The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of NIU Football

Northern Illinois may have just had its biggest win in school history after upsetting Notre Dame this past weekend. Based on the spread going into the game, it is one of the biggest upsets in modern college football, but it is not all that shocking when you look at the past decade and a half of NIU football. The Huskies were once playing in the Orange Bowl, and their quarterback was in Heisman contention. This is the Rise, Fall, and possible rebirth of NIU football.
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[@Billy-ot8mk]

Man, that 2012 Huskies team was something else.

[@anyiwo9]

I was a student during that time. It was a beautiful time.

[@Kyle_Lurz]

I was there they were amazing

[@SkodenMOC]

I told my dad that this huskies team was great before (a decade ago) and it’s funny that now they are relevant again with the biggest upset since the Michigan App State game 😮

[@apax0212]

2013 should've been even better

[@sdaftermath123]

Same fam! Graduated in 2014. They had amazing teams between 2010-2015ish

[@warrencold]

I feel like you just glossed over the fact that NIU BEAT ALABAMA IN TUSCALOOSA. NIU beat ranked Maryland and Alabama in the same season only losing to ranked Bowling Green and rival Toledo and didn’t get picked for a bowl game with a 10-2 record. This was an amazing season that deserves a huge highlight for the Huskies program.

[@jerseyhead.u]

100% agreed. NIU also had some great teams during the Drew Hare era, and also won a few more MAC Championships in the post-Lynch era

[@ftwsam2246]

As someone who goes to NIU, thank you 🥹🥲

[@usamerican0005]

I’m now a huge Huskies fan. Nothing could endear me more than a MAC team punking ND at home!!! Just wonderful.

[@ricebowlgaming]

Man I’m a NIU alumni from 2018-2022 and I’m glad I’m able to see the history of NIU football

[@troyarrington5492]

I was at that Orange bowl game. Even tho we lost to FSU, the experience of being there as a NIU student was surreal

[@drbcrb]

What year was that?

[@AdamWild572]

2013

[@drewan12]

I was at the game cheering on my Huskies. Crazy that I witnessed them lose to SIU at home just the year before. Rocky Lombardi was holding us back lol

[@LRXC1]

Not the SIU game…

[@AdamWild572]

Rocky was a gritty dude, but no doubt he was not the same player he was his first year on campus. That lost to SIU was brutal....

[@LRXC1]

@@AdamWild572 especially after we beat Boston College, it was SUCH a letdown

[@AdamWild572]

@@LRXC1 Boston College went toe to toe with Florida State too. And that was a good Florida State team too.

[@bb-double-yuh]

This past week was a great week of college ball for me. My Nebraska Cornhuskers beatdown Colorado and my second favorite team in Northern Illinois upset Notre Dame. Doesn't get too much better than that. 💪

[@eric6282]

Glad to have you on the NIU train! Go Huskies!

[@ChloeHotline]

The NIU/Bowling Green 2013 MAC championship game is what made me a fan of football, I chose to ride or die with BGSU after that game but I’ve always respected the Huskies !

[@eric6282]

Little did we know then it was also the era of Rod Carey sucking in bowl games. So glad he is gone.

[@Crussell04]

They were ranked in ncaa 14 lol. They were really good around that time, 2010-2015.

[@MattBuild4]

2010 had 7 G5 teams in the top 25...... So many of them underappreciated, cuz the top of the G5 was just insane.

[@lakerskid2013]

@@MattBuild4Imagine if Boise State didn’t lose to Nevada that year, we would’ve been talking about them facing off against either Auburn or Oregon for the national championship game that year although that one was still pretty good too.

[@MattBuild4]

@@lakerskid2013 BSU may have made a BCS bowl with TCU, but I dont think they would have made the title game. They 100% should have, but they didnt get jumped by Oregon and Auburn when they lost to Nevada - that already happened prior. Oregon jumped them regardless of BSU's 30 game win streak including 2 wins over Oregon in a week that BSU won 51-0. It really doesnt get more obvious than that, that the BCS could care less about logic. BCS was corrupt af. The fact that Auburn and Oregon both jumped TCU and that TCU dropped in the rankings when they beat a top 6 by 40 on the road illustrates perfectly that the BCS would never give a G5 team a shot.

[@kendallfach7020]

I remember they were talking crazy before that orange bowl. Loved seeing them upset ND

[@brianknapp6215]

ND has got to be the most overrated College Football program in the Country. They're still living off the Legacy of coaches like Knute Rockne & Lou Holtz and players like Paul Hornung & Joe Montana...

[@thatonewriter8043]

@@brianknapp6215 Not only have none of the current players seen a Notre Dame championship in their lifetimes, but every year brings us closer to the parents of the players having never seen one, either. Their current coach was two years old the last time Notre Dame won a championship. Despite all this lack of relevance to the people actually involved in the current program, there's somehow still so much noise every year about how close Notre Dame is. They're still exactly as far away as they were a decade ago, which is still further away than when the final whistle blew on January 7, 2013. It almost feels like the playoffs were expanded so wide just to make sure Notre Dame's spot is as safe as it can be, just so we can keep giving the Irish their participation trophies and pretending they ever stood a chance. I'd say I haven't seen a team other than the Cowboys get so much hype for doing so little, but the Cowboys won three championships in that span, so even they look like winners next to Notre Dame.

[@brianknapp6215]

@@thatonewriter8043 The Cowboys have a massive Marketing machine behind them, as well as a billionaire Owner who _insists_ he knows more about Football than the majority of people... Which is why they won't be winning any Super Bowls anytime soon- especially after signing Dak to that enormous Contract.

[@brianknapp6215]

@@thatonewriter8043 When was the last time a Notre Dame player was taken in the top 5 overall in the NFL Draft? Rick Mirer?? (As a lifelong Seahawks fan- that was such a terrible Pick...) Joe Alt?? They're not attracting 4- or 5-star Recruits, and they're not developing in-State Talent. Tradition and Prestige can only get you so far...

[@wiiplayers19]

I grew up and live in DeKalb. I’m always excited to see the school get recognition again

[@eric6282]

Thanks for sharing. Hoping this all catapults NIU back to it's strong winning ways. Go Huskies!

[@EliasReedX16]

First Georgia Tech, then Boston College, and now NIU. This 12-team playoff is a war zone 😮

[@m1lfmemes258]

This video brought back so many good memories

[@slideboy07]

Great video. Thank you.

[@AdamWild572]

It's cool to be reliving all of this through this video. From 06 on, I remember all of this.

[@matthewatilano9118]

great video. Thank you

[@icysnow9459]

Everybody in illinois except northwestern and western Illinois won their games this week. just a fun anecdote.

[@LRXC1]

Western Illinois always losing

[@eric6282]

Wish northwestern would play us again and stop dodging us. Same with illinois.

[@ZSW43]

Toledo fan I’ve always had respect for NIU they always a pretty decent team in the Mac

[@akadolphin3851]

niu was the first team i really liked when i liked growing up. since the jayhawks never did anything, i started watching other teams and Northern Illinois was one of em.

[@Danfrombackhome]

Hampton and Brown are fucking ballers. This is gona be a new era of niu football. I predict a playoff berth sooner than later. 🤘🏻🐺

[@michaelfischer-t2r]

why no mention of garett wolfe ?, he tourched ohio st. , one of the best running backs of that era , also drafted to da bears

[@user-ne4ly3vh6b]

Solid program for decades. Light years better than Illini (not saying much of course) Always thought they should have been able to upgrade conferences. They would give the Big 12 a team in Illinois near Chicago

[@RyanDooley55]

LFG NIU!

[@warrencold]

LETS GO HUSKIES!!!

[@obeypxnda7503]

FINALLY A NIU VID!!!

[@brendanhickey1738]

Always felt its ironic their mascot is a dog and they're ALWAYS the underdog! Sister went there during the Lynch era and Id always visit for the home games. Talk about a party! Happy to see their program having a great start to the year. Go Huskies!!!

[@scottprestin2216]

GO HUSKIES!!!!!

[@Tbone1952]

It’s not illinoise it’s illinoy!

[@jeffe9842]

"Illinoiz" at about the 3:27-3:30 mark. Didn't think there was anyone left who mispronounced Illinois this way.

[@adrianmcardle85]

A Notre Dame loss is NEVER a bad thing.

[@jackiezibub5150]

You should make another TXST video

[@PATRICKBEVERLYFITNESSOFFICAL]

Does anyone know what happened to rod carey or where he is coaching now?

[@EmbracetheGrind]

He went to temple then coached as an assistant at Indiana but is no longer coaching at the college level

[@Robsay01]

Congrats to NIU! They deserve all the attention they are getting. However, they are not like Marshall or App State. Two more big wins over powerhouse programs can put them on the same level. Until then, keep trying. A national perspective.

[@user-sb5qs4zm8b]

Utah state not byu

[@monicawalkman8563]

Thomas Michael Harris Mark Lewis Kevin

[@jackfrancis4278]

Miller Cynthia Walker Michelle Johnson Ruth

[@BaxterWheatleyD]

Smith Michael Williams Kevin Williams Daniel

[@DefoeBrian-x9m]

Gonzalez Donna Lee Amy Lewis Ronald

[@BenjaminJohnson-v5z]

Rosenbaum Place

[@ZoeMilka]

White Michael Anderson Cynthia Martinez Michelle

[@robertthomas8866]

Boise state

[@HearstBill]

0635 Jermey Skyway

[@Cyndi-z9e]

Robinson Brenda Garcia Elizabeth Harris Kevin