FACTS & STATS: Site: Metrodome (64,172) -- Minneapolis, Minnesota. Television: Big Ten Network. Home Record: NIU 0-0, Minnesota 0-0. Away Record: NIU 0-0, Minnesota 0-0. Neutral Record: NIU 0-0, Minnesota 0-0. Conference Record: NIU 0-0, Minnesota 0-0. Series Record: Minnesota leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: The Northern Illinois Huskies travel to Minneapolis to kick off the 2008 season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Metrodome. NIU is guided by first-year coach Jerry Kill, who spent seven years at FCS power Southern Illinois. He takes over a Huskies team coming off a 2-10 season, with the lone victories coming against Idaho and Kent State. There is reason for optimism at Northern Illinois, with nine starters returning on both sides of the ball, in addition to two specialists. Minnesota is coming off a disastrous 1-11 season under first-year coach Tim Brewster. However, the Golden Gophers lost six of those games by seven points or less, and now return seven starters on each side of the ball. The team is looking to rebound big time and build momentum as they prepare to enter the new outdoor TCF Bank Stadium next season. Minnesota won the only previous meeting between these two schools.

Dan Nicholson is back for NIU after completing 61 percent of his throws. However, he often struggled with reads and wound up throwing 14 interceptions to go with just nine touchdowns. He'll need to take a step forward if the Huskies are to rebound in 2008. In the backfield is Justin Anderson, who piled up 1,245 yards as a sophomore. He became the program's ninth consecutive 1,000-yard rusher, and now looks to pad his career numbers running behind four returning starters on the offensive line. Wideout Matt Simon led the team with 52 catches and 969 yards last year, and he will team with Britt Davis this season.

Linebacker Alex Kube highlights the returnees on NIU's defense, after leading the Huskies with 111 stops as a freshman. The real star on this unit though is defensive end Larry English, who posted 10.5 sacks to earn MAC Defensive MVP honors last year. His leadership will play a huge role in the development of the defense. One area that certainly needs improvement is run defense, as the Huskies allowed 210 yards per game on the ground. Promising linebackers Tim McCarthy and Cory Hanson missed most of last season with injuries, but are both back and hungry to get on the field. The leader of the secondary is Bradley Pruitt (92 tackles).

Adam Weber was one of the few bright spots on the Gophers' newly installed spread offense, throwing for 2,895 yards and 24 touchdowns, both school records. He also led the team with 617 rushing yards and five scores, a feat virtually unheard of at a program so accustomed to running the ball. Weber, now in his sophomore campaign, should improve on his 19 interceptions. In the backfield, Duane Bennett returns after tallying 442 yards in seven starts. Also returning is wideout Eric Decker, who caught a school-record 67 passes for 909 yards and nine TDs.

Minnesota's defensive front seven is fairly solid. Willie VanDeSteeg, a second-team All-Big Ten defensive end in 2006, spearheads the pass rush. Eric Small and Garrett Brown also have starting experience on the defensive line. Returning at linebacker are Deon Hightower, who was second on the team with 70 tackles, along with Steve Davis. Four new starters take over in a secondary that was exposed repeatedly last season. However, coach Brewster went to the junior college ranks and picked up standouts Tramaine Brock and Traye Simmons. Brewster also brought in former Duke head coach Ted Roof to insert a more physical style as defensive coordinator. For a Minnesota defense that last year ranked last in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 519 yards allowed per game, there is nowhere to go but up.

A good start to the 2008 campaign is critical to both of these teams looking to rebound from poor seasons. Coach Kill is likely to go through some of the same growing pains coach Brewster did in his first season at Minnesota. The key is Weber, and whether he can take off in his second year running Brewster's spread offense.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 14

Saturday, August 30th, 7:00 p.m. (et)