Northern Star Online: Live in-game updates of NIU Football vs. Minnesota

10:25 p.m.
NIU defensive end Larry English was the last person to leave the NIU locker room, even coach Kill left before him. English missed some of the guy due to hurting his hand. The senior said he got his hand tangled up with Minnesota's running back during a play. X-rays were taken, but have not been viewed yet. However, English did play through two quarters with the bad hand, and made his sack during this period.

FINAL SCORE
Minnestoa - 31 NIU - 27

9:11 p.m.
Time for one, or maybe two plays left...

9:04 p.m.
Minnesota has a tough choice, fourth-and-one. If they go for it and make it, it would appear the game would be over. If they make the field goal most likely the game is extended to overtime. It's a tough choice, if I'm the coach I go for OT. But if the players are tired you have to go for the win now. The game comes down to this play.

8:55 p.m.
The turnover margin is equal now as NIU forces a fumble. Some Minnesota fans are starting to get up and leave although there's more than five minutes left in the game.

8:46 p.m.
For the first time in the game, at 8:09 in the fourth quarter, NIU takes the lead. Harnish hits fellow red-shirt Nathan Palmer for his second touchdown of the game. The first was 91-yards, the second was 53-yards. For the game Palmer has 170-yards.

Harnish is showing that he can handle pressure. Minnesota decided to bring five, six, and seven guys on the line during the Huskies' last drive. After taking a couple hits, Harnish took control and made the Gophers pay, as they only had man-to-man coverage.

NIU - 27 Minnesota - 24

8:38 p.m.
About English's sack. If you see a replay, look at how far off the edge of the tackle English is. He gave himself a direct line to the quarterback that the offensive tackle couldn't guard against.
Also, nice fake by Me'co Brown, to make the kicking team believe he was going to fair catch the ball. That smart play just gave NIU about an extra 10 yards of field position to work with.

8:34 p.m.
Larry English just picked up his first of probably many sacks on the year for a nine yard Gopher loss.

8:15 p.m.
A three-and-out by Minnesota is exactly what the Huskie defense needed to regain some confidence.

8:11 p.m.
Minnesota's inablity to tackle let NIU break out a 91-yard touchdown pass. Once again, this game is about fundementals. Those who make the fewest mistakes usually win the game.
Minnesota - 24 NIU - 20

8:03 p.m.
All it's taken was 11 seconds for Minnesota to break this game wide open. A 61-yard touchdown run by Gopher running back Duane Bennett was a showcase of great blocks and missed tackles. If NIU wants to get back into this it will have to score touchdowns, the Huskies can no longer settle for field goals during offensive drives.
Minnesota - 24 NIU - 13

8:00 p.m.
A question coming into this season was who would replace NIU place kicker Chris Nendick. Well, with a 49-yard field goal I believe Winona State transfer Mike Salerno has shown that his feet are big enough to fill the empty shoe.
Minnesota - 17 NIU - 13

7:30 p.m.
Minnesota was content to go into the locker room with the score tied at the half. Fans of the Golden Gophers shared some frustration as the booed the decision not to go for the end zone.

Once again we see special teams will be a key under the Jerry Kill regime. A key block on a punt gave NIU the chance for the lead. The Huskies weren't able to convert the blocked punt into seven points, but did get three to tie the game at 10 a piece.

We also saw on the last kick off of the half the improvement of tackling. Tracy Wilson tackled Minnesota's return man at the Golden Gopher's 16-yard line. On the previous kickoff Minnesota was allowed to return the kick to its own 37-yard line.

Key observations from the first half
Chandler Harnish is showing that he can run the Huskies' offense and is making smart decisions on the field. Harnish is seven-for-nine for 73 yards and 22 rushing yards.

Justin Anderson has been improving as the game is going. This also show that the offensive line is improving as the game continues. Anderson has 34 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Larry English is being pushed on the outside by Minnesota's offensive line. He's come close to catching his pray, but has yet to get to the quarterback.

NIU has limited its mistakes to two - a false start and a fumble. The false start worked out, as NIU continued the drive and finished it with a touchdown. However, the fumble by Montell Clanton at midfield lead to the Gopher's field goal and ended a promising looking drive.

NIU - 10 Minnesota - 10

7:11 p.m.
Just a few minutes after Montell Clanton's fumble, the Huskies answer with a big play of their own. With the Gophers punting from their own 36, Chad Spann came up with a key punt block. The Huskies were just stopped on third down and Jerry Kill is attempting whether to try for a field goal or go for it on 4th down.

7:02 p.m.
Hey, Steve Nitz here reporting from the Metrodome. In what looked like another Eric Decker touchdown, the Huskies were saved by a great pass breakup by cornerback Melvin Rice, holding Minnesota to a field goal.
Minnesota-10, NIU-7

6:50 p.m.
After an opening drive in which the Huskie defense allowed four third down conversions, NIU has settled down, keeping Minnesota's offense to two three-and-outs.

6:44 p.m.
NIU scores on a 3-yard rush by Justin Anderson. The key play of the drive though was a long pass from Harnish to wide receiver Matt Simon. However, it was Anderson who provided a key block to allow Harnish the time to throw the pass to the wide open Simon, which created a first-and-goal from the nine-yard line. We also saw NIU coach Jerry Kill use the wide receiver screen against the Minnesota defense, something the Gophers have been using against the Huskie defense too.
Minnesota - 7 NIU - 7

6:34 p.m.
NIU defensive end Mike Kritikos forced pressure on Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber on a third-and-five. He wasn't able to finish the play and force a sack, but it was enough to make Weber throw an INC pass and get the defense off the field. However, NIU cannot get flags for mistakes such as false starts if it wants to be successful, as the offense finish the first quarter with a false start.
End of the First
Minnesota - 7 NIU - 0

6:21 p.m.
NIU runningback Justin Anderson will be the halfback on the first snap and freshman quarterback Chandler Harnish will take the snap.

6:17 p.m.
In the first drive of the game, Minnesota was 4-for-4 in fourth down conversion, converting a third-and-5, third-and-2, third-and-6, and a third-and-goal from the eight yard line. To be successful the Huskie defense must make stop on third downs.
Minn. - 7 NIU - 0

6:03 p.m.
Wide receivers Matt Simon, Britt Davis, and defensive ends Larry English and Craig Rusch call tails on the coin flip. The coin lands heads. The Gophers decided to receive. Here we go...

5:32 p.m.
A quick twist, senior quarterback Dan Nicholson is on the field and is throwing passes to wide receivers. It looks like Nicholson will be starting the game.

5:27 p.m.
Hello Huskie fans, Ben Gross here at NIU's season opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Both Minnesota and NIU are on the field warming up. Huskie quarterbacks Chandler Harnish and Brandon Rogers are warming up, but senior quarterback Dan Nicholson is not on the field. No official word if Nicholson is not starting, but it appears the 2008 season will start in the hands of Harnish.