San Diego State football: 3 bold predictions for Northern Illinois game
By Zach Bigalke
1. NIU will double the number of interceptions it has thrown in 2017
After losing opening-game quarterback Ryan Graham to a sprained elbow on his throwing arm, Northern Illinois has focused predominantly on its run game. Daniel Santacaterina has been decent filling in for Graham, but the NIU coaching staff hasn’t relied on the sophomore to do too much with his arm so far.
As a result, Northern Illinois has thrown just two interceptions through its first three games of the year. Graham had one in the opener, while Santacaterina threw the other in his first start against FCS Eastern Illinois.
Against a San Diego State defense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in interceptions, Santacaterina is going to have a rough time throwing the ball. Honestly, it wouldn’t really matter who starts for the Huskies on Saturday night. Even if Graham was back on the field at Qualcomm Stadium, he too would likely suffer through a few turnovers.
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Look for the Aztecs to snag at least two interceptions out of the air as they double NIU’s totals so far this year. Those gifts to the San Diego State offense will allow the Aztecs to pull away with a solid win even on a night when Penny is closed down from having as big an impact as usual.