Before Saturday’s game, NIU had twice put together drives in the second half to give it the lead.

And two times this season the Huskies (3-3 overall, 2-1 MAC) let those leads evaporate and lose by less than four points.

Yet, on Saturday, they found a way to win, beating Miami (Ohio) 17-13.

NIU found itself down 13-10 with 4:53 left in the third quarter. Like previous games, the Huskies came back to take the lead, 17-13.

However, they took the lead with 2:32 left in the third quarter – plenty of time for Miami’s offense.

As the fourth quarter began, the RedHawks (1-5, 0-2) were easily marching down the field. On NIU’s 44-yard line, Miami faced a critical third-and-5.

Although 17,444 fans entered Huskie Stadium, a diminished number remained as the sun began to set.

The NIU bench waved white and red towels, hoping to get what remained of the crowd on their feet and screaming.

Knowing their team needed help, defensive lineman John Hopkins and linebacker Kendal Farlow did something no one expected.

“[Coach Kill] challenged us about the towels but the towels didn’t really get it,” said Farlow in respect to getting the crowd pumped. “So I decided to grab a white board and put ‘Get louder’ on it. And then John [Hopkins] helped me out by making another sign that said ‘Get up and get loud.'”

Suddenly white boards, which were used to go over plays and block assignments, were turned into motivational weapons. The motivational attack worked, as the student section began to explode with noise.

Just as the volume went up, the ball was snapped. Miami quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh stepped back and found wide receiver Armand Robinson on the left side.

But as the ball was thrown, NIU cornerback Melvin Rice charged in like a lion racing its pray. Robinson reached his hands out, ready to grasp the ball. But before he could, Rice’s hands came down. The pass was broken up, the RedHawks were forced to punt, the crowd exploded.

However, NIU wasn’t safe yet. With 7:17 remaining in the game Miami got the ball at its own 31-yard line.

The RedHawks would get all the way to the Huskie 12-yard line, but would eventually face fourth-and-13.

On the drive Farlow, Hopkins, wide receiver Nathan Palmer and others, would hold up the white boards, asking for more from the crowd. With the game down to one play, the Huskies on the sideline asked for as much noise as they could get.

As the ball was snapped NIU defensive end Larry English sprung into action. The senior buried his shoulder into two offensive linemen, pushing them back and collapsing the pocket. Feeling pressure, Raudabaugh threw the ball into the endzone, only for NIU linebacker Josh Allen to swat the ball down.

For the first time this season, the Huskies held on and won a close game.

And unlike the other two times prior to this situation, the game was being played at home, which Kill has a feeling produced the win.

“Our crowd today was probably, not probably, was the difference in the game,” Kill said. “I guarantee, if it would have been quite in that stadium [Miami] would have drove down and score.”