Kickin' it oldschool - CFN's Spring FB Preview

CFN's 2008 MAC Spring Preview - NIU

Northern Illinois
The early spring buzz ... The school isn't exactly thinking about football after the tragic killings brought the university to a standstill. Just getting the classes and the school rolling again is hard enough, much less getting the football team on track in a new era. The unfortunately named Jerry Kill takes over after the good, but disappointing Joe Novak era, and he plans on cranking up the offensive intensity and getting more out of the passing game.

The big spring question is ... Just how indicative of the talent level was the 2-10 season? Probably not much. NIU was one of the nation's most injured teams, with a brutal array of problems on the defensive front, while the offense never got on track thanks to an inefficient passing game. Nothing seemed to go right with turnovers, a poor return game, and every bad break going the wrong way contributed to the problems, but five of the losses came by seven points or fewer, including three by three or fewer. A little better luck, and a little more production will mean an instant turnaround.

The most important position to watch is ... Quarterback. RB Justin Anderson is a 100-yard machine and will be the centerpiece of the attack, but the passing game has to be better. Dan Nicholson is the team's best option, but he won't be ready until the summer after suffering a shoulder injury. Ryan Morris didn't show too much, but he has good experience and a nice upside. Chandler Harnish is an intriguing big bomber who'll get a long look. With a new coaching staff, the job might be open, and Nicholson might have to prove himself all over again in fall camp.

Spring attitude... Worst to first. All 11 starters are back on defense along with almost all the key backups, while nine starters return on offense, along with all the key reserves, so experience, especially after several players were thrown to the wolves, isn't going to be a problem. If the team is able to win almost all the close games, and the new coaching staff is able to bring a new fire an enthusiasm to a program that was stuck in a bit of a rut, hitting the ceiling time and again, this could be a very, very dangerous team.