Yes, football fans, the Huskies are coming off a huge defeat by a Big-Eight team and now have to face Big-Ten Indiana.

But don’t expect the Huskies to roll over and play dead.

What should be expected is more aggressiveness with less penalties and better execution.

“There was just a lack of execution on both sides of the ball,” said defensive coordinator Gary Evans. “We did not do a good job against the pass.”

NIU managed to give up 543 total yards in a game filled with a lack of offensive executions and a plethora of blown coverages. And along with giving up 54 points, 206 yards passing and 337 yards rushing in last week’s embarrassment, the Huskies managed to lose 92 yards due to 14 penalties, and that doesn’t even include a LeShon Johnson 77-yard run that was called back for holding.

These mental mistakes have not changed the preparation routine. Practices this week have not been any different than normal. They have just adjusted some of their workouts to the type schemes Indiana will be running, which is what has to be done every week. Head coach Charlie Sadler and Evans agree that the mental breakdown was just something that happened during the game because the team was not making those mistakes in practice.

“What happens during a game is the intensity is higher and the speed is quicker so there is less time to react,” said Sadler. Now that they have one game under their belt, the Huskies should perform better.

Indiana head coach Bill Mallory still has a tremendous amount of respect for the program he coached from 1980-83 despite the opening game loss.

“They (NIU) play hard and up to the very end,” said Mallory. “Offensively they will come with the run and will mix in the pass, and they have an aggressive hard-nosed defense.”

The Hoosiers have the momentum, however, because they shut out Toledo 27-0 in their first game, yet their stats are comparable to NIU’s even though the Huskies lost by a large margin.

Indiana ran the ball 50 times for a total of 173 yards. The Huskies ran only 35 times for 108 yards, but could have been well over 173 yards without a few key penalties. Their QB’s combined for 12 of 28 passing for 145 yards while Scott Crabtree alone was 18 for 26 for 152 yards.

For anybody looking for an amusing stat, Johnson rushed for 1,338 yards last season and the whole Indiana team combined for just 1,337 yards rushing.

“We have to contain Johnson, there’s no question he’s a great back,” said Mallory.

The Huskie offensive line will have to contain Indiana’s defensive end Charles Beauchamp. The 6-foot 2-inch, 225-pound senior was second team All-Big Ten his sophomore season in 1991. This year he is making a comeback after missing most of 1992 after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee the second game of the season. Beauchamp recorded 12 tackles (8 solo) last week.

So what do you say to a team after they get beat by a big school and have to come back and play another?

“They just have to get back out there, eliminate the mistakes and make them (Indiana) earn their points,” said Evans

“They watched the game film with me and we realize we are a much better team than what was displayed last Thursday,” said Sadler. “I just tell them what they can achieve is achievable.”

“We’re looking to play a good solid football game and redeem ourselves,” said Evans. “Everybody was embarrassed and we want to show what type of team we really are.”

WORD OF THE PROPHETS:

‘Rich Carlson- “There’s too much pride on this football squad to put up with another blowout. Look for a much more solid and aggressive game, but Indiana will take it 24-17.”

‘John Dietz- “Northern has a nasty habit of pulling out a victory when I’ve predicted a loss (basketball season). I’m going to test this theory one more time and see if the same holds true on the gridiron. IU 38, NIU 14.”

‘Celebrity Prophet: WLBK’s Bill Baker- “Northern will surprise Indiana 23-21. They’ll win it on a touchdown in the last five minutes and will have to withstand a furious Indiana comeback to preserve the win.”