Purdue Taking N. Illinois Seriously

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.—Purdue coach Danny Hope insists there’s no way his team will ignore Northern Illinois tomorrow, even though the Boilermakers play in-state rival Notre Dame the next week.

Hope listed plenty of reasons for Purdue to respect NIU—a Mid-American Conference team that doesn’t mind mixing it up with BCS schools.

The Huskies gave Tennessee a game last year before losing 13-9. And this season, they were competitive in a 28-20 loss to Wisconsin.

Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill respects Purdue as well. He’s noticed that the Boilermakers have averaged 44 points and 493 yards in their first two games. And Kill says his Huskies definitely have their work cut out for them on defense.

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