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

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.