Cold winds and biting temperatures didn’t stop many Huskies fans from showing support for their team Tuesday night, even though NIU lost bitterly to arch-rival Toledo with a final score of 31-17.

The defeat at the hands of Toledo was the 11th consecutive loss NIU suffered against the team. While the Huskies attempted to increase their home winning streak to 12 games, fans braved the elements in an attempt to witness history and pose for national TV cameras.

“Nobody could take us in the first half,” junior sociology major Tom Alagna said. “They played their hearts out. It was a good game.”

The team entered halftime ahead with a score of 17-14. But when it returned for the third quarter, players didn’t maintain their level of play. As soon as the second half began, Huskies realized the team lacked something.

“They didn’t show up in the second half,” junior communication major Kevin Borowski said.

Some knew exactly what the problem was.

“The offense didn’t produce,” junior finance major Dave McKee said. “It was horrible.”

As play wore on, the Huskies appeared to grow tired, most likely because their defense spent almost the entire third quarter on the field.

“The defense didn’t play how they’ve been playing all year,” said Steve Hatcher, a freshman athletic training major.

As it became clear late in the fourth quarter that the team wasn’t going to pull out a win, fans began to file out of the stadium, a gesture other fans didn’t appreciate.

“Our fans are a bunch of fair-weather fans,” sophomore journalism major Matt Moore said. “They left before it was even over – they’re pathetic.”

Sophomore undeclared major Travis Matthews agreed.

“I wore a toga the entire game to support my team,” he said. “There’s no reason why people shouldn’t stay for the entire game.”

Even though the team eventually suffered defeat, most fans still appreciated the effort just the same. Others remained optimistic for the team’s future, as the Huskies still may be able to win the MAC next week if Toledo loses to Bowling Green and the Huskies beat Eastern Michigan.

“Stupid mistakes cost us,” freshman business major Grant Carter said. “It’s not over yet, though.”