1963 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

American college football season

1963 Northern Illinois Huskies football

AP small college national champion
IIAC champion

Mineral Water Bowl, W 21–14 vs. Southwest Missouri State

Conference| Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Ranking
AP| No. 1
Record| 10–0 (4–0 IIAC)
Head coach|

* Howard Fletcher (8th season)

MVP| George Bork
Captain| Michael Henigan, George Bork
Home stadium| Glidden Field

Seasons

<- 1962

1964 ->

1963 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings

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| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 1 Northern Illinois $  | 4  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 10  | - | 0  | - | 0
Western Illinois | 3  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0
Central Michigan | 2  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 5  | - | 1
Eastern Illinois | 1  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 2  | - | 7  | - | 0
Illinois State Normal | 0  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from NAIA poll

The 1963 Northern Illinois Huskies football team was an American football team that represented Northern Illinois University in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 1963 NCAA College Division football season. In their eighth year under head coach Howard Fletcher, the Huskies compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the IIAC championship, and outscored opponents by 337 to 97. They appeared in the Mineral Water Bowl, defeating Southwest Missouri State. The Associated Press recognized the team as the 1963 small college national champion.[1] However, the United Press International recognized Delaware as the small college champion. Northern Illinois played home games at the 5,500-seat Glidden Field on the east end of campus in DeKalb, Illinois.

Senior quarterback George Bork broke several national passing records, including single-season records for passing yardage (3,077), passing touchdowns (32), passes attempted (374), and completions (244). He also set single-game records for passes attempted (67), completions (43), and passing touchdowns (7). He was voted the team's most valuable player for the second consecutive year.[2]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Rank| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|
|

September 14| Whitewater State*| |

* Glidden Field
* DeKalb, IL

| W 55–7| 6,000| [3]
September 21| at Winona State*| |

* Maxwell Field
* Winona, MN

| W 61–0| 4,000| [4]
September 28| at Northeast Missouri State*| |

* Stokes Stadium
* Kirksville, MO

| W 21–12| 6,800| [5]
October 5| Omaha*| |

* Glidden Field
* DeKalb, IL

| W 18–7| 9,007| [6]
October 12| Hillsdale*| |

* Glidden Field
* DeKalb, IL

| W 19–13| 9,103| [7]
October 19| Illinois State Normal| No. 1|

* Glidden Field
* DeKalb, IL

| W 43–0| 9,767| [8]
October 26| at Eastern Illinois| No. 1|

* Lincoln Field
* Charleston, IL

| W 43–0| 6,803| [9]
November 2| Western Illinois| No. 1|

* Glidden Field
* DeKalb, IL

| W 29–22| 10,177| [10]
November 9| at Central Michigan| No. 1| Mount Pleasant, MI| W 27–22| 11,000–11,164| [11][12]
November 30| vs. Southwest Missouri State*| No. 1|

* Roosevelt Field
* Excelsior Springs, MO (Mineral Water Bowl)

| W 21–14| 6,500| [13]

* *Non-conference game
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[14]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Northern Illinois Is Small College Champ". The Clarion-Ledger. Associated Press. November 30, 1963. p. 18. Retrieved October 25, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "George Bork Voted Most Valuable Player At Northern Illinois". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1963. p. 18. Retrieved October 25, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ Beard, Curt (September 16, 1963). "Bork Breaks Pass Record". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Bork Pitches 5 Touchdowns In 60 To 0 Rout". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. September 22, 1963. p. 2:3. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Bork Shatters Pass Record - Beats Kirksville". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 29, 1963. p. 4E. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Passing Parade: Bork Pitches Northern Illinois Over Omaha, 18-7". Decatur Herald. Associated Press. October 7, 1963. p. 10. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Northern Illinois Edges Hillsdale". The Miami News. Associated Press. October 13, 1963. p. 3C. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Bork's Bombs Destroy Redbirds, 43-0". The Pantagraph. October 20, 1963. p. 13. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Huskies Host Western In Showdown For Interstate's Top Step: Make Eastern Easy Victim". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. October 28, 1963. p. 12. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ Beard, Curt (November 4, 1963). "NIU Survives Scare By WIU". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. p. 12. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Bork Smashes Record Books". Petoskey News-Review. United Press International. November 11, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
13. ^ "Bork Sparks Illinois To Spa Bowl Victory". The Salina Journal. Associated Press. December 1, 1963. p. 17. Retrieved October 27, 2021 - via Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 12, 2022.

* v
* t
* e

Northern Illinois Huskies football

Venues|

* Glidden Field (1903–1948, 1951–1965)
* Dekalb Township High School football field (1949–1950)
* Huskie Stadium (1965–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Ball State: Bronze Stalk Trophy

Culture & lore|

* "Huskie Fight Song"
* Huskie Band

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1899
* 1900
* 1901
* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914
* 1915
* 1916
* 1917–1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

Small college football national champions (1958–1974)

Selectors|

* AP (1960–1974)
* UPI (1958–1974)

1950s|

* 1958: Mississippi Southern
* 1959: Bowling Green

1960s|

* 1960: Ohio
* 1961: Pittsburg State
* 1962: Florida A&M (AP) / Southern Miss (UPI)
* 1963: Northern Illinois (AP) / Delaware (UPI)
* 1964: Wittenberg (AP) / Cal State Los Angeles (UPI)
* 1965: North Dakota State
* 1966: San Diego State
* 1967: San Diego State
* 1968: North Dakota State (AP) / San Diego State (UPI)
* 1969: North Dakota State

1970s|

* 1970: Arkansas State (AP/UPI)
* 1971: Delaware (AP/UPI)
* 1972: Delaware (AP/UPI)
* 1973: Tennessee State (AP/UPI)
* 1974: Central Michigan / 1975: Louisiana Tech (UPI)

* v
* t
* e

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football champions

Illinois
(1908–1949)|

* Lombard (1921)
* Lombard (1922)
* Lombard (1923)
* Knox (IL) & Lombard (1924)
* Bradley & Monmouth (IL) (1925)
* Bradley & Monmouth (IL) (1926)
* Bradley (1927)
* Eastern Illinois & Millikin (1928)
* Knox (IL) & Lombard (1929)
* Millikin, Mount Morris, & Southern Illinois (1930)
* Monmouth (IL) (1930)
* Illinois Wesleyan & McKendree (1932)
* Illinois Wesleyan (1933)
* Augustana (IL) & Millikin
* Millikin & Monmouth (IL)
* Illinois Wesleyan & St. Viator (1936)
* Bradley, Illinois College, & Illinois State Normal (1937)
* Northern Illinois State (1938)
* Western Illinois (1939)
* Illinois State Normal (1940)
* Illinois State Normal & Northern Illinois State (1941)
* Western Illinois (1942)
* No champion (1943)
* Northern Illinois State (1944)
* Illinois State Normal (1945)
* Northern Illinois State (1946)
* Southern Illinois (1947)
* Eastern Illinois (1948)
* Western Illinois (1949)

Interstate
(1950–1969)|

* Illinois State Normal (1950)
* Northern Illinois State (1951)
* Central Michigan (1952)
* Central Michigan (1953)
* Central Michigan & Michigan State Normal (1954)
* Central Michigan & Michigan State Normal (1955)
* Central Michigan (1956)
* Eastern Michigan (1957)
* Western Illinois (1958)
* Western Illinois (1959)
* Southern Illinois (1960)
* Southern Illinois (1961)
* Central Michigan (1962)
* Northern Illinois (1963)
* Northern Illinois & Western Illinois (1964)
* Northern Illinois (1965)
* Central Michigan (1966)
* Central Michigan & Illinois State (1967)
* Central Michigan & Illinois State (1968)
* Western Illinois (1969)

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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
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*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number