Northern Illinois Upset of Notre Dame Plants a New Flag for Huskies & MAC

Northern Illinois has scored plenty of landmark wins in the last two decades, but the Huskies have never flown their flag higher than with their 16-14 win at Notre Dame.

What’s more, the Northern Illinois win under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus raised the banner for the Mid-American Conference to unprecedented heights at a crucial time for the league. 

Deeming a win on the first Saturday of September the biggest in a program’s history may be premature. Northern Illinois has, after all, been to the Orange Bowl. 

Saturday’s win even has competition to be deemed NIU’s best early-season win this century, with the 2003 team beating a Maryland side that went on to win 10 games, 20-14 in overtime. And after winning, the 2003 Huskies defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Those Northern Illinois victories more than 20 years ago were forerunners to the MAC introducing in 2018 a Jolly Roger for the league’s teams that beat power-conference opponents. Never before or since has the flag, literal or figurative, flown over top five-ranked competition. 

Likewise, no MAC upset has ever had possible national championship implications; certainly not for the MAC.

With the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 bids and the MAC champion having a viable path into the field, Northern Illinois established the early pace for the Group of Five automatic berth. 

The Huskies got help to that end. A few hours after Cade Haberman’s block of a Mitch Jeter desperation field goal attempt sealed NIU’s win in Notre Dame Stadium, No. 7-ranked Oregon’s game-ending field goal to hold off Boise State was good. 

The Broncos proved their toughness, returning to vintage Boise State and taking the fight to a power opponent. Running back Ashton Jeanty did nothing to diminish his case to be the first non-power conference Heisman Trophy finalist, rolling up 192 yards and three touchdowns in the 37-34 loss. 

But with his role against Notre Dame, Northern Illinois’ Antario Brown capitalized on the national spotlight to insert himself into the same conversation with 99 yards rushing and 126 receiving. 

Eighty-three of Brown’s receiving yards came on a first-quarter touchdown that provided the Huskies with the catalyst to pull ahead of the Fighting Irish. 

“He is one of the best backs in the country if he wants to be,” coach Thomas Hammock said. “Did I believe he could have a game like this? I did. And we were going to plan it that way. He was cramping up in the second half, and we didn’t use him a lot, but I said, ‘you did more than enough to help us be in position to win the game.’”

One of the best backs in the country is a label that implies Brown could be a Heisman contender in his own right. It was Northern Illinois’ own Jordan Lynch, after all, who last represented the non-power leagues in New York 11 years ago. 

Lynch became part of that race thanks in part to his play the previous season, leading NIU to its aforementioned Orange Bowl appearance. The 2012 Huskies fulfilled the promise denied MAC predecessors like Marshall in 1999 and Miami (OH), which emerged atop the conference in NIU’s memorable 2003. 

And one of those teams ever had any reasonable pathway to the national title. 

Western Michigan followed in 2016, becoming the only MAC representative to reach one of the New Year’s Six bowls during the four-team Playoff era. But like Northern Illinois against Florida State in the Orange Bowl, the Broncos fell short against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. 

Saturday’s win was so significant because this was Northern Illinois taking the stage where previous MAC teams fell short and shined. Hammock’s tearful, postgame interview with NBC captured the gravity of the moment — a moment that has the potential to be a signature of college football’s new era. 

Much depends on how Northern Illinois performs for its next 10 games; that goes for Notre Dame, too. The Fighting Irish rallying for a season more like Maryland’s 2003 after seeing Northern Illinois than like Alabama’s 4-9 finish that year dictates how Saturday’s game will be remembered. 

Until further notice, however, it’s the biggest win ever for Northern Illinois and its conference.