Okay,
What hurt worse, 4th and 20 yesterday, Hixson's 36-yard bomb in the 2005 MAC championship game, or 3rd and 33 against Toledo?
I think I agonized over the 2005 MAC championship game more than yesterday because I kind of expected something like to happen on 4th and 20. I was thinking, "This is exactly when they're going to stab me right in the heart.''
After the 3rd and 33 the game became a blowout but it still stings me to this day.
I was expecting the worst when we had to punt out of our own endzone and they just needed a field goal to win. On 4th and 20 I said it won't surprise me if they pick this up and sure enough they did.
I agree completely gentleman.
The 2005 loss made this one allot easier to swallow.
So did the Gradkowski heroics in his 3 win streak over us.
There were 2 key differences from Akron I felt.
THey made the 4-20 play. Congratulations Miami-Ohio for doing that.
Secondly we had the last play and in 33 second marched to their 30 yard line with a chance at a TD throw. Their defense was too good.
NIU never quit. Miami missed the 2 point play and we marched right back.
That is something to be very proud of.
NIU fans will long remember the Jake Coffman captained defense ranked top of the MAC and the Chad Spann offense with Chandler Harnish that ranked top of the MAC.
This team achieved something no other NIU team has.
9 straight wins. Most offensive yardage. Most points scored.
The first 10 win NIU team to go Bowling.
I predict maybe, the first NIU team to win 11 games.
NIU football is probably going to be haunted by this for a long, long time.
The 2005 loss was the worst. We had that game, and let it slip through the fingers. And to add salt to the wound, we didn't even get selected to go to a bowl game, while our old nemisis Toledo (which we beat that season btw) got selected to go on to the post season over us.
A bowl game win vs a BCS team would be something that will help us forget the game.
I think this one hurts worse. This team is much better than the 2005 team. We were expected to win with good reason. The freak 4th & 20 play was all about luck. The Akron QB throwing a game winning TD was a legitimate play.
This was the least painful because it wasn't so much a defensive breakdown rather than a lucky tip to the other team.
(12-04-2010 03:41 PM)rabidawg900 Wrote: [ -> ]This was the least painful because it wasn't so much a defensive breakdown rather than a lucky tip to the other team.
I actually think that makes this play much more painful. I haven't seen an exact replay yet, but from what I could see everyone on the defense was exactly where they were supposed to be. It just happened that the tip went straight to a Miami player.
3rd and 33 and the Hixon play were our fault. 4th and 20 was nothing but bad luck.
"3rd and 33"
"51 seconds"
"Hixon's completion"
"4th and 20"
They all were painful. For me the most painful will always be 3rd and 33.
(12-04-2010 03:40 PM)epasnoopy Wrote: [ -> ]I think this one hurts worse. This team is much better than the 2005 team. We were expected to win with good reason. The freak 4th & 20 play was all about luck. The Akron QB throwing a game winning TD was a legitimate play.
This team was not better than the 2003 or 2005 team. Fact is the 2010 NIU team didn't beat anybody. They whopped up on a horrendous MAC conference and squeaked by North Dakota State.
The 2010 team was a good team. But an overrated team.
The good news is that next year's team should be solid. Another title run should be in the cards. Key will be improvement in the offensive line and Chad Spann's successors coming to the fore.