Oct. 2, 1999, marked a turning point for NIU football.

Then-fourth-year football coach Joe Novak took his 0-4 Huskies to Buffalo for a MAC game.

NIU hadn’t won a game since the previous October, and was riding an eight-game losing streak. Novak’s career record as a head coach was 3-34.

On that day in Buffalo, NIU scored 45 points – 14 more than any other Novak-coached team – and left New York with a 45-21 win.

“We needed a win bad,” Novak said. “Back then, we were wishing and hoping. We went up there and played pretty well.”

NIU finished the season by winning five of its last seven games.

Novak’s teams are 28-15 since that game.

The roles will be reversed this season when NIU (8-1, 4-1 MAC) travels to Buffalo (1-9, 1-5) on Saturday for a noon kickoff.

Buffalo ended an 18-game losing streak two weeks ago when it defeated Ohio 26-17.

Buffalo hasn’t won back-to-back home games since 1998.

“It’s a scary game,” Novak said. “They have nothing to lose. I’ll tell you what, for 1-9, they’re playing hard.”

The game will mark the final home game of the season for Buffalo.

NIU has two games remaining after this week. With some help, NIU has a chance to win the MAC West Division title for the first time. The Huskies lost the tie-breaker the past two seasons.

NIU won the MAC in 1983, before the conference was split into divisions.

“It’s exciting,” Novak said. “You always want to be in the hunt. We’ve still got a lot to play for. No matter what happens, it’s been a great year.”

NIU will try to match a school record with its ninth win this season. Only five NIU football teams have reached nine wins, with the most recent in 1989 when the Huskies went 9-2.