Northern Illinois was simply more prepared to play. Almost any time a team has 41:40 of possession, that will be more than enough to win. Purdue appeared to have the edge in athleticism but they did not get the job done in any phase of the game. RB Me'Co Brown led the Huskies to the upset win with 150 yards on the ground, including a 67 yard touchdown in the second quarter. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter NIU was up 28-7, but a pair of Joey Elliot rushing TD's narrowed the gap.

College: Purdue Conference: Big 10 Columnist: Jake Popkin

Mike Neal 92 6' 4.0" 302 5.00 DT 2010
He's a big, strong, and fast physical specimen. Looks like a sub-5.0 guy chasing plays down. Relies on strength too much at times and less on technique. Looked like he took a couple plays off and doesn't have any real pass rush moves. Grade: Slightly Positive

David Pender 9 6' 1.0" 175 4.45 CB 2010
Solid cover man with some height and long arms. Closes quickly and showed good timing to break up several passes. Not very good in run support, looks thin and needs to get stronger. Gave up too much separation a couple times and wasn't able to get there in time. Grade: Neutral

Torri Williams 2 6' 2.0" 208 4.65 S 2010
Started at CB in this game, made some good hits but also missed a couple tackles. He's an average athlete for a DB, and his good instincts in coverage may not be enough to make it in the NFL. Grade: Slightly Negative

Zach Reckman 75 6' 5.0" 297 5.10 OG 2010
He was good in pass protection and showed a strong upper body. I counted 3 pancakes in the first half. Really struggled to find his man when he pulled and whiffed on several occasions. Does a good job once he's locked on. Grade: Neutral


College: Northern Illinois Conference: Mid-American Columnist: Jay Horn

Senior offensive linemen Jason Onyebuagu (LG) and Eddie Adamski (Center) had good days opening holes for Me'Co Brown and Chad Spann. Nobody on defense really stood out but they worked very well together as a unit, especially in the first half.