“Somewhat down, but not out,” is the message from the NIU football team after suffering a 55-7 loss in its season-opener.

Rookie head coach Charlie Sadler openly questioned the competitiveness of his squad after Saturday’s loss at Fresno State.

“We learned about our players—not so much as athletes, but as competitors,” Sadler said in the post-game press conference. After reviewing game films, Sadler elaborated.

“Going into the game, the question was ‘will we compete?’ The answer was ‘we didn’t,'” he said.

Sadler’s disappointment is tempered because of the relative youth of the Huskies.

“I still think we have some talent,” Sadler said. “(Quarterback) Stacey McKinney did some nice things, but he missed a few reads—that’s where having a new offense and inexperience hurts you sometimes.

“From an inexperience standpoint, we’ve yet to learn what it is to play a major college football game.”

Part of the problem may have been the adjustment to NIU’s new offensive and defensive schemes.

“The defense didn’t have as much of a problem with that,” Sadler said. “(The problem) was lack of intensity.”

The 638 yards racked up by Fresno is the most given up by the Huskies defense since it allowed 649 yards in a 38-16 loss to Northwestern in 1985.

The defense suffered another blow after the game with the news that nose guard Richard Kennedy, who suffered a sprained knee against Fresno, would be out indefinitely.

With the earlier injury to first-string nose guard Eric White, NIU was forced to use a true freshman, Mike Adams, in Saturday’s game. Adams recorded four tackles against the Bulldogs.

Linebacker Steve Henricksen, who led the defense with 15 tackles, suffered a neck injury Saturday but is expected to return this week.

The good news for NIU is that the opponent in Saturday’s (Sept. 14) home-opener, Arkansas State, is 0-2. The Indians were beaten 28-3 by Northwestern Louisiana Saturday.

On the line for the Huskies will be a 13-game home winning streak. A streak Sadler hopes will motivate his squad.

“I hope the players feel the pressure. We have to get these guys going,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to the game,” McKinney said. “Playing at home, we have our reputation to uphold.”

With a win, the Huskies would tie the school record for consecutive wins (14) set in 1962-1965.