In the week leading up to NIU’s conference opener against Western Michigan, NIU head coach Jerry Kill had nothing but praise for Broncos quarterback Tim Hiller.

After a 38-3 Huskies victory, Hiller had nothing but praise for NIU’s defense. After a first half in which Western Michigan was able to move the ball seemingly at will, the Broncos still trailed 21-3 at the break.

The Huskies (3-2, 1-0 MAC) then opened the second half by intercepting an errant throw by Hiller on a post route.

The senior signal-caller then produced three straight three-and-outs throughout the third quarter, a product of constant pressure by the NIU defensive line and solid secondary play. The final nail in WMU’s (2-3, 0-1 MAC) coffin was a bobbled snap, which was recovered by the Huskies.

“I’ve got a heck of a defensive staff,” Kill said. “We were able to double-cover people and play man under a lot. We were able to stop the run and make them throw the ball, and when you know they’re going to throw it, you can do some things to give you a chance.”

NIU’s defense gave itself a great chance, limiting Western to 73 yards on the ground.

That allowed the secondary to focus on Hiller who totaled 176 yards through the air and three interceptions. One of those picks was returned 79 yards for a touchdown by defensive lineman Jake Coffman.

The numbers don’t tell the entire story, however. Hiller didn’t complete a pass in the second half until there was one minute remaining in the third quarter. That completion was the result of a circus catch by Broncos wide out Jordan White.

Add to the equation multiple balls being batted down by the defensive line, and Hiller was unable to get into any sort of rhythm.

“With the way we run our system and the way we run our offense, it all falls on the quarterback,” Hiller said.

Backed by an offense that was able to hold onto the ball for 36:53, NIU’s defense was able to make Hiller appear human in his limited time on the field. According to Hiller, that’s what has to be done against WMU, and the Huskies took the lesson to heart.

“We wanted to make a statement that our defense is solid,” Coffman said. “We came out with a simple game plan: to get pressure on [Hiller]. We just got after it.”

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