04-15-2005, 01:06 PM
From <a href='http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2005/04/15/sports/sports01.txt' target='_blank'>The Daily Chronicle</a>. Couple intersting notes:
-Hammock impressed with depth
-Wolfe and Harris went down with "shoulder injuries."
-Clanton described as "strong."
-Novak on naming a starter at QB, "We won't do that before two-a-days and we won't during. It will probably be close to gameday."
-Despite that Novak quote, Nick Gertz calls Horvath the "projected starter" and "favorite to take starting job." Seems to me that these would be different definitions but Gertz uses both in article.
-Hammock impressed with depth
-Wolfe and Harris went down with "shoulder injuries."
-Clanton described as "strong."
-Novak on naming a starter at QB, "We won't do that before two-a-days and we won't during. It will probably be close to gameday."
-Despite that Novak quote, Nick Gertz calls Horvath the "projected starter" and "favorite to take starting job." Seems to me that these would be different definitions but Gertz uses both in article.
Quote:Huskies continue to produce tailbacks
By Nick Gerts - Chronicle Sports Staff
DeKALB - Move over Miami. There could be a new Tailback U. this season.
Northern Illinois' football team enters the 2005 campaign loaded at the tailback position. With Garrett Wolfe and A.J. Harris returning, the Huskies could go as far as six deep entering the season.
The influx of talented runners shocked new running back coach Thomas Hammock.
"Man are we deep," said Hammock, who rushed for back-to-back 1,000-plus seasons in 2000 and 2001 for the Huskies. "Coach (Joe) Novak told me when he hired me that this will be the easiest group of guys that I will ever have to coach. I believe that. They are great guys who work hard and come ready to go every day."
The Huskies enter the season with three experienced backs in Wolfe, Harris and Adrian Davis. Waiting in the wings are Montell Clanton, Foster Chambers and Cas Prime, who's recovering from surgery. The overload at the tailback position might be the perfect ailment for the loss of quarterback Josh Haldi. The QB position will come down to a battle between four players with Phil Horvath the projected starter.
A.J. Harris will be a part of a deep stable of tailbacks for the Huskies during the upcoming 2005 season. The senior-to-be will be one of five tailbacks coach Joe Novak will be counting on along with 1,000-yard rusher Garrett Wolfe and key reserves Adrian Davis, Montell Clanton and Foster Chambers. NIU Media Services Photo SCOTT WALSTROM
The return of Wolfe and Harris gives NIU the nation's top returning major-college rushing tandem. The duo combined for 2,478 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2004. Wolfe's 1,656 yards handed NIU its sixth straight 1,000-yard rusher and the seventh under Novak in his nine years as Huskie coach.
"This group could be dangerous," said Hammock, who was a grad assistant for the last two seasons at Wisconsin. "With the amount of players we have right now, we can do an different amount of things."
Novak agreed.
"We have a lot of extremely talented kids back there," he said. "Montell Clanton is strong and is really tough. Adrian Davis, Foster Chambers and Cas Prime, we have some players back there waiting for their chance."
However, Northern Illinois received some unfortunate news this week as both Wolfe and Harris went down with shoulder injuries.
The tailback duo is just the latest to succumb to the injury bug. The Huskies have three defensive tackles - Zach Holycross, Adam Schroeder and Bryan Holicek - out due to different injuries since the start of spring practice.
Both Wolfe and Harris are questionable for the spring game, which starts at 12:30 p.m on April 23. Novak won't find out if they will be ready to play until the middle of next week.
"We are getting nicked up right now," Novak said. "There are a lot of yellow jerseys out there right now."
The loss of the two means added reps for the younger players. Clanton received significant experience during the practices leading up the Huskies' 34-21 Silicon Valley Football Classic victory over Troy, meaning the redshirt freshman will be even further along at the start of two-a-days in August.
"If my experience at Wisconsin taught me anything is that you need to have a good group of backs just in case your No. 1 goes down" Hammock said. "The next guy and the next guy and the guy after that has to be ready to step up."
Replacing Haldi
A fierce competition is brewing for the Northern Illinois quarterback position.
For the first time since 1998, there is a battle for the starting nod at quarterback. Since that season, only two quarterbacks have handed the job going into the season - Chris Finlen and Josh Haldi.
Now, four quarterbacks square off for the chance to lead the Huskies heading into the 2005 season. Phil Horvath is the favorite to take the starting job after starting in three games and playing the majority of the season opener against Maryland last season. Zach Ullrich enters the spring camp as the No. 2 quarterback following redshirt freshmen Britt Davis and Dan Nicholson.
"All are different players," Novak said. "It's not like there is a mold. They all bring something different to the table. This isn't cut and dry. We said before spring that we weren't going to make up our minds following the spring game. We won't do that before two-a-days and we won't during. It will probably be close to gameday."
Lueck returns
Despite the recent rash of injuries, the Huskies did garner a good piece of news on Monday as offensive lineman Ben Lueck received his sixth year of eligibility.
"We are really happy for Ben," said offensive line coach Sam Pittman. "All he wanted to do was come back and be a part of this team. The NCAA did a great job of getting him another year. He's one of the best offensive lineman in the MAC. We are really happy to have him back."