As was the case last week against Southern Illinois, the NIU football team built a lead — only to watch it vanish — this time en route to a 21-19 loss at the hands of Eastern Michigan.

The Huskies had a chance to win the game at the end, but a 50-yard field goal attempt by Chris Nendick, who had connected from 45 and 47 yards earlier in the game, was blocked as time expired.

“Whenever you have a long field goal you need to drive it,” said head coach Joe Novak. “I think maybe he overcompensated.”

Earlier in the drive, NIU had a chance to move the ball to as close as the 6 yard line for Nendick, but two critical offensive holding calls set the Huskies back to the 33 yard line before Nendick’s attempt.

“Those calls were critical,” Novak said. “It seemed like a couple things went our way then we had those two holding calls.”

After coughing up a 13-0 second quarter lead, NIU found themselves down 21-13 with 5:21 left in the game. A four-play, 58-yard drive capped off by a seven-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Davis cut the EMU lead to 21-19 with 4:20 left.

NIU went for the two-point conversion to try and tie the game but quarterback Dan Nicholson’s pass to wide receiver Greg Turner was too far.

“[Turner] was supposed to come in but I had to move,” said Nicholson, who threw for 160 yards and a touchdown. “So Greg did a nice job adjusting his route and I just didn’t put the ball on him.”

Just like last week, the Huskies looked poised for a blowout win early in the game. NIU scored on its first two possessions to make it 10-0, the second of which was a 92-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown plunge from Justin Anderson, who finished with 172 yards rushing on 28 carries.

EMU cut the lead to 13-7 just before the half on a one-yard touchdown run by Pierre Walker. The turning point in the game came late in the third quarter when wide receiver Britt Davis dropped a would-be 54-yard touchdown pass.

Instead, NIU ended up punting and EMU took a 14-13 lead on a 68-yard end-around touchdown run from DeAnthony White.

“That was obviously the turning point,” said EMU head coach Jeff Genyk. “But our defense allowed us to hang around and make it a game.”

The Eagles scored their final touchdown with a one-yard touchdown run by Walker after a Nicholson interception gave EMU the ball at the NIU 16 yard line.

“There’s just such a fine line between 3-0 and 0-3,” Novak said. “And we’re 0-3 right now. We just have to keep plugging away at it. We still have a lot to play for.”

Injuries continued to pile up for the Huskies, as junior defensive tackle Craig Rusch suffered a torn ACL and redshirt sophomore Anthony Antonacci suffered a torn ACL and MCL.

Novak said he thinks both players are done for the season.