DeKALB | As a freshman, he engineered an offense that beat Toledo for the first time in 18 years and led NIU to the MAC title game. In 2005 quarterback Dan Nicholson looked poised to take NIU to the next level.

But this season Phil Horvath took the reigns, led NIU to a 5-5 mark and relegated Nicholson to spot backup duty. Then came the “fog bowl” last Tuesday against Toledo, in which Nicholson replaced the struggling senior quarterback. We caught up with the Brother Rice product to see what it was like on the field during the game and what next year has to offer.

NS: What was it like playing in the fog against Toledo?

DN: Pretty wild. I’ve never seen anything like that before; it just came out of nowhere. It wasn’t a huge deal because we didn’t run any long routes in it, but it was real bad to pick up guys.

NS: What type of effect did it have on the game plan?

DN: It didn’t affect the game plan that much. By the time it got real bad, we were at the end of the first half and in a two minute situation.

NS: You guys were MAC West champs last year; can you describe the way this season has gone?

DN: Obviously disappointing. As a team and as an offense we’ve had some real good games. We are having a real good week of practice, and we are trying to put it all together. We’ve practiced well and haven’t lost focus; we want to put it all together for these last two games.

NS: How do you approach these last two games?

DN: We want to send the seniors out on a good note. We’ve beat Central Michigan eight straight times and we don’t want that streak to end. These seniors have done an awesome job of keeping us focused and we want to send them out with a pair of wins.

NS: Phil struggled against Toledo. Coach calls your number, tells you to get loose because you are going in. How did it feel?

DN: I was excited to get that chance. I wish I would have played better and done more things to help give the team a chance to win.

NS: What do you do as a backup quarterback to stay sharp if you aren’t getting the majority of the snaps in practice?

DN: I prepare every week as if I am going to be the starter.

NS: Next year you will be the man calling the shots in the huddle.

DN: That’s exciting. We have a lot of talent coming back at wide receiver. Some young guys got great experience this year. Montell Clanton will be healthy and he is a real good back. Our offensive line was young this year and received some valuable experience.