[2024] Huskies Insider: HUGE UPSET and Recruiting Update

[Ape]

DeKalb, IL 

Welcome back to Huskies Insider, your #1 source of NIU Football news. Today we will talk about a huge Week 2 Victory for the Huskies and have a look at Coach Ape's first commitment of the cycle and looking ahead to other possible commitments.

 

Huskies Derail #10 Purdue 21-6

Sometimes everything comes together like the perfect storm. For the NIU Huskies and Coach Ape that perfect storm was the moderate rain and a team coming off a big win ready to prove they weren't a fluke. The Huskies were once again the underdogs coming into their Thursday night matchup at home against #10 Purdue. This is a role that the team has seemed to relish to start the season.

The Huskies offense started off with a lightning strike, after a Purdue 3 and Out to start the game, Tsuyoshi Vasquez hit Star WR Nicky Graveman for a 43 year strike for a Touchdown on the Huskies first play. They said the roar of the sellout crowd could be heard for miles around. The noise didn't let up until halftime as the first half was all Huskies. By then the Huskies had added another two touchdowns, another Vasquez to Graveman long ball (61 yards) and a 66 yard burst from Jamarco Woods to put the game at 21-0. For his great performance this week, Nicky Graveman was nominated for national offensive player of the week.

After taking a 21-0 lead the Huskies defense held strong. On the day the unit had 5 sacks, with David Clark and Adrian Paradis both tallying 1.5 a piece. Aaron Gilchrist notched another interception and generally frustrated the Purdue defense. The team truly shined in shutting down the run, allowing 112 yards on 34 carries for a 3.29 average per carry (the Huskies by contrast had 25 carries for 132 yards between Jamarco Woods, Reggie Lee and Shon Woodard).

After the final whistle the fans stormed the field and surrounded the team. It felt like a night to remember with the hope for a magical season still alive. Coach Ape in his post game presser waxed about this, "Every team has its own kind of magic. Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. This team has a lot of magic, our guys are showing up every week and proving they are one of the best teams out there. Many people were doubting us in the preseason but look at us now. Who knows how far we'll go. We have a few tough ones left ahead but I like our odds."

We do too coach. The Huskies next game is on Friday, away at Jacksonville State.

 

NIU Signs 4 Star Corner

Shane Hadnot, Lumberton High, Lumberton, MS the newest Huskie

Coach Ape has started this recruiting cycle off with a big signing. Not satisfied with his future secondary, he decided to attack the Cornerback position early on. Shane Hadnot was someone that Coach Ape had identified and put considerable effort into from the opening of the contact period. Hadnot is a 4 Star Man Coverage Corner. He stands at 6'0'' and weighs 193lbs. Scouts estimate his overall ability to be at a B grade and his potential also at a B grade. Somehow despite this massive talent level and potential, no other program offered him a scholarship. Shane has said he loves what Coach Ape has done during his tenure and he wants to elevate the program even further. Coach Ape has said that Hadnot will be in consideration to start as a true Freshman at NIU.

Rumors

It appears that NIU is the presumptive favorite for SimESPN Top 5 Overall QB Douglas Burns. The 5 Star Scrambler is said to be strongly leaning to signing with the Huskies. The only other program to offer him a scholarship is in state USF. 

The Huskies also lead on 4 Star FS Adam Lively who is also narrowing down his offers. Lively holds scholarship offers from NIU, Duke, Notre Dame, Cuse and Stanford so it's possible that one of them could make a late play as well.

 

 

Oh last and not least for this edition for all the poll voters out there

 

#RANKNIU

Edited May 8 by Ape