Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcat's Bag of Tricks Sinks Rice
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
September 19, 1998
HOUSTON (AP) - Gavin Hoffman passed for one touchdown and ran for another and Northwestern dug deep into the gadget play book Saturday night to beat Rice 23-14.
Northwestern (2-1) scored 16 points in the first half, including three field goals by Brian Gowins, and held on as Rice (1-2) got close with a second-half touchdown, then sputtered.
The Wildcats successfully used a fake punt, an onside kick, a quick kick, unusual formations and a hurry-up offense that caught the Owls flatfooted.
Northwestern's only second-half score was Hoffman's 1-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds left that put the game out of reach. Gowins' field goals of 22, 48 and 45 yards gave him 47 for his career, the most in Northwestern history.
Rice's touchdowns came as the result of interceptions.
On Northwestern's second play from scrimmage, Travis Ortega intercepted a pass by Hoffman and returned it 11 yards to the Wildcats 17. Six plays later, Clint Leschber went in from the 1 and Rice quickly was ahead 7-0.
Sam Simmons returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to set up Northwestern at the Rice 32. The Wildcats drove to the Rice 3 before settling for Gowins' first field goal.
Then the Wildcats turned to trickery.
Gowins' 48-yard field goal came after Northwestern punter J.J. Standring, on 4th-and-4, raced 24 yards up the middle with a fake punt.
On the following kickoff, Northwestern used an onside kick to perfection to keep its offense on the field and take over at the Rice 45. On 4th-and-2 from the Rice 37, the Wildcats lined up with six receivers and only three down linemen as Simmons gained seven yards on a pitchout.
On the next play, Hoffman passed to D'Wayne Bates slanting over the right side and Bates went into the end zone untouched to put the Wildcats ahead 13-7.
Gowins' 45-yard field goal, late in the first half, was set up by a fumble by Rice quarterback Chad Richardson.
Rice's second touchdown came after LaDouphyous McCalla intercepted a pass by Hoffman early in the third quarter. Rice, starting at its 49, took six plays to score, with Richardson squirting across from the 1 to cut the lead to 16-14.
By MICHAEL GRACZYK
Associated Press Writer
