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Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
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NIU32 Offline
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Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
Northern Illinois brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
The Huskies have won 25 straight regular-season games and 16 straight on the road, two trends the Rebels will try to bring to an end

By Taylor Bern (contact)

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 | 2 a.m.
The Rebel Room
Walking Back From the Ledge

Las Vegas Sun sports writers Case Keefer and Taylor Bern try to walk sports editor Ray Brewer back from the ledge of giving up on UNLV's season following an ugly 13-12 victory against Northern Colorado.
More Coverage

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Rebels lucky to avoid 0-2 start with sloppy 13-12 victory in home opener
The Sun's UNLV's football section

Bobby Hauck was trying to explain the sustained success of another program and couldn’t quite find the words. There’s nuance in individual games or even seasons, but when the UNLV coach tried to step back and look at the bigger picture of a program that’s been to a bowl game in eight of the last 10 years spanning three different coaching tenures, the most obvious answer felt the most appropriate.

“They’re just good,” Hauck said. “They’ve been good and they are good; they keep reloading.”

Northern Illinois (2-0) played in the 2013 Orange Bowl and had a chance for another BCS trip last season before losing in the MAC Championship game. While many expected those fortunes to change once quarterback Jordan Lynch graduated, the Huskies just went to Northwestern and scored all of their points in the second half of a 23-15 upset victory.

That was NIU’s 16th straight victory in a true road game, a streak that stretches back to 2011. That mark will be on the line again this weekend when the Huskies travel to Sam Boyd Stadium for a 4 p.m. kickoff that figures to be a hot one. The game will stream on the Mountain West Network and Campus Insiders.

While Lynch was the big name on last year’s team, he wasn’t the best player as far as the next level is concerned. That would be safety Jimmie Ward, who was picked in the first round. Ward was the second first round pick for NIU in the last six years.

“That’s not the end-all, certainly, but it’s a pretty good indicator that they’ve had some guys,” Hauck said.

Right now it’s probably more important for UNLV (1-1) to focus on its own personnel than the group it’s facing this week. The Rebels’ scoring offense is bottom five in the country after scoring 13 in back-to-back games and their turnover margin (minus-two) isn’t much better, ranking 111th.

“We haven’t played very well,” Hauck said.

The defense certainly looked better during Saturday’s 13-12 victory than it did in the opener, although that could have as much to do with difference in competition as anything else. Defensive back Mike Horsey, who had a key interception against Northern Colorado, said the defense could build on the focus and mechanics that the unit played with at home.

“We’ve just got to put it together,” Horsey said.

And while it’s not exactly clear what quarterback they’ll be facing, Hauck said he’s got a pretty good idea. The Huskies used three quarterbacks at Northwestern but it wasn’t until sophomore Jordan Hare stepped under center that things started going their way. Hare finished 6-for-10 with 109 yards through the air and three total touchdowns, two passing and one rushing.

“We’re going to prepare for Hare,” Hauck said.

On the other side of the ball the Rebels got into a nice rhythm running the ball that was stymied by four interceptions. First it was receiver Marcus Sullivan’s ill-advised toss on a trick play during UNLV’s second possession, then quarterback Blake Decker dug a deeper whole with three picks of his own. Of the Rebels’ 12 drives, 66 percent ended in turnovers or points, although one of those was points for Northern Colorado when Decker was sacked for a safety.

The point is UNLV was able to move the ball and get some positive plays but the mistakes were too many for those good things to make much of an impact. By the end the Rebels were lucky to get out with the victory.

A similar performance isn’t going to cut it against NIU and the Rebels know it. Despite the struggles, though, left tackle Brett Boyko said the group is just as confident as it was heading into the season.

“We think we can go out there and compete with everybody,” Boyko said.

They’re about to find out. NIU has established itself as one of the best programs outside the Big 5 leagues. The Huskies haven’t lost a regular season game since Sept. 1, 2012, and snapping that streak is going to take a performance much better than what UNLV has put forth thus far.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or taylor.bern@lasvegassun.com. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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09-09-2014 10:01 PM
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NIUslumo Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
Positive comments and fearful/respectul columns are getting more and more common. It feels so good to be an NIU fan.
09-09-2014 10:24 PM
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NIUSox10 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-09-2014 10:24 PM)NIUslumo Wrote:  Positive comments and fearful/respectul columns are getting more and more common. It feels so good to be an NIU fan.

Sometimes seems like we get better press outside Chicago.
09-09-2014 10:26 PM
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huskie1stdown Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
I am waiting for a regular season opponent to really come after us. We are the ones with the chip on our shoulder, a score to settle and lack of respect. There will be a game where a lower opponent and their fans will want to make a name for themselves and be jacked up sky high. I hope NIU can weather that storm and still win. Then we will know we have arrived if teams are gunning for us by our name and not a ranking.
09-09-2014 11:48 PM
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BleedsHuskieRed Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-09-2014 11:48 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I am waiting for a regular season opponent to really come after us. We are the ones with the chip on our shoulder, a score to settle and lack of respect. There will be a game where a lower opponent and their fans will want to make a name for themselves and be jacked up sky high. I hope NIU can weather that storm and still win. Then we will know we have arrived if teams are gunning for us by our name and not a ranking.
Iowa....Toledo...Ball State....Idaho. They all brought it. We have weathered that storm, we just have to keep doing it and keep getting better.
09-10-2014 07:44 AM
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NIU8484 Offline
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Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-09-2014 11:48 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I am waiting for a regular season opponent to really come after us. We are the ones with the chip on our shoulder, a score to settle and lack of respect. There will be a game where a lower opponent and their fans will want to make a name for themselves and be jacked up sky high. I hope NIU can weather that storm and still win. Then we will know we have arrived if teams are gunning for us by our name and not a ranking.

You mean like Eastern Illinois?


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09-10-2014 08:00 AM
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7 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 08:00 AM)NIU8484 Wrote:  
(09-09-2014 11:48 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I am waiting for a regular season opponent to really come after us. We are the ones with the chip on our shoulder, a score to settle and lack of respect. There will be a game where a lower opponent and their fans will want to make a name for themselves and be jacked up sky high. I hope NIU can weather that storm and still win. Then we will know we have arrived if teams are gunning for us by our name and not a ranking.

You mean like Eastern Illinois?


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And Idaho? And CMU and Akron and Kent State?
09-10-2014 08:04 AM
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DogPoundNorth Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
Who is Jordan Hare? haha. Though it would be nice to have a hybrid of lynch and hare.
09-10-2014 08:07 AM
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cawoo22 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 08:07 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  Who is Jordan Hare? haha. Though it would be nice to have a hybrid of lynch and hare.

Auburn's stadium...

Less mobile than Lynch or Hare.... about equal with a typical Big Ten QB.
(This post was last modified: 09-10-2014 08:19 AM by cawoo22.)
09-10-2014 08:17 AM
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Huskie_Jon Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
Quote:“We’re going to prepare for Hare,” Hauck said.

How's that for a new motto?

Prepare for Hare!

Another streak they neglected to mention:

Huskies are 3-0 vs Rebels
09-10-2014 09:50 AM
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
BY CRACKY
09-10-2014 10:00 AM
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cawoo22 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 10:00 AM)7 Wrote:  BY CRACKY

[Image: smokey-and-the-bandit-ii.jpeg]
09-10-2014 11:06 AM
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NIU007 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 08:07 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  Who is Jordan Hare? haha. Though it would be nice to have a hybrid of lynch and hare.

Isn't that a condiment you put on Italian Beef? 05-duck
09-10-2014 11:18 AM
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 08:04 AM)7 Wrote:  
(09-10-2014 08:00 AM)NIU8484 Wrote:  
(09-09-2014 11:48 PM)huskie1stdown Wrote:  I am waiting for a regular season opponent to really come after us. We are the ones with the chip on our shoulder, a score to settle and lack of respect. There will be a game where a lower opponent and their fans will want to make a name for themselves and be jacked up sky high. I hope NIU can weather that storm and still win. Then we will know we have arrived if teams are gunning for us by our name and not a ranking.

You mean like Eastern Illinois?
Eastern is good example but that was home.
The other teams mentioned were not decent or a road game.
Toledo is a better example but I don't think the fans want to kill us.
I guess you need to see it to know what I am talking about.
How we feel when Toledo comes to DeKalb.

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And Idaho? And CMU and Akron and Kent State?
09-10-2014 12:15 PM
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niubrad00 Offline
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
(09-10-2014 08:07 AM)DogPoundNorth Wrote:  Who is Jordan Hare? haha. Though it would be nice to have a hybrid of lynch and hare.

This is Jordan Hare.

[Image: Jordan-Hare-Stadium-Auburn.jpg]
(This post was last modified: 09-10-2014 12:18 PM by niubrad00.)
09-10-2014 12:18 PM
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RE: Las Vegas Sun - NIU brings impressive streaks into Saturday’s game at UNLV
Series like this are outstanding for NIU's name recognition in the West. SD ST & UNLV are in fast growing regions with exploding talent bases and a shrinking number of universities that play NCAA D 1 football.

BYU & Utah State are excellent schedule additions. Would like to see Fresno State & SJ ST added as well. These are programs NIU has played while in the Big West.

NIU is also pushing hard in Texas and Dallas produces more college football talent than any other major metro region. SMU is hopefully a scheduling target.
09-10-2014 12:22 PM
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