Graham Nicholson kicked a 36-yard field goal with 21 seconds left to give visiting Miami (Ohio) a 17-14 upset win against Northwestern on Saturday night in Evanston, Ill.
Keyon Mozee rushed for 171 yards on 21 carries to lead the RedHawks (2-2), who overcame a 14-7 deficit midway through the fourth quarter.
Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski completed 24 of 42 passes for 232 yards. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Cam Porter scored on a 2-yard run off a direct snap with 8:34 left to give Northwestern a 14-7 lead, but Miami quickly answered.
Mozee’s 66-yard run to the Wildcats’ 1-yard line on the next drive set up a short touchdown run by quarterback Aveon Smith to tie the score 14-14 with 7:23 left.
The RedHawks got the ball back on their final drive with 6:24 remaining and marched into Northwestern territory for the winning field goal.
Northwestern (1-3) struggled to move the ball from the start.
Hilinski kept the first scoring drive alive when he completed a 3-yard pass to Malik Washington on fourth-and-1 from the Miami 34-yard line.
Miami (2-2) stopped Evan Hull on third-and-goal from the 1, but the RedHawks were penalized for offsides and Hilinski scored on a quarterback sneak on the next play to give Northwestern a 7-0 lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter.
Miami punted on its first four possessions, and Nicholson missed a 38-yard field goal on the fourth drive after the RedHawks recovered a fumble on their own 24-yard line.
The special teams for Miami came through later in the first half, however.
Caiden Woullard blocked a punt by Luke Akers and he recovered the ball at the Northwestern 8-yard line.
Two plays later, Smith tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mac Hippenhammer to tie the score 7-7 with 27 seconds left in the first half.
Miami had a chance to take its first lead, but Northwestern blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt by Nicholson with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
–Field Level Media