From Sept. 28, 1996, to Oct. 17, 1998, NIU didn’t win a game while under coach Joe Novak.

The 23-game losing streak was the longest by any team at that time. However, last year Novak was named MAC Coach of the Year as the Huskies finished in a tie for first place in the west division.

This season Novak is being recognized for the Bobby Dodd Division-IA Coach of the Year award. He is one of nine candidates.

Novak will try and regroup his Huskies (7-1, 3-1 MAC) after their undefeated season was ruined last week at Bowling Green, when Ball State (4-4, 3-1 MAC) comes to Huskie Stadium for a 1:05 p.m. start Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a great honor to even be put in something like that,” the eighth-year Huskie coach said. “Any individual award is really a team award. It’s an honor. I’m thrilled, but I don’t really spend a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year, those are things to think about.”

Novak said his focus is more on NIU’s next opponent, BSU, than the award. The Cardinals are coming off a 38-14 win over Toledo and control their own destiny, something that the Huskies don’t.

“Ball State is not just going to come in here and lay down,” NIU wide receiver Sam Hurd said. “They can still win. They can beat everybody and go out to the MAC Championship. So, we have to beat them. It’s a must-win.”

NIU is coming off its worst defeat since Sept. 7 of last season, when the Huskies lost to South Florida 37-6. NIU lost by 16 points last Saturday, 34-18.

“We can’t dwell on last week,” NIU quarterback Josh Haldi said. “We had a day to kind of think about it, digest it, but you got to move on. It’s part of the game.”

The Huskies average 354.8 yards of total offense, but were held to 226 yards last week.

As for the status of the injured Huskies, defensive end Jason Frank and defensive tackle Travis Moore practiced this week and are listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Defensive tackle Martin Wilson is listed as probable with a right ankle sprain.

Ball State leads the all-time series 17-11-2, but NIU has won the last four meetings.

“They’re playing well right now,” said Novak, of Ball State. “It’s going to be a tough football game. We’re going to have to play real well to win.”