Northwestern
Michigan St
Northwestern Boots Michigan State, 27-26
9/29/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 29, 2001
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EVANSTON, Ill. - Standing in the huddle with 16 seconds left, his team trailing after a stunning score by Michigan State, and the ball on the Northwestern 13-yard line, Wildcat quarterback Zak Kustok looked around at his teammates.
"Zak said, `You know we're going to get this,"' Wildcats guard Jeff Roehl recalled. "I said I know, but it's going to be interesting to see how."
Interesting doesn't begin to describe it. David Wasielewski kicked a 47-yard field goal as time expired Saturday, and No. 16 Northwestern escaped with a 27-26 victory over No. 23 Michigan State in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
It was yet another stunning victory for the Wildcats, who are making a habit of these heart-in-your-throat finishes. They did it at Wisconsin, winning a 47-44 affair that took double overtime. They did it last year at Minnesota, winning on a 45-yard tipped pass on the last play. And they did it against Michigan last season, beating the Wolverines with 20 seconds left.
"We've been in this situation before, so we have a lot of confidence we can come out on top," Kustok said. "No matter how much time is left, no matter how much we're down, we always believe we have an opportunity to win it."
As Wasielewski's kick sailed through the uprights, the Northwestern players poured onto the field in celebration and the Spartans collapsed in disbelief.
The Wildcats are 3-0 for the first time since 1962. It was a bitter defeat for the Spartans (2-1), who scored twice on kick returns in the last 4:42.
"I wanted to cry," said Herb Haygood, who gave the Spartans a 26-24 lead on an 84-yard kickoff return with 18 seconds left. "I wanted to cry."
After sloppy play most of the game, the Spartans looked like they'd snatched this one from the Wildcats when Haygood scored. Northwestern had been backed up an extra 15 yards for a personal foul, and Haygood was barely touched as he sprinted down the sideline for the score.
But Michigan State's PAT was blocked by Napoleon Harris - MSU's second missed extra-point of the day, to go with three missed field goals - and Northwestern got the ball back with 16 seconds left.
"I wish you could have been on the sidelines with me," Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. "Because there wasn't one person doubting."
The Wildcats called "Victory Right," the same play that won last year's game against Minnesota, and it worked again. This time, Kunle Patrick tipped the ball - as planned - and Jon Schweighardt grabbed it for a 54-yard catch that put Northwestern on the Michigan State 33 with eight seconds left.
After a timeout, Kustok ran for three yards and Northwestern called another timeout with five seconds left, and the Wildcats got ready for a field goal.
Wasielewski had already made a 44-yarder, but he'd missed two other field goals earlier in the game. As he waited on the sideline, punter J.J. Standring pulled him aside.
"He told me, `You've done this a million times. Smile and have fun,"' Wasielewski said. "I had a good feeling after that."
A good kick, too.
"There are big kicks and there are big kicks," Walker said. "But that's about as big as they get. That wasn't a 3-footer for par."
Kustok rushed for 105 yards and was 23-of-40 for 231 yards passing. Schweighardt finished with 101 yards receiving, and Patrick caught seven passes for 54 yards.
Damien Anderson, expected to battle T.J. Duckett in a showdown of two of the Big Ten's best backs, totaled 75 rushing yards on 28 carries. Duckett finished with 104 yards on 22 carries.
"It's not a matter of luck, it's a matter of going out and making plays," Kustok said. "I kept telling myself I'm not going to let this team lose."
"To lose in the last 18 seconds, it's hard," Haygood said. "We know we beat ourselves. Northwestern's a good team, but we made too many mistakes."
They made things interesting at the end, though.
With 4:42 left, Charles Rogers returned a punt at the 36-yard line and sprinted 64 yards for the score. Backup kicker Michael Servis missed the extra point, giving Northwestern the ball with plenty of time.
The Wildcats marched slowly up the field, eating up yardage and the clock. Kustok's 24-yard run got them to the Michigan State 40, and he kept the drive moving with a series of short passes.
At one point, Northwestern had fourth-and-inches at the Michigan State 20. With 1:25 left, Walker decided to go for it.
"I thought about it," he said. "Had it been two feet, I don't know. It was close enough, let's go for it."
Kustok got the first down, and five plays later he found Patrick in the end zone for the 10-yard scoring pass, giving Northwestern a 24-20 lead with 29 seconds left.
But the Wildcats were called for a personal foul on the extra point, and they were backed up 15 points on the kickoff, setting up Haygood's return.
"The emotions went both ways," Spartans receiver Charles Rogers said. "We had it at one point. They had it. We had it again. And they ended with it."
Again.
Portions of this story appeared in Nancy Armour's story for the Associated Press
