Just how young is this team?

The game notes pretty much sums up the youth on this team better than anybody could:

HUSKIE DEBUTANTES: Nineteen different players have made their Huskie debuts in 2007, including nine redshirt freshmen, seven true freshmen, transfers Anthony Mason and Chase Carter, and junior Vincent Matthew. Redshirt freshman Mike Lepper is the latest to join the list as he saw action on special teams at CMU. True freshmen John Hopkins, D.J. Pirkle, Chad Spann, Patrick George, Nolan Owen, Landon Cox and Kyle Skarb have now all seen playing time. In addition to Lepper, the redshirt rookies are Alex Kube, Ed Jackson, Bryan Beckner, Ricky Crider, Justin Stewart, Jake Coffman, Mike Krause and Vernon Sims with Kube (S), Jackson (DT), Beckner (TE) and Krause (NG) all starting at least one game.

SENIOR STARTERS: Only three seniors have started games for Northern Illinois in 2007 - LT Chris Acevedo (5 starts), TE Brandon Davis (2) and SS Mark Reiter (3). Acevedo and Davis started the season opener versus Iowa, while Acevedo was the lone senior in the line-up in the SIU game. Reiter has joined Acevedo in the starting line-up in the last three games. Kicker Chris Nendick is the only other NIU senior starter as the Huskies feature only nine seniors on the roster this year.

MOST-EXPERIENCED: The Huskies feature only three players - all juniors - who entered the 2007 campaign with more than one year of starting experience. Offensive lineman Jon Brost (28 starts), wide receiver Britt Davis (27) and defensive end Larry English (27) own more starts than any other players on the NIU team. While Brost leads the way in total number of starts, Davis has started 22 straight games and English has been in the starting line-up in 21 consecutive contests. LUCKY 13: Thirteen NIU players have made their first career starts this season, with Mike Krause (NG) and Kevin Skatrud (OG) getting their first starting nods at Central Michigan. The first-timers include seven offensive players and six defenders: tight ends Reed Cunningham and Bryan Beckner, linemen Tim Mayerbock and Kevin Skatrud, wide receiver Greg Turner and tailbacks Montell Clanton and Justin Anderson on offense and linemen Brandon Bice, Ed Jackson and Mike Krause, linebacker John Tranchitella, safety Alex Kube and cornerback Chase Carter on defense.