Last Thursday the Northeastern football team was selected as the favorite to repeat as Atlantic-10 champions by coaches and selected media during the conference’s annual Media Day held in Philadelphia, Pa.

NU garnered nine first place votes, followed closely by Delaware (8), Massachusetts (8) and Maine (4).

The 2003 Huskies will have a tough act to follow, as their predecessors set a NU records in wins (10), and points (31 points per game) before earning the school’s first conference championship and bid to the Division 1-AA playoffs.

On Thursday, the Huskies also had four players named to the preseason All-Conference squad.

Tim Gale, who set an NU record with 16 touchdowns, earned a spot on the first team offensive All-Conference team, while junior stud middle linebacker Liam Ezekial, fresh off a nation-leading season with 145 tackles, was chosen to the first team defense.

Sophomore kicker Miro Kesic and junior offensive guard Adam Bourget also made the first team.

– Jack Weiland