Welcome to this week's edition of the HuskieWire.com Q&A.
Every Thursday, I'll answer your NIU and MAC-related questions right here. Do you have a question about NIU or the MAC? E-mail your questions to me at jsahly@daily-chronicle.com and I'll answer them next Thursday.
Here are this week's questions and answers:
Mike asked: 1. Do you think Justin Anderson has regressed since the Novak era? It seems like he would have been a better option the last two weeks with [Me'co] Brown and [Chad] Spann injured. I'm surprised he didn't get more carries unless he's in Kill's doghouse?
2. What has happened to Josh Wilbur? Is Kill more comfortable with Salerno doing the rugby style punting then having Wilbur back there?
3. Is it true that the NCAA is added two more bowl games next year? If so, do any of them have MAC tie-ins? I think its ridiculous that the Mtn. West has 5 tie-ins and the MAC only 3.
John Sahly: Mike, here are your answers in order.
1. The best answer on Anderson may have come from Anderson himself after the Purdue game. (Read the column here: http://www.huskiewire.com/articles/2009/09/19/93885633/)
"Any player would rather do more," he said. "Me and coach Kill, we've bumped heads about it. But I know my role and I'm going to play my role. Whenever they call on me, if they call on me, I'm ready. But I'm a team player. I'm all for my guys. I'm not jealous."
Has he regressed? I wasn't here in 2007, so it's hard for me to give you an honest assessment on that. My initial thought is no. What I will say is this. What Anderson did in 2007 made him the front-runner to start in 2008. He did and he didn't perform (34 yards against Minnesota on 13 carries, four yards on four carries at Western Michigan to start the season). According to that Anderson quote, things haven't always been great between Kill and the running back.
Don't forget, last spring essentially was an open competition to find starting running backs and Anderson injured a foot less than two weeks into spring practice, forcing him to miss the rest of the spring and part of summer, putting him behind. I believe there are arguments to play Anderson in spots (solid pass protector, can get tough yards) and Brown's struggles/slowdown because of injury serve as one. What Anderson did in 2007 under entirely different circumstances is not one of them.
On a side note, Anderson is one of the most personable players on the team and I have always enjoyed talking with him. He told me back in August that he's on track to graduate and really was truly happy to say that.
2. When it comes to rugby punts, I believe Salerno is the player the coaches prefer to use, and they obviously believe the situation has called for a few over the past few weeks. Wilber has had a few impressive punts this season when he's been out there.
3. There are two more bowl games next year. The Yankee Bowl (Big East vs. Big 12) and the Dallas Football Classic (Big Ten vs. Conference USA). As you can tell, the MAC isn't anywhere in there. The Humanitarian Bowl wants to come to an agreement with with the MAC and I'm hearing they want a primary tie-in, which would give the MAC four bowl affiliations next season. The Mountain West probably can't fill five bowl spots consistently, but it's still a better conference than the MAC based on BCS success alone.
Bill asked: Will NIU know their bowl situation on Sunday or will they have to wait until the Army-Navy game is played on the 12th?
JS: I think NIU will know its bowl situation by Sunday. My belief is that it would take wins by Nebraska, Hawaii and Fresno State to even possibly delay that.
