Gotta go with Bowling Green '02

Nothing quite like walking from the dorms with 10 or so friends to pack the bleachers a couple hours early, to get in the front row. Only lived in the dorms freshman year, so that year was pretty unique for me. A lot of the people on my floor were into football as much as I was, so it was really an event for us even at that point, when we were just really turning the corner. Pretty lucky with the people who lived by me. The Maryland game in '03 was certainly the best game I've been to, but something special about that first year of college, as I'm sure you can all attest.

The overrated chants must have started at least an hour before game time. We had really arrived as a fan base at that game I thought. Bowling Green was still on the student side, so it was just madness from the time they came out of the locker room.

For the younger posters, it's a shame you missed out on that era, with the space between the seats and the edge for the handicapped seating now, and the fact the teams flipped sides, I don't think you'll ever really have quite the same experience we did at that time (similar to how I feel when I hear about Chick Evans). The Super fan leading the Thunder, Thunder, Thunder Stix chants, the lines to get into the stadium before the game started, the 3-4 hours of standing yelling at the other team 10 feet away from you, just awesome.

(06-06-2011 09:57 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Gotta go with Bowling Green '02

........

The overrated chants must have started at least an hour before game time. We had really arrived as a fan base at that game I thought. Bowling Green was still on the student side, so it was just madness from the time they came out of the locker room. .........

.. THAT crowd was ridiculous.... I was walking outside the South endzone at least an hour before game time and could not believe the noise I heard from inside. That was a wild crowd. Urban Meyer said afterward that was the loudest crowd he had been involved with at the time. The BG guys were crying in their soup about the crowd for a long time after that game.

(06-06-2011 09:57 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  Gotta go with Bowling Green '02

Nothing quite like walking from the dorms with 10 or so friends to pack the bleachers a couple hours early, to get in the front row. Only lived in the dorms freshman year, so that year was pretty unique for me. A lot of the people on my floor were into football as much as I was, so it was really an event for us even at that point, when we were just really turning the corner. Pretty lucky with the people who lived by me. The Maryland game in '03 was certainly the best game I've been to, but something special about that first year of college, as I'm sure you can all attest.

The overrated chants must have started at least an hour before game time. We had really arrived as a fan base at that game I thought. Bowling Green was still on the student side, so it was just madness from the time they came out of the locker room.

For the younger posters, it's a shame you missed out on that era, with the space between the seats and the edge for the handicapped seating now, and the fact the teams flipped sides, I don't think you'll ever really have quite the same experience we did at that time (similar to how I feel when I hear about Chick Evans). The Super fan leading the Thunder, Thunder, Thunder Stix chants, the lines to get into the stadium before the game started, the 3-4 hours of standing yelling at the other team 10 feet away from you, just awesome.

This was a different era indeed. We were good. We got in to players heads and it really did help affect the outcome of the game.


Is this guy on this board? He was a big part of the games my first few years. I remember him at the Toledo 03 game getting the NIU fans going with RED and BLACK

9-30-06 NIU @ Ball state. GW's best game at 353 yards. Crowd evacuated from safe, concrete stadium to parking lot during tornado warning before game resumed.

HMM being threatened with arrest at the NIU vs. Iowa game for putting up his party deck on the huskiemobile.

(06-06-2011 12:08 PM)klake87 Wrote:  HMM being threatened with arrest at the NIU vs. Iowa game for putting up his party deck on the huskiemobile.

Nah he disappears when the fuzz comes around. I was the one arguing with the "tree cop," thinking he was just a park district employee. I later realized his gun should have been a clear indication to the contrary.

(06-06-2011 12:15 PM)NiuCoils Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 12:08 PM)klake87 Wrote:  HMM being threatened with arrest at the NIU vs. Iowa game for putting up his party deck on the huskiemobile.

Nah he disappears when the fuzz comes around. I was the one arguing with the "tree cop," thinking he was just a park district employee. I later realized his gun should have been a clear indication to the contrary.

They are all off duty cops. Not to mess with

question grew more difficult for me as I read the posts of others and my faiding memory was jolted by others.


The more ginko biloba I ingested, the tuffer became the choices.

I have several choices from Bork to Battle. Dang I missed seeing the Bobby Knight implosion!

In person vrs not makes a difference re: how memorable:

Remembering unstoppable Turner plowing thru Terps in fourth quarter and watching players interacting with student fans ( the cartwheels) and Novak's raised hands in exhaltation after beating MD is among my favorite memories.

Watching truly fired up NIU student fans getting into heads of BGSU players and Urban Meyer was the most pure "fun".

Tukes vs Fresno is also on my top five list.

Funny thing too is Stacey Robinson vrs Fresno.

so is NIU vrs Purdue in 09.

One individual play cemented in my grey matter is Wolfe's 76 yd TD run in the big house and plays vrs OSU. I watch 'em every so often. He and Battle both has so many amazing and memorable performances.

(06-06-2011 12:15 PM)NiuCoils Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 12:08 PM)klake87 Wrote:  HMM being threatened with arrest at the NIU vs. Iowa game for putting up his party deck on the huskiemobile.

Nah he disappears when the fuzz comes around. I was the one arguing with the "tree cop," thinking he was just a park district employee. I later realized his gun should have been a clear indication to the contrary.

Yeah, I know where I am not wanted.

It is tough. NIU 73 Fresno State 18 was great, but NIU beating DePaul in Chick Evans Field house in 1991 was awesome. I thought that the roof was going to blow off due to to the noise.

The last home game of the year in 2005 against WMU was also good but doesn't make this list because it was a piss poor showing by the fans. The Alumni Association even tried to help boost numbers by giving out 5000 free east side tickets to anyone that gave them their e-mail address and there were thousands of tickets left over.

Yes it was the day before thanksgiving but it was not horrible weather and the game was for the MAC West and a birth to NIU's first MACC.

Kenny Battle Games in Chick Evans fieldhouse.
1982-83 home games during California Bowl Season
Fresno State game (actually attended)

Regrets:
Maryland game.
Alabama game.

(06-06-2011 03:29 PM)Huskie_Fan Wrote:  It is tough. NIU 73 Fresno State 18 was great, but NIU beating DePaul in Chick Evans Field house in 1991 was awesome. I thought that the roof was going to blow off due to to the noise.

Agreed the 1991 DePaul game rocked. Good call, I mean great call.

NIU beating CMU to stop the losing streak.

Any number of volleyball games when NIU was kickin' ace and takin' names in the late 90's.

Watching NIU lose to Texas Tech in the NCAA's with a dozen Ole Miss coeds in my room at PCB.

Listening to Michael Turner run a mudhole thru Miami on a very scratchy WLBK.




Being an ex-athlete, some great NIU sports memories are best left un-posted.


Pssst - did you know you used to be able to sneak into Huskie Stadium with a Molly's waitress and lay on the 50 yard line? It's true! Also, the sprinkler's on the soccer field go on late at night and make white shirts see- through. Or so I remember.

Maryland '03 in person
Alabama '03 on TV
Humanitarian Bowl
WBB vs BG at BG 4 overtime game Stephanie Raymonds first year (IIRC)
MBB vs Depaul '79
MBB vs UT at Chick Evans in '80 lost by 3 or 4 but stands were full and place was rocking.
Mens Gymnastics vs Kurt Thomas and Indiana State. We had 3 or 4 National Champs on that team and beat ISU by tenths of a point with a Loaded Chick Evans. Unbelievable turnout for a gymnastics meet.

Climbing the North end fence to get into HS after Dekalb Barbs played on Friday nights to kick field goals and run around.

Mens gymnastics vs. Russian Junior National team. Chick Evans was rockin. Lots of USA chants 1982/83

(06-06-2011 01:39 PM)HuskiemobileMan Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 12:15 PM)NiuCoils Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 12:08 PM)klake87 Wrote:  HMM being threatened with arrest at the NIU vs. Iowa game for putting up his party deck on the huskiemobile.

Nah he disappears when the fuzz comes around. I was the one arguing with the "tree cop," thinking he was just a park district employee. I later realized his gun should have been a clear indication to the contrary.

Yeah, I know where I am not wanted.

Ha... police come... quickly throw on a Hawkeye jersey... "Huskie Mobile? What's a Huskie Mobile?"

(06-06-2011 10:08 PM)Springfield Soxfan Wrote:  

(06-06-2011 03:29 PM)Huskie_Fan Wrote:  It is tough. NIU 73 Fresno State 18 was great, but NIU beating DePaul in Chick Evans Field house in 1991 was awesome. I thought that the roof was going to blow off due to to the noise.

Agreed the 1991 DePaul game rocked. Good call, I mean great call.

BEST TEAM MEMORY/TIME: DePaul in 1991 would be my tops. Loudest game ever by far. Lot of hype, lived up to it. Friend and I got there right at tip after class. We went all the way to the top to meet some other guys. And oh yeah, had a case of beer in our book bags.



HONORABLE MENTION & BEST ROAD MEMORY Being @ the Purdue game in 2009 was great. The look on the Purdue fans was priceless.

WISHED I WAS AT: Missed the Fresno drubbing. Went on roadtrip instead.Always wished I would have went to Alabama game.Remember listening to the Alabama game in the radio @ Lake Geneva on a very faint signal and going nuts.

WORST MEMORY/ONE THAT GOT AWAY IN PERSON was the 2005 NW FOOTBALL. I was in shock. I couldn't believe NIU lost.I caouldn't even talk. I was convince we would never beat a Big 10 team. Last year's MAC championship was close, but program had advance a lot more since the 05 loss.

STILL IN SHOCK.On tv was the 2005 MAC championship. Was alone watching it in a hotel room in St.. Few beers, went back to watch end. My old roommate who is from and lives in NY is watching the game. We hung up with each other, thinking game was over. He said something right before and I called him a jinx. We didn't talk for a long time.

MOST UPSET/WISH WE WON THE MOST was the 96 NCAA tourney game vs. Texas Tech. I was in Vegas wearing all my NIU stuff with another NIU alum. We must have been the only 2 people cheering for NIU. Everyone had TT minu the pts. I had NIU +pts for hondo and money line w/parley. We were going nuts. Then these Texas Tech yahoos and a few other people tried to have pity on me and said "you guys played well, put up a good fight." I was letting people have it. I was looking to hook one of those hilljacks.

FAVORITE INDIVIDUAL PLAYER MEMORY/HONORABLE MENTION WISH WE HAD THE MOST: NIU @ MICHIGAN. 4 of us in NIU stuff were getting a lot of crap from some 45ish inbreds (we were 35 at the time)at there only game for the year.They were not grads. They were swearing, making fun of us one guy in particular with a Cubs hat (ok, maybe he deserved it). I just ran my line "act like you been here before" to my friends getting mad. I had enough though. They just kept ripping on NIU. Wolfe busts the 76 yarder, I turn around and said "PUT THAT IN YOUR MOTHER $%^&ING CRACK PIPES AND SMOKE IT JACKASSES"

Then,security comes up to me and asks for my ticket. There was a little room, but 2 of us were in the wrong seats. We get escorted away. Guy next to us with a kid who said something to us once (but of course not to the 4 guys a few rows behind us) got a cop(not security). 2 others stayed. Cop was giving me the business about how he could kick me out, but said hardly anything about swearing. Went to our seats on the 40, met others later. Seems we got ratted out by the guy next to us with a kid, who didn't like the swearing. (He said something once)But friends told us that the guys behind us kept swearing (in general about the game), and guy w/ kid said something and they let him have it. He just left with kid then.

FAVORITE MEMORY OF OPPOSING TEAM PLAYER(s): There was a cute little pt guard for University of Washington who was there for a tourney.She was pretty good and a tough little player.Kept calling out her name Were also hitting on the Maryland players who sat in front of us after their game. Kept asking them all kinds of strange questions about school, themselves and they were more than happy to answer like we were interviewing them. Loved the women's games in the late 80's/early 90's.

I have four favorite football events that are all tied for #1.

Win over Maryland on national TV
Win over Alabama that should have been on national TV
Win over ranked BGSU team ("OVER RATED!")
SVFC win over Troy.

I personally rank the SVFC win over the Humanitarian Bowl victory, just because I was at the SVFC, but I did not go to Boise, so I got the full experience of the SVFC.

For the top single plays in my Huskie experience, I include the following.

Attempted TD pass gets kicked, then intercepted in OT vs Maryland.

Down 14-0, Garrett Wolfe goes 50 yards for a TD vs Troy in the SVFC. It's a whole new ball game.

Dan Sheldon catches a pass, then breaks tackle for a 48 yd TD vs Alabama to put the Huskies ahead 19-9.

In the opening game of the 1984 season, NIU throws a TD pass on the final play of the game to beat West Texas A&M 40-33. It was the first time I saw the Huskies, so I can trace the start of my Huskie devotion to that play.