From the beginning, it was obvious this wasn’t going to be a normal game. An Iowa band member slipped on the snowy field beforehand, and he and his tuba landed at the 25-yard line. What concerned Northwestern was that he still got 3 yards and a first down.
And then Iowa’s Tavian Banks was running for 74 yards in the first quarter, and the Wildcats were looking skyward, spitting out mud and snowflakes and wondering if their last game was going to be like all the other losses in a disappointing season.
But Northwestern has come a ways this season–not a long way, but far enough to take advantage of what it has and what it is given. On Saturday, the Wildcats had wide receiver Brian Musso, and Iowa donated four missed field goals and a safety.
It all added up to a 15-14 victory at Ryan Field, and it ended the Wildcats’ season on a high note after a mostly off-key year. Perhaps their biggest accomplishment was building up enough motivation to win a game that had as much meaning as a Jackie Collins novel. They finished 5-7.
“There was nothing at stake except a football game,” coach Gary Barnett said. “That told me that this isn’t an average group of guys.”
And Musso isn’t your average fifth-year senior. Playing in his last game, he scored both NU touchdowns.
“Every player to a man would say they walked off that field knowing they gave all they could to get a victory today,” Musso said. “It felt good. We were all sloppy, wet and dirty. That’s what football’s supposed to be like.”
Sloppy, wet, dirty–yeah, that about covers it. Musso fumbled on a 9-yard reception in the second quarter, but officials ruled it came after the whistle blew. He took a deep breath and took advantage of the situation. Tim Hughes, filling in for Chris Hamdorf, who was knocked out with a knee injury in the first quarter, threw a pass over the middle to Musso. The 31-yard play tied the game at 7-7.
Musso’s second touchdown came on a pass that TV announcers like to call ill-advised. Hughes threw into triple coverage, but two of Iowa’s defenders tripped, leaving Musso with enough room to make a one-handed catch.
“I don’t really know what happened,” Musso said of the 40-yard play. “I don’t remember even seeing the ball.”
The Hawkeyes were kicking themselves after the game, but Saturday being what it was, they probably missed on those too. Chad Johnson missed field-goal attempts of 50 and 47 yards, and Zach Bromert missed tries of 45 and 33 yards.
The killer for Iowa (6-4) was the punt that never was. Ryan McCormick snapped the ball from his own 31-yard line over the head of punter Jason Baker, and the ball bounced through the end zone. The safety cut the Hawkeyes’ lead to 14-9 and set up Musso’s second touchdown with 10 minutes 14 seconds left in the third quarter.
“Our men gave up a safety and those four field goals,” Iowa coach Hayden Fry said. “We pretty well dominated the game in regard to moving the ball. I never dreamed we could miss four field goals.”
The Hawkeyes had chances and took chances. With 8:21 left in the game, they decided to go for it on fourth and 3 from the NU 27. They tried a naked bootleg, with quarterback Randy Reiners hurrying to his right for what looked like a sure first down. But Anwawn Jones ate up the distance between them and . . . well, let Jones describe it:
“I showed up. His eyes got big. And there was a collision.”
There was also no gain. NU ball. The Hawkeyes later tried another field goal, but it was wide right.
NU’s season was wide right, as well–there was too big a number in the loss column. Barnett had a good feeling about the final game, but he’s a realist.
“The closest thing you have to think about is the way you finished the last game, and right now that didn’t look like a 5-7 team,” he said. “But I can read. And it says 5-7. So that’s what you are.”
