It took a lot for Northern Illinois to go into Notre Dame and leave with a 16-14 win.
The Huskies needed a lot before the final minute, but IN that final minute – in fact, in the final 31 seconds – NIU got a 35-yard field goal from Kanon Woodhill, taking that 16-14 lead, then got one last heroic play, a field goal block by Cade Haberman of Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter.
Jeter attempted a 62-yard field goal as time expired, but Haberman was able to block it and seal the win, as the No. 5 Fighting Irish couldn’t get to 2-0, after escaping Texas A&M and the juggernaut that is the Kyle Field crowd in the first week of the season.
Oddly, it was the second field goal blocked by Jeter in the game – and Haberman blocked them both.
It was Northern Illinois’ first victory over a ranked team since knocking off Alabama back in 2003 – that was pre-Nick Saban, by the way, and ‘Bama was ranked No. 21 at the time.
“You know, it’s our job as coaches to make sure these guys are ready to go,” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “You go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a tale of two weeks, but we’ve got to own this thing,” Freeman said. “As coaches and players, we’ve got to own it, and we’ve got to fix it.”
One key play in the game, with Notre Dame up 14-13, was an interception by NIU’s Amariyun Knighten, who picked off the ball thrown by ND quarterback Riley Leonard and returned it exactly to midfield, to the 50-yard-line, with just under six minutes left in the game.
On the NIU drive to come, the Huskies were able to get to the Irish’s 19 before stalling out, taking as much time off the clock as possible before sending Woodill out for the 35-yard field goal attempt. The biggest play on the drive was a fourth down and 2 conversion by Ethan Hampton, NIU’s quarterback, who picked up 3 yards on the play to keep the drive going. Hampton finished the game 10-of-19 for 198 yards and a touchdown.
Leonard got ND on the scoreboard first in the first quarter on an 11-yard touchdown run. Antario Brown tied the game on an 83-yard touchdown catch from Hampton, just five plays later.
The Huskies led 13-7 at the half, on two field goals by Woodill from 42 and 21 yards.
Jeter’s first block was from 48 yards out, blocked by Haberman, and Woodill also missed a kick, in the third quarter, from 53 yards.
The Irish took a 14-13 lead on a 34-yard run by Jeremiyah Love, with 8:34 left in the third quarter, to set up the finish.
Notre Dame (1-1) plays at Purdue this Saturday, a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Saturday on CBS. Northern Illinois (2-0) is off this Saturday, and hosts Buffalo Sept. 21.
