No. 23 Northern Illinois will play a game as a ranked team for the first time since 2013 when it hosts Buffalo on Saturday in DeKalb, Ill.
It’s the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. Northern Illinois (2-0) entered the AP Top 25 Poll after upsetting then No. 5-Notre Dame 16-14 on Sept. 7. It was the Huskies’ first win against a ranked opponent since 2015 and the highest-ranked team they ever defeated.
The Huskies are coming off a bye week, while Buffalo (2-1) knocked off UMass 34-3 last week.
Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock said the Huskies used the week off to refocus after the historic win against Notre Dame. The last time a MAC team was ranked this early in the season was 2002, when former member Marshall started the season at No. 19.
“The outside world, people are still talking about (the Notre Dame game),” Hammock said. “Everyone in our organization moved on last week. It’s great for the university, great for the athletic department and great for the football program. But we have a job to do to make sure we can play our best football on Saturday.”
Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock was named the MAC defensive player of the week after he racked up 12 tackles, three tackles for a loss and a sack in the Bulls’ home win against UMass. On the season, Murdock has 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. It’s the second time a Buffalo linebacker has been received the honor this year, as Shaun Dolac won the award after the Bulls’ season opener.
Linebacker play will be key for Buffalo as it looks to slow what coach Pete Lembo said is a potent Northern Illinois offense. The Huskies average 251 rushing yards per game and 547 yards overall. Antario Brown has turned into a multi-purpose running back with 168 rushing yards and is ranked No. 1 in yards per reception with 171 receiving yards — on only four catches.
Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton is the No. 1-ranked FBS quarterback in passing efficiency at 235.86 and has connected on 71.8 percent of his pass attempts. He has thrown for 526 yards and six touchdowns.
“Antario Brown is a big, stout, athletic guy that’s very physical and catches the ball out of the backfield,” Lembo said. “Their QB (Hampton) is super efficient, a really good decision-maker and an accurate thrower that’s completing a high percentage of his passes.”
As a former offensive lineman, Lembo admired the veteran moxie of the players on the Huskies’ offensive and defensive lines.
“They look as good as advertised. They are a very, very tough physical, veteran team,” Lembo said. “They are executing at a really high level through two games. I don’t mind saying publicly that I voted for them in the top 25 in this week’s (coaches) poll.
“They have four defensive tackles they roll through that all look like they should be bouncers at some high-end bar. They can’t quite button their shirt and get their ties up tight because their necks are so big. These are some rugged-looking dudes that handled themselves really well in the Notre Dame game.”
The Bulls are led by quarterback C.J. Ogbonna, who has thrown for 435 yards and three touchdowns through the first three games. Jacqez Barksdale is averaging 5.3 yards per carry out of the backfield, gaining 184 yards on 35 attempts.
