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Northern Illinois stuns No. 5 Notre Dame for first-ever win over a top-10 team


Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton helped lead the Huskies to a 16-14 win over No. 5 Notre Dame on Saturday. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)

Northern Illinois stunned No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14 with a late field goal by Kanon Woodill on Saturday.

Woodill kicked a 36-yard field goal with 31 seconds left as Notre Dame couldn’t stop the Huskies after a second interception by Riley Leonard. It’s Northern Illinois’ first win ever against a team ranked in the top 10 of the AP Top 25.

A week after Notre Dame took down Texas A&M in College Station, the Irish offense struggled to move the ball. Leonard threw a bad interception with 5:55 to go as he inexplicably forced a deep pass into a two-safety look on second-and-1.

🚨UPSET ALERT🚨

Don’t count out Northern Illinois just yet 👀

Riley Leonard’s second interception puts the Huskies in BUSINESS
pic.twitter.com/HQKbOlMyaR

— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) September 7, 2024

Northern Illinois ran over five minutes off the clock after the pick, but Notre Dame had one more chance thanks to a bad spot and horrible clock management by the officials. However, Mitch Jeter’s 62-yard field goal was blocked as time expired.

Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock was moved to tears by his team’s performance after the game.

“I’m so proud of our kids, the coaches, everybody,” the former NIU player told NBC while wiping tears from his eyes. “They believed. They believed and we came in and got it done.”

Northern Illinois stayed committed to the run game against the Irish defense and it ultimately paid off. The Huskies start five seniors up front and rushed the ball 45 times for 190 yards to just 20 pass attempts. NIU’s final drive started with four straight run plays and included just two passes as the Huskies inched down the field and drained the clock.


Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/northern-illinois-stuns-no-5-notre-dame-for-first-ever-win-over-a-top-10-team-224835461.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-07 22:48:35

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