Running back, Northern Illinois, 2011–⁠13

James Spencer

Number
No. 34
Height
5′8″
Hometown
Fremont, OH

James Spencer played running back at Northern Illinois (2011–⁠13).

Career highs

2rushing touchdowns, career highat Toledo, 2013

Team titles: MAC champions, 2011 and 2012

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2011Northern Illinois273.505
2012Northern Illinois23015.0016
2013Northern Illinois291736.0325
Career332106.4325

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2013Northern Illinois1416711.9127

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHt
2011Northern Illinois34RB
2012Northern Illinois34RB
2013Northern Illinois34RB5′8″

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2013Northern Illinois410.29––11.86%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2013 Northern Illinois 10 games, 173 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 28atPurdueW 55–⁠246310–––
Oct 5atKent StateW 38–⁠2464212181
Oct 12vs.AkronW 27–⁠20100–––
Oct 19atCentral MichiganW 38–⁠17130–––
Oct 26vs.Eastern MichiganW 59–⁠2011302460
Nov 13vs.Ball StateW 48–⁠2731202240
Nov 20atToledoW 35–⁠175322120
Nov 26vs.Western MichiganW 33–⁠144340140
Dec 6vs.Bowling GreenL 27–⁠47–––5630
Dec 26 ✦vs.Utah StateL 14–⁠212601100
2012 Northern Illinois 1 game, 30 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Nov 3vs.MassachusettsW 63–⁠02300–––
2011 Northern Illinois 2 games, 7 rushing yards
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Oct 8vs.Kent StateW 40–⁠10150–––
Nov 8atBowling GreenW 45–⁠14120–––

No box score in the source for Nov 25 vs. Eastern Michigan, so that game is not listed.

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

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