DeKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University football team kicks off its first official season in the Mountain West with a road trip to No. 22 Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:15 p.m..
Saturday’s game will be the first since 2006 in which the Huskies open the season against an AP Top 25. In total, NIU and Iowa have played 10 times previously with the most recent coming in 2018.
The Hawkeyes are led by head coach Kirk Ferentz, the longest tenured active coach in college football entering his 28th season. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 9-4 season and a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Iowa finished 2025 ranking top 10 in both scoring defense (8th, 15.6 points per game) and total defense (9th, 280.4 yards allowed per game).
For the Huskies, the offensive side of the ball will be led by junior running back Telly Johnson Jr. (Augusta, Ga./Hephzibah) and redshirt senior wide receiver DeAree Rogers (Lexington, S.C./Lenoir-Rhyne). Both popped up on preseason watch lists with Johnson receiving preseason candidate recognition on the Doak Walker list and Rogers on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list.
On the field, Johnson is coming off a 2025 season rushing for 712 yards and four touchdowns on 5.74 yards per carry. The Georgia native was one of 10 players in the FBS last season to rush for at least 700 yards on fewer than 125 carries. Rogers hauled in 46 receptions for 506 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season.
Defensive returners include redshirt junior defensive end Jay’shon Thomas (Cataula, Ga./Harris County) and redshirt sophomore Dev’ion Reynolds (Zion, Ill./Carmel Catholic). Thomas started the final three games of the 2025 season and played in all 12 along the defensive line, recording his first career two-sack game against Ball State last October.
Reynolds also played in every game last season with four starts, contributing in the secondary and was a key piece in special teams as a returner. Averaging 25.3 yards per kickoff return, Reynolds ranked tied for 16th in the FBS and returned a 96-yard touchdown against Holy Cross.
Three of the past five matchups between NIU and Iowa have been decided by 10 points or less dating back to the 2006 season.
Next Saturday will be the Huskies home opener against Illinois State, the third game against the in-state foe since 2000. The NIU 2026 home opener is slated for Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m..
September 4, 2026