Michael "The Burner" Turner is burning up Mid-American Conference defenses this season while leading Northern Illinois to a No. 10 Bowl Championship Series ranking and No. 12 Associated Press ranking. The nation's third-leading rusher is moving up in the Heisman Trophy race, and on Saturday, Turner and the Huskies visit No. 23 Bowling Green for the first MAC game between two nationally ranked teams since 1973. ESPN will broadcast its College GameDay show live from Bowling Green, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN2. All the media attention has made for a busy week for Turner, who also has a hot sauce named after him, but he had enough time to take part in the 2-minute drill with the Enquirer's Dustin Dow.

Q: Is it strange looking at the BCS rankings and seeing Northern Illinois ahead of schools such as Nebraska, Michigan State and LSU?

A: "No, not really, but it feels good to be ranked above those traditional football powers."

Q: What food goes best with the Turner-the-Burner hot sauce?

A: "I haven't tried it yet. I think it's pretty cool. It's something new and different. I probably would try it on fish."

Q: How important is Saturday's game for the MAC and the conference's national exposure?

A: "This is a great opportunity for the Mid-American Conference, our program, and Bowling Green's to be recognized on national TV as one of the top teams in the country. For us, of course, we want to make the most of this opportunity. Being on ESPN is something I've always dreamed about. At the same time, being on national TV does not have an effect on the way I play."

Q: The Web site Turnertheburner.com (set up by NIU's sports information department) must be your home page, right?

A: "I might look at it once a week. I just look at it to see what is new on there every week. It's kind of fun to have your own Web site."

Q: Would you be satisfied if your team finishes the season unbeaten but is not invited to a BCS bowl game or the national title game?

A: "If we go unbeaten, I'll still be satisfied. Our team goal is to win the MAC. The BCS wasn't in the picture, goal-wise. Maybe we'll be the team that messed up the BCS."

Q: What do people on campus call you, Michael or the "The Burner?"

A: "Michael. Or Mike. It just depends who it is. I understand the reason for the nickname. It's catchy, I guess. I don't have any problems with it."

Turner at a glance

Year	Carries	Yards	Avg.	TDs
2003	192	929	4.83	6
2002	338	1,915	5.7	19
2001	92	395	4.3	3
2000	200	983	4.9	7
Totals	822	4,222	4.9	35