NIU Huskies (1-1) vs Vanderbilt Commodores (2-1)
Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 3:30 pm
NIU does not get too many realistic cracks at SEC teams and although Vandy is an SEC football program in name only, NIU should still be way up for this game. Rocky Lombardi and this very tricky Huskie offense should make plenty of home run plays to find the end zone often here. NIU's defense is not always pretty to watch, which is what we often see by smaller MAC schools, but the NIU offense facing a sieve of a Vandy defense should be just fine. Vanderbilt will look to run the football often but NIU's run defense was actually a strength in its last game against a tough Tulsa team. I don't think Mike Wright and AJ Swann can air it out enough to find consistent offense for the Commodores. NIU also has the big special teams advantage, which could certainly make the difference in a game like this. Give me NIU on the moneyline in a game that could go back-and-forth early but end in a Huskies victory.