Bryant-to-Kirtz connection has been a long time coming

Four knee surgeries in four years for Bryce Kirtz. Three teams in six seasons for Ben Bryant.

"My dad has rented a U-Haul for me like a million times," Bryant joked before turning serious. "He's been a real trooper and just so supportive. I'm so thankful to have a family like them there for me and supporting me."

"My last surgery was on my right meniscus and completely shaved it down," Kirtz said. "Last season, it was bothering me the whole season. I wasn't the player I am now. I was like, 'If I get through this and get my knee figured out, that's all I need to get figured out.'"

A combined decade of rehab, relocation and perseverance brought them together in Evanston this season. And Saturday night, it all paid off in Northwestern's 37-34 overtime win over Minnesota.

Bryant threw for 396 yards, his career-high, and four touchdowns. Kirtz hauled in 10 catches for 215 yards, just 11 shy of tying Northwestern's single-game record, and two touchdowns.

It was the best game of Kirtz's career. Well, his college career that is.

"Besides high school, that was my best game," he said. "I think in high school I had, like, 250 [yards] one game, two touchdowns. I won Homecoming king too, so it was a pretty good day."

Kirtz wasn't crowned class royalty this time around, but he did earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. Once he broke the 100-yard barrier, he knew he was in for a big game.

"Third quarter, once I had gone over 100 [yards], I was like, 'Okay, I'm out here doing my thing,'" Kirtz said. "I should just keep doing it and keep trusting my quarterback."

That trust was well placed. Bryant found Kirtz a couple times early for 17 yards, but their connection caught fire when Kirtz broke free on a double move for an 80-yard touchdown in the final minutes of the first half.

Not only was that Northwestern's first score, cutting Minnesota's lead to 21-7, it was Kirtz's first touchdown as a Wildcat.

"We practice this stuff all through the week. We work on it so we can come to the game and it's like clockwork for us," Kirtz said. "I just remember [Bryant] specifically saying, 'Let's get you in the end zone.'"

For Bryant, that play didn't just crack Northwestern's goose egg on the scoreboard; it galvanized the team and sowed the seeds that a comeback would be possible.

"I think the play that Bryce made was a big factor," Bryant said. "When we have explosive plays and make big plays like that, it just brings the juice out of everyone.

"Then you feed off that and it gives you the confidence and motivation that you're going to go out there and do it again and again and again."

Bryant fed Kirtz over and over in the second half, completing seven more passes to the redshirt senior, including all three plays of a 69-yard touchdown drive to cut Minnesota's lead to a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Bryant promised, with a smile, that he was keeping an open mind every play and wasn't feeding Kirtz on purpose.

"I had no idea until after the game that he had that many yards," Bryant said. "I just read the plays how I read them. I just throw to whoever's open and he turned out to be the guy who was getting open a lot and making big plays.

"I'm really happy for Bryce, and he had a really great game. He deserves the attention he's getting, and he's going to keep doing that for us."

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For Kirtz, the play that made the comeback a reality came much later in the game when Minnesota punted from Northwestern's 37-yard line with 2:07 left. The punt bounced twice within the 10, but a miscue in their punt coverage meant the Gophers downed it in the end zone for a touchback, rather than at the 1-yard line.

That's all that Kirtz and Northwestern needed.

"I felt like my game changed, and the team in general... It swung the game around to our side," Kirtz said.

The dynamic duo's virtuoso performance against Minnesota was the result of months of hard work.

"Ah, it felt so good," Bryant said with a sigh of relief. "When I first came in, Bryce welcomed me with open arms. He's so fun to be around, and we've hung out both on and off the field.

"Just really happy to be on a team with him, to be on the same field as him."

The transition of their relationship from off to on the field didn't go as smoothly. Bryant struggled through his first three games, completing 55% of his passes for 408 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. But he kept the faith and so did interim head coach David Braun, who adamantly endorsed Bryant as his starter week-in and week-out, despite a preseason quarterback battle and pressure to give Brendan Sullivan, a younger, dual-threat quarterback, a chance.

Then, against Minnesota, it all fell into place for an overtime victory. Faith rewarded.

"It feels good. You always want your coaches to be confident in you, no matter if you struggle or if you're playing well," Bryant said. "As a quarterback, especially, it's a big confidence booster... I felt that ever since I was named the starter. It means a lot to me, and I'm just happy that they support me."

Kirtz had a similar slow start to the season. He didn't play against Rutgers and had seven catches for 59 yards combined against UTEP and Duke. Then, it all came together for him, too.

"I would say it's due to my preparation and my confidence," Kirtz said. "I was just more confident in myself. I really had to tell myself that I've been here before, I deserve to be out here.

"'You're a fifth-year, you're the oldest one out here. Let's go, act like it,'" he added with a laugh. "That kind of just changed my mindset. Then, once things started clicking, I got more confident as well."

After a huge game like that, Kirtz is setting his sights higher for himself and for his team.

"I definitely want to be first-or second-team All-Big Ten," Kirtz said. "As far as the team goes, I want to keep winning and make it to a bowl game. I've been to one bowl game, that was the Citrus Bowl in [2021], and it was the time of my life."

Bryant has 804 passing yards through four games, and if he continues to play like he did last Saturday, he could crack the top 10 in single-season passing in Northwestern history. Steve Schnur is 10th all-time with 2,632 yards in a season, a number Bryant can eclipse with 230 yards per game the rest of the way.

But he's not focused on personal accolades or stats.

"Personally, I don't have any goals. Stats...I don't care about stats. All I care about is wins," he said. "I want to lead this team to as many wins as possible. I want to lead them to a Big Ten West championship. That's the goal out in front of us right now, and then a bowl game...

"I just want to get as many wins as possible and just play my best ball in my last year."

If Bryant and Kirtz keep playing at the level they showed on Saturday, it's all possible.