It’s apparently an old Klingon proverb: Revenge is a dish best served cold.

It won’t be chilly beneath the dome of Ford Field tonight, but the Huskies have had more than enough time to let their Sept. 24 loss to Akron settle.

So now NIU must take a leaf out of Toledo’s book. The Rockets lost to Miami during the regular season last year, but won when it counted, ousting the RedHawks 35-25 in the MAC championship. The RedHawks could boast about their regular-season win, but it was the Rockets who were polishing their trophy on the bus ride home.

Of course, NIU will have to do more than rely on revenge and history to win its first MAC Championship since 1983. Here’s a breakdown of the what the Huskies bring to the table against the Zips and what they will need to do to come away with the big prize and a return ticket to Detroit for the Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl.

Quarterback

Akron quarterback Luke Getsy may have experience on his side, but NIU redshirt freshman quarterback Dan Nicholson has led the Huskies to three straight victories against the best of the MAC West: Central Michigan, Toledo and Central Michigan.

Getsy has thrown six touchdowns and two interceptions in the last four weeks and went to town on NIU earlier this season, throwing five touchdowns and passing for 406 yards. Getsy’s weakness is that he relies on the big play. Getsy completes just 51 percent of his passes, compared to Nicholson, who completes almost 70 percent. Getsy also has a lukewarm 11-to-18 touchdown ratio this season.

In Nicholson’s three games, he’s put up numbers superior to Getsy, but the two are too even to call.

VERDICT: push

Running back

This might be the most obvious of the bunch.

Garrett Wolfe was named to the First Team All-MAC squad this week, and rightfully so. Wolfe has tallied 454 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two games, and if he hadn’t missed three games with a knee sprain, his 163.8 yards overshadow his closest MAC competitor by more than 50 yards. Brett Biggs averages a little more than 100 yards per game but can’t compare to Wolfe’s speed and big-play ability.

Verdict: advantage Huskies

Wide receivers: Both teams boast talented receivers that can take control of a game. Akron has Domenick Hixon, who has more than 1,000 receiving yards this season with 6 touchdowns. NIU’s First Team All-MAC receiver Sam Hurd, who had three of his 12 season touchdowns at Akron, gives NIU an edge with his scoring capability and overall athleticism. Hixon is good, but not quite as good as Hurd.

Akron also boasts Jason Montgomery, who leads all Akron wide receivers with seven touchdowns, including two against NIU. The Huskies are supporting a receiver cast that consists of Shatone Powers and quarterback-turned-receiver Britt Davis. Since by some wild coincidence both teams have the same number of receiving yards on the season (2,733), the edge goes to NIU, the team with the better No. 1 man: Hurd.

Verdict: advantage Huskies

Offensive line: With three First Team All-MAC selections in Brian Van Acker, Ben Lueck and Doug Free, this one is a no-brainer. The Huskie O-line is the backbone of the team, making spaces for Wolfe and letting Nicholson concentrate on passing without fear of being sacked.

Verdict: advantage Huskies

Defensive line: Akron’s defensive line, led by Second Team All MAC selection Kiki Gonzalez was third in the MAC for forced sacks, which injured NIU quarterback Phil Horvath knows all-too-well. Akron sacked Horvath five times in the matchup earlier this season, compared to Biggs, who wasn’t sacked at all.

Verdict: advantage Zips

Linebackers: NIU’s youth has shown this season after 2004 All-MAC selection Javan Lee was announced out for the season. Akron boasts Second Team All-MAC linebacker Brion Stokes and honorable mention Jay Rohr who outmatch NIU’s painful inexperience.

Verdict: advantage Zips

Secondary: First Team All-MAC strong safety Ray Smith leads the Huskies as captain on NIU’s defense, which has steadily gotten better as the season has progressed. Dustin Utschig has become a standout performer for NIU at free safety, tallying three interceptions in the last three games.

Verdict: advantage Huskies

Special teams: Akron ranks last in the league for kickoff coverage, allowing 23.7 yards per kickoff return, but has an advantage at kick returner. Hixon leads the MAC in return yards, but ranks seventh beneath No. 6 Shatone Powers, in punt return average. Akron has a distinct advantage in returns, as NIU’s special teams defense is often sloppy, but the Huskies have a commanding upper-hand in kicker Chris Nendick, who can kick field goals from 50-plus yards and has made every PAT this season.

Verdict: push

Intangibles: Both teams come to the MAC Championship for the first time. NIU comes off a three-game win streak, beating top MAC teams CMU, Toledo and WMU to make it to Detroit. Akron beat Bowling Green when quarterback Omar Jacobs was still injured, then lost to Ball State before topping two of the lower-level MAC teams in Ohio and Kent State. NIU has the momentum and revenge factor.

Verdict: advantage Huskies