After finishing the 2006 season with a 7-6 record and an appearance in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, Northern Illinois felt good about it's chances of competing for the Mid-American Conference West Division title; even with the loss of standout running back Garrett Wolfe.

The Huskies entered the 2007 campaign on a string of seven consecutive winning seasons and three straight postseason appearances. That changed in a hurry as NIU lost its first three games before defeating Idaho, 42-35. Then came a five-game losing streak that puts the Huskies at 1-8 heading into Saturday's home game against Kent State.

Like Kent State, losers of four straight, the Huskies are now looking to finish strong to build some momentum heading into the off-season.

"Our focus is on trying to do the best we can for the last three games of this season," said NIU head coach Joe Novak. "I know we would like to finish strong and give the seniors a good taste before they leave the team. We are just focusing on taking one game at a time and trying to finish this season out right. Any time you finish off the year on a high note, it makes the winter seem better, it makes the spring program better, and it makes the summer program better as well. It makes the whole program feel better. So it is important to finish the season strong."

Both the Huskies and Golden Flashes were off last weekend. For the Huskies, the bye week couldn't have come at a better time.

...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial