When Iowa’s running back Damon Bullock crossed the goal line with a little over two minutes remaining Saturday afternoon, Soldier Field was deafening.

The attendance was listed at 52,117. If Soldier Field’s odd bowl was of the fruit variety, it would have been predominantly filled with bananas, with a sprinkling of strawberries.

NIU was the “home” team, but their showing of support was few and far between. I’m not going to rip on Huskie nation. I’ll accept any excuses out there, the overcast conditions, the construction on 88 and of course, my favorite, the possibility of imminent death at any point on a highway in Chicago.

What may be more pertinent to the actual game is the intangible factor of fan support. NIU’s defense played tough all game, coming up huge in pressure situations. What was their reward? Groans and collective exasperating sighs as Iowa was forced into field goal attempt after field goal attempt.

Where was the momentum and audible enthrallment from an outstanding visual display of athleticism on the part of Martel Moore for his 25 yard catch, or for Jordan Lynch’s 73-yard touchdown run?

Games like these are big for not only the school’s program, but the players. NIU was coming into this game with arguably the best season in their programs history last year, and also the longest winning streak in the nation.

Iowa was coming into the game off of a 7-6 season. Despite these factors, Iowa fans showed up in droves. Groups walked down every street and a sea of yellow streamed into Soldier Field, while small sections dotted the arena, applauding a team that deserves more support than it received.

With sports, issues like crowd support, home court advantage and chemistry are all often cited, but not really measurable.

Questions still abound, so I’ll leave you with one more.

If Sean Progar sacks the quarterback and no NIU fans are around to hear it, does the hit make a sound?