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University of Minnesota Athletics
Blog: Wild Endings With Wildcats
9/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
The football series between Northwestern and Minnesota has seen two hard-fought, close, entertaining contests in each of the past two seasons. That topic was on the minds of many as Gopher head coach Tim Brewster and some of his players met with the media Tuesday afternoon at the Gibson-Nagurski Complex.
In 2007, Minnesota dropped a two-overtime decision. Last season, a game that looked like it was headed for overtime ended on a Wildcat interception return for a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining.
Quarterback Adam Weber has been heavily involved in both the 2007 and 2008 meetings between the Gophers and Wildcats.
“The past two years we have had some tough games with them,” Weber said. “Our last time there (in Evanston) was two overtimes when we lost on that last play. We have a history with Northwestern.”
In 2007, Minnesota led 35-14 late in the third quarter. Northwestern stormed back to score 21 unanswered points, including a touchdown with eight seconds left in regulation. That sent the game into overtime. In the first extra session, both teams scored a touchdown, making it 42-42. In the second overtime, Northwestern scored first and kicked the extra point to go up 49-42. Minnesota scored on a three-yard run by Weber to make it 49-48.
Head coach Tim Brewster decided to go for the victory with a two-point conversion. Weber was looking for wide receiver Eric Decker in the end zone. But the pass attempt fell incomplete, giving Northwestern a one-point victory.
'My team deserved to win,” Brewster said after the game. “My football team, our football team deserved to win and that's why I went for two. I felt 100 percent that we'd get the two. We had a good play called. Northwestern did a nice job in defense of the play, but Adam [Weber] was on the edge and had a number of different options, throwing, running. But without question, I'd do it again, tonight, tomorrow, the next day.”
Last season, Minnesota fell behind 10-0 in the first half. But a Weber-to-Decker touchdown pass and a Traye Simmons interception return for a TD put Minnesota up 14-10. Northwestern QB Mike Kafka scored on a 53-yard run later in the second to put the Wildcats back on top, 17-14. The Gophers tied the contest at the intermission with a late field goal.
The score stayed knotted at 17-17 throughout nearly the entire second half. Minnesota’s final possession began with 47 seconds remaining. After picking up a first down, the Gophers tried to go down the middle of the field in an attempt to get into field-goal position. But Weber’s pass, intended for Decker, was tipped and hauled in by Northwestern defensive back Brandon Smith.
Smith not only came up with the interception, but then weaved his way through traffic for a game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds remaining.
Coach Brewster said that revenge isn’t necessarily a motivating factor for Saturday’s game. But he and his team are well aware of the way both of the last two outings vs. Northwestern have ended.
“You know, we've had two tough losses in a row to Northwestern,” Brewster said. “Two years ago down there we went into (double) overtime. Then last year, obviously, losing the game on the last play.
“I don't know about revenge or anything like that,” Brewster added. “ I just think that we want to go play well against another good opponent. Each year is a new opportunity, is a new game. So obviously we study history and we study the past, but we spend a whole a lot more time studying the future and the things we need to do this year to win the football game as opposed to past years.”
-Andy Seeley
