DeKALB, Ill. – On a perfect, sunny spring Saturday at Huskie Stadium, the Northern Illinois University football team closed out its 2015 spring practices with the annual Huskie Bowl. The Black team, which featured quarterbacks Drew Hare and Anthony Maddie under center, claimed the Huskie Bowl crown with a 21-0 victory over the Cardinal squad.
Sophomore cornerback Shawun Lurry gave the Black team took an early 7-0 lead as he intercepted Cardinal quarterback Ryan Graham on the Cardinal team’s first offensive series and returned it 35 yards for the first score of the day.
Defense dominated the day’s action overall as 16 of the 18 offensive series ended with a defensive stop. Lurry notched the lone interception of the practice, while safety Mycial Allen had a fumble recovery and Sean Folliard and David O’Gorman recorded sacks for the Cardinal and Black squads, respectively.
“I think one reason the defense had the edge today was because the offensive units haven’t worked together in that combination,” said NIU Head Coach Rod Carey of the team’s that were split up by a draft. “During the spring, it was a situation where some days the offense won and some days the defense came out on top, which is kinda the way you want it to be.”
Team Black extended its lead to 14-0 a few series into the scrimmage when tailback Draco Smith scored on a 16-yard run to close out a 75-yard drive led by Hare. The Huskies’ returning starter finished the day 6-of-9 passing for 57 yards while Maddie led all quarterbacks with 66 yards on 7of-13 passing and the lone passing score of the day.
Carey said he was pleased with Hare’s progression this spring, especially over the final weeks.
“The last six practices, I think [Drew] played really well, he stepped it up and looked like the guy we want him to be consistently,” Carey said. “His challenge is to take that into the summer and then into fall camp. I think he’ll tell you he’s got things to work on, and we have things to work on as a team. What’s different this year [as compared to last spring] is he’s our guy.”
On the last drive of the scrimmage, during which each team had nine possessions, Maddie hit sophomore Christian Blake from 15-yard out for a score. Blake joined Cardinal receiver Kenny Golladay with four catches apiece, Blake for 37 yards and Golladay for 36, while junior Aregeros Turner led all receivers with seven catches for 61 yards and had four carries for 26 yards. Tight end Desroy Maxwell added a pair of catches for 17 yards for Team Cardinal.
Smith led all rushers with eight carries for 38 yards.
