It’s a trophy game. It’s a homecoming game. And it’s a chance for a 1-3 team to start conference play right.

Miami (Ohio) heads to DeKalb on Saturday for NIU’s homecoming game. The teams also compete for the Mallory Cup, which started in 2018 and is named for Bill Mallory, who led NIU and Miami to Mid-American Conference titles.

Both teams are playing their MAC opener after 1-3 starts. Miami is off a 38-0 win against Lindenwood after road losses to Wisconsin (17-0) and Rutgers (45-17) and a home loss to UNLV (41-38).

NIU opened the season with a win against Holy Cross (19-7), losses at Maryland (20-9) and Mississippi State (38-10), then lost last week at home to San Diego State (6-3).

Here are three things to know about the game.

NIU linebacker Quinn Urwiler emerging as one of the best in the country

Against San Diego State, senior linebacker Urwiler made 16 tackles. It was the most for any Huskie since Antonio Jones-Davis had 17 against Ball State in 2019.

Urwiler is second nationally with 12.5 tackles per game and leads the country with 6.75 solo tackles per game.

Urwiler transferred into the program in 2022 after playing at North Dakota. He was mostly on special teams in 2022 and 2023 before becoming a rotational and special teams player last season.

NIU coach Thomas Hammock said he has new transfers stand up in front of the team and say what he’s bringing to the program. Hammock said Urwiler answered that he would always be one of the most physical players on the team.

“And that’s what he’s been since the day he got here,” Hammock said. “His story and his journey have just been phenomenal. ... I’m just proud of Quinn and his growth and development, his leadership. I’m glad he’s playing his best football as a senior.”

Hammock said the defensive line is having a hand in Urwiler’s success as well, keeping offensive lines busy and opening up plays for the Batavia grad.

The Huskies have struggled to score points this year, and after Saturday’s loss to the Aztecs, he said that doesn’t change much about how he or the defense approach things. He did say it does put more of a focus on turnovers - which the Huskies got two of last week.

“If we could get the ball out and give it back to the offense, that would help a lot too,” Urwiler said.

Quarterback situation up in the air

Hammock on Tuesday declined to name a starting quarterback. Also, Jackson Proctor is no longer listed on the NIU roster, leaving the team with just Josh Holst, Brady Davidson and Jalen Macon. Macon has not dressed and has been on the sidelines for every game this year.

Holst has completed 46 of 77 passes this year for 376 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also has 33 carries for 57 yards. His 99.85 efficiency rating is 120th out of 126 qualifying quarterbacks.

Davidson, a true freshman, relieved Holst against the Aztecs, but threw an interception on his second pass attempt. Holst came back in and played the rest of the game.

Wide receiver De’Aree Rogers, one of two players in the country with 40% of his team’s receptions (21 catches, 224 yards, TD), said the team’s main goal for the year is still in play, winning a MAC title.

“Me and the wide receivers, we just built the quarterback position up after the game,” Rogers said. “We knew it would come with a lot of stuff, saying our quarterbacks aren’t performing well, stuff like that. Being on the same team as them, we can’t say stuff like that so we build them up.”

Hungry for a trophy

Miami and NIU have played four times since the start of the Mallory Cup with the RedHawks winning all four, including 20-9 last year.

It’s not the only trophy game on the docket for the Huskies this year. They’ll host Ball State on Oct. 25 for the Bronze Stalk. NIU has dropped three straight in that series, last claiming the trophy in 2021.

And since it’s the Huskies’ last year in the MAC, whoever wins this year’s trophies will get to keep them for a while.

“Being here since 2021, we never won a Mallory Cup,” safety Muhammed Jammeh said. “That’s definitely a big thing. That’s a big thing, not winning any ... cup games, trophy games. That’s a big essence this week, just taking the Mallory Cup, keeping it forever.”