Today in College Football History (Aug. 28): NIU Puts The Chill on Maryland’s Fridge

A warning for all the BCS conference powers that open Week 1 with a significant underdog: you cannot take anyone lightly. Maryland opened the 2003 season having represented the ACC in the 2002 Orange Bowl and sporting the No. 14 ranking. Opening week meant a date with Northern Illinois from the MAC, seemingly a tune-up for the talented Terrapins. Interestingly enough, UM was going to DeKalb. There is a reason few Big Six programs are willing to go into non-AQ territory. This game is Exhibit A.

UM had reason to not take NIU lightly. Aside from the old coaching cliche of taking every game one at a time, the Huskies had ACC precedent with the previous season’s defeat of Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons welcomed the Huskies in for their own opening week tilt, only to fall to the MAC program 42-41 in overtime. But lightning couldn’t strike twice, right?

Right?

Well, it sort of didn’t. At least, not in the same fashion. See, the previous season’s Week 1 upset was an offensive shootout. This time around, NIU relied on a stout defense to perplex and frustrate its ACC foe. The effort was needed, because a Terrapin defense featuring Shawne Merriman and Domonique Foxworth was game for NIU. The Huskies managed just 60 yards rushing. Michael Turner had 90 — negative yards accrued as a result of the Terrapins’ blitz-heavy scheme rolled back the team’s overall output — but it took 30 carries to reach that mark.

But the offensive woes plaguing NIU dwarfed in comparison to those challenging Maryland. UM quarterback Scott McBrien struggled reading the Huskies’ zone and completed just 12 of 24 pass attempts. Most completions were short range dumps to avoid the rush, thus resulting in just 110 yards. The Terrapin ground game wasn’t much better, gaining a combined 112 yards. With just over 200 total yards of offense, points were obviously scarce.

In fact, Josh Allen’s touchdown rush 6:17 into the first quarter was Maryland’s sole touchdown of that Thursday night. Nick Novak hit a pair of field goals, though both were long given UM was unable to get too deep into Husky territory.

The second Novak make, a 50-yarder midway through the fourth quarter, gave UM its first lead since Allen reached paydirt. It set up an excruciatingly time-consuming NIU drive. Down 13-10, the Huskies started in the shadow of their goal line, the 8-yard line. Josh Haldi led NIU on a methodical movement: 84 yards in 18 plays, chomping over seven minutes from the game clock.

The drive finally stalled within the Terrapin 10, bringing on Steve Azer. Azer had been scarcely needed, having hit a 52-yarder early in the night and connected on the PAT following a Haldi-to-PJ Fleck touchdown in the second quarter. He was 25 yards from the goal posts, a tough attempt when lined up to the side. But Azer was good, and the game was tied.

On the ensuing Terrapin possession, UM was stifled as it had been all night and NIU got the ball back with a shot at victory. Once again, the Huskies went into Maryland territory and brought on Azer. There was just one second left, just enough time to get off the kick, which Azer did. But UM pounced through the line and got the block, forcing overtime and seemingly saving its preseason rank.

Ah, but remember that about lightning striking twice?

Second verse, same as the first: NIU made the most of overtime, scoring quickly on its first possession. Haldi threw his second touchdown of the night — any time one quarterback accounts for 67 percent of all TDs scored, it’s a good showing. His encore was a 20-yarder to Dan Sheldon that gave NIU a 20-13 lead, and UM the ball.

The Terrapins were stuck in the same rut they had been all night, stymied by the NIU defense and unable to get the touchdown necessary to force another frame. NIU won, which would be the first of two top 25 upsets for it that season. The Huskies went on to knock off Alabama two weeks later.

Maryland fans’ souring on Ralph Friedgen can also be traced back to this game. Though Fridge lasted another seven years, the Terrapins never again reached the pinnacle they were at heading into this nationally televised showdown. Nevermind the success UM had under him, at a near-program best level just prior and consistently thereafter. The win exposed a kink in the armor that only last year with Danny O’Brien did UM start to rectify: that is, the play of its quarterbacks.