Chris Finlen has waited five years to beat Toledo.

The senior quarterback will get his last chance Saturday as the Huskies (2-1 overall, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) head to the Glass Bowl to face the Rockets. And the Huskies have

something to prove — the Rockets came to Huskie Stadium last season and left with the 38-24 win.

“I have been here awhile and I haven’t beaten Toledo,” he said. “None of us have. They are the cream of the crop in our conference. If we want to go to the MAC championship and

get to a bowl game, we have to go through them: the Toledos, the Marshalls, the Western Michigans. All of us are ready to step up to that challenge.”

The game also will feature the matchup of NIU tailback Thomas Hammock and Toledo tailback Chester Taylor. Taylor leads the MAC with 449 yards and 10 touchdowns. Hammock

is nine yards short of the lead with 440 yards, and is in second place.

Toledo, who is ranked No. 25 by the Associated Press, holds a 22-6 series lead over the Huskies, owns a seven-game winning streak and has outscored NIU 229-98 in those seven

games. At the Glass Bowl, the Rockets hold a 14-1 record over the Huskies.

“The tough part of the schedule is coming up now,” said NIU coach Joe Novak. “We are going to have to keep improving. We are going to have to play better when we go over to

Toledo.”

Novak knows if the Huskies want to show they belong in the MAC, they have to beat the Rockets.

“This is what it’s all about,” he said. “They were picked to win our division. This is a challenge we are excited to have. And the kids are ready to.”