Cardiac Cats' bowl hopes still alive
Northwestern is the type of team that sees the easy way out and sprints in the other direction.
But doing things the hard way has worked out pretty well.
It seemed fitting Saturday that the Wildcats needed a late rally to beat Indiana 31-28 and momentarily jettison their fourth-quarter demons. And it's equally appropriate that NU (6-5, 3-4) enters the regular-season finale with its back against the wall, needing a win for a bowl berth.
"You're playing for the life of your football team," coach Pat Fitzgerald said.
NU is still breathing and bowl eligible after nearly flatlining in the fourth quarter again. For the third consecutive week, the Wildcats took a 3-point lead into the fourth, only to see it disappear.
A 5-yard scoring slant from Kellen Lewis to James Hardy put Indiana up 28-24 with 5:34 left. But after abandoning the run late in previous games, NU marched downfield with a balanced attack.
Tyrell Sutton leaped over linebacker Geno Johnson to snag a 17-yard pass on third-and-5. Sutton then carried inside Indiana's 10-yard line, which had been a hazardous area for NU.
Quarterback C.J. Bacher twice had thrown interceptions in the end zone, including a fade that cornerback Tracy Porter (2 interceptions) picked off early in the fourth. Facing third down from the 3, Bacher rolled right and found Ross Lane for the go-ahead score with 44 seconds left.
"When we're behind, it seems like it works out a little better for us," said Bacher, who completed 26 of 33 passes for 276 yards with 3 interceptions. "We weren't dwelling on the mistakes."
Added Sutton: "Going into the fourth quarter, it was, 'Here we go again. We've got to score.' We seem to make our biggest strides with the pressure on us."
The defense needed one more pressure-packed play to seal the win. After Indiana (6-5, 2-5) reached NU's 34-yard line with 22 seconds left, defensive end David Ngene swarmed Lewis, jarring the ball loose. Linebacker Adam Kadela recovered.
Referees reviewed the play to see whether Lewis' arm went forward, but the call held up.
"I saw him trying to get rid of the ball," said Ngene, who recorded 2 sacks for the second consecutive game. "So I did whatever it took to get him down."
Ngene's strip caused one of several key replay reviews in the game. Early in the third, Lewis appeared to give Indiana a 20-10 lead by finding Ray Fisher for a 70-yard score, but replays showed that he stepped beyond the line of scrimmage before releasing the ball.
"The replays were all done properly," Fitzgerald said.
Ngene was one of several seniors who stepped up in their final home game. With NU down 14-3 despite several sustained drives, linebacker Eddie Simpson returned an interception for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Wide receiver Kim Thompson had 6 catches for 78 yards, none more important than a 15-yard touchdown he snagged from classmate Brandon Roberson on a halfback pass.
"I knew I was going to be wide open, so I was like, 'C'mon, throw it. What are you waiting for?'" Thompson said. "I knew (Porter) was going to get back. Luckily, he tipped it pretty much into my hands."
The Wildcats overcame myriad mistakes by outgaining Indiana 456-298 and holding the ball for 36:47. They move onto a daunting test at Illinois, which comes off an upset of top-ranked Ohio State.
"Rivalry game, last week of the regular season," left tackle Dylan Thiry said. "It always comes down to this."