Camellia Bowl: Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock gets doused after the Huskies defeated Arkansas State.

Amid constant change, NIU, Fresno State enjoy tradition at Potato Bowl

For roughly three hours Monday afternoon, the dizzying college football carousel will slow long enough for Northern Illinois (7-5) and Fresno State (6-6) to battle for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho.

Neither school will have its starting quarterback (and other quality players) due to the transfer portal. Neither school is expected to belong to its current conference by July 2026 as Fresno State already has committed to the Pac-12 while NIU is rumored to be weighing a move to the Mountain West.

And, in Fresno State’s case, the program’s official head coach isn’t the guy who’s steering the ship in Boise. Interim boss Tim Skipper, who took over in July when Jeff Tedford had to step down for health reasons, hands over the reins after the bowl game to Southern California associate head coach Matt Entz, who was hired Dec. 4 to take over the program.

Nonetheless, Monday’s game allows for a bit of college tradition to shine through. Specifically, a bunch of seniors getting to end their careers on a bowl trip with their teammates. The Huskies, for example, have a school-record 30 seniors playing on Boise’s unique blue turf for their final game.

“You have to adjust and adapt to the new landscape of college football and do the best you can,” Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock told Field Level Media. “But I’m glad we didn’t have to cancel a game like Marshall — that we can go out there and experience this game with our seniors and let them go out there and have one last hurrah.”

The Huskies, of course, already have secured one lifetime memory this season: their 16-14 victory on Sept. 7 at fifth-ranked Notre Dame. But Ethan Hampton, the quarterback who guided that upset with 198 passing yards and one touchdown, no longer runs the show for NIU. He entered the transfer portal and committed to Wake Forest — only to decommit Monday when head coach Dave Clawson retired. He’s now headed to Illinois.

In Hampton’s stead, redshirt freshman Josh Holst will get his second start. In his first start, Holst completed 22 of 46 passes for 210 yards and rushed 14 times for 48 yards in a 13-6 loss vs. MAC rival Toledo.

“He’s really made a tremendous jump over the last three weeks from a preparation standout to a mentality standpoint and with his approach,” Hammock said. “I’m excited to watch him go out and play. You can do a little bit more (with Holst) because he does have the ability to hurt you with his legs.”

Fresno State quarterback Mikey Keene led the Mountain West with 2,892 passing yards as he clicked on 70.5 percent of his passes. Alas, Keene is one of 14 Bulldogs who hit the transfer portal and won’t play Monday.

Through it all, Fresno State will embrace its spot in a bowl game.

“We’ve been through a lot of adversity, but we just kept on swinging,” Skipper said, according to the Fresno State student-run newspaper The Collegian, after the Bulldogs became bowl eligible.

Fresno State has chosen to keep Northern Illinois guessing by listing sophomore Joshua Wood and freshman Jayden Mandal as co-starters on the depth chart. Wood seems more likely because, while he attempted just five passes, he rushed 26 times for 86 yards and five scores as the Bulldogs’ change-of-pace quarterback in the Wildcat formation.

“It’s a challenge, right?” Hammock said. “It’s almost like a first-game-of-the-year mentality. You have an idea of what they want to do schematically — and then you’ll figure out the personnel once you get out there.”

–Field Level Media

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as the Oregon Ducks host the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 in Eugene, Ore.

Winless in rivalry, Dan Lanning, No. 1 Oregon determined to tame Huskies

Oregon already secured its spot in the Big Ten championship game, but the top-ranked Ducks have plenty to play for in their regular-season finale.

Revenge may be on Oregon’s mind when the Ducks host longtime rival Washington on Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) would perhaps be closing in on its second straight College Football Playoff appearance had the Huskies (6-5, 4-4) not dealt the Ducks their only two losses last season.

Washington edged Oregon 36-33 in Seattle last October, then slipped past the Ducks 34-31 in the Pac-12 title game to secure a playoff spot for the second time in school history. Both teams joined the Big Ten in August.

Third-year Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is 33-5 leading the Ducks. But he remains winless against the Huskies (0-3).

Oregon plots to sprint out of its late-season bye after using time to heal injuries, but Lanning doesn’t believe the break should stall the flow of an undefeated season.

“It’s always about what we’re able to do on the field. Motivation is overrated,” Lanning said. “Our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. Since the beginning of the season we’ve talked about playing our best football at the end of November. We’re there. This is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team.”

The Ducks could have star wide receiver Tez Johnson back from a shoulder injury this week. Johnson has missed the past two games.

That would be good news for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who would regain the team’s leader in receptions (64), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (eight).

Washington, under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, is 63-48-5 all-time against Oregon but is just 1-12-1 when facing the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

The Huskies are led on offense by running back Jonah Coleman, who has racked up 1,008 yards and nine scores on the ground this season. Coleman averages 5.8 yards per carry and has 36 runs of at least 10 yards.

In the passing game, wide receiver Denzel Boston is tied for the Big Ten lead with nine in touchdown catches and ranks sixth in the conference with 764 receiving yards.

Whom Boston will be catching passes from is not yet known, however.

Washington has not revealed whether Will Rogers or Demond Williams Jr. will start at quarterback. Rogers has started every game for the Huskies but was benched in favor of Williams two weeks ago after throwing a pair of interceptions in a 31-19 win over UCLA.

Fisch said he has a “good idea” of how he will use his quarterbacks on Saturday, and while he wouldn’t go as far as to name a starter, he did say Rogers responded well in practices last week.

“On the same token, Demond’s energy and Demond’s confidence showed up. His ability to jump right in and feel really good about leading the group whenever it was his turn… he did a really nice job there as well,” Fisch told Seattle Sports.

“I think both guys responded well to the week of practice, and now, really, it’s important for us that the guy we believe will start the game gets a significant amount of reps in practice week. But as you know, we’re not afraid to play two quarterbacks.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Kyle McCord (6) throws a pass against the California Golden Bears during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Back on track, Kyle McCord looks to lead Syracuse past UConn

Less than a month ago, Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord threw five interceptions in a lopsided loss to Pittsburgh.

McCord and the Orange appear to be back on track but will face a stiff test Saturday when Connecticut visits for a nonconference clash.

In the Oct. 24 defeat to Pitt, McCord threw three pick-sixes in the first half alone. He did not pass for a touchdown against the Panthers, but since he has thrown five TDs and only one INT while the Orange (7-3) are 2-1 over their last three outings.

“I’m biased, but Kyle McCord’s a top-five quarterback in the country,” Syracuse coach Fran Brown said. “He don’t get beat up about it, he don’t complain about it, he’s just, ‘It is what it is, let’s move on to the next thing.’ Without him, our program wouldn’t be where it’s at right now.”

McCord passed for 323 yards and a touchdown Saturday at Cal, helping the Orange earn a 33-25 victory. LeQuint Allen ran for 109 yards and two TDs for Syracuse, while the Orange defense grabbed a pair of interceptions en route to a 27-7 halftime lead.

“I’m proud that they came together and played as a full team (in the) last game — complementary football,” Brown said.

The Huskies (7-3) are coming off a solid game as well, as they rallied with 21 fourth-quarter points to knock off UAB 31-23. Cam Edwards’ 48-yard TD run with 2:39 left proved to be the decisive score as UConn won for the sixth time in seven games.

However, the Huskies had a bye last weekend, so UConn coach Jim Mora Jr. doesn’t expect to receive a ton of momentum from the win over the Blazers.

“That game’s 12 days ago, so that’s way out of our minds,” Mora said Tuesday. “But they’re confident because they practiced well today. That’s how we try to look at it. … That’s where we’re at.”

The former Big East Conference rivals have met 12 times over the years. Most recently, Syracuse posted a 48-14 road win over UConn on Sept. 10, 2022.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Tayven Jackson (2) prepares for a snap during the third quarter of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

No. 13 Indiana starting new QB with “College GameDay,” Washington visiting

Usually at this time of the year, Hoosiers are looking forward to the start of basketball season.

Not this fall.

Indiana’s football team has captured the state’s, if not the nation’s, imagination. ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be on campus Saturday in Bloomington, Ind., for only the second time ahead of the No. 13 Hoosiers (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) game against Washington (4-3, 2-2).

Indiana first hosted “College GameDay” back in 2017 ahead of a Thursday game against Ohio State.

Indiana thrashed Nebraska 56-7 last Saturday, leading to a headline in The Athletic early this week regarding the candidates for the 12-team College Football Playoff read: “Yes, Indiana has a better chance than Alabama.”

Of course, that was before Hoosiers starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke reportedly had thumb surgery Monday.

“Right off the bat, Kurtis Rourke will not play this week. We do expect Kurtis to return during the regular season. That’s all I’ll say about the injury,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said.

Cignetti did say Rourke, a sixth-year transfer from Ohio, was taking the injury in stride.

“He’s a veteran guy, married guy,” Cignetti said. “He’s older, smart. Got a great attitude about it.”

Rourke, who was getting some Heisman Trophy consideration by leading the top-scoring offense in the nation (48.7 points per game), was injured during the first half against the Cornhuskers when he hit a helmet during a throw. Rourke has completed 135 of 181 passes for 1,941 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Rourke will be replaced by Tayven Jackson, who started five games for the Hoosiers as a freshman last season. He guided Indiana to four second-half touchdowns last weekend, completing 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

“We have 100 percent confidence and the team has 100 percent confidence, I have confidence, the staff has confidence in Tayven Jackson,” Cignetti said. “I thought he played really well in the second half.”

Washington coach Jedd Fisch, whose team had a bye last week, and his assistants made sure to watch the second half of the Nebraska game carefully.

“If I was going off that small sample, I would say it doesn’t look too much different,” Fisch said of the switch from Rourke to Jackson.

After defeating visiting Michigan 27-17 on Oct. 5 in a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff championship game, the Huskies traveled to Iowa the following week and lost 40-16.

“We had a lot of corrections we needed to make,” Fisch said. “Everybody needs to be better, but as we’re building it, and going through this process and learning how to handle big wins against Michigan, tough losses against Iowa, how is that team going to be able to respond in the future is really the key.”

Washington quarterback Will Rogers, a transfer from Mississippi State, has completed 153 of 212 passes (72.2 percent) for 1,820 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. Running back Jonah Coleman, a transfer from Arizona, has 681 yards on 99 carries (6.9 yards per rush) with five touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA;   Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson watches from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Huskies at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Wake Forest defense steps up in win over UConn

Demond Claiborne ran for two touchdowns and Wake Forest’s defense did much of the heavy lifting in a 23-20 victory against host Connecticut on Saturday afternoon at East Hartford, Conn.

Claiborne gained 60 yards on 24 carries, Hank Bachmeier threw for 274 yards with an interception and Taylor Morin had 104 receiving yards for the Demon Deacons (3-4).

UConn quarterback Nick Evers was 26-for-43 passing for 247 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

UConn (4-3) didn’t move above the 200-yard mark of total offense until about five minutes into the fourth quarter. But the Huskies engineered a 13-play, 88-yard mark to pull within 23-20 on Evers’ 25-yard scoring pass to Louis Hansen with 2:27 left.

UConn forced a Wake Forest punt and got the ball back at its own 20-yard line with 2:02 remaining. The Huskies picked up a first down before an incomplete pass on fourth down near midfield halted the final threat.

Wake Forest’s defense made a big impact. After a defensive-oriented first half, the teams traded touchdown drives in the first eight minutes of the second half.

Wake Forest extended its advantage to 20-6 with Claiborne’s 1-yard run completing an eight-play, 60-yard drive.

UConn responded by going 50 yards in seven plays, with Evers throwing 20 yards to Jasiah Gathings to cut the deficit to 20-13.

A chance for Wake Forest to rebuild a double-digit lead was thwarted when Matthew Dennis’ 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked late in the third. On the Demon Deacons’ next possession, Dennis connected from 36 yards out for a 23-13 lead with 11:13 to play.

Wake Forest led 13-6 at halftime, outgaining the Huskies 228-124 prior to the break. Both teams collected an interception in the first half.

Dennis kicked Wake Forest field goals of 32 and 31 yards and Chris Freeman booted UConn field goals of 35 and 53 yards. The difference was Claiborne’s 5-yard run early in the second quarter. The second Dennis field goal put the Demon Deacons up 13-3.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez (50) tackles Northwestern Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe (25) short of the end zone during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Washington embarks on first Big Ten road trip to Rutgers

Washington and Rutgers may be on opposite sides of the country, but some Huskies coaches are plenty familiar with the New Jersey flagship university.

The Huskies (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) are set to travel to Piscataway, N.J., for their first road game as a member of the Big Ten Conference on Friday night against Rutgers (3-0, 0-0).

Washington head coach Jedd Fisch grew up in Livingston, N.J., less than an hour from the state university, and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is a Rutgers alum.

“We’ve got to play our best football,” Fisch said. “We’ve got to bring our brand of football that we’re trying to work though in our process — being disciplined, being physical.”

The Huskies did that Saturday, opening their Big Ten slate with a 24-5 victory against visiting Northwestern. Belichick’s defense limited the Wildcats to 112 yards of total offense and made goal-line stands on back-to-back possessions in the second half.

Washington’s offense clicked early, taking a 17-0 lead less than five minutes into the second quarter as Will Rogers III threw 46- and 13-yard scoring strikes to Denzel Boston. The Huskies ran into penalty problems and stalled in the second half until Jonah Coleman scored on an 8-yard run with 5:58 remaining.

The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 26-23 victory at Virginia Tech in which Jai Patel made a 24-yard field goal with 1:56 left. Athan Kaliakmanis threw for a season-high 269 yards, Kyle Monangai and Samuel Brown V combined for 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns and Ian Strong had a career-high 110 yards receiving.

That gave Rutgers a 3-0 start under coach Greg Schiano for a fourth consecutive season.

Schiano said he knows his offense will face a tough task Friday against Belichick, the son of the legendary New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick.

“Steven Belichick, who we all know well — really, really proud of what he’s doing. My goodness, they’re No. 1 in the league in defense. … But I don’t want to be proud of him Friday night. I want to be proud of him after Friday night,” Schiano said. “No one else really plays defense like that. It’s unique, very much like the New England package. He’s put his own slant on it, but it’s a challenge.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Jim Mora watches from the sideline as they take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

UConn builds 27-point lead, rolls over Florida Atlantic

Nick Evers rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another to fuel UConn to a convincing 48-14 victory over Florida Atlantic on Saturday in East Hartford, Conn.

Evers completed 9 of 14 passes for 88 yards and added a career-high 78 yards on the ground as the Huskies (2-2) breezed to a win in the opener of their stretch of six straight home games.

Durell Robinson had 16 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns and Mel Brown rushed for 156 yards for UConn, which benefited from a dominant ground attack. The Huskies carried the ball 66 times for 421 yards to enjoy a decisive edge in time of possession.

Florida Atlantic’s C.J. Campbell Jr. rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Cam Fancher completed 9 of 15 passes for 87 yards and rushed for 71 yards for the Owls (1-3), who shot themselves in the foot with 12 penalties for 93 yards.

The Huskies led 3-0 before igniting a pair of 12-play scoring drives to take a 17-0 advantage into halftime.

Evers connected with an unmarked Brown in the flat for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11:32 remaining in the second quarter. That capped an 80-play drive that spanned 6:46 of playing time.

Robinson rushed to his right before making one cut and rumbling eight yards for a touchdown to complete a 91-yard drive with 1:50 left in the second quarter.

UConn essentially put the game away in the third quarter.

Evers capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown before a deflected pass resulted in Jayden McDonald reeling in an interception. That drive bogged down before Chris Freeman kicked his second field goal to extend the Huskies’ lead to 27-0.

Campbell’s short-yard score was answered by Evers putting his shoulder down on a 2-yard touchdown to begin the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) carries the ball against the Washington Huskies during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Washington State defeats Washington in Apple Cup

John Mateer passed for one touchdown and rushed for two more as Washington State defeated Washington 24-19 in a neutral-site Apple Cup on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Lumen Field in Seattle, the home of the NFL’s Seahawks.

The Cougars (3-0) stopped Washington on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:07 remaining to preserve just their second victory in the past 14 rivalry games between the schools. WSU’s Kyle Thornton tackled Jonah Coleman for a 2-yard loss on the deciding option play.

The Huskies (2-1) had a 452-381 advantage in total yardage, but failed to finish drives and had to settle for four field goals by Grady Gross. Washington was penalized 16 times for 135 yards.
Mateer completed 17 of 34 passes for 245 yards and gained a team-high 62 yards on 16 carries.

The Huskies’ Will Rogers was 23-of-31 passing for 314 yards and a touchdown and Coleman rushed 14 times for 75 yards.

The Cougars took a 17-13 halftime lead as Mateer scored on runs of 23 and 25 yards. The latter came on a quarterback draw on third-and-20 with 21 seconds remaining in the half.

After turning the ball over on downs at Washington’s 10-yard line on their first possession, the Cougars opened the scoring on Dean Janikowski’s 44-yard field goal.

The Huskies answered with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Rogers to Giles Jackson, who caught eight passes for 162 yards.

Washington State regained the lead on Mateer’s 23-yard run.

The Huskies tied it at 10 on Gross’s 44-yard field goal on the opening play of the second quarter.

Gross added a 42-yarder to put the Washington up 13-10 before Mateer’s late score.

Gross kicked a 24-yarder on the Huskies’ opening possession of the second half to trim WSU’s lead to 17-16.

Mateer threw a 16-yard scoring strike to Josh Meredith to make it 24-16 with 5:44 left in the third quarter.

Gross added a 43-yarder on the final play of the third to pull the Huskies within 24-19.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch stands on the sideline against the Weber State Wildcats during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Washington, Washington State prep for nonconference Apple Cup

The Apple Cup as a nonconference game in September?

Times have changed.

With Washington moving into the Big Ten and Washington State one of two remaining teams in the Pacific-12 Conference, the rivals — both off to 2-0 starts — will meet Saturday afternoon at Lumen Field, home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

“I would love to say you practice the same way no matter who we’re playing,” said Washington coach Jedd Fisch, who will be involved in his first Apple Cup. “But when you do have a rivalry game, your practices are a little more amped up. The competitive nature is a little more amped up. The energy on the field is a little higher.”

The schools, who are playing in different conferences for the first time since 1962, last fall agreed to a five-year extension of the rivalry, which Washington leads 73-32-6.

The next four seasons will feature games alternating at each school’s home field.

“We’ll continue to make sure our guys understand the importance of the game without making the game (mean) so much that you lose the discipline, that you lose your preparation,” Fisch said.

The coach said he’s looking forward to the rivalry game, as it will provide a level of intensity rarely found in nonconference play, and hopes it continues for years to come.

“I know we have it for the next five years,” Fisch said. “So it’s going to be really important over these next five years that we continue to make this game as important as it is.”

The Huskies have opened the season with a pair of wins at home — 35-3 against Weber State and 30-9 over Eastern Michigan. Washington quarterback Will Rogers has completed 41 of 52 passes for 511 yards and five touchdowns, and Jonah Coleman has rushed for 231 yards and three TDs.

Washington State this season has defeated Portland State 70-30 and Texas Tech 37-16 in games played in Pullman, Wash. Cougars quarterback John Mateer has rushed for a team-high 252 yards and has completed 20 of 36 passes for 467 yards and six TDs.

“Obviously our guys will be really excited to play,” Cougars coach Jake Dickert said. “I think they know what’s on the line … to get the Apple Cup back in Pullman is a big deal.”

–Field Level Media

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard (13) leaps through the air on his way to score a touchdown during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend.

Northern Illinois upsets No. 5 Notre Dame for its biggest win

Kanon Woodill drilled a 35-yard field goal with 31 seconds remaining, and Northern Illinois blocked a field goal as time expired to stun No. 5 Notre Dame with a 16-14 victory on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

Antario Brown finished with 225 yards (99 rushing, 126 receiving) and a touchdown for Northern Illinois (2-0), which was a 28.5-point underdog. Huskies players poured off the sidelines and onto the field as time expired to celebrate the biggest upset in school history.

Riley Leonard completed 20 of 32 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions, including a costly pick in the fourth quarter, for Notre Dame. Jeremiyah Love rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Irish (1-1).

Before Saturday, Northern Illinois never had defeated a top-10 opponent. The highest-ranked team the Huskies previously beat was No. 15 Maryland in 2003.

After Woodill’s kick made it 16-14 in favor of Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish got the ball back at their 37-yard line with 24 seconds left and one timeout. The drive sputtered across midfield, and coach Marcus Freeman opted for a 62-yard field goal attempt by kicker Mitch Jeter with five seconds left.

Cade Haberman of the Huskies blocked Jeter’s kick to seal the outcome.

The Fighting Irish trailed by six points at halftime before they regained a 14-13 lead with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter. Love hurdled a Northern Illinois defender and sprinted for a 34-yard rushing touchdown.

Notre Dame opened the scoring on an 11-yard rushing touchdown by Leonard with 8:28 to go in the first quarter. It marked the first rushing touchdown as a member of the Fighting Irish for Leonard, who rushed for 19 touchdowns during the previous three seasons at Duke.

Northern Illinois evened the score at 7-7 with 5:35 left in the first quarter. Brown caught a short pass from Ethan Hampton across the middle and sprinted across midfield and toward the end zone for an 83-yard touchdown.

Woodill made a 42-yard field goal to give the Huskies a 10-7 lead with 2:13 remaining in the first quarter.

Woodill connected again, this time from 21 yards, to increase Northern Illinois’ lead to 13-7 with 13:39 to go before the half.

–Field Level Media