Not a single person expected NIU to win 11 games in win the MACC in August.

NIU is on of the youngest teams in the country.

A sophomore QB whose numbers rival those of a sophomore Harnish.

Any of us would have said in August that if NIU won 8 games Carey and staff did a he!! of a job...yet this teams does more, they win the MACC.

This team overachieved...we should all look back on 2014 and say wow, they did much better than I ever would have thought. Thanks for the ride.

That's where my head is at. A few things go a bit better today as well and it doesn't look as ugly. Get back at it in March and let's build on this "reloading" year.

I want more

For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

(12-23-2014 09:22 PM)klake87 Wrote:  I want more

We all want more, but you can't win everything, ever year. Especially when you don't have a superstar. This team was not as good as they were last year, but better than expected. If they keep taking steps back, start to worry, but I think this entire team took a step forward over the course of the year.

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

(12-23-2014 09:25 PM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

OK I will give you 2011. 3rd and 22 still remains etched in the minds of many. How many 3rd and longs over the year does this team give up?

(12-23-2014 09:43 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:25 PM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

OK I will give you 2011. 3rd and 22 still remains etched in the minds of many. How many 3rd and longs over the year does this team give up?

Considering we were starting two freshmen at times in our secondary and our line besides Meehan is young shows a lot of promise. For once it's nice to have not 5-6 guys graduate on d that make an impact. The last two years we've had that.

(12-23-2014 09:25 PM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

Huh? 2011 was easily the worst defense of the 5 division championships.

Did you mean 2012, or 2010? Those were good defenses.

(12-23-2014 09:46 PM)HuskiePride12 Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:43 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:25 PM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

OK I will give you 2011. 3rd and 22 still remains etched in the minds of many. How many 3rd and longs over the year does this team give up?

Considering we were starting two freshmen at times in our secondary and our line besides Meehan is young shows a lot of promise. For once it's nice to have not 5-6 guys graduate on d that make an impact. The last two years we've had that.

Well hopefully the D will be much better next year

(12-23-2014 09:14 PM)BobL Wrote:  This team overachieved...we should all look back on 2014 and say wow, they did much better than I ever would have thought. Thanks for the ride.

Considering the unexpected success of the football team this year I have never been so calm watching such an ugly defeat. And there is no shame in losing to that quality Marshall team, no shame at all.

UNLV v NIU 09/05/15

(12-23-2014 10:06 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:14 PM)BobL Wrote:  This team overachieved...we should all look back on 2014 and say wow, they did much better than I ever would have thought. Thanks for the ride.

Considering the unexpected success of the football team this year I have never been so calm watching such an ugly defeat. And there is no shame in losing to that quality Marshall team, no shame at all.

UNLV v NIU 09/05/15

I think that's how a lot of us felt during this game and the Arkansas game earlier this year. You just have to give props to the better team.

The majority of people's expectations at the start of this season were 8-4 and being competitive during a rebuilding year. NIU went 11-3 and won a MAC Title. That exceeds almost everybody's expectations.

(12-23-2014 09:46 PM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:25 PM)Enaiu Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

Always? 2011 our D was pretty good.

Huh? 2011 was easily the worst defense of the 5 division championships.

Did you mean 2012, or 2010? Those were good defenses.

Yes those two seasons . sorry

(12-23-2014 09:23 PM)COHUSKIE Wrote:  For years and years and years NIU's defense has always been the weakest spot of this team. When will that every end

The defense won the NU, Kent State, EMU, and Ohio games this year. They certainly threw some stinkers in this year, but they were about on par with the offense.

Defense won the WMU game as well.

If you didn't enjoy this season, not sure you should follow sports or football for any team.

This team wasn't dominant...they weren't always more talented, but they found ways to win 11 games and a championship.

Yeah, sucks to end on a loss, but a super fun season.

(12-23-2014 10:11 PM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 10:06 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(12-23-2014 09:14 PM)BobL Wrote:  This team overachieved...we should all look back on 2014 and say wow, they did much better than I ever would have thought. Thanks for the ride.

Considering the unexpected success of the football team this year I have never been so calm watching such an ugly defeat. And there is no shame in losing to that quality Marshall team, no shame at all.

UNLV v NIU 09/05/15

I think that's how a lot of us felt during this game and the Arkansas game earlier this year. You just have to give props to the better team.

The majority of people's expectations at the start of this season were 8-4 and being competitive during a rebuilding year. NIU went 11-3 and won a MAC Title. That exceeds almost everybody's expectations.

For me though, the 8-4 expectations assumed a somewhat more competitive MAC.