God.

NIU won this with their D-Line and their coaches. Constantly getting pressure on Ely without blitzing. Constantly making poor decisions under pressure.

Recievers not running routes to get them open even with Ely improvising. That last play before we missed the FG. Nobody to check down to? We were lucky that wasn't another pick, but in retrospect we would've been better off if it was a pick.

Constantly getting running plays blown up in the backfield keeping us from being able to just run the ball.

Do we ever run outside the tackles anymore? Where's DJM??? He's awesome for that purpose and it single handedly beat Iowa State.

Let a guy who looks like he can't throw a football 5 yards in the first half look like Tom Brady the entire 2nd half when he didn't have his best receiver either. That one stung.

Whatever penalty that was on Rogers during the FG was lame in a match loaded with no-calls.

Kickoff coverage worst of the season by a wide margin.

Burned deep 4 or more times. Especially on 3rd and 70. But especially all the others too.

And then cap it all off, given the choice between 4th & 1 and a minute left, or accept a penalty allowing them to take a knee...did he not realize the clock would roll after the penalty? Every bit the coaching mistake as what happened 4 years ago.

And probably about 50 more reasons this was an inexcusable performance that I don't even feel like thinking about now. Oh, the bimbo calling them from Dekalb, Iowa. Probably fired them up and set back our academic standards 20 years, by association.

It was a fun 7 game ride. Should still be going, dang it.