By Woodrow Carroll Despite a bad loss to end the regular-season, the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team still finished strong. The team ended 11-7 in Mid-American Conference West Division. Prior to 2019-2020, the last time the Huskies ended on the plus side of .500 in Conference was the 2005-2006
By Woodrow Carroll Northern Illinois University’s men’s basketball team can end a perplexing trend. Now in his ninth season as men’s basketball head coach at Northern Illinois, Mark Montgomery has yet to see his players finish with a winning record in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Montgomery has flirted with conference
By Woodrow Carroll My having had the good fortune and good health to cover 41 college football bowl games through last season, it is enjoyable to look back on how it all started for me. It was the 1991 Copper Bowl in Tucson, Ariz. that this writer covered his first
By Woodrow Carroll The Northwestern Wildcats, eased the pain of a 3-9 season. Cast in the role of a decided underdog, Northwestern, 3-9 and 1-8 in the Big Ten Conference, defeated host Illinois, 29-10, in Champaign Saturday. The conquest of the Illini not only gave the Wildcats their lone conference
By Woodrow Carroll First-year Northern Illinois University head football coach Thomas Hammock’s season did not go as planned. A Northern Illinois University product, Hammock saw the defending MAC champion Huskies falter badly at times, especially, when so much was expected. Last week’s 45-17 loss at home to Eastern Michigan ended
By Woodrow Carroll The offense often receives the lion’s share of attention in football. In Saturday’s Illinois-Rutgers’ Big Ten Conference game in Champaign, it was the host Illinois defense that stood out in the 38-10 victory. Rutgers was a three-touchdown underdog, however, the Scarlet Knights forged a 10-all tie at
By Woodrow Carroll With three starters returning, including senior guard Eugene German, who averaged 20.4 points per game last season, Northern Illinois University’s men’s basketball team is looking for a breakout season. The Huskies, 17-17 overall and 8-10 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) last season, will welcome back senior Lacey
By Woodrow Carroll Northern Illinois University played its third home football game of the season Saturday, and, for the third time this season it rained on the Huskies’ parade. It mattered little because Northern Illinois defeated the hapless Akron Zips, 49-0, in a (Mid-American Conference (MAC) game. Northern Illinois, 3-5
By Woodrow Carroll – Take nothing away from the University of Illinois kicker, James McCourt, whose 39-yard field goal when time expired gave the host Fighting Illini a 24-23 upset victory over heavily-favored Wisconsin Saturday. Yet, a tip of the hat is in order for Neuqua Valley High School product
By Woodrow Carroll Northern Illinois University, 1-3, will play host to Ball State,1-3, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) football opener for the each team. The game will give Northern Illinois opportunities to get back on track after losses to three Power Five teams, Utah, Nebraska, and
By Woodrow Carroll Each week various sports journals predict and project match-ups for the approximately 40 college bowl games. It is an inexact science for sure, but, a fun challenge. Victorious in its first two games, the University of Illinois had merited a mention as a bowl prospect to a
By Woodrow Carroll Two weeks into the college football season, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) combined record was 10-13. Each of the 12 MAC members had played two games with the exception of Toledo, which had a bye. At first glance, a record of 10-13 doesn’t look bad, however, a closer
By Woodrow Carroll It was not a classic victory! But for Northern Illinois University first-year head coach Thomas Hammock it was a welcome debut. Hammock, who played at Northern Illinois for two seasons, 2000-2001, before a heart ailment ended his playing days early his junior year, was 1-0 after his
