DeKALB | Its game at Miami-Ohio ended at 10:15 p.m. Sunday, and the NIU football team arrived in DeKalb at 5 a.m. Monday morning.

But despite the change in schedule, Tuesday morning’s 7 a.m. video session was not full of bobbing heads and heavy eyelids.

“They were zoned in,” NIU football coach Joe Novak said. “We’ve won two in a row on the road, and this is a big one on Saturday. Winning does amazing things in the locker room and meeting room. Had we lost Sunday, it might have been different.”

Novak said his coaching staff was affected the most by not playing on Saturday, as they lost a day to prep for WMU and time to correct any mistakes they made against Miami.

But Novak admitted his coaching staff spent Oct. 2 looking at video tape of WMU.

“We cheated a little bit,” Novak said. “But our guys lost time to lift, condition and do a short scout on our next opponent that they usually get on Sundays.”

However, Novak said the team was back on its regular schedule Tuesday, preparing to take on the best defense in the MAC.

And as if that challenge wasn’t enough for NIU running back Garrett Wolfe and the Huskies’ offense, add in the fact that former NIU defensive coordinator Scott Shafer is in his second season at the same spot for WMU.

“Their defense is playing hard and physical,” Novak said. “With three straight road games, we’re going to have to be at the top of our game.”

Sean Connor is an NIU football beat reporter for the Northern Star.