This could be Dekalb, IL or Muncie, IN or [insert college town here]

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Instructions for Thursday's game vs Ball State

Step 1: Wear Black

Step 2: Play hookey from work (5 PM GAME FTL)

Step 3: Get Loud

Last year, the Ball State Cardinals beat the Huskies 45-14.  That was painful.  In fact, I stopped blogging for a month after that loss it was so soul-crushing.

For some strange reason, I thought that NIU had a chance against a 9-0 Ball State team that was ranked 17th in the nation.  I thought wrong as the Cardinals ran all over the Huskies in Muncie, racking up 529 yds in the process.  Since-graduated QB Nate Davis threw for a near perfect game with 300 yds and 4 TDs.

Other than a TD run by Harnish, the Northern offense was unspectacular at best.  Nothing seemed to work.  We were only 3 of 12 on 3rd downs, including eight 3 and outs.

I wanted to make an impact on national television.  I wanted to have the inaugural Bronze Stalk Trophy.

Never heard of the The Bronze Stalk Trophy? 

I can't remember who's idea this was exactly, but somebody had an idea for a rivalry trophy between Northern Illinois and Ball State.  They contacted the important people inside the respected universities and the rest was history.

It seems kind of silly, right?  A trophy made up and just exclaiming that these two teams are rivals.  I thought a rivalry was supposed to just grow over the years.  It makes perfect sense though as we're the only MAC team and they're the only MAC team in Indiana.  Both schools are surrounded by cornfields and voila: The Bronze Stalk is born.

What the actual trophy looks like is shrouded in mystery.  This was a prototype crafted a year before it was actually handed out.

The trophy belongs in Dekalb.  Why?  First of all, Dekalb artist Renee Bemis designed it.  Second of all, we're just better at harvesting corn.  Have you ever heard of Muncie corn?  Didn't think so.  Have you heard of Dekalb corn or seen our logo?  Likely

Performance agriculturally and athletically

If somebody told you that Ball State beat NIU 3 out of the last 4 years, would you believe them?  You better, because it's true.  The lesson learned in 2005 was to never take the Cardinals lightly.  A 2-6 BSU squad came in and whooped the Huskies 31-17 in one of the most disappointing games that I have ever witnessed.

The game we did win in 2006, Garrett Wolfe did this:

It seems silly to "force a rivalry", but both of these squads have a lot to play for every single year in the MAC West.  Even with the struggles the Cardinals have faced this season, the current matchup doesn't waiver in that fact.