If history is any indication to how things will go this weekend, the Huskies should be in good shape.

NIU (1-5, 0-3) hasn’t lost a Homecoming game since 1997 and hopes to keep it going this Saturday when they host MAC West rival Western Michigan. Kick off is set for 3 p.m. for the 101st Homecoming contest.

Awaiting the Huskies is a Broncos team that was picked by many to win the division but have staggered out to a 2-4 start overall.

WMU got shocked last week when Akron’s Andre Jones returned a kick 89 yards to give Akron the win as time expired, dropping the Broncos conference record to 1-1.

On the other hand, NIU is coming off a 16-15 loss to a Temple team that hadn’t won since Oct. 28 of last year.

“We need to get that winning taste in our mouths that we once had and it is not there right now,” NIU head coach Joe Novak said. “Right now we are just focused on what we can still get out of this year.”

Despite the Huskies’ recent struggles, a bright spot has been the play of redshirt sophomore running back Justin Anderson. The Chicago native is the 12th-leading rusher in the nation in yards-per-game and it could be higher considering he didn’t start the first two games of the season.

On the other side of the ball is a WMU offense loaded with weapons, particularly in the receiving corps. The Broncos’ Jamarko Simmons is one of the best wide receivers in the nation, having already racked up 639 yards in six games.

“He is a real talent,” Novak said. “The thing that scares you about him is if you are not right there when he catches it, he is a hard guy to bring down because he is so darn big and physical.”

Saturday won’t be the first time NIU’s offensive coordinator Roy Wittke and WMU’s defensive coordinator Bill Miller have met. Both are familiar with each other as they were offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, last year at Arizona State.

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