August 27, 2008 pm
There still is no public decision from Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill on who plays quarterback, but his first game-week news conference offered evidence of how playing time will be divided.
After months of insisting he?s not a coach who will rotate quarterbacks, Kill stuck to that sentiment Tuesday. But that doesn?t mean it will be either senior Dan Nicholson or redshirt freshman Chandler Harnish who sees the field exclusively.
?I don?t want to give away everything here, but there will be situations where I?ll plug some different personnel in,? Kill said. ?I know (Minnesota) watched our film.?
Kill said there won?t be any public decision on the position until Saturday, partially because he believes it?s an advantage that Minnesota remains in the dark until kickoff.
The other reason appears to be the continued improvement of Nicholson?s sore throwing shoulder.
The Huskies practiced Sunday at Huskie Stadium and Nicholson got significant work done, Kill said.
?He had a really good day on Sunday,? Kill said. ?We threw him a lot. We didn?t back off of him at all. We?ve got to see how he feels (Tuesday).?
There were a few changes to the depth chart. The safety positions were virtually unknown before preseason camp. David Bryant will start at free safety and Mike Sobol will take strong safety. Bryant originally was a defensive back, converted to running back in 2007, but then moved back to safety after this spring.
Kyle Skarb is the starting fullback with Anthony Antonacci as the backup. The right guard position will go to Dan Keller or Jason Onyebuagu. Onyebuagu still is recovering from knee surgery but has been practicing.
?This week will be critical for him,? Kill said.
Freshman running back Me?co Brown is listed as the starter for the punt return and kick return jobs. Ricky Crider joins Brown as a starting kick returner. Sycamore High graduate Jason Schepler, a walk-on, is listed as the third tight end.
Although Minnesota runs the same offense from last year, little is known about the defense and what schemes the Gophers will use under first-year defensive coordinator and former Duke head coach Ted Roof.
Kill listed that as his major concern for Saturday.
?We don?t know what we?re going to see,? Kill said. ?We?ve prepared for all of that. But the problem is when you do all that you don?t get good at attacking defensively. That?s a nervous part.?
Huskies? local ties
Sycamore High graduate and NIU walk-on Jason Schepler is listed on the depth chart as the team?s third-string tight end and also will play on the Huskies? kick return team. Teammate Kevin Sabock likely will redshirt the season. Former Kaneland QB Boone Thorgesen, now a defensive back, was not listed on the Huskies? depth chart.
There still is no public decision from Northern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill on who plays quarterback, but his first game-week news conference offered evidence of how playing time will be divided.
After months of insisting he?s not a coach who will rotate quarterbacks, Kill stuck to that sentiment Tuesday. But that doesn?t mean it will be either senior Dan Nicholson or redshirt freshman Chandler Harnish who sees the field exclusively.
?I don?t want to give away everything here, but there will be situations where I?ll plug some different personnel in,? Kill said. ?I know (Minnesota) watched our film.?
Kill said there won?t be any public decision on the position until Saturday, partially because he believes it?s an advantage that Minnesota remains in the dark until kickoff.
The other reason appears to be the continued improvement of Nicholson?s sore throwing shoulder.
The Huskies practiced Sunday at Huskie Stadium and Nicholson got significant work done, Kill said.
?He had a really good day on Sunday,? Kill said. ?We threw him a lot. We didn?t back off of him at all. We?ve got to see how he feels (Tuesday).?
There were a few changes to the depth chart. The safety positions were virtually unknown before preseason camp. David Bryant will start at free safety and Mike Sobol will take strong safety. Bryant originally was a defensive back, converted to running back in 2007, but then moved back to safety after this spring.
Kyle Skarb is the starting fullback with Anthony Antonacci as the backup. The right guard position will go to Dan Keller or Jason Onyebuagu. Onyebuagu still is recovering from knee surgery but has been practicing.
?This week will be critical for him,? Kill said.
Freshman running back Me?co Brown is listed as the starter for the punt return and kick return jobs. Ricky Crider joins Brown as a starting kick returner. Sycamore High graduate Jason Schepler, a walk-on, is listed as the third tight end.
Although Minnesota runs the same offense from last year, little is known about the defense and what schemes the Gophers will use under first-year defensive coordinator and former Duke head coach Ted Roof.
Kill listed that as his major concern for Saturday.
?We don?t know what we?re going to see,? Kill said. ?We?ve prepared for all of that. But the problem is when you do all that you don?t get good at attacking defensively. That?s a nervous part.?
Huskies? local ties
Sycamore High graduate and NIU walk-on Jason Schepler is listed on the depth chart as the team?s third-string tight end and also will play on the Huskies? kick return team. Teammate Kevin Sabock likely will redshirt the season. Former Kaneland QB Boone Thorgesen, now a defensive back, was not listed on the Huskies? depth chart.
