A wild one for Wildcats

There was the usual mix of euphoria and relief after another how-did-they-do-that win.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and his players recounted the gut-check moments: Linebacker Malcolm Arrington's third-quarter interception, quarterback C.J. Bacher's touchdown thread to Eric Peterman with eight ticks left in regulation, Bacher's magic on third and fourth downs, the final stop on a 2-point conversion attempt.

But unlike last week, when road resolve was the prevailing theme, the Wildcats seemed drained and a bit annoyed by their latest wild win.

"We don't really like (these games) until they're over," Bacher said.

Added Arrington: "Most games that we win, they shouldn't be close."

Northwestern pulled off another dramatic victory Saturday, outlasting Minnesota 49-48 in double overtime when Adam Weber's pass on the deciding 2-point attempt fell incomplete. The Wildcats (4-3, 2-2) improved to 7-0 in Big Ten overtime games after winning their second straight, but Saturday's script took a different route than its predecessor.

NU never trailed last week at Michigan State but found itself down 35-14 with 6:18 left in the third quarter after allowing Minnesota (1-6, 0-4) to score touchdowns on five consecutive possessions. But behind another prodigious performance from Bacher, the Wildcats rallied for their biggest comeback since facing an identical deficit at Minnesota in 2000.

"We're really built on responding," said Bacher, who passed for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns. "We're learning how to finish more and more each week."

Minnesota went for the win in the second overtime, sending Weber on a rollout to the right side. Linebacker Adam Kadela momentarily grabbed Weber, and defensive tackle John Gill closed in, forcing a throw that fell well short.

"I had the (running) back man-to-man, so I just came off," Kadela said. "The D-line was right up there in his face."

Despite the pressure, Weber saw an opening.

"It was a good play, the right call," said the redshirt freshman, whose 430 yards of offense marked the second highest single-game total in team history. "Simple execution, and we'd be celebrating."

Though Minnesota was not yet required to go for 2, first-year coach Tim Brewster didn't second-guess the decision.

"Our football team deserved to win and that's why I went for 2," Brewster said. "I felt 100 percent we'd get the 2. … I'd do it again, tonight, tomorrow, the next day."

Arrington's first career interception, which followed an NU fumble, changed momentum late in the third quarter. Bacher found Ross Lane for an 8-yard touchdown on the next play, cutting Minnesota's lead to 14.

A fourth-down touchdown run by Bacher made the deficit 35-28, and NU had a final chance with 1:59 left. The Wildcats began at their own 27-yard line after a missed field goal.

They marched to the Gophers' 9-yard line. Then, in a scene reminiscent of its loss to Duke, NU failed to score on three plays.

But after three timeouts, Bacher found Eric Peterman on fourth-and-goal from the 4.

"Eric gave a little move inside to the slant and got wide open," Bacher said. "Made it pretty easy on me."

Almost too easy.

Minnesota cornerback Jamal Harris dove and nearly tipped the ball away.

"Two inches," Peterman said. "I'm just hoping that it gets past them."

NU got past Minnesota, but the team's myriad mistakes on defense didn't escape Fitzgerald. Minnesota racked up 364 yards during its midgame scoring burst.

"The big plays are just killing us, especially when you have men in position to make plays," Fitzgerald said. "If guys aren't making plays and not making them consistently, we need to make sure the competition's in the right place. We need the right guys out there."

Changes could be coming, but NU wants the results to stay the same.

"It is a little stressful," Kadela said. "You've just got to take it in stride and do what you can to win the game."