In 2002, the Northern Illinois Huskies football team won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship with a 17-6 victory over Bowling Green State University in the MAC Championship Game. The win gave the Huskies their first conference title since 1983.

As conference champions, the Huskies earned a berth in the Silicon Valley Football Classic, a post-season bowl game played in San Jose, California. The game was played on December 31, 2002, and the Huskies faced off against the Troy University Trojans.

The game was a closely contested battle, with both teams playing strong defense and struggling to move the ball on offense. In the end, Northern Illinois prevailed, winning the game by a score of 19-16. Huskies quarterback Josh Haldi was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, passing for 207 yards and a touchdown.

The win was a historic moment for Northern Illinois, as it marked the first time the program had won a post-season bowl game. It also gave the Huskies their first 11-win season in program history, finishing the year with a 12-2 record.