Northwestern players celebrate their 43-40 overtime win over Notre Dame on Saturday. (Getty)
Live Score
Northwestern — 9-14-3-14-3—43
Notre Dame — 20-7-7-6-0—40
Final OT
Jack Mitchell forced overtime with a 45-yard field goal with 19 seconds remaining, then his 41-yarder gave Northwestern a 43-40 win over No. 18 Notre Dame on Saturday.
Everett Golson’s third touchdown pass of the game to William Fuller gave the Irish (7-3) a 40-29 lead with 10:34 left. Trevor Siemian’s 6-yard run and ensuing 2-point conversion brought the Wildcats (4-6) within 3 at 40-37 with 4:10 remaining. Northwestern got the ball back and Mitchell was able to tie the game.
In overtime, Notre Dame’s Kyle Brindza missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, setting the stage for Mitchell’s game-winner.
Northwestern Gained a Season-High 547 Yards
FB – Golson TD Run #NDQuickPlays: FB – Golson TD Run #NDQuickPlays Everett Golson opens the scoring with a 61-yard… http://t.co/hDVj6Y8g8K
Northwestern’s offense exploded for a season-high 547 total yards. A week after being held to minus 9 yards rushing against Michigan, the Wildcats’ put up a season-high 263 against the Irish. Justin Jackson had 149 of them with a touchdown. Quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 30-of-48 passes for 284 and a touchdown. He also added a rushing touchdown. Kyle Prater had 10 receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown and Cameron Dickerson led the way with 97 yards on 6 catches.
Golson and Fuller were Notre Dame’s big playmakers. Golson completed 21-of-40 passes for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns, all to Fuller, who reeled in 9 passes for 159 yards. Golson also ran for 78 yards, including a 61-yard score not even a minute into the game. Tarean Folston carried the ball 20 times for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Special Teams Played a Major Role In The Game
Mitchell was the hero, tying then winning the game with field goals. He kicked 4 total, all in the second half. He made kicks of 31, 46, 45 and 41. He did have 1 miss.
Notre Dame, on the other hand, struggled mightily with their special teams play. Kyle Brindza missed both of his field goal attempts, including 1 in overtime. He also had a PAT blocked, which was then picked up by Northwestern’s Nick VanHoose and returned for a defensive PAT conversion, giving the Wildcats 2 points.
Both Teams Were Sloppy With The Football
Deonte Gibson hits Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson to force a fumble Saturday. (Getty)
There were plenty of points and yards, but both offenses also turned the ball over too much. Each team had 4 turnovers.
For Notre Dame, Golson threw an interception and lost a fumble. Cam McDaniel and Chris Brown also lost fumbles.
Siemian threw two interceptions, and Jackson and Garrett Dickerson each lost a fumble for Northwestern.
Northwestern Has Won The Last 2 Meetings
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 37-9-2, but Northwestern has won the past 2 games. The last times the teams played was the 1995 opener and the Wildcats stunned the ninth-ranked Irish 17-15.
That season, Northwestern shocked the college football world by finishing 10-2 and earning a Rose Bowl berth. Current Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald played on that Northwestern team.
