Northern Illinois Closes Out Season With a Victory, End Up 5-7

Last night, the Northern Illinois University (NIU) football team ended its season at 5-7 with a 17-14 victory over Mid-American Conference division rival Western Michigan.  This was Thomas Hammock's first year as head coach.

It was also the first year I didn't even make it out to Huskie Stadium for even one of the five home games played there.

A few days ago I wrote in this blog about how often it is better for first year coaches not to have too good of a record and this fits the case.  Shoot, even our best ever coach, Joe Novak, had about as bad a record as you could have in his first three years at Northern.  In 1996, he was 1-10, 1997  0-11, and 1998 2-9.

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NIU 2019 GAMES:

NIU 24 Illinois State  10
Utah  35  NIU 17
Nebraska  44  NIU 8
Vanderbilt 24  NIU 18

Ball State  27  NIU 20
NIU 39  Ohio 36
Miami (Ohio)  27  NIU 24
NIU  49  Akron 0

Central Michigan 48  NIU 10
NIU 31  Toledo  28
Eastern Michigan  45  NIU 17
NIU 17  Western Michigan  14

Of course, our all-time nemesis and rival is Toledo, and at least we beat them.

But, even better, NIU is not bowl eligible, which is alright with me as we usually get blown out pretty bad in those games.

Looking Forward to 2020.  --RoadHuskie

DID YOU KNOW:  An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

MAC and NIU Stinking Up Bowl Games Again

It is getting to the point that I would just as soon that my school, Northern Illinois, didn't go to any more college bowl games.  It is embarrassing.  We have now reached six straight bowl losses and most of them have been by blowout scores.

And, the same goes for our whole football conference, the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Gone are the days when the MAC only got one bowl invitation.  Back in 2003, NIU had a 10-2 record and beat five Power Conference foes, two of whom were ranked when we played them.  But, we lost a game to Toledo (of course) and they went and we sat home.

This year, the MAC had six teams in minor bowl games.  So far the MAC record is 1-4, with just one game remaining, Buffalo vs. Troy in Mobile later tonight.

MAC teams shown in caps.

Georgia Southern 23  EASTERN MICHIGAN 21
University of Alabama-Birmingham 37  NIU 13
OHIO  27  San Diego State University
Florida International University 35  TOLEDO 32
Brigham Young University  49  WESTERN MICHIGAN  18

Please, Santa, No More MAC or NIU Bowl Games!!!  --RoadLoss

POLITICALLY INCORRECT CHRISTMAS SONGS:  "Do You Hear What I Hear"  Blatant disregard for the hearing impaired.

Dec. 23:  Final score in the Buffalo-Troy game:  Troy 42  BUFFALO 32.  So, the MAC went 1-5 in bowl games.  Please, no more bowl games for the MAC!!

And, I see they are adding one more bowl game for the MAC in 2019 in Myrtle Beach.  Last thing we need.

About Last Night's Game: NIU Wins a Huge One

I'm getting way too old for games like this. Regardless of what looks to be a blow-out, believe me it wasn't. Back and forth and with a defense that was horrible, the Huskies finally opened the game up with just over five minutes left in the 4th quarter. What a performance, what a show in freezing Huskie Stadium and broadcast on ESPN2.

Thought about going there ourselves until just a couple hours before game time, but it was just too cold and the wind was howling.

And, now, we have Toledo next Thursday, always a tough game and ones until recently, we almost always lost. They are the team that kept us out of a bowl back in that great 10-2 2003 season when we beat Alabama, Maryland (these two were Top 25 at the time) and Iowa State, not a bad job for a mid major team like us.

On the 12th, I wrote about our 1983 victory over Toledo and how that sent us to the California Bowl against Cal-Fullerton. That was about the last time we beat Toledo until a few years ago.

NIU Plays in November's Mid-Week Conference, Not the Mid American Conference. --RoadDog

How Great Is That?? NIU 31 Toledo 24!!! And, George Bork!

We knew it would be a tough game...and it was.  Northern rallied to defeat its nemesis, the Toledo Rockets, late last night.  These guys have been extra tough on us over the years, and even with wins in the last three games, our all-time record against them is 11-29.

I'm just hoping they will get to dislike us as much as we dislike them.

Even better, this means that the Huskies win the Mid-American Conference's Western Division for the third straight time and will be in Detroit on November 30th to play the Eastern Division's winner for a trip to the Go-Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Jordan Lynch, our qb, had another stellar game.  They call him the tailback who can pass and rightfully so.


NIU LEGEND

We watched it with friends at Antonio's on US-12 here in Spring Grove.  At one point, a woman and her husband walked over and said she took it considering all of our NIU apparel, that we were fans.  She said her father played football for Northern back in the 60s.  Then, she said his name is George Bork.

George Bork is NIU football royalty, having set just about every school passing record in 1962 and 1963, the last year going 10-0 and winning the Mineral Water Bowl in Maryland.

And, how about this, but George Bork lives in Spring Grove also.

Just last Friday, I was in the Antioch, Illinois, Ace Hardware with my NIU colors on and a guy had come up to me and said that he had played football back in the early 60s and had been a favorite receiver of Bork.  I didn't get his name, but it could have been Hugh Rohrschneider.

Congratulations NIU.  --RoadDog

Da Game Is Tonight!!! Toledo Vs. NIU on ESPN2 at 8 CST

We've been having quite the buildup the last week and a half for this one, the game with the Toledo Rockets and NIU has been doing everything it can to get the stadium packed.  We aren't going, though, as it starts late, 8 PM and it is mighty cold out there.  Too cold for a pair of 61-year-olds. 

We're hoping to get a bunch of Northern Huskies fans together at Antonio's here in Spring Grove, Illinois, to watch the game.  Plus, buck bottles and great Mexican food.

Toledo has been our nemesis for a long time and holds an overall 29-10 games lead over us (even though we've won the last two games).  Other news is that we are very likely going to lose our coach Doeren to one of the "Big Guys" soon as a bunch of their head coaches have been or soon will be fired.  Always a sad thing.

Of course, me printing this is the touch of death and we will probably lose as a result of it.

But, anyway, Northern has been running a Top Ten Reasons to Go to the Game for the last ten days and they are too good not to mention.  Tomorrow will be too late:

10.  HUSKIES OWN THE NATION'S LONGEST HOME WINNING STREAK
PS--  We've also won nine games in a row and 14 straight in the MAC.

9.  CELEBRATE SENIOR DAY
It's the last home game of the season and the seniors have been the most successful ever in Northern football.

8.  DID YOU SEE LAST YEAR'S NIU-TOLEDO GAME?
We won 63-60.

7.  YOU CAN GET IT ON NATIONAL TV.
The game will be televised on ESPN2.

6.  THIS KIND OF BLACKOUT IS FUN.
Everyone is to wear black.

5.  BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE MISSING THE HUSKIES TODAY.
(This one was printed Saturday.)  You'll have to wait 'til Wednesday night at 8.

4.  HEY NIU STUDENTS-- IT'S FREE.
Just swipe your OneCard at the gate.

3.  WHAT ELSE YOU GONNA DO ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT?
Come to the stadium after class or work.

2.  HEISMAN CANDIDATE JORDAN LYNCH.
Trust us, this guy's good.

1.  C'MON, IT'S TOLEDO!!!
Rivalry! Hello?!?


AND, I'LL ADD.  Let's Give the "Voice of the Huskies," Bill Baker, a good excuse to get hoarse.

Go Huskies!!!  --RoadDog

A Last Look at the NIU-Toledo Game

From the Nov. 2nd Chicago Tribune "NIU gets last word: Defense absent but Huskies take division lead in shootout."

Shootout? That was an understatement.

I have to admit that even had Toledo won, I'd have to rank this as one of the best games I ever saw.

** NIU qb Chandler Harnish threw six touchdowns.

** NIU's Tommylee Lewis returned Toledo's first two kicks for a 100 and a 95 yard TD.

** 1,121 yards total offense.

** 11 lead changes.

** 123 total points.

** Northern's winning TD was a nine-yard pass with 19 seconds left in the game.

** Toledo almost scored in those final 19 seconds.

** Toledo's Eric Page scored five TDs.

** 43 points scored in the fourth quarter.

** Northern's Harnish was 17 of 26 for 265 and ran the ball 16 times for 123 yards.

** Northern's Nathan Palmer had 120 yards receiving and three TDs.

No Wonder I Was So "Wore Out" At the End of the Game. --RoadDog

Another Look at the NIU-Toledo Game

I have to rate this as one of the best I've ever seen as far as excitement, It just went back and forth. Neither team had a defense and ran and passed at will. I don't think there were more than four punts the whole game. The final score would have been even closer except that he Rockets twice went for two-point conversions and Northern's D actually stopped them.

It got to the point that whoever had the ball last was going to win...and they almost did.

And did I mention, it was against our long-time nemesis, the Toledo Rockets? However, regardless who won, it would have been a great game.

Last night, we were at Tommy's Sports Bar in Spring Grove and Channel 7 ran the scoring plays in its news. And ESPN, in their 60 second show ran the game with the words "Greatest Football Game?" Unfortunately, the sound was off so couldn't hear what they were saying.

The sports announcers for ESPN2 sure had a great time announcing the game and long-time NIU sports announcer Bill Baker was completely beside himself.

That Was One Helluva Game. --RoadDog


PARAPROSDOKIAN SENTENCE: I discovered that I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.

One Hell of a Game

It was NIU vs. Our Nemesis Toledo. Still recovering from it this morning.

NIU Toledo
First Quarter
7-0
7-7
14-7
14-14
21-14

Second Quarter

28-14 Starting to breathe easier
28-21
28-24

Third Quarter

28-31
35-31
35-38
42-38

Fourth Quarter

42-41
49-41
49-47
49-53
56-53
56-60
63-60 with 19 seconds left

It became apparent early on that whoever had the ball last would win, and Toledo almost did score with the 19 seconds left. This was a game for the ages.

Gasping. --RoadDog

How 'Bout Dem Huskies-- Part 2

Until Tuesday;s game, Northern's record against Toledo was 8-28 and they had won 14 of the last 16 games.

One of the worst things they ever did to us was in 2003, a really fine year by NIU standards as the Huskies were 10-1 coming into the game. Not only that, but at the beginning of the season, Northern had beaten Maryland (then ranked at #14). Two weeks later, we went to Alabama and beat the Tide (then ranked #21) and the following week had a win against Iowa State.

Northern doesn't beat many big-time schools, but yet here we were. At one time, Northern was ranked as high as #10 in the national rankings. Number 10.

But yet, there was still that pesky Toledo. We lost 30-49.

We finished the season 10-2 AND DID NOT GO TO A BOWL GAME BECAUSE OF TOLEDO!! Can you believe that?

No Wonder We Don't Much Like Toledo. --RoadDog


SENIOR BUMPER SNICKERS: The only problem with retirement is that you never get a darn day off.

How 'Bout Dem Huskies!!!!-- Part 1

This was one game I was really fearing. I really hate it when we have to play Toledo because they have such a major whammy on us. let's face it, we haven't beaten them often.

I was once at a Toledo-NIU game where we had a 28-0 lead near the end of the half and lost 35-28. So, I know the Rockets can definitely come from behind. It's like the Sox playing the Twins. They just do it to us.


A REALLY SAD STORY

I should mention that even in defeat, Toledo can be dangerous. I was at the Toledo game back in 1983 where we absolutely had to beat them to cinch the MAC (Mid-American Conference).

I had just taken my seat when Northern scored a quick touchdown causing everyone to jump to their feet. It was a really cold day and I had stopped at a liquor store on the way and gotten a half pint of blackberry brandy to keep me warm.

It was in my pocket and as I jumped to my feet, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bottle go airborne from my pocket. It was all slow motion and I let out one of those loud "Oh, NO!!" also in slow motion.

I made a valiant lunge for it, but the bottle just eluded my grasp and floated down to the concrete floor and shattered.

And, even worse, I had not yet even taken a sip out of it.

So, even in defeat, those pesky Rockets can still beat you.

Final Score at last night's game: Northern 65--Toledo 30. And, I'm not finished yet.

I Missed That Warm Tingling Sensation That Day. --RoadDog

It Was a Dismal Season

Northern Illinois' 2007 football season finally came to an end this last Saturday with a loss to Ball State. The Huskies' final record was 2-10.

I had figured this wasn't going to be a great season. Hey, last year wasn't that good either, but we did have a winning season and went to a bowl (even though we were hopelessly outclassed).

I figured we'd lose to Iowa and Wisconsin, and probably to Toledo, since we just can't beat those guys. By the third game, I knew this was going to be a long one.

Our excuse was injuries. I doubt that any other team has ever had as many injuries. We lost 12 players for the entire season and 13 others were out for multiple games.

Plus, Northern lost five games by a combined total of 17 points: 3, 2, 1, 4, and 7. Hey, that would have made us 7-5. There were only two blowouts: Wisconsin 44-3 and the worst of all, Toledo 70-21.

We did have a couple consolation prizes. A Northern rusher again cracked the 1000 yard mark, even though he was not the starter at the beginning of the season. Justin Anderson ran for 1,245 yards in 274 carries and 7 TDs. He made second team MAC (Mid-American Conference).

He follows talented NIU rushers Garrett Wolfe and Michael Turner, both of whom are playing in the NFL.

Defensive end Larry English won the MAC Vern Smith Leadership Award as the league's MVP. He led the MAC in sacks with 10.5, and also had 17 tackles for a loss of yardage and 67 overall.

This was our first losing season in 7 seasons, including the great 10-2 season in 2003 when Northern ranked as high as #12. This included wins over then-top 20 teams Maryland and Alabama as well as Iowa State. That was one great year, EVEN though we didn't go to a bowl game (thanks a lot Toledo).

Here's Hoping for a Better One Next Year. --RoadDog