DEKALB, Ill. — If this Illinois city is where a reputation begins to be restored, then so be it.
DeKalb (population of about 40,000) is named after Revolutionary War hero Johann de Kalb, is known as the barbed wire capital, and is the hometown of super model Cindy Crawford. The county’s largest employer, Northern Illinois University, offers an on-campus hotel, a tequila-lemon steak on The Huskie Den’s menu, and a once-prosperous football team.
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In a four-year span through 2014, the Huskies had three seasons of 10-plus victories. They defeated then-No. 5 Notre Dame in the Fighting Irish’s 2024 home opener. But the Huskies were 3-9 in 2025, their last season in the MAC and with Thomas Hammock as head coach. Hammock joined the Seattle Seahawks as running backs coach in February. Under interim head coach Rob Harley, the Huskies are 0-6 in their inaugural Mountain West season.
At the NIU student center on Friday, there was little hype about today’s game against Hawaii at 28,211-seat Huskie Stadium. There were no promotional signs visible, no merchandise sales at the campus bookstore.
The visiting Rainbow Warriors displayed unabashed enthusiasm during Friday’s 90-minute practice at North Central College in Naperville. Following last week’s momentum-turning loss to New Mexico, the 1-6 Warriors need to win their remaining five regular-season games to be bowl eligible.
“All we can do is control where we’re at right now and have a great mindset on how to attack and how to get better every single day,” head coach Timmy Chang said. “That’s where we’re at. If the records were flipped, it would be the same way for us.”
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For this first meeting, the Warriors traveled 4,255 miles — the longest distance between teams for a regular-season conference game. To adjust to the five-hour time difference, the Warriors have tried to set their body clocks to Central time. They also have pared their preparation to the basics.
“I simplified football for them,” associate head coach Chris Brown said. “For instance, using the offensive line as an example, it’s read and block and protect. When you take all the X’s and O’s away, ‘it’s me versus that (defender), and I have to protect my quarterback.’ If you can simplify stuff like that, and do it at the highest level, it’s easy. But their attitude and effort we can’t coach. That’s what they have to bring to the field.”
Chang said: “We’re not going to fold. Honestly, this has been good character building. The people who come around this program, they get to see these guys work every day. And the work is true. It’s good work. These guys do a great job. The biggest thing is now, when the chips are down, that’s when we need to be at our best. That’s the growing. That’s the learning. That’s the step we want them to have.”
Chang said center Ethan Spencer, who missed the UNM game because of an injury, is expected to be in the opening lineup. Spencer’s potential return provides lineup flexibility because Judah Kaio, who started at center last week, can be used at any of the three interior-line positions.
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Chang also backed the run-and-shoot offense, whose concepts date to 1999, when then-head coach June Jones implemented the four-wide, read-and-attack scheme. The Warriors are averaging 15.7 points per game.
“It’s a great offense,” Chang said. “It’s about us (as coaches) putting them in the right position and up to the players to execute. That’s what it’s all about.”
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