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PROVO — The change has been made.
BYU switched up the quarterback rotation, opting for freshman Zach Wilson over senior Tanner Mangum before a 49-23 win over Hawaii that preceded the Cougars’ bye week.
But one game doesn’t make an entire season for a team or a quarterback. And now BYU opponents have a game’s worth of film to plan, scheme and prepare against Wilson.
It starts with Northern Illinois at 1:30 p.m. MDT Saturday (ESPNU, KSL Newsradio). The Cougars (4-3) can move within a game of returning to bowl eligibility after last year’s disappointment with a win against the Huskies.
Here’s what to expect from a run-heavy NIU offense, a dominant NIU front seven, and the first-ever meeting between the Cougars and Huskies.
NIU offense
The traditionally potent mid-major MAC offense doesn’t necessarily apply to Northern Illinois.
While many teams from the Mid-American Conference focus on the passing game and spreading the field, Northern Illinois’ standard is the run game.
The Huskies score just 18.6 points per game and average just 295.7 yards per game. But more than half of those yards (160.1) come on the ground, led by sophomore running back Tre Harbison’s 446 yards and three touchdowns.
"They're kind of like Cal; they run the spread, but they can run, too," BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki said. "They don’t have anyone to sub in to run, but they’re in that area.
"All of us like to play physical football and stop the run. We have a couple flip, but this week, we are playing an NIU team that can run, and we are excited for this opponent."
Quarterback Marcus Childers can throw the ball when needed; he has completed 55.1 percent of his passes for 949 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions in seven games. But the Huskies will likely try to keep the ball on the ground, averaging around 30 minutes of time of possession, and grind away a win on the road in Provo.
"Any time you face a team that runs the ball and is physical like that, it’s always a challenge," BYU defensive coordinator Ilaisa Tuiaki said. "It's always going to be a physical game. They do a great job of running their quarterback, too, which poses another challenge."
NIU defense
Northern Illinois boasts one of the best front-seven defenses the Cougars have faced in 2018. Anyone who doubts it should only look at the Huskies' 17-6 loss to a familiar opponent, BYU archrival Utah — when a pick-six by linebacker Chase Hansen was the only thing that put the game away.
It all starts up front, and particularly with redshirt-junior Sutton Smith. The 6-foot-1, 237-pound defensive end has 29 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for the Huskies, who allow just 23.3 points per game.
He's a player who could give BYU’s offensive line fits, and one that Wilson will have to identify on every snap he plays.
"We noted that they are a great pass-rushing team, and we’ve got to get the ball out quick and make quick decisions," Wilson said. "But the line just has to step up and keep making plays like they have been. We’ve got some really talented guys."
The Huskies rank 14th nationally with 22 sacks, including seven from Smith. NIU also ranks No. 21 with 54 tackles for loss, No. 24 in turnovers (14), and No. 20 in rush defense by allowing 115.1 rushing yards per game and just 2.73 yards per rush.
"They are very aggressive up front, and they commit a lot of people to stopping the run," BYU offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said. "It will be a real challenge for us."
X-factor: First timers
This won't be Wilson’s first rodeo as BYU starting quarterback (that came two weeks ago in the win over Hawaii). But it will be the first meeting between the Cougars and Huskies.
BYU has played teams from the MAC before; the Cougars are 1-1 all-time against Bowling Green and 1-0 against Toledo, for example.
But the Huskies are perennial MAC contenders, even if their 4-3 record in 2018 doesn’t suggest it. NIU boasted six-straight trips to the MAC title game from 2010 to 2015, and own the most trips to the championship game in the conference with seven.
The Huskies are 4-0 in conference play, with critical league games upcoming against Miami (Ohio), Toledo and at Western Michigan before a potential MAC championship game against Buffalo.
"I’m super excited to take on this real challenge," Wilson said. "Hawaii was a great team and a great starting point for me. But I think Northern Illinois has a really good defensive front, and this will be a good challenge for us to execute and show who we really are."
Extra point: Baby faces
Wilson isn’t the only true freshman who has already made an impact at BYU.
The Cougars have played 25 freshmen in 2018, including 15 true freshmen, and the seven true freshmen starting against Hawaii was the most of any team in college football save Minnesota.
BYU’s first-year players have accounted for 89 of the Cougars’ 176 total points in 2018; that’s 50.6 percent.
But can the first-year youngsters keep up the consistency that can make or break any season?
