THE RUNNING START
When: Saturday, September 19, 2015
Where: Columbus, OH, Ohio Stadium
TV: 3:30 ABC / ESPN2

This will be the second game between Ohio State and Northern Illinois in football. 

Below you will find some interesting facts about the teams, key offensive player stats, coach information, and team stats.
 

THE LAST TIME...

• Ohio State played NIU the Buckeyes won 35-12 in 2006.
• The Buckeyes played a member of the MAC was 2014 against Kent State (66-0). 
• Ezekiel Elliott did not rush for 100 yards was against Minnesota in 2014 (91 yards).
• Ohio State lost to a school from the MAC was 1894.
• Northern Illinois was shutout was 2008 against Navy (16-0).

 

ON THE HORIZON

• Tim Anderson, Joey Galloway and Jim Tressel will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday. 
• Cameron Johnston is second all-time at Ohio State with 60 punts downed inside the 20 yard line. Johnston is 18 away from tying the Ohio State record.
• Braxton Miller is seven rushing touchdowns away from becoming the ninth player in D-I with 40 rushing and 40 passing touchdowns.
• In the history of the AP Poll Ohio State has been ranked No. 1 for 98 weeks. That ties Notre Dame for second (98). Oklahoma is first with 101 weeks at No. 1.

 

GET TO KNOW NIU

• Northern Illinois is located in DeKalb, Illinois and was founded in 1895.
• NIU is the defending MAC champion and has played in five consecutive MAC Championship Games.
• The Huskies are 37-7 (.841) since 2012.
• Northern Illinois and Oregon are the only two teams to win 11 or more games in the last five seasons.

 

TODAY'S TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

1. Ohio State is 30-1 against the Mid American Conference. Can you name the only team from the MAC to defeat Ohio State?   
2. The Buckeyes did not throw a touchdown pass against Hawai'i and ended a 24 game streak. What team in 2013 kept Ohio State from throwing a touchdown pass?
3. How many shutouts does Urban Meyer have as head coach of Ohio State?
4. With Tim Anderson and Joey Galloway entering the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, how many football players have been enshrined?
5. Can you name the team that has played in the most games since 2010?

Answers at the bottom of today's article.

NORTHERN ILLINOIS' INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING

Last Game: 29/38, 358 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

2015 Stats: 50/64 (.781), 718 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs

Career: 249/399 (.624), 3,193 yards, 26 TDs, 2 INTs

 

 

RUSHING

Last Game: 52 yards, 3.5 ypc, 2 TDs

2015 Stats: 204 yards, 5.7 ypc, 5 TDs

Career: 945 yards, 5.5 ypc, 10 TDs

 

 

 

RECEIVING

Last Game: 144 yards, 18.0 ypr, 2 TDs 

2015 Stats: 357 yards, 17 rec., 21.0 ypr, 2 TDs

Career: 357 yards, 17 rec., 21.0 ypr, 2 TDs
 

 

OHIO STATE'S INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

PASSING

Last Game: 12/18 (.667), 111 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

2015 Stats: 22/37 (.595), 298 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INTs

Career Stats: 78/130 (.600), 1,160 yards, 9 TDs, 3 INTs

 

RUSHING

Last Game: 101 yards, 3.7 ypc, 3 TDs

2015 Stats: 223 yards, 5.9 ypc, 4 TDs

Career Stats: 2,363 yards, 6.9 ypc, 24 TDs

 

 

 

Last game: 57 yards, 7.1 ypc, 0 TD

2015 Stats: 118 yards, 9.1 ypc, 1 TD

Career: 3,173 yards, 5.6 ypc 33 TDs

 

 

 

RECEIVING

Last Game: 16 yards, 8.0 ypr, 0 TD

2015 Stats: 94 yards, 23.5 ypr, 1 TD

Career Stats: 94 yards, 23.5 ypr, 1 TD

 

 

 

 

Last Game: 52 yards, 10.4 ypr, 0 TD

2015 Stats: 98 yards, 14.0 ypr, 1 TD

Career: 919 yards, 14.4 ypr, 10 TDs

 

 

 

 

DEFENSE

Last Game: 3 Tackles, 3 PBU, 1 INT, FR TD

2015 Stats: 7 Tackles, 4 Solo, INT, FR TD

Career: 117 Tackles, 76 Solo, 3.0 TFLs, 1.0 Sacks, 8 INTs FR TD 

 

 

 

THE RUNOFF

40-3 (.930) at Ohio State (4th year)

144-26 (.847) overall (14th year)

Meyer is 0-1 against Northern Illinois

Meyer is 52-5 (.912) in August and September games

 

 

 

25-6 (.806) at NIU (4th year)

25-6 (.806) overall (4th year)

This is Rod Carey's first head coaching job. NIU has defeated Iowa (30-27), Purdue (55-24) and Northwestern (23-15) with Carey as head coach.

 

 

Cliff Claven's Little Known Facts Corner

 

• Vonn Bell leads the B1G with five passes defended.
• This is the 19th straight year Ohio State has played a team from the MAC.
• Ohio State has a record of 51-4 when ranked No. 1 and playing an unranked opponent. 
• Ezekiel Elliott has seven-straight games of at least 100-yards rushing. 
• When Urban Meyer has more than one week to plan for a game his teams are 42-3.
• Ohio State has won a nation’s best 15 consecutive games and a nation’s best 14 straight road wins.
• Urban Meyer is five wins away from his fourth 20-game win streak. He was the first to get three 20-game winning streaks and could become the first to get four 20-game winning streaks.
• Ohio State has won 67 out the last 68 home games against unranked teams. 

 

2015 STATISTICAL COMPARISON

2015 STATS	RANK	CATEGORY	2015 STATS	RANK
40.0	35th	Points For	47.5	14th
12.0	21st	Points Against	28.0	85th
		OFFENSE
270.5	18th	Rushing Offense	219.5	44th
197.0	88th	Passing Offense	374.5	9th
467.5	41st	Total Offense	594.0	7th
		DEFENSE
104.0	32nd	Rushing Defense	128.0	52nd
138.5	23rd	Pass Defense	305.0	104th
242.5	13th	Total Defense	433.0	96th
		OFF. MISC.
.423	51st	3rd Down Conv.	.423	51st
.857	63rd	Red Zone	1.00	1st
11.6	44th	Punt Return	13.3	33rd
25.0	29th	Kickoff Return	22.3	56th
		DEF. MISC.
.323	49th	3rd Down Conv.	.421	95th
1.00	97th	Red Zone	.857	73rd
98.4	28th	Pass Eff. Def.	123.0	70th
40.1	31st	Net Punting	36.7	75th
		MISC.
+1.5	15th	Turnover Margin	+1.0	26th
6.50	64th	Penalties Per Game	6.0	53rd
	Total: 11	THE EDGE	Total: 8

Two games is not a large sample.

To put things in perspective you will find the 2014 stats below:

 

2014 STATISTICAL COMPARISON

2014 STATS	RANK	CATEGORY	2014 STATS	RANK
44.8	5th	Points For	31.5	47th
22.0	26th	Points Against	25.6	51st
		OFFENSE
264.5	8th	Rushing Offense	249.1	16th
247.1	51st	Passing Offense	192.1	97th
511.6	9th	Total Offense	441.2	36th
		DEFENSE
141.3	34th	Rushing Defense	163.1	58th
201.1	28th	Pass Defense	228.5	63rd
342.4	19th	Total Defense	391.6	57th
		OFF. MISC.
.520	3rd	3rd Down Conv.	.478	13th
.851	48th	Red Zone	.824	69th
11.3	18th	Punt Return	7.1	74th
22.7	29th	Kickoff Return	19.7	91st
		DEF. MISC.
.344	16th	3rd Down Conv.	.437	100th
.844	77th	Red Zone	.896	113th
108.2	13th	Pass Eff. Def.	123.9	50th
41.8	5th	Net Punting	40.1	15th
		MISC.
+0.47	32nd	Turnover Margin	+0.9	9th
5.6	50th	Penalties Per Game	5.9	58th
	Total: 17	THE EDGE	Total: 1

Today's Trivia Answers:

Ohio State is 30-1 against the Mid American Conference. Can you name the only team from the MAC to defeat Ohio State?   

Answer: Akron. The Zips defeated Ohio State 12-6 in 1894 on the grounds of the Ohio State Fair. 
 

The Buckeyes did not throw a touchdown pass against Hawai'i and ended a 24 game streak. What team in 2013 kept Ohio State from throwing a touchdown pass?

Answer: Aloha Stadium. Northwestern kept Ohio State from scoring through the air in the Buckeyes' 40-30 win in Evanston two years ago.
 

How many shutouts does Urban Meyer have as head coach of Ohio State?

Answer: Five. Florida A&M (76-0), Purdue (56-0), Kent State (66-0), Wisconsin (59-0) and Hawai'i (38-0).

With Tim Anderson and Joey Galloway entering the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, how many football players have been enshrined?

Answer: Football players account for 115 of the 293 (.631) male athletes enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Can you name the team that has played in the most games since 2010?

Answer: Northern Illinois has played in 72 games since 2010.

Sources
niuhuskies.com
ohiostatebuckeyes.com
stats.ncaa.org
sportsreference.com