I was trying to do a search to see what the attendance was the last time NIU played at NU, and I happened upon this web site, which lists the greatest finishes of a football game for most schools:
Here is what they had for NIU:
Northern Illinois SW Louisiana '89 Game featured two of the all time great option quarterbacks: Brian Mitchell- SWLA and Stacy Robinson-NIU Down by 3, NIU gets the ball on their own 23. In 12 plays and 2 fourth down conversions during the drive NIU has the ball on the 7 yd. line with 3 seconds to go. Robinson goes left on the option play and scores on the last play of the game.
What's your greatest NIU football finish ever?
<a href='http://www.nd.edu/~tmandell/finishestable.html' target='_blank'>Football Finishes</a>
That one was a good one, but... I have to say the win over Maryland and the interception on the last play is the "greatest finish" in that it was a huge win for the program.
Good question. That Maryland finish was good. So was the Wake Forest finish the year before, and the South Florida finish at home the year prior to that (Azar's kick).
I'll throw another one out there. Probably not the best finish in history, but it was darn good. Call it the best finish of the Sadler era. It was 1995. One of those Big West games and the score was going back and forth. The opposing team took the lead near the end of the game. On the last drive of the game, Aaron Gilbert took us down the field to set up the win. I can't remember if that was the year Sean Algood would rotate in to run option on the goal line. Anyway, we scored a TD to win the game, on what I believe was the last play of the game. That was the year I worked for sports info, so I ran out of the pressbox onto the camera-well and yelled my head off before running back in and getting my work done. We finished 3-8 that year, so it was a thrilling moment.
Hey Dynovinyl,
If you worked in Sports Information, just curious why you spell the words defense and offense, with C's instead of with S's all the time?
It just doesn't make any sence :)
Maryland hands down.
The two from this year would have to be Central Florida and Ball State. Ohio U from 2003 wasn't bad either.
I think I was at that game. NIU's most effective play that day was the throw-it-deep-and-try-to-get-a-pass-interference-penalty play. I think it worked at least three times. Ryan Gilbert looked like Michael Vick, the way he kept running the ball himself for first downs.
Field Turf Wrote:Hey Dynovinyl,
If you worked in Sports Information, just curious why you spell the words defense and offense, with C's instead of with S's all the time?
It just doesn't make any sence :)
Yeah, you got me there. I have no idea. I also have trouble with the word "wrong." I always want to put an "e" at the end. I wish this board had spell check.
As for Sports Info, I had the easiest job ever for football games. I was a runner, which meant I waited around until it was time to deliver stats to the media. This happend maybe 3 times per game and took all of 5 minutes. So, I learned how to time it up, where after delivering the stats I'd either hang out in the skybox with some friends from the gymnastics team or out on the camera well watching the game. It was a rough gig, but someone had to do it.
Field Turf Wrote:Hey Dynovinyl,
If you worked in Sports Information, just curious why you spell the words defense and offense, with C's instead of with S's all the time?
It just doesn't make any sence :)
He's canadian. They spell it that way up der.
greenbrier41 Wrote:Field Turf Wrote:Hey Dynovinyl,
If you worked in Sports Information, just curious why you spell the words defense and offense, with C's instead of with S's all the time?
It just doesn't make any sence :)
He's canadian. They spell it that way up der.
take off, eh!
Ya hoser.
No finish in a game of significance was any greater than against Maryland. What a wild, bizarre and stunning way to end OT.
Little doubt I am also deeply influenced by the celebration between players and fans that followed ..... as well as my own !
Who can forget the photo of JoeN afterwards with hands raised in triumph and exhaltation?
It was a magical moment forever frozen in time and my mind.
id have to say the Maryland game was the greatest NIU finish ever.
No question about it, it was the Maryland game.
I agree that the Maryland game was the best ever. A good runner up would be the come back win over Miami of Ohio two years ago in Oxford, Ohio.
I was headed to that game to watch it with my daughter (a Miami grad and a Miami student at the time). Unfortunately I never made it there as my car broke down on the freeway 40 miles from home and 60 miles from Oxford. I got towed home and missed the game. Too damn bad it would have been great game to see.
All great answers including the comeback win against gentle ben at Miami of Ohio, the great catch by PJ against Ohio, and of course the
Maryland win that catapulted us to 10-2, and the other games mentioned. Don't forget the UCF save this year. It just goes to show the excitement Coach Novak has brought to NIU. Although I make most games in the Southeast I envy the rest of you Huskie Fanatics who get to tailgate at Huskie Stadium at Brigham Field or whatever it is called. It is weird that interest in the program is what I had hoped for 15 to 20 yrs ago and now it is more than I could have imagined. Lets hope that the exciting finishes continue in 2005 including road
wins in Ann Arbor and Evanston. At least give us exciting finishes.
GO HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ya Maryland was an awesome finish but how about the Wake Forest game where Francis made the stop on the 2 point conversion in overtime to win. That kinda started off this whole string of big wins, I thought that was one of the best finishes i had ever seen
Maryland was perhaps one of the best ending moments, but the win at Alabama afterwards against the second top 25 ranked opponant, showed College football that NIU was for real! This win as much as any other, did as much for the NIU football program and perhaps for the MAC that year. After that win we made our first appearance in the top 25!(A week I will always remember)
That was the final icebreaker and national recognition for both NIU and the MAC continued for the rest of the year. 2003 was the breakout year for both NIU and the MAC, several other MAC teams had big wins and the case for more Bowl spots for the MAC received real recognition. I therefore cast my vote in favour of that final drive against Alabama where we ran out the clock to win the biggest game in the Novak era.
Beating MU away will top Wakeforest, Maryland and Alabama! This is the oppertunity which many of us have been waiting for!
for me it had to be sitting in bryant-denny stadium and watching haldi take knee-after-knee in the silence [except for the few-hundred(?) huskie fans in attendance] of the final 1:44, and realizing that NIU was going to actually beat bama in tuscaloosa!!!
for me that was even better than the amazing '02 wake game, '03 maryland finish, and even the '03 ohio game which was pretty damn magical as well
I HOPE TO BE RE-WRITING THIS POST ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2005-WHEN I RETURN FROM CELEBRATING IN ANN ARBOR AFTER THE HUSKIE UPSET
niugrad04 Wrote:for me it had to be sitting in bryant-denny stadium and watching haldi take knee-after-knee in the silence [except for the few-hundred(?) huskie fans in attendance] of the final 1:44, and realizing that NIU was going to actually beat bama in tuscaloosa!!!
for me that was even better than the amazing '02 wake game, '03 maryland finish, and even the '03 ohio game which was pretty damn magical as well
I HOPE TO BE RE-WRITING THIS POST ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2005-WHEN I RETURN FROM CELEBRATING IN ANN ARBOR AFTER THE HUSKIE UPSET
IMO, the Maryland game had the best *ending*, but the Alabama game was the biggest win to me. I couldn't stop smiling like a dipshit for days after that one.
I totally agree with Chiefs8859! :bluethumb: :saber: :D
What the hell did he say again?
I am with you HJ. Every time I see that avantar (icon) of Chiefs8859 I think that I want to steal it and use it for me also. What a great pic!
What was this thread about again? Oh yeah - Maryland was the best finish. Hopefully next year at Michigan will have the same outcome.