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Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
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NIU05 Offline
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Post: #21
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
35 yard line , 49 rows up in the Alabama section. What a night!
09-21-2021 01:15 PM
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Beach Boy Offline
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Post: #22
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Drove to the Convo to watch the game on the big screens. Those who were there went nuts. It was the U of Alabama feed, and I expected the announcers to be a couple of good ole boys. But they were young, knowledgable and relatively objective. Then there was the commercial for the boxed set of VHS Crimson Tide historic highlights. Hawking those tapes was none other then Kenny "The Snake" Stabler. I guess they couldn't afford Joe Namath. All in all, a great night for Huskie football, no matter where you watched it.
09-21-2021 07:51 PM
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oilgasusa Offline
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Post: #23
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
I was there with 2 buddy’s that went to Alabama. They tailgated a half mile at least around the stadium. Lots of RVs, most peopl stayed in their RVs and watched the game. We caught them in a down year when Shula was the coach. Michael Turner ran wild. Everyone was cool at the game, very friendly, no bad mouthing. Went to a fraternity house (one of my buddy’s son’s fraternity) after the game. Cases of beer stacked on one wall, and they had a southern rock band. What a nite.
(This post was last modified: 09-21-2021 08:00 PM by oilgasusa.)
09-21-2021 07:57 PM
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numbersdontlie Offline
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Post: #24
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Went to a concert in Chicago but had my roommates tape the game on VHS in the dorm. Got out of the concert and couldn't believe we had won! Raced home to watch the game on tape.

Still have the tape somewhere I think along with tapes of niu vs Maryland (2003) and vs bgsu in 2002 when urban Meyer was the HC and brought his ranked falcons to Huskie stadium.

Huskie stadium is where ranked teams come to die.
(This post was last modified: 09-22-2021 05:11 AM by numbersdontlie.)
09-21-2021 08:19 PM
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HuskieJoe Offline
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Post: #25
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Was at the game. With HuskieMobileMan

Greatest Toad Trip of All Time
09-21-2021 10:14 PM
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HuskieJoe Offline
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Post: #26
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
September 20, 2003
——————————
18 years ago (yesterday)

A day that NIU football fans will never forget.
The day that transformed me into an NIU football super fan.
The day the Huskies rolled the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa
And I was there

2003 was a special year
- The Huskiemobile was born
- Following the Huskiemobile’s inaugural tailgate on that epic Thursday night (August 30, 2003), the most raucous crowd I have ever seen at Huskie Stadium propelled the Huskies to a 20-13 overtime win over #13 Maryland
- Three weeks later the Huskies rolled into Tuscaloosa at 2-0. Alabama was ranked #21 after having won their division the year before and barely lost to #1 Oklahoma the week before
- I hadn’t gone to many road games at that point ... just to Northwestern and Western Michigan. But something was calling me to Alabama. It was Alabama. The home of the Bear. Where many National Championships has been won.

And the trip began
- HuskiemobileMan (HMM) and I left the NW burbs at 6 am Friday morning and pulled into Tuscaloosa at 3 pm. That’s 750 miles in 9 hours with two stops, pretty good time. That’s averaging 83 mph, including stops. HMM drove pretty fast, including a couple burns well into the triple digits to leave a car pacing behind us in the dust. Luckily we don’t drive like that anymore.
- The drive from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa was nothing but cars with Alabama flags on the windows. Seemed like the whole state was headed into Tuscaloosa
- That evening we headed to the Hounds Tooth bar to meet up with fellow Huskie fans, including GoHuskies and his brother who had also made the trip. The Hounds Tooth bar served one (several) of the best Long Islands I have ever ordered from a bar.
- It was amazing talking to Alabama students and alums, they were friendly and welcoming. Southern hospitality like it reads from a dictionary and unlike anything I’ve experienced traveling to any Big10 city.
- After the Hounds Tooth bar, we weren’t in a condition to drive. There was no Uber, and no Google Maps on the phone. So I pulled the paper map out of my back pocket and HMM and I walked what we thought would be a couple miles back to the hotel. But it was actually about 6 miles

Game day
- We hopped from bar to bar watching lots of college football games. It was the greatest day ever for MAC football. Marshall took down #6 Kansas State. Turdledo took down #25 Pitt. And Bowling Green just missed taking down Ohio State. And I was starting to think, NIU just might have a real shot to Roll the Tide
-
The game was played Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
- Early in the game, Bama drove the field and scored a TD. I was thinking uh oh, this might get ugly. But then one of the strangest plays I have ever seen happened. NIU blocked the extra point, picked it up and took it to the house for a 2 point conversion. So instead of being 7-0, it was 6-2. And that 3 point swing ended up being the difference in the game.
- Bama only scored another FG as NIU had the lead most of the game. The Bama defense has no answer for Michael “The Burner” Turner and the Huskie defense was up to the task. NIU went up 19-9 in the 4Q
- Then the Alabama RB, Shaud Williams, made a 60 yd TD run. During that run, the Bama fans had the most deafening cheer I have heard to this day.
- The game momentum had swung, and I thought for sure Bama would rally for the win. But the Huskie defense held, and the 19-16 victory was in the books. Would have been 17-17 if you take away the blocked extra point returned for 2
- As we leave the stadium, never thought 83,000 people could be so quiet. And HMM being HMM, is singing the Huskie Fight song under his breath. I told him to cut it out or we might get out butts kicked. And just then a Bama fan comes up and congratulates us on the win.
- After the game, we headed back to the Hounds Tooth bar for more celebratory Long Islands with other Huskie fans. And received many compliments from the Bama fans and students.


I will never forget that trip to Alabama, it was and will always be THE GREATEST ROAD TRIP EVER!
09-21-2021 10:23 PM
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sarasotahuskie Offline
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Post: #27
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Was at a bar in Boston where there was a shocking lack of interest in college football. Kept my eyes glued to the crawl on the one game they did have on.
09-22-2021 05:59 PM
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BDB5yp Offline
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Post: #28
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
I was watching it on a small TV in a Douglas dorm room. Freaking out!!!
09-25-2021 06:00 PM
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bikechuck Offline
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Post: #29
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
I began listening to it on radio (internet) in Columbus, Ohio because I could only see it on pay for view and I did not want to pay to watch them lose. Then a few plays into the game my wife (a tOSU grad) told me to pony up and watch the game. So happy that I did so.

Later in the season we drove up to watch the BGSU game which did not turn out so well. I always felt that losing Nick Duffy was a fatal blow to what could have been a magical season.
09-25-2021 06:17 PM
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Huckin' Fuskie Offline
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Post: #30
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
I was in a sports bar in Atlanta with hundreds of 'Bama fans. There were four NIU alum at a table (keeping quite), and I sat at a side bar. I had to force myself not to react every time NIU recovered a fumble or made a first down or score because I really would have been punched out.

To make things worse, NIU won, in part, because of loads of Alabama miscues, so that made it even more frustrating for the fans and more obnoxious for NIU fans to gloat/cheer. I was actually worried about my safety at one point - those people are nuts. My boss was a huge 'Bama fan, as well, and he glared at me for weeks (like many other Southerners, he didn't believe in Memorial Day and couldn't figure out why we would give the employees the day off for a "Yankee holiday."
09-25-2021 06:26 PM
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MiamiHuskie Offline
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Post: #31
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
It's the only way I can remember my nephew's wedding anniversary.
Went to Illinois for the wedding, and was unable to keep up with the game (no smart phones in those days obviously).

Went back to the hotel room, only slightly under the influence.....okay, maybe more than slightly.

Turned on ESPN, and saw the scroll "NIU 19 ALABAMA 16".

I swore right then to swear off alcohol because I thought I was hallucinating, then it it was the number one story of the night.

80K people, very quiet.
09-26-2021 03:53 PM
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7huskie6 Offline
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Post: #32
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Played golf at River Heights in the afternoon and went to what I think was Molly's for the game. Couldn't believe it.
09-27-2021 09:33 PM
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Splooie99 Offline
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Post: #33
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
And what do you think just popped into my mind.
Herby (who may not have been out of diapers yet) saying NIU doesn't deserve to be playing AL.....
Yes, you guessed it. I wasn't a Herby fan before the Orange Bowl and since then, I can barely watch the Saturday morning show.
I must miss the days when we would truly think we had a chance against the Michigan's of the world. The GT win was nice, but losing to MI was awful to watch.
09-28-2021 07:50 AM
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deepsouthhuskie Offline
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Post: #34
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
At the game!! The celebration at the hotel bar after the game was packed with the players parents and Huskie fans!
04-cheers
09-28-2021 11:55 AM
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StevenNIU Offline
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Post: #35
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
(09-21-2021 10:23 PM)HuskieJoe Wrote:  September 20, 2003
——————————
18 years ago (yesterday)

A day that NIU football fans will never forget.
The day that transformed me into an NIU football super fan.
The day the Huskies rolled the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa
And I was there

2003 was a special year
- The Huskiemobile was born
- Following the Huskiemobile’s inaugural tailgate on that epic Thursday night (August 30, 2003), the most raucous crowd I have ever seen at Huskie Stadium propelled the Huskies to a 20-13 overtime win over #13 Maryland
- Three weeks later the Huskies rolled into Tuscaloosa at 2-0. Alabama was ranked #21 after having won their division the year before and barely lost to #1 Oklahoma the week before
- I hadn’t gone to many road games at that point ... just to Northwestern and Western Michigan. But something was calling me to Alabama. It was Alabama. The home of the Bear. Where many National Championships has been won.

And the trip began
- HuskiemobileMan (HMM) and I left the NW burbs at 6 am Friday morning and pulled into Tuscaloosa at 3 pm. That’s 750 miles in 9 hours with two stops, pretty good time. That’s averaging 83 mph, including stops. HMM drove pretty fast, including a couple burns well into the triple digits to leave a car pacing behind us in the dust. Luckily we don’t drive like that anymore.
- The drive from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa was nothing but cars with Alabama flags on the windows. Seemed like the whole state was headed into Tuscaloosa
- That evening we headed to the Hounds Tooth bar to meet up with fellow Huskie fans, including GoHuskies and his brother who had also made the trip. The Hounds Tooth bar served one (several) of the best Long Islands I have ever ordered from a bar.
- It was amazing talking to Alabama students and alums, they were friendly and welcoming. Southern hospitality like it reads from a dictionary and unlike anything I’ve experienced traveling to any Big10 city.
- After the Hounds Tooth bar, we weren’t in a condition to drive. There was no Uber, and no Google Maps on the phone. So I pulled the paper map out of my back pocket and HMM and I walked what we thought would be a couple miles back to the hotel. But it was actually about 6 miles

Game day
- We hopped from bar to bar watching lots of college football games. It was the greatest day ever for MAC football. Marshall took down #6 Kansas State. Turdledo took down #25 Pitt. And Bowling Green just missed taking down Ohio State. And I was starting to think, NIU just might have a real shot to Roll the Tide
-
The game was played Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
- Early in the game, Bama drove the field and scored a TD. I was thinking uh oh, this might get ugly. But then one of the strangest plays I have ever seen happened. NIU blocked the extra point, picked it up and took it to the house for a 2 point conversion. So instead of being 7-0, it was 6-2. And that 3 point swing ended up being the difference in the game.
- Bama only scored another FG as NIU had the lead most of the game. The Bama defense has no answer for Michael “The Burner” Turner and the Huskie defense was up to the task. NIU went up 19-9 in the 4Q
- Then the Alabama RB, Shaud Williams, made a 60 yd TD run. During that run, the Bama fans had the most deafening cheer I have heard to this day.
- The game momentum had swung, and I thought for sure Bama would rally for the win. But the Huskie defense held, and the 19-16 victory was in the books. Would have been 17-17 if you take away the blocked extra point returned for 2
- As we leave the stadium, never thought 83,000 people could be so quiet. And HMM being HMM, is singing the Huskie Fight song under his breath. I told him to cut it out or we might get out butts kicked. And just then a Bama fan comes up and congratulates us on the win.
- After the game, we headed back to the Hounds Tooth bar for more celebratory Long Islands with other Huskie fans. And received many compliments from the Bama fans and students.


I will never forget that trip to Alabama, it was and will always be THE GREATEST ROAD TRIP EVER!

This is pretty cool, Thanks for sharing,
09-28-2021 06:47 PM
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Flying Corn Offline
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Post: #36
RE: Where were you when NIU beat Alabama in 2003?
Listening on the radio to WLBK in my friend's garage in Cortland. We had a piece of cardboard on an air hockey table on which we'd drawn yard lines, and we were moving a quarter along it to indicate the position of the ball per Bill Baker's melodious description.

Absolutely delirious at the end..02-13-banana
09-29-2021 10:03 PM
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