Notre Dame-Northern Illinois: 20 Years of Huskies Challenging College Football Giants

Northern Illinois has historically been a thorn in the paw of big-time competition

Sep 4, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies wide receiver Tyrice Richie (3) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium. / jenn finch-usa today sports

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman started Northern Illinois week by speaking very highly of the second Fighting Irish opponent of the 2024 season.

"We have a really good Northern Illinois team coming here on Saturday," said Freeman, "They've won seven of their last nine games dating back to last year, and they returned 18 starters, right? Nine on offense, nine on defense, and [they] have been very competitive."

Freeman went on to cite that Northern Illinois has a history of beating Power Four opponents which included winning at Boston College last year.

"They beat Georgia Tech in ‘21. So they'll be ready to roll. They're gonna come in here ready to go, and they've had success, so we’ve got to be ready to roll ourselves really have a good week of prep.”

Traditionally Northern Illinois is a team that has given fits to some of college football's elites and that is clearly the goal for the Huskies on Saturday as they sit as a 30-point underdog to Notre Dame.

Below are some of Northern Illinois' most impressive showings against Power Four/Five foes over the years.

2003:
After beating Wake Forest and playing Wisconsin within a field goal the year before, Northern Illinois opened the season with a shocking 20-13 win over No. 15 Maryland. Two weeks later the Huskies upset No. 21 Alabama in Tuscaloosa 19-16.

2004-2008:
Northern Illinois went 0-8 against Power Five competition during this stretch but it is a time that saw the Huskies nearly upset Northwestern (38-37 loss in '05), Minnesota (31-27 loss in '08), and Tennessee (13-9 loss in '08).

Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Kanon Woodill (92) carrins the ball in for a touchdown on a fake field goal against the Arkansas State Red Wolves in first half action in the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday December 23, 2023. / Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

2009-2011:
Northern Illinois won a pair of games of Power Five competition in this stretch, winning 28-21 at Purdue in 2009 and 34-23 at Minnesota a year later. The Huskies also played Illinois within six points in 2010.

2012-2014:
Perhaps the two most memorable years in Northern Illinois football history were 2012 and 2013. The Huskies went all the way to the Orange Bowl in 2012 before nearly making another BCS berth a year later. Those years saw a one-point loss to Iowa, a win over Kansas in 2012 and wins at both Iowa and Purdue a year later. 2014 featured a 23-15 win at Northwestern.

sep 19, 2015; columbus, oh, usa; ohio state buckeyes running back ezekiel elliott (15) runs into northern illinois huskies safety marlon moore (2) and huskies linebacker boomer mays (45)during the second half at ohio stadium. the ohio state buckeyes won 20-13. / joe maiorana-usa today sports

2015: A Nearly Epic Upset
A lot of the teams listed here are solid programs but hardly bluebloods. That's not the case with 2015's example as Northern Illinois went into the Horseshoe and played No. 1 and reigning national champion Ohio State to a 20-13 loss. Five forced turnovers were nearly fatal for the Buckeyes, who survived a major scare from the pesky MAC squad.

2016-2023:
Northern Illinois has knocked off three Power Four/Five teams since 2017 with two of those coming in the last three years. 2017 saw the Huskies walk into Nebraska and take home a 21-17 victory while 2021 had them sting Georgia Tech with a 22-21 win in September. Last year saw the Huskies open the year with a 27-24 win at Boston College.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts:
Of all the games listed above the one that is most in line with the trip to Notre Dame is the 2015 game at No. 1 Ohio State. No, Notre Dame isn't the top-rated team in the nation but must avoid a hangover from the emotional win at Texas A&M to avoid what would be an epic upset. It's worth noting that Ohio State game was the third for the Buckeyes in 12 days to start the year and came a week-and-a-half after an emotional win at Virginia Tech to open the year.

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