The Big What?

Chapter two of NIU’s quest for national respect against Big Ten Conference teams takes place Saturday night when the Huskies venture north to face Minnesota in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

The Huskies, coming off a 19-17 win at Wisconsin, will be looking for their second-straight win over a Big Ten school. NIU also hopes to keep up with the rest of the prestigious league’s non-conference foes, by pulling off the upset. Lately, teams like Hawaii and Rutgers have made the Big Ten seem not so big.

In addition, the undefeated Huskies will be gunning for their first 4-0 start to a season since 1965. That year, NIU went 9-1 and earned a bid to the Mineral Water Bowl. Should the Huskies leave the Twin Cities unbeaten, they’ll have earned any respect they get and will have more than mineral water at stake the rest of the season.

“They are a stronger team (than Wisconsin),” NIU coach Jerry Pettibone said. “We’re aware of that. But we (the coaches) told the team that even though they might be coming off what probably is the biggest win in the history of this institution, they can’t be satisfied with that.”

Minnesota will be the toughest test for NIU yet this year. The junior-dominated Gophers (1-1), who some publications pick as a Rose Bowl contender next year, will be in the middle of the Big Ten pack this season. Two weeks ago, Minnesota was trounced by PAC-10 contender Washington State, 41-9. Last week, the Gophers drilled Miami (OH), 35-3.

While Minnesota coach John Gutekunst (14-12 at UM) is a former defensive coordinator, and the team prides itself on a strong group of linebackers, the main man in the program is junior tailback Darrell Thompson.

Thompson was named a top Heisman Trophy candidate by The Sporting News and was pictured on the cover of the publication’s college football preview issue. Thompson’s likeness also appears on the cover of UM’s media guide with the caption “There’s just one Darrell Thompson.”

And it’s a good thing.

In two seasons at Minnesota, Thompson has set numerous rushing records, and gained 2,469 yards in 441 tries (5.6 yards per carry). In the Miami win, he gained 179 yards in 25 carries and scored three touchdowns.

While quarterback Alan Holt (15 of 25 passing for 202 yards in ‘88) and wideout Chris Gaiters (10 catches 106 yards) are able performers, as far as the Gopher offense goes, Thompson is the whole show.

“You can’t do anything special defensively for someone like Thompson,” Pettibone said. “You just have to be aware that he’s a great back, get great pursuit and have a lot of gang tackling. Minnesota will give him the ball 25 to 30 times.”

On defense, the Gophers have lost an All-America shoe-in at linebacker, Jon Leverenz, to a knee injury, but have a pair of great pursuers in Ron Goetz (14 tackles in ‘88) and Mac Stephens (15 tackles).

“It’s going to take a total team effort,” Pettibone said. “We’ll need to play solid defense, good special teams and generally be on top of every phase of our game.”