Tulsa Goes North to Face Northern Illinois in Early Saturday Game

Saturday, September 23

DeKalb, Ill.

11:00 AM (CT)

Tulsa

Northern Illinois

Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University o

Tulsa Goes North to Face Northern Illinois in Early Saturday Game

9/22/2023 6:40:00 PM | Football

TULSA FACES NORTHERN ILLINOIS IN 11 AM GAME SATURDAY MORNING

GAME 4: TULSA (1-2, 0-0 American) vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS (1-2, 0-0 MAC)
Date/Time:	Saturday, September 23, 11:00 a.m. (CT)
Site:	DeKalb, Illinois
Stadium:	Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium (23,595)
Coaches:	TULSA – Kevin Wilson (North Carolina '84), 1st year NIU – Thomas Hammock (NIU '02), 5th year
TV:	CBS Sports Network
Talent:	Jordan Kent (pxp), Malik Zaire (analyst)
Tickets:	CLICK HERE
Radio:	Big Country 99.5 FM or Online
Talent:	Bruce Howard (pxp), Rick Couri (analyst), Jeremie Poplin (sideline)
Live Stats:	Live Stats
Series:	Tulsa leads 1-0
Game Notes:	Tulsa \| NIU \| American Athletic Conference

DEKALB, Ill. –– Tulsa closes out the nonconference schedule looking to even its season record to 2-2 with a trip to Northern Illinois to take on the Huskies Saturday morning at Huskie Field.

NIU is also looking to even its record with a second victory after opening the season with a 27-24 overtime win at Boston College. The Huskies have suffered losses against Southern Illinois and Nebraska in the last two weeks.

If last year's meeting is any indication, Saturday's game will be a barnburner. Tulsa jumped out to a 17-0 and 24-7 halftime lead, but the Huskies came out in the second half and scored on four of its first five possessions. NIU eventually took a 35-31 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the contest. The Hurricane scored on a one-yard Steven Anderson run with 0:58 left, and Tyon Davis' interception ended any hope for NIU and gave the Hurricane the 38-35 win.

Although a team that likes to run the ball, the passing game has worked for the Huskies in the early going. NIU has averaged nearly 200 yards passing and just 85 yards on the ground in its first three games.

The NIU offense is led by three-year starter at quarterback Rocky Lombardi, a transfer from Michigan State. Lombardi has completed 47 of 94 passes for 535 yards and one touchdown this year.

The Huskies run game is led by Antario Brown and Gavin Williams with 130 and 85 yards, respectively. Receiver Kasper Rutkiewicz and tight end Chris Carter have been Lombardi's top targets in the early season with 304 yards receiving between them.

Tulsa's defense, having been tested the last two weeks against Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks in Washington's Michael Penix and Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel, will need to get stops against the NIU offense that will look to establish the run.

On the outside, Ben Kopenski and Owen Ostroski can create havoc against opposing offenses and will look to do that on Saturday. Joe Anderson, Jayden Simon, Everitt Rogers and Zaid Hamdan will need to clog the middle.

Kopenski and Ostroski have combined for six TFL for -30 yards on the season.

Coleton Smith, Mitchell Kulkin and Julien Simon lead the linebacking corps for Tulsa, while safeties Kendarin Ray and Kanion Williams lead the secondary. Ray has a team-high 28 tackles to lead the American Athletic Conference, while Williams has added 16 tackles, one pickoff and one pass breakup.

It will be a tough test for a Tulsa offense unsettled at quarterback and up against a stout front seven for the Huskies.

Injuries have affected the signal-calling position for the Hurricane. The season's starter Braylon Braxton was injured in the first half of the season opener and after an impressive performance by Cardell Williams, Williams was injured in the Washington game min his first start. Roman Fuller started the Oklahoma game a week ago, while Williams managed to come in and play most of the second quarter and the entire second half.

On the year, Braxton has only attempted four passes in his brief time behind center, while Williams and Fuller have combined to complete 67% o their passes for 615 yards and seven touchdowns.

Who starts for the quarterback will likely be a game time decision for the Hurricane.

Tulsa will need to cut down its turnovers in the passing game and establish a run game behind its offensive front with four of the five starting the previous three games. A quartet of running backs will see playing time in the Hurricane backfield. Jordan Ford, Anthony Watkins and Bill Jackson III have seen the bulk of playing time, while Tahj Gary is also available after returning from injury last week against Oklahoma.

Ford has a team-best 187 yards, Watkins 152 and Jackson 149 and a team-high 5.5 average per carry.

A young receiving corps, who's having to replace three starters that combined for 2,512yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago, have shown positive strides. Sophomore Marquis Shoulders and freshman Devan Williams have caught the bulk of balls for the Hurricane, combining for 355 yards and four TDs on 22 receptions.

The Huskies four-man front is led by end Ray Thomas with 15 stops and three TFL for -11 yards and tackles Devonte O'Malley and James Ester combining for19 stops and three TFL for -12 yards. NIU linebackers DaRon Gilbert and Jaden Dolphin have totaled 25 stops between them through the first three games.

Safeties Nate Valcarcel and Jordan Hansen have been active in the secondary with Valcarcel leading the way with 15 tackles and Hansen 13.

The 11 a.m. kickoff will see partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70s from Huskie Stadium.