of the NFL draft after back-to-back 1000 yard receiving seasons for NIU. On September 16, 2017 the Huskies defeated Nebraska 21-17, giving them a 6-4 record in their last 10 games against Big Ten opponents, 4-1 in their last 5. NIU finished 2017 with an 8-6 record after losing to Duke 36-14 in the Quick Lane Bowl. Defensive lineman Sutton Smith set a Huskie record for sacks (14), and led the nation in tackles for loss (29.5) and quarterback pressures (87). He was named a consensus All-American at the end of the season. In 2018, NIU clinched its first MAC West division title since 2015. The Huskies defeated Buffalo 30-29 in the MAC Championship game after trailing by 19 points in the 3rd quarter. This was NIU's 4th MAC title since 2011. NIU was defeated by UAB 37-13 in the Boca Raton Bowl, giving NIU their 6th consecutive bowl game loss and 5th bowl game under Rod Carey where they were defeated by at least 21 points. Sutton Smith had another strong season, once again leading the nation in tackles for loss (27) and finishing third in sacks (15). He was named a 1st team All-American for the 2nd straight year by several outlets. On January 11, 2019, it was announced that Rod Carey had accepted the head coaching position at Temple University after six seasons as NIU's head football coach. In their search for a new football coach, NIU's potential candidates included Baltimore Ravens RB coach Thomas Hammock (former NIU RB), former Maryland OC Matt Canada (former NIU OC), SMU DC Kevin Kane (former NIU DC), and Wisconsin OC Joe Rudolph. Thomas Hammock era (2019–present) On January 18, 2019, NIU announced the hiring of Thomas Hammock as the new head football coach. Hammock was a running back for the Huskies from 1999-2002 and was most recently the running backs coach for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens from 2014-2018. At his first press conference as NIU's head coach, Hammock stated that coaching at NIU "had always been [his] dream." In Hammock's first year at the helm, the Huskies finished 5-7 including a 4-4 record in MAC play. In a pandemic shortened 2020 season, NIU finished 0-6 with one of the youngest teams in the nation. This marked their first winless season since 1999. Expectations were low for the 2021 season following a disappointing 2020. Michigan State QB Rocky Lombardi announced that