NIU running back leaves game with what may be serious knee injury

All victories come with a price. NIU coach Joe Novak was all too aware of that phrase’s significance after his Huskies finished off Eastern Michigan 24-8 Saturday afternoon at Huskie Stadium.

For the second time in two weeks, the NIU offense responded to a close game with a pivotal long scoring drive to cement a win. But starting running back Garrett Wolfe, whose big runs fueled the march down the field, became a casualty after sustaining a serious knee injury.

With four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter, things were not looking good for the Huskies’ offense. Junior quarterback Phil Horvath could not find a passing rhythm thanks to a steady wind, so the Eagles stacked the box against the run game. Wolfe had fumbled on his own 45-yard line, and Eastern Michigan capitalized with a 44-yard field goal to cut the Huskies’ lead to 14-6.

NIU caught a break on the ensuing kickoff as EMU kicker Andrew Wellock booted the ball out of bounds to give the Huskies the ball at their own 35-yard line. After being held in check the entire second quarter and most of the third, Wolfe returned to his explosive big-run habits with a 34-yard scamper down the sideline.

NIU coaches called Wolfe’s number again the next play. He responded with a nine-yard run along the left sideline to the EMU 22. At the end of his run, the junior was taken down hard by two Eagles tacklers and he remained on the turf after the play. The 27,641 fans held their breath as trainers helped Wolfe to his feet and carried him off the field as he noticeably favored his left knee.

“He’s still getting evaluated,” Novak said after the game. “I’m talking about a week or two. This is preliminary, it could be different in an hour. I just don’t know right now.”

After another sizable run by senior A.J. Harris, Horvath got in on the act with two short passes to junior tight end Jake Nordin and senior wideout Sam Hurd. But the pass to Hurd was a yard short of the first down, and Horvath was faced with another stalled drive.

The raucous crowd chimed in on fourth and one, urging Novak to go for it. With only a few seconds of thought, he gave the offense the go-ahead. The Eagles linebackers pointed and keyed on Harris, so it was only appropriate that Horvath ran a sneak over the center to pick up the first.

Four run plays and a false start penalty later, the Huskies found themselves with a second and goal on the 12-yard line. Instead of pounding away with the run game, Horvath looked right and found senior wide receiver Shatone Powers in the end zone between two defenders for the touchdown.

“At the time it did [redeem my day],” Horvath said. “It was frustrating at times. You’re going to have those days. But championship teams pull through that and get wins.”

Harris went down with an injured shoulder in the fourth quarter, so third-string running back Adrian Davis carried the load on the game’s final drive. The senior picked up 73 yards on 12 carries and said he will be ready to start next week against Kent State if Harris and Wolfe remain unavailable.

The exact diagnoses and severity of both injuries were not known at press time.