He wasn’t supposed to be in this situation.

Coming into 2008, redshirt freshman Chandler Harnish expected to compete for NIU’s back-up quarterback position. He anticipated being named second to senior quarterback Dan Nicholson.

Yet, on Aug. 29 Harnish sat in a hotel room in Minneapolis. He knew that the next day would be his. In just 24 hours, the quarterback would make his first college football start.

And if that wasn’t enough pressure, it would be the first game of the season – against Minnesota – at the Metrodome.

Suddenly, the emotions hit.

“It was a surreal experience,” the Bluffton, Ind., native said. “I can’t even explain it.”

The redshirt freshman was full of butterflies. He was anxious. He felt nervous. He didn’t know what to expect.

That’s when his roommate stepped in, one who knew exactly what Harnish was going through.

“He related his experiences,” Harnish said. “He just said ‘It’s going to be fast, but don’t worry about it. Just play your guts out and play football. Just play like it’s a high school game.’ That really helped a lot.”

Harnish’s roommate was Nicholson.

Only four years prior, the product of Brother Rice High School made the move from back-up to starter. While facing Central Michigan during the 2005 season, former NIU quarterback Phil Horvath was injured.

In the heat of the MAC title race, Nicholson, a red-shirt freshman, was thrown into the starting role. And to add pressure, his first college start would be against Toledo – a team the Huskies hadn’t beat since 1989.

Nicholson combated his nerves and butterflies, as the Huskies postseason chance rested in his arm. During a chilly 30-degree night, Nicholson completed 21-of-31 passes for 176-yards and one touchdown in NIU’s 35-17 win over the Rockets. The victory helped propel the Huskies to the 2005 MAC Championship game.

So as Nicholson sat in a hotel room in Minneapolis, he gave Harnish some advice.

“I told him that he was prepared for the game,” the senior said. “He prepares like he’s a senior quarterback.”

With the former starter supporting him, Harnish entered the stadium of 44,029 fans. The butterflies were in his stomach, but he knew he could excel. By the end of the night, he completed 17-of-29 passes for 326-yards and two touchdowns.

But Nicholson has done more than just provide help on the field.

“He’s taught me how to handle the college experience of being the quarterback,” Harnish said. “There’s a lot of pressure [at that position].”

With NIU already doubling its win total from last season, excitement has returned to not just Huskie Stadium but also the campus and community.

“One of my classes, with professor Kolb, there’s 300 students,” Harnish said. “He talks to me before and after class about how excited he is and how much fun it is to watch. It’s just really cool to know that it’s not just the students that care, but it’s the faculty and staff too.”

Despite all of Nicholson’s advice, for life on and off the field, Harnish still gets butterflies before every game. It’s his belief that he’ll never enter a game without these fluttering feelings in his gut.

But because of Nicholson, Harnish has learned how to capture the butterflies and keep them caught in a net and under control.

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