MORE INFO ABOUT THE GAME OF MARGINAL IMPORTANCE.
NU released its weekly injury report for EIU, and Dan Persa is questionable with his Achilles injury and Mike Trumpy, who suffered a concussion and was vomiting wildly on the sidelines towards the end of the game, is doubtful. As you remember, this is the same listing Persa had last week before BC, and Persa didn't play.
The game is against Eastern Illinois, a team I assumed NU would beat handily even if Kain Colter looked horrific in his trial by fire week one against Boston College. So he looked great. So, if Persa still isn't in game shape, he shouldn't play. (I still think it's important that he play before Big Ten play, but, well, if he's not medically cleared to even do 11-on-11 stuff in practice - and reports say he isn't - he shouldn't play in a live game, even if he probably wouldn't get touched and there wouldn't be any pressure. However, the question once again arises as to how Persa will get integrated as the year goes on.
Same with Trumpy. Concussions are serious business, and there's no need throwing him in there against EIU.
In other news, Jack DiNardo, the starting defensive tackle who hurt is leg sacking Chase Rettig last week, is out, but a) we've known that since the depth chart came out and b) Will Hampton and Chance Carter played well in his absence for the second half of the BC game. Mike Bolden, the senior safety/cornerback who was listed as out last week with a leg injury, isn't on the injury report this week, so more depth there. Other than that, the report is the same.
Again, the goal for Saturday is for everybody to get in and get out with the win without anybody getting hurt. So, more of that.