Champaign — As strangers in the strange land of big-time college football, NIU looked more like contenders and less like upset specialists.

Then again, in a game where missed opportunities outnumbered big plays by a substantial margin, the winner sighs and the loser is left thinking of what might have been.

NIU knows very well what might have been.

In a defensive struggle Saturday with more than just a simple unplayed rivalry on the line, Illinois truly survived NIU 17-12, but not before the Huskies planted a seed of doubt into every naysayer that filled Champaign.

“We’re good enough now to win a game like this,” said NIU coach Joe Novak, as the reminders of NIU’s 23-game losing streak a few years back slowly fade from the rear-view mirror.

But just mention “moral victory” around tailback Thomas Hammock — don’t expect smiles and shoulder shrugs.

“I’m not into moral victories,” he said after piling up 23 carries and 111 net yards. “I’m into winning.”

And in a time when every Mid-American Conference school battles for recognition, not capitalizing in a big game with television coverage only can be called a disappointment.

“We have an empty feeling in our stomachs because we played hard,” said wide receiver P.J. Fleck. “It was a missed opportunity and you don’t get many opportunities.”

Missed opportunities were the main course for the first half, however. Both teams blew chances to score in two quarters that kindly would be called a war of attrition. Botched punts, big plays followed by stumbles and poor decisions all led to a 3-3 halftime score and plenty of head-scratching from anxious Illini fans.

A momentum shift late in the third quarter eventually led to the Huskies’ undoing, but not before scrappily putting that 17-12 final score in doubt.

The lack of an offensive big-play threat meant little hope for a comeback. But using a methodical attack with four minutes left, the offense started carving even more into the preventative Illini defense. Then, the big strike happened: a Chris Finlen 26-yard touchdown pass to Darrell Hill into the corner of the endzone. But with only a quick 1:12 left, the Huskies needed the luck of a ball bounce, and snatched it.

An unorthodox onside kick ended up looking perfectly planned. After two Huskies faked like they were going to kick the ball, Steve Azar brushed the ball and sent it bounding in the air. Tight end Matt Dunker snagged the ball, giving the Huskies little extra hope.

The depleted game clock hurt the Huskies just as much as the Illini pass defense, however. Finlen threw four straight incompletions, and Illini fans finally could breathe again.

A testy measure of momentum would tell you Illinois, on the heels of a blowout at California, shifted the game in their favor with a small yellow flag. After the Illini botched a chip-shot field goal attempt, NIU looked like the big conference powerhouse. Hammock and a timely catch by Hill helped the Huskies drive downfield and look for a touchdown that could have put the game out of reach.

But a 15-yard personal foul call on flanker Turner Pugh was followed by a sack of Finlen, awakening the Illini and their faithful Orange Krush fans. And with two strikes, a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Walter Young and 2-yard floater to wide receiver Carey Davis, Heisman-hyped quarterback Kurt Kittner helped Illinois lead for good with a 17-6 margin.

“That is a stupid, stupid penalty,” Novak said. “That is a lack of poise.”

Despite the two touchdown passes, the Huskie defense made much of Kittner’s 241 yards unsubstantial. The dreaded Illini wide receiver corps, led by Brandon Lloyd, broke through on a couple occasions, but couldn’t burn the secondary like South Florida had just a week earlier.

Lloyd ended up with 126 yards on seven receptions, including a 41-yard strike in the first quarter.

While the defense prepared for the big strike, NIU’s offense just chugged along. Alternating Hammock and Michael Turner allowed the offense to gain yardage without putting too much pass pressure on Finlen, and the Huskies consistently penetrated Illinois’ side of the field.

The scoring chances didn’t go as smoothly, however. Placekicker Steve Azar’s 44-yard attempt was blocked in the first quarter, and a 29-yarder was shanked/blocked as well with 42 seconds left in the half and halftime momentum on the line.

“For us, running is our thing … but we couldn’t punch it in,” said Turner.

Big games demand punching it in, though, and Novak said capitalizing on those chances is the difference between a respected team and the unknown that plays just well enough to compete.

“The way we are going to get more respect is by winning these games,” said Novak.