Saturday
Fresno State (8-4) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Line: Northern Illinois by 1
Series Record: Series tied 2-2.
Last Meeting: 1991, Fresno State 55-7.
What’s at Stake
Every three years it seems Fresno State is destined for a bowl trip to Boise. This year is no different, but comes with the added bonus of the Bulldogs trying to make amends for the last time they stepped on the blue turf and were whacked 51-0 by Boise State in late November. Northern Illinois is in a whirlwind of change with coach Jerry Kill leaving to take the head job at Minnesota and his replacement, Dave Doeren, busy prepping Wisconsin’s defense for the Rose Bowl. That leaves interim coach Tom Matukewicz responsible for getting the Huskies to care about their third straight bowl appearance.
Key Matchup
Fresno State’s defense vs. Northern Illinois’ offense. The Huskies offense was rolling along averaging 46.2 points during their nine-game winning streak heading into the MAC title game against Miami, Ohio. But NIU’s offense struggled with a conference championship on the line and was held to less than 22 points for just the second time all season. Fresno State’s defense rebounded from being ripped apart by Boise State to hold Idaho to 20 points and Illinois to 23 in the final two games of the season.
Players to Watch
Fresno State: RB Robbie Rouse. Rouse had an incredible four-game stretch in the middle of the season that included 286 yards against Louisiana Tech, the second-highest total in school history, and 217 against Nevada. He missed the season finale against Illinois with an injury, but is expected to play against NIU.
Northern Illinois: RB Chad Spann: The engine to the Huskies record-setting offense this season has been Spann. During one stretch of the regular season, Spann scored a TD in 11 straight games, part of his school-record 20 rushing TDs this season. Miami managed to slow down Spann in the MAC title game, holding him to just 54 yards rushing and, more importantly, keeping him out of the end zone.
Facts & Figures
Fresno State is 11-11 all-time in bowl games but is 2-0 on the blue turf in Boise, beating Virginia in 2004 and Georgia Tech in 2007. … Fresno State DE Chris Carter was named the WAC defensive player of the year after leading the conference with 11 sacks – good for seventh nationally. … Northern Illinois has already set school records for points, offensive yards, first downs and offensive touchdowns. A win will add another: 11 victories in a season.
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