2018 Northern Illinois Huskies football team


The 2018 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Huskies were led by sixth-year head coach Rod Carey. They played their home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois as members of the West Division of Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 8–6, 6–2 in MAC play to finish as champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the MAC Championship Game where they defeated East Division champion Buffalo to become MAC champions for the first time since 2014. They were invited to the Boca Raton Bowl where they lost to UAB.

Previous season

The Huskies finished the 2017 season 8–5, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in a tie for second place in the West Division. The Huskies received an invitation to the Quick Lane Bowl, their 11th bowl game in the previous 14 years. There they lost to Duke 36–14.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Preseason media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 24, 2018, with the Huskies predicted to finish as champions of the West Division.
West Division

Coaching staff

Source:

Schedule

Source

Game summaries

at Iowa

Utah

Central Michigan

at Florida State

at Eastern Michigan

at Ball State

Ohio

at BYU

at Akron

Toledo

Miami (OH)

at Western Michigan

vs Buffalo (MAC Championship Game)

vs UAB (Boca Raton Bowl)

Players drafted into the NFL

RoundPickPlayerPositionNFL Club
255Max ScharpingOLHouston Texans
6175Sutton SmithLBPittsburgh Steelers