Troy University Athletics
Trojans Ready For Challenge From Huskies
12/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
The Troy Trojans have traveled more than 2,300 miles west, to San Jose, California, to play in the first bowl game in school history.
The invitation to play in the Silicon Valley Football Classic against Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference, can be looked upon and the culmination of a building process that started many years ago. The move from Division II power to I-AA national contender to Division I-A took more than a decade, and culminates on the national stage of a bowl game.
The Trojans closed the regular season with a four-game win streak, capped by a victory over Middle Tennessee in the "Battle for the Palladium". During the win streak the team allowed just 10 points per game and forced its four opponents into 16 turnovers.
It is the first four-game win streak for the Trojans since moving to Division I-A. The last time Troy won at least four straight football games was during the 2000 season as a member of the Southland Football League. That year the Trojans won six straight.
The Trojans will continue to rely on a defensive unit ranked first in the nation in interceptions and second in turnovers forced. Troy also ranks in the top 10 in the country in rush defense (7th), scoring defense (8th) and yards per play defense (8th). The Trojans also rank 8th nationally in kickoff returns and 10th in both turnover margin and pass efficiency defense.
The Huskies of Northern Illinois will pose quite a challenge for the Trojans. NIU has scored at least 34 points in a game seven times this year and ranks in the top 15 in the country in scoring offense, rush offense and total offense.
NIU finished the season in a three-way tie for the West Division title in the Mid-American Conference. It was their second straight co-championship.
Huskies coach Joe Novak took over a program in 1996 that had suffered five straight losing seasons. After winning just three of his first 33 games, things slowly started to turn around in DeKalb.
After a 5-6 record in 1999 the Huskies started a streak of five straight winning seasons. During that streak NIU has earned victories over the likes of Wake Forest, Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State. During the 2003 season the Huskies started the year 7-0 and reached as high as No. 12 in the national polls.
Former Huskies coaches have included Lee Corso (1984) and Bill Mallory (1980-83). Corso posted a 4-6-1 record during his only season in DeKalb.
