It's official: HUSKIEWIRE.COM is reporting that former NIU linebackers coach Tom Matukewicz will now be the defensive coordinator for the Toledo Rockets.

We'll miss you Tuke! You stayed on after Kill's evil empire left for Minnesota. The 2010 Humanitarian Bowl will forever be in our heads a story of redemption and overcoming the odds. NIU fans were down, but you brought us back up with you entertaining the media with your own unique personality. You were truly the man that brought the team together after a storm of turmoil that left the team with a skeleton coaching staff.

Tuke, forever a Huskie.

You persevered the loss of two starting linebackers and molded Pat Schiller and Jordan Delegal serviceable players. We'll still love you even if you departed to the dastardly Toledo Rockets.

Tuke, forever an inspiration.

After watching that program give up 63+ points to the Huskies the past two seasons, there's nowhere to go but up at that program. Guaranteed job security! New opportunities!

Best of luck to Coach Tuke!!

Well, this news is interesting.

It's only fitting that Matt Canada stayed on Dave Doeren's staff for only one year.

He did it last time too.

After serving as a position coach at NIU for four years (RBs 1998-2000, QBs 2001-02), Canada was named offensive coordinator for the Huskies in 2003. After the Huskies went 10-2 and came close to becoming the first BCS-busters, Canada took his talents to Indiana for a significant pay increase and better opportunities. He would say there until he came back to Northern Illinois.

After another pit-stop as a MAC OC, off he goes again to the Big 10.

How will Canada leaving affect the Huskies?

2012 will be a transitional year anyways for the offense with a big change at QB and with the OL. It's probably best that they get started with an OC that's going to stay on for a while.

Canada did a pretty good job this past season leading a high-powered offense, but anybody could have coached the offense we had to be successful this past season. He was what he was, I suppose.

I wasn't a big fan, considering he got too fancy from time to time and flat-out made some bonehead calls this past season.

It should be interesting to see who Doeren brings on, but it won't be much of a drop-off in the long-run. At least I don't think so, but we'll see who is next in line.

Yet another successful season, which means talented coaches WILL depart. RBs coach Eddie Faulkner is now at Pitt and I'm hearing rumors LBs coach Tom Matukewicz is heading to Toledo.

Huskie Fans, what are your thoughts on these coaching moves?

CELEBRATING A SEASON - Northern Illinois Official Athletic Site

Huskie Wire | NIU finishes outside top 25

Huskie Wire | Going out a winner

Doeren: Huskies are ‘absolutely’ a top 25 team - Aurora Beacon News

‘Storybook ending’ for Harnish, NIU - DailyHerald.com

Northern Illinois Wraps Up Everything Rather Nicely - Hustle Belt

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NIU has the longest winning streak in the nation at 9 games. They just destroyed the Sun Bel Champions Arkansas State. But they aren't a Top-25 team? Does that make any sense? Let's look at who beat the Huskies out:

The polls are in and NIU ranks #28 in the AP poll with 33 pts, behind

#27 8-5 Auburn (40 pts)

#26 10-3 BYU (51 pts)

#25 10-3 Cincinnati (103 pts)

#24 9-4 Nebraska (143 pts)

In the USA Today/Coaches Poll the NIU Huskies rank #26 with 36 pts, behind

#25 10-3 BYU (79 pts)

#24 9-4 Nebraska (144 pts)

BYU beat 8-5 Tulsa, a team that didn't even make it's own championship game 24-21. What a joke. They stayed in on name-recognition only. Nebraska lossed to a higher-ranked South Carolina team, so I guess you can cut them some slack.

It was one of those rare seasons where there weren't too many upsets this season regarding teams in the fringe part of the Top-25.

THIS NIU squad could beat anybody. The NIU team at the beginning of the season couldn't stop anybody. The Kansas and Central Michigan losses may have been good motivation early on, but they look horrible on a resume. Not to mention not even being competitive against a Wisconsin squad that finished 10th in the nation.

Yes, the Huskies deserve to be in the Top-25 and were only two inexplicable losses away from doing so. Central Michigan didn't make the Top-25 until the last week in 2009, but they were 12-2 and were undefeated in conference play. They also beat Michigan State, a BCS victory the Huskies didn't have on their resume this year.

It's disappointing, but what are you going to do? Coach Doeren helped this team improve immensely as the season wore on. We on the MAC Championship and the Bowl game.

It's never too early to start setting goals for next year...

Arkansas State quickly went up 6-0 off of a strong kickoff return and an absurd flea flicker play that the Huskies should have been ready for. The Red Wolves watched the MAC Championship game, apparently. Then a kick catching interference led way to ASU going up 13-0 to start the game off. NIU was off on offense, the Red Wolves had come to play on D. Slow starts were nothing new to this NIU squad.

Young Guns

QB Jordan Lynch, So

The next series, the Huskies were on. Chandler Harnish threw two 33-yard strikes and the Huskies were gonna tie this one up. But no, Harnish runs off the field, limping on his ankle like some sort of wounded animal. It looked serious. Harnish, the man who's been playing for as long as I've been blogging, our MVP, was out of the game. I knew that we had more horses on offense, but he just made everything go. I was worried. This could have been Colt McCoy going down against Alabama two years ago.

In comes Jordan Lynch, who inexplicably had touched the ball three times already in failed attempts. Was Harnish beat up before the game? Is that why Lynch was getting snaps? We'll never know, but now Lynch was in for good.

7-yard loss on a sack and a missed field goal of 33 yds. We were toast.

Next drive. Lynch steps up and throws a 44-yard bomb to Martel Moore, who just had a beast of a game. Then all of a sudden a 16 yd strike to Ashford. This guy can play, I say to myself. Then he showed off his patented running back skills to juke the defender and punch it in to the endzone to go up 14-13. Harnish magically healed (he des that a lot) and entered the next series, but Lynch showed he could play.

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It was one of the weirdest games that I had ever experienced. The way the offense started off, unsure of themselves and giving ASU chances to score. Once that happened, things got shored up and the Huskies rattled off 31 straight points to win a bowl game for the second straight year.

This senior class has the best record over every Huskie team that has come before them.

There was a little bit of everything in this one: Close calls and reviews, injuries, clocks not working, mics not working. Heck, even the internet in the press booth didn't work.

Chandler Harnish had a hurt ankle? No problem, Jordan Lynch scores a touchdown and so does Jamal Womble somehow.

Arkansas State flat-out looked unimpressive on offense. And although their defense was good, the NIU offense found their spots to pick. It didn't hurt that Martel Moore was on our side. The defense put good pressure on and forced three interceptions and two fumbles. The D looked as solid as I have ever seen it this season, and certainly helped out when the offense was mis-firing early on or missing field goals.

More to come later, but this is one sweet bowl victory.

Gametime: 8 PM CST

TV: ESPN

GO HUSKIES!!!

Northern Illinois Vs. Arkansas State, GoDaddy.com Bowl 2012: One Final Track Meet - SBNation.com

Huskie Wire | Live chat from Mobile

Red Wolves and Huskies square off in GoDaddy.com Bowl - chicagotribune.com

GODADDY.COM BOWL PHIL STEELE

GoDaddy.com Bowl Preview Capsule: Arkansas State-Northern Illinois - ArkansasSports360.com

GoDaddy.com Bowl 2012, Arkansas State Vs. Northern Illinois: Time, TV Schedule, Odds And More - SBNation.com

Huskie Wire | Huskies look to continue MAC success

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