ida.- 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Bowling Green (7-5, 6-2 MAC) vs. Idaho (7-5, 4-4 WAC)

Eagle Bank Bowl - Dec. 29, Washington D.C. - 4:30 p.m. ESPN

Temple (9-3, 7-1 MAC) vs. UCLA* (6-6, 3-6 Pac-10)

*If Army defeats Navy they will get their tie-in for the Eagle Bank Bowl and replace UCLA.

Little Ceasars Pizza Bowl - Dec. 26, Detroit, Mich. - 1 p.m. ESPN

Ohio (9-4, 7-1 MAC) vs. Marshall (6-6, 4-4, C-USA).

I've seen all I've needed to see now. 

It's time for NIU to take off the gloves and fire Ricardo Patton.

In now his third season as the men's basketball coach, the Huskies have looked worse than ever. Sure, sure it's only six games into the season (they're 1-5, by the way), Xavier Silas is out, and new recruit Tony Nixon has looked good thus far.

Tread lightly Patton supporters.

The Huskies in his three seasons have been marred by lack of discipline and most importantly a lack of wins.

Fact is, this team still cannot make free-throws (53.2 percent so far) and have sent opponents to the line 26 more times (they're shooting 63.8 percent). The Huskies have taken 117 3-point shots to just 101 of their opponents, connecting on a miserable 23.9 percent.

On top of that, NIU has turned ball over 104 times in five games. That's over 20 a game. Let's not even discuss the fact that Jake Anderson is outrebounding Sean Kowal 52-38.

It's easy to blame these numbers on a lack of talent, but the talent is there. At nearly 7-foot tall Kowal should be dominating, especially in MAC play. But there's a reason he didn't last in the Big 12 at Colorado and we're seeing it now. He's not aggressive and nobody seems to want to step out their way to enforce that.

The free-throw numbers, the turnovers and the asinine amount of 3-pointers a game also go directly on Patton. It's real simple, coach, it's called practice. Obviously free-throws aren't practiced enough. Obviously this team either isn't comfortable or doesn't grasp your system. And obviously, you haven't taught them to look for good shots and that a team doesn't always need the 3-ball to climb back. 

But no, the Huskies have made the same mistakes for three seasons now. Those mistakes are now called habit and a lot harder to break.

It goes to show, non-disciplined coach leads to a non-disciplined team.

That has shown throughout Patton's tenure at NIU. In two full seasons, NIU is 16-42. Sure, Rob Judson was 74-101 in his career but he turned a 5-win team to a 12-win team in one season. Followed that up with a 17-win season, a 10-20 season, 11-17, 17-11 and the first MAC West Division title in NIU history. Judson knew how to win with what he had. 

Judson's recruiting ties to Illinois were also undeniable. A tie that would have brought DeKalb High School center Jordan Threloff to NIU, not Illinois State, where Judson currently coaches. And Patton? Since the days of Chauncey Billups, the old coach hasn't had too standout recruits. It was obvious when he left Colorado and landed at NIU what kind of players he recruited there. The Big 12 led kids to CU, not Patton. Those who followed Patton were Kowal and eventually Silas, nobody else. Silas tried staying his sophomore year at CU, but was dismissed from the team after averaging 12 points a game his freshman year and 9.7 his sophomore year.

Listen, I'm all for new coaches and giving them time with a new program. But when a coach all but runs out the recruits of the previous coach and continues to run that team into the ground, it is time for a change. Rich Rodriguez didn't send his Lloyd Carr guys packing and Jerry Kill has taken Joe Novak's boys to two straight bowl games.

The constant lack of discipline from a coach who preaches it, combined with a constant lack of wins, a constant brush off of the local media after road losses and a constant feeling of disappointment within the program is reason enough to send him packing.

This is the telltale year for Patton. It's his recruits (Silas, Nixon, Kowal, Mike DiNunno* and Najul Ervin) now running the show, minus the lone starting Judson holdout in Anderson. *[DiNunno was originally offered by Judson, but Patton kept the offer on the table as he committed in 2007]. It is time we finally get a clear picture of the future of NIU basketball and what type of talent Patton will bring to the MAC without the lure of the Big 12 to aide his recruiting.

If the start to this season is any indication of the rest of it, or the rest of Patton's tenure, we're in for a long ride. I say, it's time to get off that ride before nausea takes over and see if someone else can put the pieces together.

When the 2009 season began the Northern Illinois Huskies were projected to finish third in the Mid-American-West behind Western and Central Michigan.

Now 10 games into the season the Huskies (7-3, 5-1 MAC) will be no worse than the No. 2 team in the MAC West. With a win this coming Saturday over Ohio in Athens, NIU will head into its game at Central Michigan with a trip to Detroit hanging in the balance.

The Huskies did what they needed to do these past four games with wins over Miami (OH), Akron, Eastern Michigan and Ball State. Those teams entered the Huskies' four-game stretch with a 1-25 record and enter this next week 4-37. Any losses would have been devastating for a MAC team fighting for a bowl.

But masked in the impressive season NIU is putting up is the disappointing one Western Michigan has put up. The Broncos have struggled on defense and on the offensive line. Star quarterback Tim Hiller hasn't had nearly the time to throw which was evident against NIU. Their record (5-6, 4-3) record lingers as shocking.

NIU has waded through an injury to quarterback Chandler Harnish. How? With the run game that starred in the three games Harnish did not play, but struggled some against Ball State. Redshirt junior Chad Spann has been without doubt the Most Valuable Player of the Huskies team. Spann has 16 rushing touchdowns, which is tied for fourth in the nation, and has 17 total scores. He also has 830 yards and will look to become the first Huskie under Jerry Kill to rush for 1,000 yards.

The Huskies will have their hands full with Ohio (7-3, 5-1) before heading to Central Michigan (8-2, 6-0) and All-World quarterback Dan LeFevour. The win over Ball State has all but clinched a bowl game for the second straight season. A win over Ohio makes NIU the No. 3 team in the entire MAC, that will be a bowl game.

A win over Ohio sets up a MAC West title battle with CMU, for a chance at the first MAC title since 1983. That season Bill Mallory led the Huskies to a MAC Championship and the California Bowl. NIU's last appearance in Detroit was in 2005 when Akron upset the Huskies on a last second hail mary to Domenik Hixon.

History is in the hands of the Huskies. They control their own fate. It would not be a good time to have a lapse and put the MAC title out of reach before getting a shot at LeFevour.

I've been preaching this in my columns all season long. To win the Huskies have to play their game.

And that game, the NIU game, is on the ground, running the football.

While many of us leftover Joe Novak Era guys remember the glory days of Michael Turner of Garrett Wolfe, the offense has progressed under Jerry Kill to a certain extent. I'll take Chandler Harnish under center over Phil Horvath and Dan Nicholson any day.

Kill has converted the Huskie offense to more of a spread offense. However, this isn't the West Coast Offense. Against Toledo NIU found success with Me'co Brown (22-96 yards) but touchdown machine Chad Spann found only six carries, for 28 yards (4.7 ypc). Harnish ran the ball nine times for 42 yards with two touchdowns, Brown adding the other score.

The Huskies have had such a success this season hammering home the "bolt" and "jolt" combination of Brown and Spann this season. Why stop now?

Against Western Michigan on Homecoming, Spann had 22 carries for 132 yards and three scores. Brown had 15 for 92 yards. Harnish threw only 15 times, he had 24 tosses against Toledo, resulting in one interception 15 completions and 157 yards.

With the run game going on all cylinders there is no reason for Harnish to throw over 20 times. Add up the total plays run and he was put in charge 33 times. While Harnish is an excellent upcoming quarterback, Brown and Spann have proven to be the playmakers in 2009. They combined for just 29 touches (28 rushes, 1 reception) against Toledo.

When the Huskies hit Oxford and Miami-OH this weekend, that run game needs to harken back to its three wins. When NIU's running duo gets more looks than Harnish the Huskies are 3-0. When Harnish gets more looks, they are 0-3. One argument could be that NIU was down by large margins but have lost all three games by 12 combined points.

To better illustrate my argument, here's a nice table. It shows the number of carries, yards and touchdowns a game for Brown and Spann, along with the number of total touches, total yards and total scores for Harnish.

Player

Wisconsin (L, 28-20)

W. Illinois (W, 41-7)

Purdue (W, 28-21)

Brown

11-70 yards, 0 TD

14-119 yards, 1 TD

26-154 yards, 1 TD

Spann

9-20 yards, 2 TDs

8-38 yards, 2 TDs

18-80 yards, 2 TDs

Harnish

37-211 yards, 0 TD

20-167 yards, 2 TDs

37-218 yards, 1 TD

Player

Idaho (L, 34-31)

W. Michigan (W, 38-31)

Toledo (L, 20-19)

Brown

12-47 yards, 1 TD

15-92 yards, 0 TD

22-96 yards, 1 TD

Spann

4-19 yards, 0 TD

22-132 yards, 3 TD

6-28 yards, 0 TD

Harnish

36-261 yards, 2 TD

21-153 yards, 1 TD

33-199 yards, 2 TD

You can see in the Wisconsin loss Harnish had 37 touches, while Brown and Spann combined for 20. In the Idaho loss it was Harnish 36, Spann and Brown 16. Finally against Toledo Harnish had 33 plays to the duo's 28. On the other hand the duo had a 22-20 play advantage against Western Illinois, 44-37 against Purdue and 37-21 against Western Michigan—all wins.

The stats are right there in front of you. If the Huskies want to win games and have a shot for the MAC title, make the other team stop your bread and butter. Which is and always has been the run game. No offense to Harnish, but this team goes as the run game goes. He's just the compliment.

So lets bring that run game from both Westerns and Purdue to Oxford and see if the winless RedHawks have an answer for it.

No more excuses. It's time to play football now.

Here comes the most crucial stretch of football for the Northern Illinois Huskies. At a point in the season when NIU could have been looking at a 4-2 record, it's 3-3.

The next four games for the Huskies will tell us how this season will end. A trip to Oxford, Ohio this weekend, followed by three home games versus Akron, Eastern Michigan and Ball State.

Combined record of those four opponents: 1-25.

If the Huskies don't come away with four wins here, kiss an at-large bowl bid goodbye. There is no way a 6-6 Mid-American Conference team with one or more losses to some of the worst teams in the NCAA will get lucky like last year.

Adding to that, NIU travels to Ohio 5-2 (3-0, MAC) and Central Michigan (6-1, 4-0) to wrap up the season. With only one conference loss to date, it is plausible that the Huskies could by vying for trip to Detroit if they win these next four and hit the road strong against the top two MAC teams at the end.

After hammering preseason MAC West No. 2 Western Michigan 38-3, it was wondered allowed if the Broncos were overrated. WMU responded by pounding Toledo 58-26 while the Huskies floundered another game in the Glass Bowl.

They haven't beat the Rockets in Toledo since 2005, led by Garrett Wolfe. Their last win prior to that was 33 years earlier in 1972.

That's been the story of NIU Football's recent history. It drops the ball on great opportunities. With the way this year's schedule lined up, the Huskies had legitimate chance of heading into the Central Michigan game 9-2, also undefeated in the MAC, possibly playing for that trip to Detroit.

But the bright lights, bad play calling and mediocre coaching got the best of NIU. Instead it has no room for error this season. No more Idaho games, no more Toledo games. No more coming off a big win and looking unprepared, outplayed and just clueless.

I'll give this to Joe Novak's teams; they were never outplayed, even during a 2-10 season in 2007.

It may be time for Jerry Kill to wake up and realize this is FBS Football, not Division I-AA. There is no playoff, every game matters more than the last.

It's time to shut up and play. Time to stop losing games that you should be winning.

It's time to focus on this game, not the last game.

Because if these Huskies don't, that 1-25 record is going to start looking a little better.

I think I found a winner.

Money Talks: Kimbo Slice Football Tackle (via vladster7272)

Well, 2016 Chairman Patrick Ryan, in his final appeal named the colleges involved in Chicago's bid. DePaul, Northwestern, Loyola, Notre Dame Illinois and the University of Chicago.

I thought maybe he mean Illinois-Chicago but it was clearly the U of I logo with a shot of Chambana. This means the committee, for whatever reason, had to go out of state to Notre Dame and almost three hours (and over 130 miles) south to U of I for hosting. Not 60 miles west to DeKalb and NIU.

It was all in place, NIU would host preliminary soccer rounds at Huskie Stadium for the 2016 Olympics if (or when) Chicago grabs the bid. With under 12 hours before the winning bid is announced for the Oylmpics, the intergovernmental agreement between NIU and the City of Chicago has been lost in translation.

What happened to NIU's involvement, nobody knows. In March, according to Northern Star reporter Ben Gross, he spoke with NIU Athletic Director Jeff Compher on this very agreement when discussing the new strategic plan. Compher was not aware of the March 2007 agreement detailed in the above link that was in place during the Jim Phillips era.

A reliable source told me today that Eddie Williams, executive VP chief of operations, finance and facilities at NIU, said everything was still in place for the preliminary soccer rounds to come to NIU. That source also told me that NIU Sports Information Director Donna Turner denied there was plan and that Williams backtracked when called again on the issue.

So what happened?

The plan was for Chicago to pay for new turf on Huskie Stadium, build the needed facilities that included the Olympic Village and soccer facility. For NIU, this would all be done for free.

Seeing how NIU replaced the turf and the NCAA made them build the track and soccer complex, Chicago would be upgrading these. The stadium would need new turf by 2016 and the soccer complex would get new turf, or they'd build a whole new one for further accommodation.

Further more, NIU already has Northern View which could act as part of an Olympic Village, in which Chicago would also pay for the upgrades and additional housing units. Hello, more student housing?

Combine that with the giant dust collecting Convocation Center, the Yordon Center and with Chicago flipping the bill, why not get that indoor practice facility built for free?

Now, whether Chicago gets the bid or not, its time for NIU to open up to what happened. With Chicago picking up the tab NIU has no reason to back out if it already hasn't. 

Not to mention the immeasurable positive impact this would have on the communities of DeKalb, Sycamore and NIU. Phillips recognized this impact when this agreement was made. So did Steve Simmons in regards to the positive impact on the soccer programs. An impact that goes far beyond what he already built.

Did NIU get everything it wanted out of the deal without having to host anything or did the Olympic plan simply leave with Phillips to Northwestern, which I'm sure was already integral in Chicago's plan.

Even still, the agreement was signed with NIU, not with Phillips personally.

Maybe NIU is still in the works, figuring out details. Or maybe Chicago is leaving them in the dark and NIU has just assumed they're not involved. It's possible.

Or did the current NIU administration, as we have seen a lot in its reign already, drop the ball and let this one fall through the cracks?

If so it made a very, very big mistake for the future of NIU and DeKalb.

Chicago 2016 or not, it's time for answers.

Sarah Thomas, the only Football Bowl Subdivision female referee will be on the officiating crew for Saturday's game versus Idaho. The Crew is part of the C-USA/MWC/WAC officials' group.

According to Donna Turner, NIU Sports Information Director, NBC Nightly News will also be on campus to do a story Thomas, who will be a line judge for the game.

Attached is a story from the New York Times on Thomas.

Sarah Thomas

Some games define teams and the future of a program.

Take Boise State, for example. After beating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos were a legitimate BCS buster.

On the other hand, take Ohio State. After losing in the National Championship game to Florida that same year, the Buckeyes have struggled against top five opponents.

For Northern Illinois, it has been a while since a defining victory, and certainly a solid 28-21 win over Purdue, in Lafayette, qualifies. It was the first win over a Big Ten opponent since 1988, pushing the Huskies' record against the conference to 2-32-1. It's their first win over a BCS conference team since a 24-16 victory over Iowa State in 2003.

But how defining of a victory is this just three games into the 2009 season?

In 2003 the Huskies took down the Cyclones, No. 21 Alabama, and No. 15 Maryland. They finished 10-2 with losses to No. 23 Bowling Green and Toledo.

Without finishing the season strong, this Huskies team dilutes all meaning from this game aside from another win next to the lopsided loss column against the Big Ten.

NIU needs to stay focused on the fact that there are nine games to go. It can't settle. Actually, it's time to get humble. Like Central Michigan, the Huskies now have a target painted on their backs. The Mid-American Conference will be gunning for them, and it will be more important than in the past to not overlook opponents. After all, staying humble is a strength of this still-young Huskie team.

It starts this weekend versus perennial whipping boy Idaho.

Going 10-2 might be asking a lot, but certainly the expectations have risen. The predicted 7-5 team, third in the MAC West, will now be held to higher standards, and it will up to them and only them to meet those.

Teams in the MAC have a bad habit of losing games to each other. Potential BCS buster Ball State lost in the MAC title game to Buffalo last season. Central Michigan has clearly been the class of the conference for years but also tends to fall off the tracks here and there.

So what is fair to expect from NIU now?

Certainly a 7-5 season after this win cannot be considered a complete success, though it will be one game better than 2008. Tough games with Toledo, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan lie ahead.

I predicted a 20-13 NIU win over Purdue in the preseason and still handed out a 7-5 record. Why? Purdue is far from the class of the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is far from the class of the BCS. But now, even my expectations have risen to a 9-3 or 8-4 season.

Beating Purdue won't be a program-defining victory as those in 2003, but it will certainly have the chance to be a win that defines this 2009 team and its place in the MAC.

Buyer beware though—it's only Week Four. A lot of football is left to be played.

Overview: The MAC had a tough go around in Week 1, going 3-10 overall and 0-4 versus the Big Ten. Winners were Buffalo, Bowling Green and Kent State; all MAC East teams. The three wins were not terribly impressive, however, it was good to see teams like Temple and Ohio in competitive games, especially Ohio versus Connecticut. Wisconsin beat themselves more in the second half than NIU did, but a 28-20 loss still looks good for the conference.

The High Point: Bowling Green trouncing Troy 31-14. Troy is tough opponent traditionally and usually makes bowl games with no problem. The game was close, 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter, until the Falcons tacked on 17 points. One of the potential stud MAC quarterbacks Tyler Sheehan was 32-for-44 passing for 339 yards and two scores. He did throw one pick. Freddie Barnes grabbed 15 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Willie Geter posted 49 yards on nine carries. Great win for BGSU to start of their season.

The Low Point: Ball State losing to North Texas 20-10. For this, let's compare last year's records: Ball State was 12-2, North Texas, 1-11. Redshirt freshman Kelly Page was as advertised when he ran with the ball (7-53) but was 15-for-34 throwing for just 140 yards, no scores and one interception. MiQuale Lewis carried the ball 15 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. The defense was the biggest letdown, as it allowed 296 rushing yards and 216 passing yards (Ball State had 169 and 140 respectively). The Cardinals really missed their opportunities. North Texas had nine penalties for 81 yards compared to 4-30. Turnovers were even but NT held the ball for over 37 minutes.

By The Numbers: 30. That's how many points were put up by the top four of the top five offenses in the MAC this week. Central Michigan scored six against Arizona, Western Michigan scored seven on Michigan, Ball State scored 10 and Akron scored seven on Penn State. I didn't have high scoring thoughts for the Zips but thought Ball State would roll, the Chips to score at 20 (lost 19-6) and Tim Hiller to get in a shootout in Ann Arbor. Hiller has the best excuse, his team has no defense so he was throwing a lot (38 times). He also apparently doesn't have an offensive line to stop Brandon Graham.

Biggest Hole To Fill: Northern Illinois had the top-ranked MAC defense last year and second most improved defense next to Navy in 2008. What helped the Huskies do that was a consistant pass rush of either Larry English, or the guy benefiting from the double teaming of Larry English. Against Wisconsin, the Huskies had no pass rush. In this case, hardly any of a pass defense. I thought I'd be more worried about Dan LeFevour's mediocre 18-for-31, 108 but once he hits MAC play he'll be back in form. NIU needs to address this quickly especailly with Purdue (52 points against Toledo), Tim Hiller and Toledo's passing attack on the horizon before the mid-point of the season.

Making A Statement: The MAC East showed up to play. Temple lost via last second field goal to Villanova, Bowling Green won decisively, Kent State shutout Coastal Carolina (as they should have), Buffalo won, Ohio played close and Akron faced a title contendor, so we'll let them off. The West faced tougher opponents but will be marred by Miami-OH's 42-0 loss to Kentucky, Ball State's shame, a lack of offense from its stud quarterbacks and a disappointing debut for Ron English. The West should be thankful Wisconsin broke down, as that game was on its way to ugly after a 28-6 score after three quarters.

This Week: Things don't look too much better in Week 2. It starts with a favorable matchup for Toledo against Colorado at the Glass Bowl. They have a chance to win. NIU should rout Western Illinois. Eastern Michigan draws Northwestern, Central takes on Michigan State, Western heads to Indiana and Akron duels with Morgan State, which might be comparable to a high school team after seeing Penn State. Ball State has New Hampshire and Ohio draws North Texas in two games with huge question marks after they was BSU and NT played last week. Now it gets ugly: Buffalo draws Pittsburgh but are at home so they can prove something here. Kent State travels to Boston College. Bowling Green takes on No. 25 Missouri who routed Illinois. Finally, Miami (Ohio) travels to No. 12 Boise State on the Smurf Turf.

Prediction Time: Toledo falls to Colorado; NIU wins big; EMU falls; Central loses again, Western beat Indiana; Akron rolls; Ball State wins; Ohio wins; Buffalo loses; Kent State loses pretty bad; Bowlling Green runs out of gas and falls hard; and Miami take a whipping.

Week's Record: 5-7

A sore hamstring will keep Larry English out of San Diego's preseason opener tonight. Probably just precautionary but still disappointing. He'll still have three more chances to get a feel for game speed and the new position.

Here's what the Chargers Web site had to say:

Four ruled out

Turner said Friday that he’ll meet with the team’s medical staff Saturday morning and make final decisions on the status of several players, but he has already ruled four out for the preseason opener. 

Linebacker

Larry English (hamstring), guard Louis Vasquez (foot), defensive tackle Ryon Bingham (arm) and linebacker Stephen Cooper (ankle) will not play.  Others will be announced just before game time.

"There are some other guys we’re going to continue to treat this afternoon and evaluate in the morning," Turner said.

Some fans and players might say the preseason is too long. Others might just be anxious to get into a game and off the same old practice field. About 72 hours away from his first NFL preseason game, San Diego Chargers rookie linebacker Larry English had only one thing on his mind.

"You spend all of camp hitting your teammates...I'm looking forward to hitting somebody, " the No. 16 overall pick said. "It'll be nice to get in a game and really get out there and hit someone else."

Scary words coming from a player who haunted Mid-American Conference quarterbacks to the tune of 31.5 sacks. The former Northern Illinois defensive end will make his San Diego debut, at home, against the Seahawks on Saturday.

English said he isn't feeling any nerves prior to the game, adding that he feels it is his biggest chance to get familiar with his new position. English is transitioning to outside linebacker in the 3-4 system run by former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. English played defensive end in the 4-3 defense at NIU.

"A lot of times [in the 3-4] my focus is rushing the passer," English said. "From that standpoint I'm real comfortable."

The Aurora native will be second on the depth chart to Shawne Merriman but will see considerable action. After the draft, head coach Norv Turner said English could see 500-600 snaps as a rookie, making him a big part of the Chargers' pass rush.

Partly due to an injury that forced Merriman out for almost all of 2008, the Chargers saw the second most passes in the NFL last season. San Diego runs a package that will put Merriman, English and Shuan Phillips on the field at the same time to pressure the quarterback.

"Larry has to come in here and crank it up and learn what this league is like," Turner said after the draft. "He's going to get in here and have the same learning curve that all young guys do, but certainly you can take a skill and if a guy comes in and is an outstanding pass rusher, you can get his hand in the ground or let him rush from the quarterback from the two-point stance."

"You don't have to deal with all the other things you have to deal with in getting a young player ready to play."

English said the 3-4 requires him to drop back into coverage more, but with continued repetitions in practice, he's becoming more comfortable doing so. To learn the position, English has two veteran Pro Bowlers in Merriman and Phillips to learn from.

"They've been helping me out a lot," the rookie linebacker said. "Just to see how they go about their business and how they do things is helping me."

While the pair has been teaching English on the field, they haven't forgotten that he's a rookie. He hasn't been tied to the field goal post but English has been carting Phillips and Merriman's equipment off the field as part of his rookie treatment.

"It hasn't been too bad, they make me carry pads and helmets off the field," he added. "Anything they can do to make you look foolish."

After signing a five-year, $13.4 million contract ($9.9 million guaranteed), on July 31 English bought a little condo out in San Diego. One thing he is looking forward to on the west coast is being out of the DeKalb wind tunnel when the winter months roll around.

The two-time MAC MVP would not give a 2009 prediction for his alma-mater NIU but said the Huskies have a good chance to improve from last season. In 2008 the Huskies finished 6-7, losing to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl.

"They have a lot of talented players returning," English said, crediting the players and coaching staff for their work.

Saturday's preseason game between the Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks can be seen at 9 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

Another game of note: English and the Chargers will face former NIU running back Michael Turner and his Falcons on Satuarday, Aug. 29. English said facing Turner is a great opportunity for him in what will be just his third preseason game.

The Chargers open the regular season on Monday, Sept. 14 at Oakland. One of two Monday Night Football games for San Diego this season.

Entering his third season with the Chicago Bears, former NIU running back Garrett Wolfe is poised to make an impact. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner has all but promised there will be a role in the offense for the Huskies' all-time leading rusher, who led Chicago in special teams tackles last season.

Wolfe took some time after Monday's afternoon practice to talk with me about his role on the Bears, expectations, and keeping in touch with former NIU teammates following their successes.  

Jerry Burnes: How's camp going so far for you?

Garrett Wolfe: It's going good. This is the best, the healthiest, I've felt in a long time.

JB: What do you look to improve on from last year?

GW: Just to become more of a complete football player. I think my role this year will be a little bit more specialized and that's something I'm very excited about. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to go in and compete.

JB: What kind of role do you see yourself having on the team and on the offense this year?

GW: I know I'll continue to be a special teams guy which is something I'm excited about. I also think I'm going to take more of a specialty role; more down specific, field position specific type of role. If that's something that's going to get the ball in my hands, I'm all for it.

JB: What kind of teammate has Jay Cutler been so far?

GW: He's been a great teammate. He's taken control of the offense, been a great leader and his knowledge of what we try to do as an offense has been very impressive. He's picked up the playbook, he understands it fully and has done a great job of leading the team thus far.

JB: What kind of improvements have you noticed with Matt Forte from his rookie season to his second season?

GW: Well, as far as training camp, I haven't noticed anything different. That's a testament to just how strong he was as a rookie as far as knowledge of the game, his approach to the game and his preparation. But so far, I haven't noticed anything different.

JB: What kind of goals do you have this year as both a team and an individual?

GW: I think our team goal definitely involves us going to the playoffs. The ultimate goal for every team is to make the Super Bowl, play in the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. My goal as a player is to go out and stay healthy, number one, because when you're healthy and in great condition then there isn't anything you can't go out on the field and do. The main thing I want to do is be as healthy as possible so I can go out on the field and use my talents to the best of my ability and make things happen.

JB: When you came to the Bears a couple years ago, did you envision yourself having the role on special team that you had last year?

GW: I knew coming in that if you're not the starting running back, you're going to have to play special teams. It's something I had never done before and was a little reluctant to do. Now it's something that I'm excited to have the opportunity to go out and do.

JB: What was the feeling like last year getting your first NFL touchdown?

GW: It was weird because I didn't envision it coming in that way. I didn't envision coming in the form of a special teams touchdown.

JB: Are you able to keep in touch with any of the former NIU running backs?

GW: Oh yeah, me and Michael [Turner] keep in touch. Michael did a great job of being a leader by example during our time at Northern Illinois. He definitely left big shoes to fill throughout my collegiate career and I was excited to have that opportunity to not only follow him but to continue that tradition and that legacy. But I still talk to Michael, in fact I just talked to him probably about a month-and-a-half ago. He's doing well and I'm happy to see he's doing well.

JB: The past few years you have had the chance to play against Michael Turner, what's that been like?

GW: My first year he was a backup at San Diego. My second year, I was excited for the success that Michael had thus far in one season, granted I didn't want him to have that success against us. To see Michael and see how successful he's become is something I've always envisioned for him because Michael has always been a complete football player for a long time. He just didn't get the opportunity out in San Diego. Him having that opportunity now, I'm very excited for him. Very happy for him as well.

JB: What about some of the current NIU running backs such as Justin Anderson or Me'co Brown?

GW: I had an opportunity to meet Me'co when I went down for a game last fall. I don't really keep in contact with him. But Justin Anderson is a guy I've known since I was about seven years old, we actually went to the same grammar school growing up, from the same neighborhood, so me and Justin talk often.

JB: Were you disappointed at all last year when NIU, for the first time in nine seasons, did not have a 1,000-yard rusher?

GW: [hesitates] No, I mean, that's not something I really paid attention to. Granted when I was there it was very important for me to keep that tradition because I didn't want to be the guy who didn't continue that. But there's a different offensive scheme that's in place now, different head coach, different system at hand, and the numbers reflect that.

JB: How excited were you to see your former teammate Larry English go in the first round this year?

GW: I was very excited for Larry because I've seen what Larry has grown to become. When he came into Northern Illinois he was very talented, a very physically imposing guy, just as he was when he left. Seeing how far he has come and him being the same guy in the core, I was very impressed. To see him have the success he's had and also know how hard he's worked to get as far as he's come is something I was very excited about.

I just wrapped up with Blayne Beal of Texas Tech media relations and he confirmed that former NIU men's golf coach John Cleary has been hired on as the new women's assistant coach.

Cleary is now the third "minor" sport athlete to leave NIU for a bigger school. Steve Simmons (soccer) left to Oregon State for a head coaching job, he was an assistant there before. Men's tennis coach Pawel Gajdzik took a head coaching job at Purdue too.

This is interesting as Cleary is not joining as a head caoch and would have two fine golfers in Tim Kay and Andrew Frame returning. He graduated from Kansas so I'm assuming this is simply a return to the Big 12 for him. 

The release will be out in a few days and I'll have more on this next week when the involved parties come available.

For those of you on Facebook, Red and Black Attack is once again going to be posting our latest work. So go become a fan and check out the latest news, photos, discussions, events and more!

 

Here's some Garrett Wolfe photos from Monday's Bears Training Camp.

 

See you there!

Well it's that time of year again-it's almost football season. With MAC Media Day kicking off on Friday in Detroit I figured I would weigh in on Mid-American Conference.

Now last year gave us a few shockers in Buffalo and Ball State (seriously, even without Dante Love they almost ran the table). And as much as I loved seeing Larry English with Vern Smith No. 2; I still think BSU's Nate Davis was the true MAC MVP. Though don't me wrong, English was deserving of it.

So what does this year have in store? If it's anything like last season; it should be a fun ride to Detroit. Let the preview begin!

First thing I see looking at the conference are the quarterbacks. Tim Hiller (Western Michigan) and Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) have outside, but serious, shots at garnering some Heisman talk. Tyler Sheehan of Bowling Green looks to be the next best, especially in a tight MAC East that produced a ton of points last season. We had the chance to see a young quarterback in Chandler Harnish take the reins at NIU. If he improves in the passing game and decision making he will be top MAC quarterback soon. Along with them there's experience in Andy Schmitt (Eastern Michigan), Aaron Opelt (Toledo) and Dan Raudabaugh (Miami-OH) who are either seniors or saw significant playing time last season.

Winning the MAC East this year is Bowling Green. Again, I think Sheehan shows up this year big for the Falcons and their offense will be tough to stop. Although, as in most years, the division is up for grabs. I'll go with the following to finish out: 2) Temple, 3) Ohio, 4) Buffalo, 5) Akron, 6) Miami-OH, 7) Kent State.

Winning the MAC West will be a bit tougher to decide. I'm going with Central Michigan. If LeFevour can stay healthy they are the best team in the MAC and I'll also pick them to win the MAC title. Western Michigan is great with Hiller and running back David West but LeFevour has more weapons with Antonio Brown (check out his pic. Scary.), Bryan Anderson and Kito Poblah. Here's how the rest goes: 2) Western Michigan, 3) Northern Illinois, 4) Ball State, 5) Toledo, 6) Eastern Michigan.

This year's MAC MVP I see going to Hiller. As I said, he has less weapons than LeFevour and as English proved last year, you don't always have to win the conference. Hiller is an NFL-type talent and might be a limp a little out of the gates while recovering from off-season knee surgery. If he propels himself to a good season and WMU to victories (they do host CMU this year, by the way) he should solidify himself as the player most valuable to his team.

Freshman to watch to this season is Buffalo linebacker Darius Willis. He's 6-2, 235 and was offered scholarships and recruited by pretty much every Big 12 school, Oklahoma included. Buffalo was where he could start as a true freshman. Willis had some issues with his SATs last season that forced him to not enroll until January. He was recruited as a quarterback also. He's likely to start at middle linebacker. Don't be surprised to see him pop up on some All-MAC lists.  

Riding this year's dark horse is Temple. The Owls aren't known for football but have certainly come into their own since joining the MAC. I know I have them No. 2 in the East but I still find it hard to believe (along with others) that Temple has a chance to make the trip to Detroit and possibly go bowling. I would also still keep an eye on Ball State. They still have MiQuale Lewis in the backfield and Brandon Crawford manning the defensive end position. Might be time to see if my Davis for '08 MVP was out of line or not.

The two best players I haven't mentioned are Toledo safety Barry Church and Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis. Church is on the watch lists for the Bronco Nagurski Award (top defensive player) and also the Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back). He was named third team All-American by Phil Steele's College Football Preview and can become the second Toledo player to be named first team All-MAC for four seasons. He's been creating havoc for MAC opponents. Averaged 7.8 tackles per game and broke up six passes, forcing three fumbles last season.

Jarvis, listed at 5-5, 170, had 801 yards and nine touchdowns last season but only played in nine games. He averaged 4.9 yards a carry and 89 yards a game. He also had 273 receiving yards and one touchdown. Ignoring his size he's one of the elite MAC backs. Quarterback Julian Edelman led the team is rushing in his absence with 1,370 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also threw for over 1,800 yards with 13 touchdowns. Back to Jarvis, he has gained comparison to former NIU back Garrett Wolfe and for good reason. To his credit, he didn't have the offensive lines that Wolfe had behind him.

NIU will face a pretty moderate schedule this season. The key, as always, will be the running game. Biases aside one of Justin Anderson, Me'co Brown or Chad Spann need to establish themselves as the No. 1 back. Harnish will wear down quickly throughout his career if he has to lead the Huskies rushing and passing attacks. Jason Onyebuagu and Eddie Adamski will anchor the line with Trevor Olson to do their part. Here's how I see NIU's season going:

@ Wisconsin - L

Vs. Western Illinois - W

@ Purdue - L

Vs. Idaho -W

Vs. Western Michigan (Homecoming) - L

@ Toledo - W

@ Miami-OH - W

Vs. Akron -W

Vs. Eastern Michigan - W  

Vs. Ball State - W

@ Ohio - L

@ Central Michigan - L

So total record at 7-5, which should land NIU in another bowl game providing the MAC East doesn't show up this season. I think the Purdue, Akron and Ohio games could really go either way, so 9-3 tops, 5-7 at worst  for the Huskies in 2009. I don't see them having the secondary or pass rush to get to Hiller and LeFevour. Remember, last year versus CMU LeFevour was still hurt. While Ball State is a sleeper they're not as good and it should be a close game but I don't see NIU losing at home, not if they go in on a four game streak.

A new short game practice facility will be dedicated on Aug.1 at Kishwaukee Country Club for the men's and women's NIU golf teams.

I spoke with Senior Associate Athletic Director Tim McMurray by e-mail Thursday night and he put to bed a few rumors that this was the indoor practice facility. HASF donors received e-mail invites on Thursday for the event which he said was a late reccomendation by the club.

The facility is a product of the partnership between NIU and KCC. I'll follow-up after Saturday to try and get the nitty gritty details as far as cost, size and that stuff.

There was also some talk that the facility could bear the name of former NIU golf coach Jack Pheanis. Unfortunetely, McMurray also shot that one down. Maybe, hopefully, they have something bigger planned for Coach Pheanis.

NIU has landed a home and home series with the Kansas Jayhawks for 2011 and 2012.

The series will open at Kansas on Sept. 10, 2011 and the Jayhawks will hit Huskie Stadium on Sept. 22, 2012.

"Getting a home-and-home series with a BCS conference opponent has been a priority since I came to NIU a year ago," said NIU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher in a press release. "We know what it means to our fan base to have Kansas come to DeKalb, and this series is something that has been in the works for several months."

The last time these two teams met was 1983, when NIU defeated Kansas, in Lawrence, 37-34. Six of head coach Jerry Kill's staff has either played on or coached in Kansas.

"First of all, the credit goes to Jeff Compher for getting this done," Kill said in the release.  "Bringing a team like Kansas to DeKalb for a home-and-home series is huge for our program and great for our fans. For me and the guys on our staff, not only do we get to play them here at Huskie Stadium, but when we go to Kansas, we get to go ‘home’ where we were born and raised, where many of us coached before and have a lot of friends and family, so that is a neat aspect of this deal."

The last time NIU hosted an automatic BCS qualifier was in 2003, when it hosted Maryland and Iowa State. The Huskies finished that season 10-2.