Thomas Hammock had every emotion rush through him there, except one.
Hammock, the Northern Illinois coach, has been watching which team, represent which alma mater, took down No. 5 Notre Dame in the state where he grew up. His parents were there. So did the wrestling coach and 15-20 friends from Bishop Luers High in Fort Wayne, Indiana, located about 95 miles from Notre Dame Stadium.
“I couldn’t find them after the game, but they sent pictures,” Hammock told ESPN on Friday night, as the NIU team bus neared the Indiana-Illinois state line. “All my friends, they’re Notre Dame fans. But one day, they root for the Huskies.”
That day Northern Illinois beat Notre Dame 16-14, recording its first win over an AP top-five opponent and the first such win by a Mid-American Conference team. The crash left the No. 1-ranked Huskies in the top five. 25 in the AP poll — prior to this week, he had been unranked since 2013.
Since 1983, NIU has kept a log of “Boneyard Victories,” wins against major conference opponents and other foes with bigger brands and budgets. As NIU’s running back in 2002, Hammock helped secure one rush for 172 yards in a 42-41 overtime win against Wake Forest. He will not play again after experiencing symptoms of what will be diagnosed as a career-ending heart condition.
The following year, Hammock watched NIU add to the Boneyard with wins over Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State (before that, the Alabama game was NIU’s last win against a ranked nonleague opponent). After returning to coach in 2019, he led the Huskies to wins over Georgia Tech in 2021 and Boston College last year. But no win will mean more than one over Notre Dame, which is why it struck all the chords for Hammock.
“When you’ve been with a guy for a long time, and you think about all the hard work and the sacrifices that we’ve made, that we’ve made, and working together, finding a way, the emotions can overcome me,” Hammock said. “It’s huge. Obviously, I have a lot of pride in NIU.”
How much, exactly?
“He named his son after a dorm on campus,” athletic director Sean Frazier said, referring to Hammock’s son’s middle name, Thomas Douglas. Thomas Sr. met his wife at Douglas Hall.
“This guy’s a Huskie,” Frazier continued. “He’s coming home. I’m so happy for him and his family. They deserve this time. Our kids deserve this time.”
One emotion Hammock felt was no surprise. He knew when he learned Notre Dame six days before the game that Northern Illinois would have a real chance to win. Hammock especially liked how the Huskies matched up at the line of scrimmage.
He’s looking forward to NIU’s week with more demanding practices on Monday and Tuesday, which gives players’ bodies time to recover.
“The more we watch film, the more we realize this is a team we can beat,” quarterback Ethan Hampton told ESPN. “I’ll take our O-line over anybody in the country.”
Huskies outgained Notre Dame 388-286, converted twice as many third-down chances and allowed only two plays back from 19 yards. He also blocked two field goal attempts, including a 62-yard attempt in the final seconds.
While Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Love had the highlight of the game, running for a touchdown, NIU running back Antario Brown delivered his top offensive performance with 126 receiving yards and 99 rushing yards.
“It wasn’t a fluke win,” Hammock said. “We were good in the trenches, and they were the difference in the game. We built our program inside out, so you have to be able to win there to give yourself a chance in a game like this. off.”
Hammock players also know the magnitude of what they are doing. Hampton said he looks forward to telling his children about the victory. He also knows what it means to his coach.
“No one loves NIU more than Coach Ham,” Hampton said. “He instills that into us. He plays here, he wants to be here, so when you have a coach who believes in you and is proud to be a part of the NIU program, then you play better.”
Northern Illinois still needs to mount a drive β and overcome questionable punts β to secure the win. Gavin Williams looked to clear the marker on a third-and-2 run from the Notre Dame 20-yard line, which would have allowed NIU to get closer to a field goal attempt and channel more time. But officials spotted the ball short, forcing a fourth down and Notre Dame timed out with 36 seconds remaining. Hammock asked to challenge the board, but was told the review β which supported the board β had already begun.
“We were already in field goal range, so I wasn’t going to let that play determine the outcome of the game,” Hammock said. “I’m sure with special teams operations we can make a punt, and then we have to come back and play defense again.”
Kanon Woodill drilled a third field goal, and the defense kept Notre Dame out of realistic field goal range to secure the win.
“It’s a huge statement for the program and for NIU,” Frazier said. “There are a lot of people talking about Group of 5, Power 4, money and resources and NIL. About the players and about rows and banging heads and (maybe) the best man wins. You see (Saturday) .”
Frazier knew Hammock from their time together at Wisconsin β Hammock was a Badgers assistant from 2011 to 2013, when Frazier served as the school’s deputy athletic director β and gave him a head-coaching opportunity he likely wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. NIU went winless in 2020, won the MAC in 2021 and then went 3-9 the following year. But Hammock has stabilized the program. NIU won a bowl game last season. The team has recorded a grade point average of 3.0 or better in nine consecutive semesters, hardly surprising given that the coach was a two-time Academic All-America selection during his playing career.
NIU deals with 5 typical group challenges, including roster churn and resources. The motto of the program is: “The Hard Way.” But a win like Saturday’s has a long-term impact.
“My vision and my goal has always been to grow the university in terms of enrollment, fundraising, all of that,” Hammock said. “To do that, you have to win a game like this, where the alumni get excited. They want to give back, they want to be part of the program. I know how big this Alabama game is to build facilities and it’s like that.
“I hope this guy can do the same.”