CHICAGO — A six-point lead – that’s what Iowa held over NIU early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game.

Facing fourth and six on the 40-yard line, NIU head coach Joe Novak called on his senior place-kicker, Chris Nendick.

The Lou Groza Award candidate coolly jogged off the sidelines. He headed straight to the backfield, preparing for the snap. He primed his leg, getting ready to swing his foot to boot the ball down the field.

But something was different. He was all alone. The placeholder was nowhere to be found on the field.

Yet there was no panic. No players yelling for a time out, or coaches trying to get the attention of the referees. No, everything was going to plan, as Nendick’s long snapper held the ball on NIU’s 40-yard line.

The senior caught the snap, moved forward, and sent a mighty punt on its way. The ball bounced over Iowa kick returner Andy Brodell’s head. The junior was unable to return the kick.

In his first collegiate punt, Nendick nailed Iowa to its own 5-yard line with a 55-yard boom.

However, the senior wasn’t celebrating his new achievement. He walked somberly off the field, realizing he wouldn’t wish the situation forcing his punt on anyone.

“It’s unfortunate for [NIU punter] Andy Dittbenner to go down,” Nendick said. “But when you’re called upon, you got to step up and go make it happen.”

And Nendick had to make it happen, as NIU was without many choices. Dittbenner started his 2007 season with a punt that kept the Hawkeyes offense within their own 20-yard line.

However, the junior wasn’t up to see the punt. Instead, he saw grass, as he was leveled onto the ground during the play. As he slowly rose from the indentation in the ground, he began to walk back toward the sidelines – Iowa’s sideline.

“He didn’t know where he was,” Novak said. “Obviously he went off to the wrong sideline so he got his bell rung pretty good.”

Losing their punter to a head injury, NIU was forced to call on Nendick to fill the void. At first, some of the Huskies didn’t know that Nendick had become both their place-kicker and punter.

“I didn’t even know when the first punt went up in the air who kicked it. Then I heard somebody said Chris kicked it,” NIU wide receiver Britt Davis said. “I think he did a pretty good job of stepping up and that’s the way it’s got to be. Guys go down every game.”

But Nendick did more that just fill in for a first stringer, as he was asked to perform a role that he hasn’t played in his entire college career.

With seven tries at the new spot, the senior averaged 43.4-yards per punt. Good enough to keep the NIU kicking game in action against Iowa.

“I’ll say this about Chris – he came in and he doesn’t work on punting a heck of a lot, that’s pretty darn good to average 43-yards a punt,” Novak said. “That’s pretty special.”