(10-02-2016 03:53 PM)gyrosandcheesefries Wrote:  When was the last time we were a 19 point underdog in a MAC game? That is the opening spread currently.

Good question, I would take a guess it would have to be vs Marshall

I just have a feeling that Maddie is going to play inspired and put it to PJ and the coaching staff. Like last year, I think we're going to find a way and win one we have no business winning

NIU 34
WMU 31


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we lose this one. but we beat toledo. toledo beats WMU. and WMU chokes on another game... thinking probably EMU. Shades of the 2003 NIU season. We go back to the MAC Championship. PJ rows on to a bigger job. we get to keep Carey and have Graham as a starting QB in 2017. no one wins.

That is a big spread, but WMU is 5 and 0 against the spread this year, and Flecks spread record overall is pretty good. This is the first time in this match up in many many years, that I feel the most talented athletes are on the Bronco side.

NIU 31

WMU 30

WMU has to lose more than one conference game this year

(10-02-2016 05:41 PM)Rocket_Fanatic Wrote:  NIU 31

WMU 30

WMU has to lose more than one conference game this year

I hope the Rockets do their part with WMU. That should game of the year in the MAC.

We won't get blown out.

I have no idea other than that.

I believe!
NIU 27
WMU 24

(10-02-2016 01:42 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Still feel that WMU should be ranked in the mid teens. Can NIU get off the field defensively is the question, I think they can do some things against WMU's defense, Ill go with

WMU 42
NIU 31

NIU covers the spread

NIU opens as 19 point underdog...sad show of respect for a once proud program

(10-02-2016 07:34 PM)namron Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 01:42 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Still feel that WMU should be ranked in the mid teens. Can NIU get off the field defensively is the question, I think they can do some things against WMU's defense, Ill go with

WMU 42
NIU 31

NIU covers the spread

NIU opens as 19 point underdog...sad show of respect for a once proud program

I suppose disrespect is the right word.....

(10-02-2016 07:34 PM)namron Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 01:42 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Still feel that WMU should be ranked in the mid teens. Can NIU get off the field defensively is the question, I think they can do some things against WMU's defense, Ill go with

WMU 42
NIU 31

NIU covers the spread

NIU opens as 19 point underdog...sad show of respect for a once proud program

I don't even think that is true, WMU is one of the higher rated MAC programs in awhile, I think its more a reflection on WMU than a disrespect to NIU

If we are going to make a statement this year, this game and Toledo would be the games to do it. Hey its worth a try!

WMU - 38
NIU - 20

I firmly believe NIU has the talent to beat any MAC team, but not with Rod Carey as a HC.

(10-02-2016 07:35 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 07:34 PM)namron Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 01:42 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Still feel that WMU should be ranked in the mid teens. Can NIU get off the field defensively is the question, I think they can do some things against WMU's defense, Ill go with

WMU 42
NIU 31

NIU covers the spread

NIU opens as 19 point underdog...sad show of respect for a once proud program

I don't even think that is true, WMU is one of the higher rated MAC programs in awhile, I think its more a reflection on WMU than a disrespect to NIU

To someone with their blinders on, like Vegas, a 19 point spread doesn't seem too much of a stretch between a 1-4 team and a 5-0 team. If I were a betting man, I would put big money on NIU. If we continue to build on the last 5 quarters of football, another week of practice for Maddie, there is no way we lose by 19 unless we hemorrhage with turnovers. I wouldn't be surprised to see the spread come down to 10 points.

(10-02-2016 09:47 PM)HuskieJoe Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 07:35 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 07:34 PM)namron Wrote:  

(10-02-2016 01:42 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Still feel that WMU should be ranked in the mid teens. Can NIU get off the field defensively is the question, I think they can do some things against WMU's defense, Ill go with

WMU 42
NIU 31

NIU covers the spread

NIU opens as 19 point underdog...sad show of respect for a once proud program

I don't even think that is true, WMU is one of the higher rated MAC programs in awhile, I think its more a reflection on WMU than a disrespect to NIU

To someone with their blinders on, like Vegas, a 19 point spread doesn't seem too much of a stretch between a 1-4 team and a 5-0 team. If I were a betting man, I would put big money on NIU. If we continue to build on the last 5 quarters of football, another week of practice for Maddie, there is no way we lose by 19 unless we hemorrhage with turnovers. I wouldn't be surprised to see the spread come down to 10 points.

Did you see what they did to CMU? A much better team than Ball State.

I don't think 19 pts is crazy, but I do think it's a bit high. I would say more like +15.5.

Personally, I fear Maddie. Your offense may hit it's groove after the BSU game with some confidence. WMU's D won't be suffocating. If we have no good special teams runs or turnovers in our favor, it's going to be a relatively close game, but WMU's O is stronger than NIU's, compared to each others Ds... so in the end, I see WMU slipping away and winning by 10-14 pts (or more).

I am thankful it's Homecoming. Huge crowd & motivation by itself. Plus, it's NIU, WMU will be prepared the same way as if NIU was 4-1.

WMU 48
NIU 21

This Western Michigan football team is the real deal. They, quite simply, have far superior athletes than NIU has.

Fleck has been recruiting strongly for three years now, and they have finally put it all together on the gridiron.

I'm not buying this, "we're in their heads" nonsense. I promise you the players don't think that. It's just another game for all of them.

(10-02-2016 11:31 PM)VegasHuskie Wrote:  WMU 48
NIU 21

This Western Michigan football team is the real deal. They, quite simply, have far superior athletes than NIU has.

Fleck has been recruiting strongly for three years now, and they have finally put it all together on the gridiron.

I'm not buying this, "we're in their heads" nonsense. I promise you the players don't think that. It's just another game for all of them.

Completely unlike CMU has been for us

I have no idea...is it the NIU of most of the BSU game, SDSU 1st half, parts of Wyoming? Or is it the NIU of USF, Boise, 1st half of SDSU, and WIU? When this team plays like NIU we all notice it, but I don't think any of us have been able to fully figure out what is causing the switch to go off or on. It's really really bad when it's off, and this game could get ugly if it's off. When they're on, we're not world beaters, but we can be a pretty good team, a team capable of winning a tough MAC game.

The other thing we don't know? Has this team remembered how to win? Before the losing streak started, this team had such a swagger. It didn't matter how many injures there were, this team came out expecting to win. They had lost that, did they get a taste and can get it back? They'll need it.

I tend to agree with Todd (crazy, crazy!) on this one. If I was a betting man, I'd take NIU if someone was giving me 16 points.

To win?
- WMU needs to turn the ball over twice (Lurry, it's time)
- Maddie has to build on BSU, needs 75+ on the ground (we're such a better offense with a running QB)
- O-Line needs to take whatever pill it took last week
- D = tackling? please. LBs/SF's need to step up and have their best game of the year

WMU: 42
NIU: 38

I tried and thought about how to pick our Huskies to get the upset; I just kept coming to issues that I just do not think the players can overcome.

I think on O we move the ball; we need to score more points/take advantage of opportunities. WMUs front 7 sacked Cooper Rush what was it 7 times and a bunch of tackles behind the line of scrimmage! The O line needs to play even better than they did against BSU. I hope we consider moving the pocket or rolling Maddie out to lessen the pressure on him; at times he seems more comfortable passing on the run anyway! Huff need to be our feature back; with him in the game there are a lot of weapons for WMU to defend. If he is not 100% then Mister to pick up some carries; he is too good of an athlete and we need his speed. JB for the right situations only. Do I think the coaches will do these things? History = more likely not do these things, and it was with these things I got my prediction to 38 pts for the Huskies. WMU’s defense is good and aggressive; coach job – how to use that aggressiveness against them!

The D; well what to do? Better pressure on the QB has to improve more! I like the idea of Bobby Jones IV and Johnson at the OLB positions and Folliard (who seems like he is near 100% now) at MLB. I wanted to see Pugh against BSU, but this may not be the game for him to cut his teeth on! The DBs well? I suppose Lurry on Corey Davis; he will get his yards (as Kenny G will) just prevent huge plays. I think Olooutu (Sp?) at the other corner; we need Smalls there but I guess he is out for a while? Allen looks good on run support but bad at coverage. I just don’t see where we have the healthy/good enough DBs to cover the WMU receivers, and this is where I see a part of the game we cannot overcome and may get away from us!

Then we have “The Carey Factor”! I still think PJ is a flake, but he will out coach Carey easily! Of course, we have the Hagan factor; unless it is a chip shot (and maybe not even then) go for it on 4th down! Kickers are strange ducks; it looks like Hagan has completely lost his confidence or technique; maybe both. Then the intangibles; WMH thinks it is their year, they want NIU since we have had their number, and it is homecoming with a big crowd.

Just too many thing for us to overcome to get the upset, unless we suddenly get very good on turnovers (since WMU has 0 turnovers that seems unlikely) or a huge turnover that leads to 7 and a kickoff return for a TD could get us over the top. So I keep coming to the end result of us coming up a bit short. We are way past moral victories; all I know is that in the last couple of weeks I was dreading the WMU game because every indicator was that we were going to get an old-fashioned butt whipping!