The home team is down three points and on the opposing team’s 7-yard line. There are six seconds left in the game. The home team just called its last timeout and has to decide what to do. Does it kick the tying field goal or try for the end zone? If the team goes for six points, does it pass or go with the run? Or how about a trick play? Time is running out!

That was the situation the NIU Huskie football team had to face last Saturday when it took on the Ragin‘ Cajuns from Southwestern Louisiana.

The Huskies ended up making the right decision when Stacey Robinson ran the ball in from seven yards to pull out a last second 23-20 win.

However, the victory almost never materialized. On the previous play, the Huskies tried to throw it in the end zone but the play never jelled. That brought the clock down to three seconds remaining in the game and set the stage for the winning run by Robinson.

Head coach Jerry Pettibone said there was never a thought of going for the tie. The end zone was the only thing the Huskies were thinking.

“I thought we just had one play left,” Pettibone said. “But it worked out that we had two. So first we called the pass play, but that didn’t work. It turned out for the best.”

Offensive Coordinator Mike Summers, who made the winning call, felt the Huskies should go with their bread and butter—the option play.

“When we miss-executed that play (the pass), I immediately said we’re not going to try and do anything other than run what we know how to run,” Summers said. “As soon as that play fell incomplete, my call for the next play was ‘L-over-black-S-block’, which is our base option play.”

Robinson also believed the team only had enough time to run one play.

“I thought the pass play would work,” Robinson stated. “But when I saw it bust I just wanted to throw the ball away before time ran out.”

The incomplete pass left the Huskies with one last try and Robinson took matters into his own hands.

“I was thinking, ‘get outside to the perimeter’,” Robinson explained. “Once I got past Adam (Dach) and Claude’s (Royster) blocks, I knew I could get into the end zone.”

The blocks Robinson referred to were key in the success of the play. Mike Strasser, Dach and Royster opened up the hole for Robinson to bring home victory.

“I had no problem blocking the linebacker,” Strasser said. “I have to make that block all the time. Actually, Dach and I kind of boxed the free safety and linebacker off. The key was getting outside. After I made my block I rolled over on my stomach and saw Stacey dive in the end zone, and I knew we had done it.”

Summers was confident calling the play NIU has made its reputation on and the Huskies did not let him down.

“There was no hesitation,” Summers said. “I knew exactly what we wanted to lose or win the game with.”