Duffy latest injured Huskie
NIU?s star linebacker has a broken ankle.
MATT TROWBRIDGE , Rockford Register Star
Their best defensive lineman. Their best big-play receiver. Now their best linebacker.
Even, for awhile, their quarterback.
Injuries keep threatening to derail Northern Illinois University, but the Huskies keep chugging toward their best football season in school history.
Although No. 12 NIU rallied from 17 points down to defeat Central Michigan 40-24 on Saturday, senior linebacker Nick Duffy was lost for the season with a broken right ankle. Receiver Dan Sheldon (dislocated elbow) was lost for the season the previous week. All-conference defensive end Travis Moore (sprained ankle) has missed three games and will probably miss at least two more weeks.
"We have some depth, but our depth is getting tested," coach Joe Novak said. "It only goes so far. I'm sure kids will step forward, but we certainly can't lose many more."
Duffy, who had surgery Sunday, had more than 300 career tackles and led NIU as a sophomore with 125 stops. He is 12th on the school's all-time list with 339 tackles.
"You can't measure Duffy," Novak said. "He's a very good player, but he's one of those kids who are more than that. He's our team leader. He got the most votes to be captain. It's hard to replace that leadership. At halftime, Duffy was doing a lot of talking, getting things straightened out in the locker room."
Linebacker, though, was NIU's deepest position. Novak has said all year that he has six linebackers worthy of being starters.
"He read off more names of linebackers than we have on our defensive line," said Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell, whose Broncos play at NIU at 3:05 p.m. Saturday. "They have matured enough to survive those things."
Defensive end Jason Frank (sprained left knee) also was injured Saturday and will miss two to six weeks. But quarterback Josh Haldi, who missed most of the second half with a concussion, practiced Sunday and will return.
Ryan Gilbert, who had thrown 10 career passes in two years at NIU, was the latest Huskie to step up Saturday. He came in with the Huskies trailing 17-10.
"Ryan has had very, very few opportunities," Novak said. "We were always hoping to get him some time, but our games have been so close we haven't been able to do that. We score 30 points with him as our quarterback. That's a great example of a kid waiting his turn, then when the opportunity came, doing well."
