Akron zips into DeKalb
Haldi set to return for Saturday game against Akron
By Ian Waddick
Assistant Sports Editor
While a senior in high school, NIU quarterback Josh Haldi received
an offer to play football for Akron.
The Madison, Ohio native was one of four quarterbacks the Zips considered
from the high school class of 2000.
In the end, the Zips chose Charlie Frye but did the Huskies the favor
of referring Haldi to NIU coach Joe Novak.
“They called coach Novak and said ‘Hey, we got a quarterback
that we think you’d be interested in.’ And I guess the rest
is history,” Haldi said.
During his four years at NIU, Haldi has never played against Akron,
which played NIU when he was a redshirt freshman.
At 3:05 p.m. Saturday against visiting Akron, Haldi is expected to
make his first start since the season opener.
Haldi has not played since the first series of the Sept. 4 Maryland
game when he aggravated a stress fracture in his right foot.
“It feels good; it’s getting better every day,” said
Haldi about his foot. “It feels a lot better, and hopefully it’ll
hold up for the rest of the year.
“I’m starting to get my timing back. It’ll take a
couple plays to get back to game speed and get used to that.”
Despite Phil Horvath, who has started in Haldi’s place, being
listed as the No. 1 quarterback for the game, both Novak and Haldi
said the plan is for Haldi to start, barring a last-minute setback.
“Right now I feel good about him starting,” Novak said.
As for starting running back A.J. Harris, the story is a little different.
“Well, I’m not sure if A.J. is going to play,” Novak
said. “Personally, I don’t really care who starts.”
Harris missed the entire second half of the win over Bowling Green
after spraining his left ankle.
Garrett Wolfe will get the majority of the carries for NIU if Harris
is unable to play. Wolfe ran for a career-high 202 yards and scored
three touchdowns in the second half against BG.
Frye is currently a senior at Akron and will start Saturday in DeKalb.
Last season, Frye averaged nearly 300 yards per game through the air,
threw 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. This season, however,
Frye has a 218-yards-per-game average, six interceptions and four
TDs.
“I’ll tell you what’s impressed me about him: He can
really move around for a 6-foot-4 kid,” Novak said. “He’s
athletic and he’s got good mobility. I know he lost some of his
receivers from last season.”
Frye ranks No. 2 in the nation among active D-I players for total
offense in a career with 9,755.
“It’ll be fun to go against another Ohio team and a great
quarterback like Charlie, whom I respect,” Haldi said.
