DeKALB | Wondering why NIU football has hit a new low?

Answer: it’s complicated.

The Huskies were everyone’s favorite to win the MAC this season.

But recall 2003. The men’s basketball team was picked to win the MAC. It finished the season 10-20.

With a bull’s-eye on its back, NIU was set up to take a hard fall.

For starters, worries began with quarterback Phil Horvath.

Throughout 2006, fans and media screamed for NIU coach Joe Novak to put sophomore Dan Nicholson at the helm.

Horvath’s return in the loss to Toledo proved he is this team’s leader. This writer was one of his critics. Consider me wrong for saying Nicholson is the better choice — right now.

Horvath has not played up to standards and has admitted it week in and week out. But he can’t shoulder the blame.

The loss of wide receiver Sam Hurd to the NFL has been devastating. Receivers Britt Davis and Marcus Perez are fun to watch when they have the ball. But numerous drops combined with poor throws from Horvath have killed NIU’s passing attack.

The next issue everyone has noticed, thanks in part to national media, is the poor performance of Wolfe over the last four games.

Novak said after the loss to Toledo, Wolfe had a hamstring issue going into the game and was not 100 percent.

It’s been obvious over the last four games that Wolfe has not run like his explosive self, whether they admitted he had an injury or not during the last three games.

This begs the question of how long Wolfe has been injured. And why didn’t Novak put in a bigger running back, like Cas Prime, to finish off NIU’s final drive against Toledo?

Luckily for Wolfe, his past performances were no joke. However, we all know Wolfe can’t burst free if the offensive line blocks like it hasn’t practiced all season.

A Chicago Bears scout told me Free has been everything they expected him to be athletically. But his footwork and technique have not been very good. If the pre-season All-American isn’t playing well, what hope does NIU’s line have with two starting freshmen?

Novak admitted his offensive line isn’t playing well, and the loss of senior tight end Jake Nordin and reserve running back Montell Clanton to injury crippled the ground game.

Also, offensive coordinator John Bond’s play-calling has been subject to questioning as well as the coaching staff’s ability to adapt their game plan. Want an answer to this question? Ask them yourself if you think you know more about football than Novak and his staff.

But if you remember one thing, remember this: Novak and his staff built this program the right way, from the ground up.

And though some may think it’s time for a coaching change, don’t forget why NIU’s expectations were so high to begin with.