Something to get you pumped up for the game...

The Chicago Tribune: No rush to judgment
NIU | Nicholson, Huskies figure balance can take place of Wolfe

''In fact, we've got three guys who can run with the football and get those yards for us. So the defenses can't lock down on one guy.''

Junior Montell Clanton, sophomore Justin Anderson and freshman Chad Spann start the season as the top three options in the Huskies' rushing rotation. Meanwhile, Nicholson's receiving corps -- junior wideouts Britt Davis, Marcus Perez and Matt Simon and senior tight end Brandon Davis -- has been called by coach Joe Novak the best in his tenure in DeKalb.

Northern Illinois: Northern Illinois Enters Final Days of Preparation for Iowa Game
- Phil Brown Returns; Chat with Larry English on ESPN.com Thursday

Northern Illinois sophomore linebacker Phil Brown (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park HS) returned to the practice field and has been declared eligible to play this season, Novak said Wednesday.

Brown did not participate in preseason camp while resolving his academic issues and must make his way back up the depth chart, according to the Huskie head man.

"Obviously we are happy to have him back, but he is not ready to play 60 plays a game," Novak said. "It's going to be a gradual thing. I'm happy with the kids we've got at linebacker and the way they've performed so far. He's going to have to earn his playing time and beat them out."

After playing in 10 games and making 51 tackles as a freshman in 2005, Brown sat out the 2006 season while rehabilitating a knee injury.

The Chicago Tribune: Nicholson armed, receivers dangerous

The expectations are there for Nicholson. He has something to prove.

The Huskies are 3-2 in games Nicholson has started over the last two seasons, but both losses came in landmark games: the 2005 Mid-American Conference championship game and the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl that closed a 7-6 season.

The Chicago Tribune: NIU, Iowa ready to shake things up

"It was a very hard-fought game," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz recalled. "We have so much respect for Northern—they're a very solid football team.

"When we play a top MAC team like them, it's just like playing another Big Ten team."

Inside Huskie Sports: Yordon Center Tour

Northern Illinois: Huskies Happy as Preseason Camp Ends

A happy group of Northern Illinois Huskies closed out three weeks of preseason workouts Saturday with a two-and-a-half hour practice at Huskie Stadium. NIU now enters game week preparations for the Sept. 1 season opener versus Iowa at Soldier Field. The sold-out game will be televised on ESPNU with kick off at 2:30 p.m.

"There were a lot of happy campers out there today, including the coaches," said NIU Head Coach Joe Novak. "They're excited about closing out camp. They know it's one week to go and they want to play a game. They practice so much and so hard, they work year-round for the chance to play 12 games."

Chicago Sun-Times: Huskies have a new leader

''My goal on every snap is to either sack the quarterback or tackle a runner for negative yards,'' English said. ''It's a matter of attacking with strength and quick instincts. I take whatever the offense gives me. And each time I succeed, it's like, 'Whew! Finally! This really feels good!'''

Coach Joe Novak calls English his best player and one of his team's top leaders, and scouts tag the 6-3, 255-pounder as the Huskies' best pro prospect.

The Courier News: NIU's English cooking up a winning attitude

It helped earn the Marmion Academy graduate a spot on this year's watch list for the Bronco Nagurski Award, given to the nation's best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America.

"You can look at him and tell he's an intense dude. Look at his arms and see the veins popping out," said Davis, the former Riverside-Brookfield quarterback-turned-wide receiver.

The Daily Herald: NIU outlook? Even Novak isn't sure

Joe Novak's crew represents the only school in the Mid-American Conference -- and one of just 18 in the crowded Division I Bowl Subdivision -- to post winning records every season in the 2000s.

Huskies Continue to Sort Out Linebacking Unit

"Tim McCarthy (Neenah, Wisc./Neenah) has missed some time with an infection and we don't know what will happen with Phil Brown (Chicago, Ill./Morgan Park)," said head coach Joe Novak. "So right now we've got Cory Hanson (Minneapolis, Minn./De La Salle), Josh Allen (North Chicago, Ill./North Chicago) and John Tranchitella (Addison, Ill./Driscoll) and that's where were are."

McCarthy returns to anchor the linebackers after registering 212 tackles in his first two collegiate seasons. The junior captain enters 2007 as a preseason All-MAC choice and will be one of the team's defensive leaders. Brown, who missed the 2006 campaign because of injury after a 51-tackle freshman season, was penciled in as a starter upon his return.

No Surprises for Huskie Defensive Ends in Preseason Camp

Northern Illinois defensive ends coach Mike Sabock hasn't had to make any hard decisions during preseason camp, as junior Larry English (Aurora, Ill. / Marmion Academy) and sophomore Brandon Bice (McCook, Ill. / Lyons Township) have continued their stranglehold at the left and right end.

The Beacon News: Thorgesen makes position switch to safety

Thorgesen, a 6-foot, 180-pound freshman from Kaneland, passed for 3,713 yards and 43 touchdowns last season directing the Knights' spread offense that keyed their run to the semifinals of the IHSA Class 5A playoffs. He also played some at defensive back.

"We made the switch two days ago," said coach Joe Novak. "We had talked about it with Boone and his dad (Kaneland coach Joe Thorgesen) during recruiting but he wanted to take a shot at quarterback."

NIU Quarterbacks Show Improvement During Preseason Camp

"Dan has done an outstanding job all summer and into this fall establishing himself as the leader of our offense," said NIU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Roy Wittke. "He's taken that role very seriously. He's grown and matured into an effective leader. He's really taken ownership of our offense."

"Both Dan Nicholson and [back-up QB] Ryan Morris have made significant progress with picking up the system and some of the new concepts we've introduced," he said. "Both have done a good job in camp, they have made strides physically and mentally. I'm pleased with their progress."

Chicago Tribune: Novak Reloading on the Run - expectations are low everywhere except DeKalb

Novak isn't looking for the next Wolfe or the next Horvath. He'll make do with the Montell Clanton-Justin Anderson tailback tandem and quarterback Dan Nicholson handing off to them.

"I feel confident that we'll get good production out of the tailback spot, and Dan has played a lot of football at quarterback," Novak said. "He's not a rookie—we've won with him."

NCAA Football Preview - Northern Illinois

OUTLOOK: It will be interesting to see if coach Joe Novak can produce another 1,000-yard runner. If NIU can put forth a consistent ground attack look for the Huskies to compete for the MAC East (East? ...oops) title, especially with the talent they possess on defense.

Huskie Safeties Pull Double Duty

"We've got some young kids that are going to be back there," Hauser said. "With some injuries, Bradley Pruitt (Chicago, Ill./Hyde Park) has been getting most of the reps at strong safety. Alex Kube (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) is a freshman who has had a pretty good camp."

"Spencer Williamson (Elkhart, Ind./Central) and Mark Reiter (New Lenox, Ill./Providence) were our starters in the spring, but they got banged up and they haven't practiced much. Right now they're No. 2's. Those guys are battling to get back on the field, pushing the ones and creating that competition to make everybody better."

Novak Encouraged by Depth at Cornerback

I think we've got more players at cornerback than we've had," Novak said. "There are five, maybe six, kids that have put themselves in a position to contribute. Bradley Pruitt (Chicago, Ill./Hyde Park HS) and Melvin Rice (Chicago, Ill/Morgan Park HS) are the starters. Chase Charter (Wichita, Kans./Coffeyville JC) is right there and Patrick George (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech), Anthony Mason (Hopkins Park, Ill./Bishop McNamara HS) and James Jefferies (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel HS) are kids that can play."

Defensive backs coach John Hauser said that Rice and Pruitt, along with Carter, are at the top of his depth chart. Rice started seven games a year ago while Pruitt had 10 starts at either cornerback or safety.

Developing Discipline in the Wide Receiver Corps

"I really think Greg Turner (Glendale Heights, Ill./Driscoll) is turning into a very good receiver. He's more of a possession-type guy," he (PJ Fleck) said. "Coach Novak is right about Greg when he says, `All he does it make plays.' Matt Simon (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) is doing a great job. He's coming into his own. He's maturing and understanding what it takes to be a good player at this level."

"The freshmen are really raw but they have a lot of ability. It's our job as coaches to take that ability and plug it into our system," he said. "Britt Davis (Broadview, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) is obviously the leader of the group. But he's learning too. It's a learning curve for him too, but he's doing a good job of leading this unit in the direction we want to go."

Huskie Tight Ends Look Ahead to More Prominent Role in Offense

"The tight ends will be more involved in the passing game this season," said head coach Joe Novak. "We'll be throwing to them a lot more than we have in the past."

Brandon Davis (Broadview, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) is the incumbent starter and the lone senior of the group. Davis caught 23 passes last season, including a pair of touchdowns, while making nine starts. Also slated to see significant playing time is junior David Koronkiewicz (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) who made a career-best 11 catches with two touchdowns a year ago. The duo compliments each other well with their skills.

The Courier News: Huskies' Novak Nearing the End

Novak told a media day gathering last week he and NIU Athletic Director Jim Phillips would sit down and talk in early to mid-November. Phillips is on record as saying Novak can coach in DeKalb as long as he wants.

"For recruiting and the whole thing, I told him, 'If I'm not coming back you need to know that so you can get started and have your (search) process,'" said Novak. "He knows it's not much longer no matter what. He's got people in mind (to replace the coach). That's his job."