Northern Illinois
2nd MAC10-3
Fresno State
4th Western Athletic8-4
Northern Illinois @ Fresno State preview
Albertsons Stadium
The Skinny: It speaks volumes about this bowl that both Northern Illinois and Fresno State have felt compelled to offer free tickets to students at each school in the hopes of enticing them to come to frigid Boise, Idaho for this game. The Huskies (10-3, 8-0 Mid-American Conference) dropped a heartbreaker to Miami of Ohio in the MAC Championship game. They will be playing their school-record 14th game when they take to the famed blue turf at Bronco Stadium to face the Bulldogs (8-4, 5-3 Western Athletic Conference). A victory would give UNI another record with its 11th win of the season.
Interim coach Tom Matukewicz assumes the helm following Jerry Kill’s abrupt departure to take the vacant Minnesota coaching job.
The Bulldogs, who are making their third appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl, dropped three games to teams currently ranked in the Top 25. Coach Pat Hill’s team lists impressive victories over BCS conference schools Cincinnati and Illinois to open and close the season, respectively.
Point spread: Fresno State -1. Over/under -59.
Northern Illinois’ edge: Chad Spann heads a potent Huskies rushing offense that ranks seventh nationally at just under 265 yards per game. The senior tailback and MAC Offensive Player of the Year averaged 5.3 yards per carry in rushing for 1,293 yards and 20 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Chandler Harnish added 764 more yards for a UNI offense that likes to grind things out.
Fresno State’s edge: Defensive end Chris Carter and defensive tackle Logan Harrell combined for 21.5 sacks this season, helping the Bulldogs rank sixth nationally as a team.
The Quarterbacks: A first-team All-MAC selection, Harnish completed nearly 65 percent (172 of 266) of his attempts for 2,230 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to breaking a Northern Illinois record for total offense in a season.
Fresno State senior quarterback Ryan Colburn completed nearly 62 percent (199 of 322) of his passes for 2,529 yards and 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He torched the Illini for 304 yards and three touchdowns without a pick in his team’s season-ending win over their Big 10 opponents.
NFL prospects: Northern Illinois – RB Chad Spann. Fresno State – DE Chris Carter, LB Ben Jacobs, K Kevin Goessling.
Bowl History: Northern Illinois – The Huskies are making their sixth bowl appearance, and their fifth in the last seven years, but have lost their last three bowl games. Fresno State – The Bulldogs are 10-9 all-time in bowls and are making their 11th postseason trip in 12 seasons under coach Pat Hill. Fresno State has lost three of its last four bowl games, including last year’s 35-28 double-overtime loss to Wyoming.
Interim coach Tom Matukewicz assumes the helm following Jerry Kill’s abrupt departure to take the vacant Minnesota coaching job.
The Bulldogs, who are making their third appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl, dropped three games to teams currently ranked in the Top 25. Coach Pat Hill’s team lists impressive victories over BCS conference schools Cincinnati and Illinois to open and close the season, respectively.
Point spread: Fresno State -1. Over/under -59.
Northern Illinois’ edge: Chad Spann heads a potent Huskies rushing offense that ranks seventh nationally at just under 265 yards per game. The senior tailback and MAC Offensive Player of the Year averaged 5.3 yards per carry in rushing for 1,293 yards and 20 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Chandler Harnish added 764 more yards for a UNI offense that likes to grind things out.
Fresno State’s edge: Defensive end Chris Carter and defensive tackle Logan Harrell combined for 21.5 sacks this season, helping the Bulldogs rank sixth nationally as a team.
The Quarterbacks: A first-team All-MAC selection, Harnish completed nearly 65 percent (172 of 266) of his attempts for 2,230 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to breaking a Northern Illinois record for total offense in a season.
Fresno State senior quarterback Ryan Colburn completed nearly 62 percent (199 of 322) of his passes for 2,529 yards and 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He torched the Illini for 304 yards and three touchdowns without a pick in his team’s season-ending win over their Big 10 opponents.
NFL prospects: Northern Illinois – RB Chad Spann. Fresno State – DE Chris Carter, LB Ben Jacobs, K Kevin Goessling.
Bowl History: Northern Illinois – The Huskies are making their sixth bowl appearance, and their fifth in the last seven years, but have lost their last three bowl games. Fresno State – The Bulldogs are 10-9 all-time in bowls and are making their 11th postseason trip in 12 seasons under coach Pat Hill. Fresno State has lost three of its last four bowl games, including last year’s 35-28 double-overtime loss to Wyoming.