It’s Nov. 23, 2002, and NIU linebacker Brian Atkinson is battling a badly bruised thigh against Toledo at Huskie Stadium in a game that will determine the MAC West champion.

He heads out to the field for the last drive, trying to help his team secure a spot in the MAC Championship Game.

Every one of the 20,154 fans knows that anything short of a touchdown for Toledo will give the Huskies their goal. But with 41 seconds to go, Rockets quarterback Brian Jones finds Donta Green from 26 yards out for a touchdown and three-point lead.

Afterward, NIU placekicker Steve Azar’s 62-yard field goal attempt to tie the game falls short, sending the Huskies’ dreams down the drain.

NIU (9-1 overall, 5-1 MAC) will try to avenge last season’s loss as well as keep itself in this year’s race at 2 p.m. Saturday against Toledo (6-3, 4-1). The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net Chicago.

“We were too aggressive on that last drive,” Atkinson said. “We weren’t patient enough. We just wanted to hurry up and stop them because then we knew the game would be over.”

In Novak’s eighth season as Huskie coach, he has yet to beat Toledo in six tries. The Huskies haven’t defeated the Rockets since 1989 – that’s nine straight losses. NIU is 6-24 all-time against Toledo.

The slogan for this season has been “41 seconds,” because that’s how close the team was to its goal last year.

The coaches didn’t allow the players to forget about how close they were in the off-season. After every practice, the players did 41-second sprints to remind them of that game.

“It would mean a lot for us to beat them,” Atkinson said. “Not just because of last year, but for all the guys who played here before and lost to them.”

Toledo controls its own destiny in the West Division, but still has to beat NIU and Bowling Green. The Rockets’ lone conference loss came the same week NIU lost to BGSU. The Rockets also fell 38-14 to Ball State.

NIU safety Akil Grant and linebacker Javan Lee are probable for Saturday’s game and will be game-time decisions.

NIU’s defense will need to contain Toledo wide receiver Lance Moore, who ranks No. 1 nationally in catches per game at 8.7.

Novak said last year’s final-minute drive by Toledo gave the defense motivation to build on for this year, and Atkinson agreed.

“Forty-one seconds means every play to us now,” the junior linebacker said. “Every play of the season and this game we think about those 41 seconds and finishing hard.”