25 years ago today: Miami 30 Northwestern 28
WildcatReport is looking back on each game of Northwestern's magic 1995 Big Ten championship season as part of the team's 25th anniversary celebration.
Northwestern stunned the college football world with a season-opening upset over No. 9 Notre Dame on Sept. 2. Two weeks later, on Sept. 16, the Wildcats pulled off another shocker. This time by losing to Miami (Ohio), 30-28.
As Gary Barnett said shortly afterward, "The highs are high and the lows are low."
The No. 25 Wildcats, ranked for the first time since 1971, blew a 28-7 fourth-quarter lead against the then-Redskins, who were coached by a young Randy Walker. It would turn out to be Northwestern's only loss of the season.
You've likely seen the deciding play on YouTube, or on the video player in your mind, countless times. Paul Burton was set to punt from the NU 37-yard line with less than a minute left and Northwestern clinging to a 28-27 lead. The low snap from Larry Curry, who was subbing for injured long snapper Paul Janus, skipped past Burton and rolled all the way to the NU 1-yard line. Miami took possession with 43 seconds to go and, two plays later, Chris Seitz kicked the game-winning 20-yard field goal that stuck a pin in Northwestern's brand new balloon.
Everyone remembers that snap, but there were two other botched snaps that played pivotal roles as Curry struggled replacing Janus, who went down with an injury in the first quarter.
In the first half, a bad snap enabled Miami linebacker Dee Osborne to block Burton's punt and return it 10 yards for a TD that cut NU's lead to 21-7. Then, another errant hike got away on Sam Valenzisi's 46-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Instead of possibly icing the game, the play instead went for a 17-yard loss.
Players and coaches quickly dismissed any attempts to pin the loss on Curry, Burton or any other player.
"It's ridiculous to say that Larry Curry or Paul Burton or any individual is responsible," center Rob Johnson said after the game. "We had 95 guys out there. Each of us has to look at himself."
Johnson was right. Northwestern looked to have the game well in hand, holding a two-touchdown lead at the half. Steve Shnur dissected Miami in the first half, completing 8 of 13 passes for 128 yards and three TDs, two to D'Wayne Bates and one to Darnell Autry.
Then, on the second play of the second half, Rodney Ray scored on a pick-six to extend Northwestern's lead to 28-7 and the Cats went on cruise control.
That interception was the first pass thrown by Miami's Sam Ricketts, a backup QB who had come in for injured starter Neil Dougherty after halftime. He may have gotten off to a bad start, but he would become the dagger that killed the Cats in the second half.
Ricketts, a mobile quarterback unlike Dougherty, completed 13 of 26 passes for 190 yards and two TDs as the Redskins chipped away at the Wildcats' lead until taking their only lead on the game's last play.
"Ricketts was totally different," said Barnett. "We did not want him to play. You always worry about a mobile quarterback."
After the Miami debacle, the media that had praised the Wildcats for two weeks disappeared. Even Northwestern fans wondered if the Notre Dame win was just a fluke and if these were the same old Wildcats who hadn't experienced a winning season in 24 years.
"I feel bad for our students and fans," said Barnett. "We created a bandwagon and they jumped on. Now, it's like the thing is Teflon-coated. They're going to fall right off."
Darnell Autry discusses NU's loss to Miami with BTN.