For every North Dakota State, there’s a Northern Illinois.
The Huskies have not had a picturesque start to their Mountain West campaign like the Bison have, or any other MW program, for that matter.
Sitting at 0-4, it’ll be up to conference play for NIU to find that elusive first victory. Which matchup has the best odds of helping them find the win column?
Oct. 10: vs. Air Force
Perhaps this feeds into the coaching cliché of “your next game is your most important game”, but this phrase may ring true
for the Huskies when they open up their October schedule.
The Air Force Falcons come to town on Oct. 10 for Homecoming Week in DeKalb.
Air Force’s run-heavy approach may be a welcome sight for NIU, after being gashed by Arizona’s Noah Fifita for 325 yards and four touchdowns in their 42-17 loss.
However, they haven’t been much better at stopping the run. NIU is top five in rush defense in the Mountain West this season, but they’ve allowed 100+ yard performances from individual tailbacks in two of their first four games.
Being better suited for the run than the pass will help, but the Falcons are a shootout team, losing to NDSU 38-32 and beating Nevada 36-33.
Do the Huskies have the offensive firepower to keep up? The jury remains out.
Verdict: Loss
Oct. 17: @ Wyoming
The Basement Battle: as of right now, Northern Illinois and Wyoming both rank as the bottom two in scoring in the Mountain West.
The first two meetings between these programs were quite the opposite. A 40-34 2OT win in 2016 and a 50-43 win in 2021 for the Cowboys.
As of late September, this one feels like a coin flip. Perhaps NIU gets the best of Wyoming, with the third meeting being the charm.
Verdict: Win
Oct. 24: vs. Hawaii
It has been a less-than-ideal start for the Rainbow Warriors in 2026. Following a nine-win season, they sit at 1-3 with a bad road loss to Wyoming.
The road doesn’t get easier, either. Hawaii has San Jose State, Arizona State and New Mexico all lined up for the next three weeks.
After that, they will head to DeKalb, likely with some built-up frustration that they will let out on the Huskies.
Hawaii also currently leads the MW in passing yards per game with 258.5. Not a helpful stat for a NIU defense that ranks second-to-last in MW pass defense.
Hawaii went undefeated last October, piecing together a three-game win streak. Will a visit to Illinois help kickstart the Warriors? It’s a fair conversation.
Verdict: Loss
Oct. 31: @ UNLV
UNLV sits at 225 passing yards per game. If you only include home games, that number shoots up to 291.
They can bring it on the ground as well, wrapping it all together for 404.5 total yards per game, good for second-best in the conference.
This is a Rebels team that sits at 2-2, joining Hawaii as an early underachiever. They will need every win they can get in conference, so expect them to handle business at home on Halloween.
Verdict: Loss
Nov. 7: @ San Jose State
While Hawaii and UNLV have fallen short, the Spartans have impressed.
Top three in total yards per game, top five in points and second in passing yards per game in the Mountain West, being competitive with USC and taking down the MAC’s Eastern Michigan on the road.
This will also be a long trip from Illinois to California (Will the Huskies stay west after playing in Vegas the week prior?), and NIU’s early road returns have been less than ideal.
Northern Illinois will drop both matchups in this western swing.
Verdict: Loss
Nov. 14: vs. Nevada
NIU will return home after its longest conference road trip of the season, set to take on the Nevada Wolfpack.
The Pack finds itself in a similar situation, sitting at 1-3 with losses to FCS’s Montana State and Middle Tennessee State. Nevada HC Jeff Choate’s seat is warming in Reno.
Who knows what will happen between now and November, but there’s a decent chance Nevada’s season is sunk before they make the trip to DeKalb.
Verdict: Win
Nov. 21: at North Dakota State
Don’t expect any upsets in the Fargo Dome. NDSU looks primed to make a run to the conference title. In the second-to-last week of the regular season, the Bison will make sure their route to the title game stays intact.
Verdict: Loss
Nov. 28: vs. UTEP
Through four games, the offense down in El Paso has been absent.
The Miners have been held to 17 points or less in three of their four games, coming in at second-to-last in total yards in the Mountain West.
NIU, set for senior day in DeKalb, has a great chance to end their season with a win.
Verdict: Win
Final Record: 3-9
Your Turn: What Will NIU’s Final Record Be?
