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Tribune Article on Graham
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BDB5yp Offline
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Tribune Article on Graham
It's different this time.

It's different because Ryan Graham knows he can do the job, and everyone else in the Northern Illinois football program does too.

This belief isn't based on what Graham has shown in practice, or the family pedigree and personal makeup that sold him to Huskies coach Rod Carey at a time Carey's rivals weren't buying.

Those were the reasons to believe in Graham when he was pressed into service last season after starting quarterback Drew Hare tore an Achilles tendon against Toledo. The red-headed redshirt freshman led NIU to a comeback victory that night and two more wins as the Huskies won their sixth consecutive MAC West title.

Hare went down again Saturday with knee and ankle injuries that could signal an end to the fifth-year senior's NIU career.

Ryan Graham, the team is yours.

"Nothing is a first for me anymore," said Graham, Carey's first quarterback recruit as head coach. "Knowing we can win games with me as the quarterback is definitely a big confidence booster. I have a lot of guys around me who can make a lot of good plays. My job is easy. I've just got to get them the ball."

It's also different this time because the season is young, because the Huskies are in the unfamiliar position of being 0-2 and because a couple of recent NIU trademarks — MAC championship game appearances and outstanding quarterback play — fall squarely on Graham, beginning with Saturday's home opener against San Diego State.

Pressure? Sure, he feels pressure.

"There's always pressure," said Graham, whose father, Dan, was a star center and tight end for NIU in the 1980s. "Pressure is a good thing. Pressure makes diamonds. I am excited to follow in Drew's footsteps — and hopefully he can come back this year — but I'm excited to see what I can do.

"We're 0-2, but the sky is not falling. We still have everything we want in front of us. I'm excited for another challenge and excited to get back on the field."

In parts of 10 games last season, including four starts, Graham threw for 691 yards on 55-of-104 passing with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He's a much better runner than his 104 net yards indicate.

"The learning curve in games goes way up really quick," Carey said. "He didn't have time to think against Toledo, then Buffalo he played a good game and again a really good game against Western Michigan.

"You can see he just holds himself different now."

When Hare went down last season, Graham was the only healthy scholarship quarterback on the roster. The Huskies are much healthier behind him now with senior Anthony Maddie, redshirt freshman Daniel Santacaterina and true freshmen Anthony Thompson and Marcus Childers.

Quarterback Ryan Graham ready to step in as NIU starter
It could be the most job security Graham has enjoyed since he was a freshman at Wheaton Warrenville South.

The Tigers were coming off consecutive Class 7A championships when Graham was promoted to varsity as a sophomore and several would-be successors to former Illinois quarterback Reilly O'Toole moved into town.

"Every year I was the quarterback, people moved in and I had competition I had to beat out," said Graham, whose high school competition included Northwestern's Clayton Thorson and Illinois State's Jake Kolbe. "That prepared me for college."

Graham did not distinguish himself as a passer until he was a senior. Carey saw it sooner, though, specifically at a 7-on-7 passing camp at NIU before Graham's senior year.

Carey knew the family — Ryan's uncle Kent Graham was an NFL quarterback for 10 seasons, his father reached the NFL and his uncle Russ Graham also played at NIU — and he loved the implications.

"When you are recruiting a quarterback, that does for sure matter," Carey said. "That foundation and family base he has is really good. We saw him live and we know what kind of leader he is, and add in the pedigree —yeah, there was some projection there, but we knew what we were getting."

From Chandler Harnish to Jordan Lynch to Hare, the Huskies have been blessed with years of strong leadership and maturity at the position — not to mention wins by the bushel.

"He has those qualities," Carey said. "Now, those other three also got it done on the field."

Next up is Ryan Graham.

Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
(This post was last modified: 09-16-2016 03:47 PM by BDB5yp.)
09-16-2016 03:38 PM
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cartershaw Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Sounds like a puff piece written by STF, Rod and the Graham family
09-16-2016 04:18 PM
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HuskieTap22 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Why are people so down on Graham as QB? He led NIU to some big wins last year as a freshman. I think the D is a bigger question mark than QB.
09-16-2016 04:44 PM
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klake87 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Pass rush is biggest problem. Games are won on the line.
09-16-2016 04:53 PM
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Teamduh Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
(09-16-2016 04:44 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Why are people so down on Graham as QB? He led NIU to some big wins last year as a freshman. I think the D is a bigger question mark than QB.
Agreed. Cartershaw why so negative? Bad work week or just rewatching last couple of games?

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09-16-2016 09:41 PM
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17Huskies Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
You're surprised Cartershaw is negative? ha.

Would we rather have the Tribune publish a negative article about the program?
09-17-2016 02:26 AM
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BDB5yp Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
(09-17-2016 02:26 AM)17Huskies Wrote:  You're surprised Cartershaw is negative? ha.

Would we rather have the Tribune publish a negative article about the program?

Exactly. We need all the positive press we can get, not a bunch of articles telling Chicagoans why NIU sucks. Go Huskies!!!
(This post was last modified: 09-17-2016 12:03 PM by BDB5yp.)
09-17-2016 08:21 AM
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cartershaw Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
(09-16-2016 04:44 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Why are people so down on Graham as QB? He led NIU to some big wins last year as a freshman. I think the D is a bigger question mark than QB.

Saw him play last year, saw his high school stats...people are who they are
09-17-2016 08:27 AM
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Springfield Soxfan Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Did Fiedler transfer?
09-17-2016 08:48 AM
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HuskiePride12 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
(09-17-2016 08:27 AM)cartershaw Wrote:  
(09-16-2016 04:44 PM)HuskieTap22 Wrote:  Why are people so down on Graham as QB? He led NIU to some big wins last year as a freshman. I think the D is a bigger question mark than QB.

Saw him play last year, saw his high school stats...people are who they are

Cartershaw wakes up and hates life. If people are who they are, tell me why players like lynch harnish Wolfe and even English shined when no one really thought offering them? You're the type of person that would ***** if you had a model giving you a lap dance.
09-17-2016 10:39 AM
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cartershaw Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Puff piece, not strong enough arm to start at this level.. And I am not the only own who noticed that his throws just don't get there, or don't get there fast enough on the quick outs
09-17-2016 07:44 PM
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badmoonrising13 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
Was not a good game for Graham. Had open receivers but couldn't hiit them. Granted, he faced a lot of pressure and couldn't step into his throws on some occasions but Hare would have hit a lot more of those passes.
09-17-2016 08:23 PM
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NIU007 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
That was terrible. We've had 2 years since Lynch left to find a viable backup QB. The others must be pretty bad if this is the best we can do. With more time with the starters I think Graham can fix some of the timing issues, but I wonder if he has enough arm strength to beat anyone. It bothers me more that our players on defense are NEVER in the right place. Any misdirection and we leave an entire HALF of the field undefended. I'm getting to the point that I don't think it's a talent issue though, and in this game, it wasn't speed either. I think it's coaching. Or lack of it.
09-17-2016 09:25 PM
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badmoonrising13 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
The sloppy tackling and blocking are most certainly coaching issues. Good teams are great in the fundamentals.
09-17-2016 09:27 PM
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KMR_NIU_13 Offline
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Post: #15
Tribune Article on Graham
Graham missed some wide open receivers. Defense had a couple big stops that were tossed out after targeting and unsportsmanlike conduct. Did anyone get a good view of either penalty?


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09-17-2016 09:58 PM
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NIU007 Offline
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RE: Tribune Article on Graham
(09-17-2016 09:58 PM)KMR_NIU_13 Wrote:  Graham missed some wide open receivers. Defense had a couple big stops that were tossed out after targeting and unsportsmanlike conduct. Did anyone get a good view of either penalty?


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I need to watch those again. On the targeting it looked like the QB was hit in the upper chest, when I saw it in real time. We couldn't catch a break.
09-17-2016 10:03 PM
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