Huskies take on the Falcons in MAC Conference Battle

The Northern Illinois Huskies proved that they can play ball with the best offenses in their division as they took down the high-powered Toledo Rockets last week in what was a shootout. Beating Toledo on the road may prove to be the win that the Huskies needed to move up in the MAC division and get a chance at a bowl game. NCAA football handicappers don’t give too much respect to small division schools, but NIU deserves some as they are ranked 10th overall in scoring, and are 1 win away from bowl eligibility. A win Tuesday against the Bowling Green Falcons will secure their 6th win and put them in the mix for a bowl berth come selection time. The Falcons will not go quietly as they have a solid passing attack, and are capable of taking down any team on their level.

The Falcons are coming off of their biggest win of the year as they took down a Temple squad that had been dominating on the defensive end of the ball. Bowling Green maybe just 4-4 on the season, but they have played a difficult schedule both in and out of conference. This won’t be a walk in the park for the Huskies as the Falcons have plenty to play for and more than enough motivation to get them there.

Neither team does exceptionally well on the defensive side of the ball, but the Falcons have a major advantage in terms of points allowed and total defense. Matt Shcilz has done exceptionally well for the Falcons at quarterback as he has thrown 19 touchdowns through 9 games this season. Anthon Samuel has done more than his fair share in terms of keeping this Falcons offense afloat as he has contributed 704 yards on the ground. It will take an all-out effort from the Falcons to keep pace with Norhtern Illinois, but the Falcons will benefit from having the dar superior defense.

NIU is one of the most explosive teams in the conference and in the country, but they have the 109th best defense in the nation. Allowing teams to score at will puts an incredible amount of pressur eon this offense to continue to score. Chandler Harnish is one of the most versatile quarterbacks in division 1 football. He has passed for nearly 200 yards as well as rushed for 900, but the Huskies defense has made it impossible for him to sustain a comfortable lead. The Huskies scored over 40 points in 2 of their 3 losses, but still lost as their defense surrendered more than their fair share. NIU currently leads the West division of the MAC conference, but a loss to NIU on Tuesday would put them a full game behind the Toledo Rockets, and would make it extremely difficult for them to get the division title.

College football handicappers have the Huskies listed as 5.5 point road favorites on Tuesday, but there’s a good chance that this one could result in an outright win for the Falcons as they stand behind their defense to keep pace in the MAC. Tune in Tuesday as the Huskies and Falcons battle in what should be a very competitive MAC conference match-up.

 

Related posts:

1. MAC Conference Championship: Huskies vs. Redhawks
2. Toledo hosts Northern Illinois in MAC Conference Showdown
3. Bobcats look to extend MAC lead vs. Falcons
4. Northern Illinois hosts Ball St in MAC Battle
5. Owls host Redhawks in MAC Conference Battle

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