Meet Your Insider
Hello, Huskies fans. Welcome to The Cover Window. I'm Nola Brandvik, your Northern Illinois insider. I studied agricultural science here in DeKalb, and I model the Huskies like a corn crop: planting, growing season, harvest. Nobody understands my measurements, but they trust them, and I appreciate that. I travel with this team and I live with this team. I'm calm. Very calm. Illinois calm. When we win, I say, "Knee-high by the Fourth of July," which means a great win. When we lose, I stare at a photo of a cornfield for 30 seconds. It helps. Truly, it does. Try it sometime. Every week you'll get the players, the coaches and the matchup, harvested fresh.
The School in 60 Seconds
Northern Illinois plays at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, listed at 23,595. This is our first season in the Mountain West as a football-only member. New field, new soil, same Huskies. The recent history is something to be proud of. Under Thomas Hammock, NIU won the 2021 MAC championship, won back-to-back bowl games and beat No. 5 Notre Dame in 2024, one of the biggest wins in school history. Hammock left in February 2026 to return to the NFL. And Saturday is our first-ever meeting with Hawai'i. They're traveling farther than anyone. We'll be polite about it. When he left, Hammock said that representing NIU as a player, alumnus, assistant and head coach was the honor of his life, and that he'll always cheer for the Huskies. He also called this an exciting time as the program enters the Mountain West. Hammock's teams earned three of what NIU calls "Boneyard Wins" over Power 4 opponents. That's the standard we're growing toward.
The Coach and the Scheme
Rob Harley was our defensive coordinator, and he was promoted to interim head coach when Hammock resigned on Feb. 18, 2026. It's been a tough growing season. We're 0-6. The offense scores 14.2 points a game (137th) and runs for 101 yards a game (133rd). The blockers have allowed 23 sacks. The defense allows 35.7 points (132nd) and 228.5 rushing yards a game (135th). Opponents convert 61.6% of third downs, 138th in FBS. The good row in the field: the pass defense allows only 187 yards a game, 33rd in FBS. That's knee-high, at least. The passing game averages 206.7 yards a game (95th), with 4 passing and 5 rushing touchdowns. We've forced 6 turnovers and lost 7. And we hold the ball 28:05 a game, 114th in FBS. Yields are low this year. Seasons change.
Players to Know
RB Telly Johnson Jr.: 439 yards and 4 TD on 81 carries. At Wyoming he ran 16 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. Strong stalk. He's the best part of the crop right now.
QB Taron Dickens: 1,193 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT, 65.8% completions. He threw for 216 yards and a touchdown at Wyoming.
WR DeAree Rogers: 49 catches, 422 yards, 2 TD. Eleven catches for 89 yards last week.
The Conference Picture
We're 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the Mountain West, 0-2 at home and 0-4 on the road. The losses: at Iowa, Illinois State 28-24 (close), at Arizona, at Georgia State, Air Force and at Wyoming. This is our best chance yet for a first win. The field is ready. The weather is cooperating. I think. The Illinois State game was a four-point loss, 28-24, so we've been close before. Close is a seedling. Saturday we want a stalk.
This Week: Hawai'i (1-6) at Northern Illinois (0-6)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local) · Huskie Stadium · MW+.
Last week: we lost 41-23 at Wyoming. Hawai'i lost 21-10 to New Mexico.
Our offense vs. their defense: Hawai'i allows 182.3 rushing yards a game (112th). Johnson should get a lot of carries. Hawai'i's red-zone defense ranks 93rd.
Their offense vs. our defense: Hawai'i throws the ball a lot: about 64% passes, 268 yards a game (32nd). QB Micah Alejado has 1,862 yards. Our pass defense ranks 33rd, so that's the matchup to watch. Hawai'i runs for only 77.4 yards a game (138th).
Series: first meeting.
Availability: I found no official availability report for either team as of Oct. 18, 2026.
What decides it: (1) Red zone. We score on only 46.7% of trips (138th). Must improve, and soon. (2) Third-down defense. (3) Pressure. Hawai'i has allowed 20 sacks, and we have only 8.
And to Kainoa Akana-Baird, Hawai'i's insider: welcome to DeKalb. It's flat here. No waves. Lots of corn. You'll love it. Everyone does, eventually. Usually around harvest.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In DeKalb? French Toast Pancake House on South 4th Street, or Thai Pavillion on East Lincoln Highway.
My call: Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors 23, Northern Illinois Huskies 21.