11-21-2004, 08:12 PM
Wolfe's record 325 yards power Huskies
Novak's club has to wait to see if a bowl will come their way
Aurora Beacon News
By Rick Armstrong
11/21/04
<a href='http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sports/football/e21niu.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sports/...ball/e21niu.htm</a>
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Are they bowl worthy?
Time will tell, but the Northern Illinois University football team did all it could Saturday to prove it deserves to play another day.
Running back Garrett Wolfe turned in an eye-popping performance, rushing 43 times for a school-record 325 yards. The defense forced six turnovers. And the Huskies beat Eastern Michigan 34-16 in the regular-season finale.
The decision guarantees NIU (8-3, 7-1) a share of the Mid-American Conference West title for the third time in four years. If Bowling Green beats Toledo on Tuesday, the Huskies win the title on a tiebreaker with BG and advance to the Dec. 2 league title game in Detroit against MAC East winner Miami or Akron.
It's likely a berth in either the Motor City or GMAC Bowl would follow.
"It's a win and winning on the road in this league I'll take anytime," said NIU coach Joe Novak. "We've done our part to this point, now we have to put all our faith in Bowling Green."
If Toledo wins and goes to the title game, NIU's fate is uncertain. On Monday, the Silicon Valley Bowl is expected to announce an agreement to take a MAC team. The choice could then be between NIU and Bowling Green. The Huskies' hold on the Chicago television market could then be the deciding factor.
"Honestly, I don't know," said Novak. "I know the rumor about the Silicon Valley, but I don't know where we fit in yet. ... I certainly think we are bowl worthy. We'll go anywhere, to Saginaw, Mich., anywhere."
The Huskies were locked in a tight battle in the first half, tied at 13-13 when they started a drive from their 25 with 2:40 remaining. Wolfe kept it alive with a 4-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the NIU 46.
"For an old conservative guy like me (that was a tough decision)," said Novak. "That's not my style. ... but I told the kids if we're gonna be a championship football team we need to make some championship plays."
The drive, though, appeared to stall at the Eastern 41. The Huskies let the clock run down to :03 before calling their final timeout. Then came the play of the game.
Haldi rolled right and launched a desperation pass deep into a crowd in the end zone. Junior wide receiver Shatone Powers went up in the air surrounded by three EMU defenders and came up with the ball for a score giving NIU a 20-13 lead.
"That was an unbelievable play by Shatone," said Novak, "but that's football. A good team, a good player will step up and make a play like that and boy, he did. It was a big turnaround."
It was a backbreaker for the Eagles (4-7, 4-4), said first-year coach Jeff Genyk.
"Obviously, when you're playing a team that has championship aspirations and you battle them to a 13-13 tie and you think you're going in at half, you feel pretty good," he said.
"We had five defensive backs in there and just a three-man rush. That Hail Mary pass is completed less than 5 percent of the time. Plus, I think our safety (Rontrell Woodruff) tipped it. It's not like he just went up and pulled it out of the air. I think Rontrell tipped it into his bread basket."
NIU then took the second-half kickoff and went on a three-play scoring drive that took just 43 seconds. It was all Wolfe.
After a Haldi incompletion, Wolfe went 10 yards up the middle then swept the right end, turned the corner and outran diving free safety Jerry Gaines for a 70-yard scoring run.
"Wolfe does a great job from an acceleration standpoint," said Genyk. "He reads the hole very well, but his lateral movement and ability to accelerate is exceptional. We worked all week on it. Chris Roberson, our fastest guy, had (Wolfe) in the flat twice and both times he underestimated Wolfe's acceleration and missed the tackle."
Wolfe, who carried the ball 43 times and also had an 11-yard scoring run in the second quarter, topped the previous single-game best of 322 rushing yards set by LeShon Johnson against Southern Illinois in 1993.
His two scores give him 20 TDs for the season, tying Michael Turner's single-season record set in 2002.
Wolfe said he thought guard Matt McGhghy made the block that sprung him on the 70-yarder.
"He's capable of putting up big numbers any time, but we just take it one play at a time," said McGhghy. "He's like poetry in motion."
Wolfe, who played with a visor on his helmet to protect the injured eye he suffered in an off-field altercation prior to the Toledo loss, which he missed, again thanked his teammates for their support.
"More importantly, their faith in my character never wavered," he said. "Those guys (on the offensive line) did an unbelievable job blocking for me as they have all year. I have the easiest job on the offense. All I have to do is run."
An interception by Adriel Hansbro on Eastern's first possession of the second half gave NIU the ball at the Eagles' 35 and six plays later Haldi connected on a 5-yard scoring pass to Brad Cieslak that boosted the lead to 34-13 and put the game away.
11/21/04
Novak's club has to wait to see if a bowl will come their way
Aurora Beacon News
By Rick Armstrong
11/21/04
<a href='http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sports/football/e21niu.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sports/...ball/e21niu.htm</a>
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Are they bowl worthy?
Time will tell, but the Northern Illinois University football team did all it could Saturday to prove it deserves to play another day.
Running back Garrett Wolfe turned in an eye-popping performance, rushing 43 times for a school-record 325 yards. The defense forced six turnovers. And the Huskies beat Eastern Michigan 34-16 in the regular-season finale.
The decision guarantees NIU (8-3, 7-1) a share of the Mid-American Conference West title for the third time in four years. If Bowling Green beats Toledo on Tuesday, the Huskies win the title on a tiebreaker with BG and advance to the Dec. 2 league title game in Detroit against MAC East winner Miami or Akron.
It's likely a berth in either the Motor City or GMAC Bowl would follow.
"It's a win and winning on the road in this league I'll take anytime," said NIU coach Joe Novak. "We've done our part to this point, now we have to put all our faith in Bowling Green."
If Toledo wins and goes to the title game, NIU's fate is uncertain. On Monday, the Silicon Valley Bowl is expected to announce an agreement to take a MAC team. The choice could then be between NIU and Bowling Green. The Huskies' hold on the Chicago television market could then be the deciding factor.
"Honestly, I don't know," said Novak. "I know the rumor about the Silicon Valley, but I don't know where we fit in yet. ... I certainly think we are bowl worthy. We'll go anywhere, to Saginaw, Mich., anywhere."
The Huskies were locked in a tight battle in the first half, tied at 13-13 when they started a drive from their 25 with 2:40 remaining. Wolfe kept it alive with a 4-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the NIU 46.
"For an old conservative guy like me (that was a tough decision)," said Novak. "That's not my style. ... but I told the kids if we're gonna be a championship football team we need to make some championship plays."
The drive, though, appeared to stall at the Eastern 41. The Huskies let the clock run down to :03 before calling their final timeout. Then came the play of the game.
Haldi rolled right and launched a desperation pass deep into a crowd in the end zone. Junior wide receiver Shatone Powers went up in the air surrounded by three EMU defenders and came up with the ball for a score giving NIU a 20-13 lead.
"That was an unbelievable play by Shatone," said Novak, "but that's football. A good team, a good player will step up and make a play like that and boy, he did. It was a big turnaround."
It was a backbreaker for the Eagles (4-7, 4-4), said first-year coach Jeff Genyk.
"Obviously, when you're playing a team that has championship aspirations and you battle them to a 13-13 tie and you think you're going in at half, you feel pretty good," he said.
"We had five defensive backs in there and just a three-man rush. That Hail Mary pass is completed less than 5 percent of the time. Plus, I think our safety (Rontrell Woodruff) tipped it. It's not like he just went up and pulled it out of the air. I think Rontrell tipped it into his bread basket."
NIU then took the second-half kickoff and went on a three-play scoring drive that took just 43 seconds. It was all Wolfe.
After a Haldi incompletion, Wolfe went 10 yards up the middle then swept the right end, turned the corner and outran diving free safety Jerry Gaines for a 70-yard scoring run.
"Wolfe does a great job from an acceleration standpoint," said Genyk. "He reads the hole very well, but his lateral movement and ability to accelerate is exceptional. We worked all week on it. Chris Roberson, our fastest guy, had (Wolfe) in the flat twice and both times he underestimated Wolfe's acceleration and missed the tackle."
Wolfe, who carried the ball 43 times and also had an 11-yard scoring run in the second quarter, topped the previous single-game best of 322 rushing yards set by LeShon Johnson against Southern Illinois in 1993.
His two scores give him 20 TDs for the season, tying Michael Turner's single-season record set in 2002.
Wolfe said he thought guard Matt McGhghy made the block that sprung him on the 70-yarder.
"He's capable of putting up big numbers any time, but we just take it one play at a time," said McGhghy. "He's like poetry in motion."
Wolfe, who played with a visor on his helmet to protect the injured eye he suffered in an off-field altercation prior to the Toledo loss, which he missed, again thanked his teammates for their support.
"More importantly, their faith in my character never wavered," he said. "Those guys (on the offensive line) did an unbelievable job blocking for me as they have all year. I have the easiest job on the offense. All I have to do is run."
An interception by Adriel Hansbro on Eastern's first possession of the second half gave NIU the ball at the Eagles' 35 and six plays later Haldi connected on a 5-yard scoring pass to Brad Cieslak that boosted the lead to 34-13 and put the game away.
11/21/04