Saturday’s contest will be perhaps the most critical game to date for NIU’s football team, as it tries to break its losing jinx at Toledo University’s Glass Bowl.

NIU (1-1) has lost 10 of its last 11 at the newly renovated glass bowl including eight in a row. To make things worse, UT has a 10-game winning streak at home.

A victory is necessary for the Huskies, who are faced with an almost must-win situation if they plan to get a bowl bid. Head coach Jerry Pettibone’s team is expected to win, but he expects a very challenging game.

“(Toledo) is an excellent team for a lot of reasons,” Pettibone said. “The majority of their players are back. They were second last year in their conference, and they have a lot of new enthusiasm with their program and with their new coaching change. Now, they are coming back home so they will have a lot of emotion.

“It’s going to be really important for us to play as well as we’re capable of playing. This game will get us back on track. The best thing you can do when you get beat is to go play again and win, and get the momentum going in the right direction,” Pettibone said.

Pettibone is referring to last Saturday’s 60-14 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

“The character level of our team is very good, and they will want to prove that (the Nebraska loss) is a game they can put behind themselves, and get back on track again. What’s going to make the difference in (the Toledo) game is not what happened at Nebraska, it’s us concentrating on what we can do to execute and our focusing on Toledo,” Pettibone said.

Pettibone expects the Rockets to be fired up with all the hype of the $18 million newly renovated stadium which is supposed to be one of the finest collegiate football complexes in the nation with 26,248 seats. However, Pettibone and his Huskies have the solution.

“What we have to do is focus these things out. We have to concentrate on the things we can do—execute, play well and avoid penalties and mental mistakes,” Pettibone said.

Toledo is coming off an impressive season-opening 20-14 win over Miami-Ohio under first-year coach Nick Saban.

If Toledo sticks to the same game plan as last season when they lost to NIU 39-27, NIU will see plenty of the I-formation.

Pettibone also anticipates the fiesty Toledo defense to try to take away NIU’s option game. That’s what they tried last year, and it forced the Huskies to throw often.

NIU must remain healthy after suffering five injuries since opening day. One person in particular who the Huskies must keep healthy is Heisman Trophy Candidate quarterback Stacey Robinson.

Robinson ranks 13th nationally in passing efficiency (152.4). This season he has thrown for 309 yards on 22 of 31 passes. Robinson also moved into 13th on the all-time Huskie rushing list with 1,614 career ground yards.

NIU may have its hands just as full as Toledo’s when the UT quarterback Kevin Meger takes the field.

“He’s a really exciting player. He’s dangerous because he can run and throw. He can scramble and make things happen,” Pettibone said.

NIU has been plagued with injuries. Six-four defensive end and All-America Candidate Cary Caliendo injured his arm during NIU’s season-opening 28-17 victory over Eastern Illinois. Pettibone said Caliendo has a chance to play but will be used only in a spot role.

Senior fullback Erik Jensen had surgery on his knee this week and is done for the season. Scott Van Bellinger had magnetic resonance image testing earlier this week on a left knee medial collateral ligament sprain and won’t make the trip.

Senior split end Kurt Cassidy bruised his leg against Nebraska, and although he didn’t practice all week Pettibone said he still has a chance to play.