Sports Reporter September 22. Remember that day? I do. September 22 was the last time NIU won a football game.

Back-to-back losses to Marshall and Toledo have put the Huskies below .500 for the first time since a 31-14 defeat at the hands of Auburn on Sept. 23 of last year.

Don’t get me wrong, Marshall and Toledo are excellent teams, but will NIU ever be able to compete at their level? Judging from the last few years, no.

So that brings us to today. NIU stands with a 2-3 record and six games remaining. With the tough part of the schedule in the rearview mirror, the Huskies can legitimately win the rest of their games. I’m not saying that this will happen, but it is a realistic goal.

Tomorrow’s foe, Kent State, enters the contest with a 1-4 record, 0-2 in the conference. Their only win came against D-IAA Bucknell.

Well, chalk one up for the Huskies, right? Not so fast!

The outcome all depends on which NIU offense shows up at Dix Stadium on Saturday.

The inconsistent group has seen the best and the worst of times so far this season. In the games NIU has won this season, the offense has been superb.

Three-year captain and senior quarterback Chris Finlen has been at his best in the wins. Finlen has thrown four touchdowns and no interceptions in the games against Sam Houston State and South Florida.

As impressive as the stats have been in the wins, they have been just as bad in the losses.

When Finlen was pushed into throwing situations, as he was against Illinois, Toledo and Marshall, he struggled. The Rockton native has thrown all six of his interceptions this year in games NIU has lost.

“Chris is our guy,” head coach Joe Novak said. “We are going to ride him ‘til the end.”

The lack of offense doesn’t rest squarely in the hands of Finlen. But I do think if he plays a better football game, NIU goes into Champaign and leaves with a win.

Finlen played uptight and continuously made mistakes that eventually led to an NIU loss. For someone who has played in as many big games as he has, he didn’t handle himself like the seasoned veteran he is.

But, before you go off telling your friends some reporter from the Star bashed NIU’s top dog, let me explain.

NIU can’t keep falling behind in football games — it doesn’t have the big play potential to score a lot of points in a little amount of time. Putting unnecessary pressure on Finlen produces bad results. The young offensive line needs to grow up in a hurry and do a better job of protecting #19. During the Toledo game, Finlen continuously was knocked to the ground and even received four stitches in his throwing hand. Like a true warrior, Finlen returned out of the locker room with the stitches sewn tightly in his hand and finished out the game.

NIU needs to start playing consistent football. A beat-up Chris Finlen needs to lead this team. Kent State could be the start. It’s time for the Huskies to show what they really are made of.