Nicholson comparable to MWC QBs

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SAN DIEGO - Quarterbacks and the Mountain West Conference usually go hand-in-hand.




BYU's John Beck. TCU's Jeff Ballard. Utahs' Brett Ratliff.

TCU coach Gary Patterson thinks Northern Illinois quarterback Dan Nicholson is right up there with some of the top gunslingers in his conference, despite logging significant minutes in just seven games in two seasons.

?We had a lot of young quarterbacks in our conference, but I wouldn't put him there with BYU's quarterback,? said Patterson. ?There isn't very many John Beck-types in the MAC, nor in any other conference in the nation. Dan sits right there with Ratliff. Dan is one of those guys who plays well with great people around him.?

The way Nicholson leads NIU's offense stood out in Patterson's mind.

The seventh-year TCU coach noticed a difference when the NIU sophomore took the field, saying the Huskies have rallied around Nicholson since he took over the starting job after senior Phil Horvath fell to a season-ending knee injury against Central Michigan on Nov. 17

Yet, Nicholson comes from the same mold as Ballard.

The TCU quarterback took over as the team's starting quarterback after Tye Gunn fell to a shoulder injury in the fourth game of the 2005 season.

Ballard rolled as the Frogs's starting quarterback, winning the last eight games of the season. Ballard, who has thrown for 2,136 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 404 yards and five touchdowns in 2006, now holds an 18-2 ledger as a starter. Nicholson boasts a 3-1 ledger heading into his fifth start for the Huskies.

?We try to recruit winners,? said Patterson. ?We never asked our quarterback to win ballgames.?

Nicholson's arm, said Patterson, can quickly change the dynamics of a game.

Eastern Michigan quickly learned the hard way in the sophomore's fourth career start. Nicholson went 23-of-37, a team season-best, for 261 yards in the Huskies' 27-0 victory over the Eagles in the regular season finale.

Nicholson's big-play potential is a blessing and a curse, said Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak. The young and budding star will hold the distinction of being the first NIU quarterback to start in both a Mid-American Conference championship game and a bowl game. However, the youthful leader still has some wrinkles within his game.

Nicholson has completed 54-of-97 passes for 568 yards and five touchdowns. He has 11 touchdowns in his two-year career compared to seven interceptions - five of which came this season alone.

?Dan knows he's the guy,? said Novak. ?He's a real intense guy and sometimes that gets him in trouble. He's a guy that thinks he can make every play. Phil is a little bit more steady, not so apt to do the extreme.

?Danny's a little bit more into extremes. He practices well and has gotten much better at the mental part of the game. He has to continue to make good decisions and has to make sure he diesn't put us in bad positions.?

Bad decision-making is what TCU's 4-2-5 hybrid defense has thrived on this season.

The nation's 34th-best passing defense, which has allowed just 181.9 yards a game, flocks to the football. TCU's speed, especially in the defensive backfield, shadows defenders and blocks up passing lanes. TCU has intercepted the ball 15 times this season, with hard-hitting safety Marvin White leading the way with four inteceptions. Nick Sanders has picked off three passes.

Patterson knows Nicholson won't be in awe once the two teams tussle tonight in the Poinsettia Bowl.

?He's already played in a championship game,? said Patterson. ?Dan has been given a chance to get a couple of games under his belt and now got a couple weeks of practices on top of that. That definitely worked out for Northern Illinois.?

Novak definitely hopes that is true.

?Danny's kind of like a wild colt,? he said. ?He think he's going to make every play. He makes some mistakes because of that. He's gotten much better at the mental part of the game. He's a talented youngster and can throw. He just has to make sure he makes good decisions.?

 

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Defensive backs key players on young unit

SAN DIEGO - They're not loud or brash. Nor do they have a nickname.



In the five-minute team highlight film shown during Monday's AT&T Luncheon aboard the U.S.S. Midway, the three players were harder to find than a snowy day in San Diego.

But Bradley Pruitt, Melvin Rice and Spencer Williamson are young, talented and confident.

The three underclassmen are key figures in Northern Illinois' quest for a second bowl win in three years. The trio will play a big part in answering whether the Huskie defense can contain TCU's potent and diversified offense in the Poinsettia Bowl tonight on ESPN2.

The three players have received significant playing time this year to help NIU's defense turn a sluggish start into a strong finish. The Huskies have allowed just 10 points through the last 10 quarters, with the defense recording its first shutout in four years with a 27-0 rout over Eastern Michigan in the regular season finale.

Pruitt, Williamson and Rice represent the future of the program: They're fast, athletic and accustomed to winning.

Although the three players remain hidden in the background, they have slowly started revealing their personalities.

Pruitt is the odd ball of the group. Williamson is the quiet one, but not afraid to flash his megawatt smile. Rice elects to be an observer, sticking his head in conversations when needed. The opportunity to attend a bowl game and spend part of their winter break in California has opened the trio's eyes to a bright future.

All three players had never been to California, or in Williamson's case a professional football stadium. They've provided nuggets of big plays while learning to adjust to the rigors and speed of Division I-A football.

Rice, a highly-recruited cornerback from Morgan Park, played in 146 defensive snaps last year. He ranks 10th on the team with 40 tackles and tied with Tim McCarthy for the team lead in interceptions (2) this year. The opportunity to contribute in his first two years helped speed Rice's mental development.

?Playing more this year gave us a lot more experience and built my confidence and opened my eyes to what to expect for the next two years,? Rice said.

Rice received an early introduction into big-time football, when he was sent in to cover Miami-Ohio receiver Martin Nance in a goal-line situation last year.

?I got a good jam on him and they didn't throw the ball to him,? Rice recalled.

The Iowa game was a turning point in the maturity of the three players.

Pruitt played strong safety early in the season, but was moved to cornerback to shore up some injuries in the secondary. Pruitt, with 42 tackles, three tackles for loss and three pass deflections, has started the last six games.

?I got more comfortable to the speed of the games and the athleticism of a Division I athlete after the Iowa game,? Pruitt said.

Williamson, a redshirt freshman, has played in all 12 games, but received most of his snaps on special teams. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound cornerback is second on the depth chart at right cornerback. Williamson decided to join the Huskies after the NIU coaches noticed his play while recruiting his Elkhart High School teammate, Marcus Perez. He said the learning curve coming from high school shocked him.

?The checks and film study you have to do to understand your opponent is tough,? he said.

But the play of the sensational trio is just a preview of the future.

They're the main cogs of a young and talented defense filled primarily by sophomores. Middle linebacker Tim McCarthy, the second leading tackler on the team with 104 stops, is part of a talented group at linebacker. Freshman weakside linebacker Cory Hanson has been a fixture in the starting lineup since early in the season. Next year, the Huskies welcome the return of linebacker Phil Brown, who was a rising star after a strong freshman season. Brown suffered a season-ending injury in the offseason.

Rice said the cornerbacks want to shift the attention toward the back line of the defense.

?I'm looking forward to the defensive backs being the strong part of the team,? Rice said. ?The linebackers are considered the best part of the team now. We need to improve.?

Pruitt agreed.

?I can't wait until next year,? Pruitt said. ?We really gelled together this year because we lost a lot of seniors. We're a young defense and will only get better. We have a good future, not only the defensive backs but the whole defense, the offense. I can't wait until we kickoff against Iowa next year at Soldier Field.?

Right now, the young three players are enjoying the scenery in the background. Interviews are rare, leadership is not a requirement, and the coaching staff is pleasantly pleased. They just concentrate on getting better every day, practice and game.

And thinking about their - and the program's - bright future.

?Everybody wants to get better,? Williamson said. ?The future looks good for this team. I'm just happy. We've got a lot to come in the future. This is just the beginning for us.?






Notes: NIU coach Joe Novak announced at his press conference on Monday that defensive tackle Alex Krutsch will see limited action tonight, tight end Jake Nordin will play a maximum of five plays and cornerback Alvah Hansbro will play but the extent of his time is uncertain.