If NIU can sink Navy, bowl berth very likely

When most of Northern Illinois' 20 seniors signed with the school in February 2004, they swept into DeKalb in the immediate wake of program-altering wins over Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State.

Despite those revelatory victories that enabled NIU to scale as high as No. 10 in the BCS rankings, plenty of goals remained for Larry English, Jon Brost and the others to fulfill.

For example, NIU still sought its first bowl game since 1983.

That dry spell ended when the Huskies won the 2004 Silicon Valley Bowl. Then NIU got to play in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl, too.

Now, as the seniors prepare for their final regular-season game today against Navy (6 p.m., ESPN Classic), there's one last bowl game on the line.

If the slightly favored Huskies (6-5) can handle the Midshipmen (6-4), they essentially clinch a bowl berth to be determined in the days ahead.

"Well, it's definitely bittersweet," said Brost, a fifth-year right tackle who will make his 47th career start. "It's not fun that it's your last game, but we've possibly got a lot to look forward to.

"It's pretty exciting that in your last year you could get to a bowl game."

Especially after the Huskies went 2-10 last year and then adjusted to the end of the Joe Novak era and the beginning of Jerry Kill's reign.

Kill brought in his entire staff from Southern Illinois while retaining just two of Novak's assistants. All those new eyes evaluated every NIU player with no preconceived notions.

That reduced the roles for some players (such as senior wideout Britt Davis and his 143 career catches as well as 1,000-yard rusher Justin Anderson) while granting others new life.

"This new coaching staff has been an adjustment at first," said middle linebacker Tim McCarthy, who flourished during his five years despite dealing with diabetes and several injuries.

"But I'm real pleased with how this season has progressed. The team has come together. There have been many people who have taken a back seat, per se, or more of a team-player role to help the team with success."

Even senior defensive end Larry English, the reigning Mid-American Conference MVP, settled for fewer snaps this year as the Huskies' depth improved.

Despite breaking his thumb in the season opener and being forced to wear a cast ever since, English found enough time to set the school's career records for sacks (311/2) and tackles for loss (61).

In January, the 2004 Marmion Academy graduate will become the fifth Huskie to play in the Senior Bowl. But that's the last thing on his mind today.

"This place has built a lot of the person I am now," English said. "I definitely would have to say (my best memories) are the relationships I made with players and friends. We're going to be friends for life."

And, if things work out tonight, they'll get to be teammates for another month, too.