Tag: Miami (Ohio)

Dominant defense leads Fresno State over Miami (Ohio) in Arizona Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

E.J. Warner threw for 214 yards and a touchdown and the Fresno State defense held Miami (Ohio) to 192 total yards in an 18-3 win at the Arizona Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Tucson.

Warner, the son of NHL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, completed 16 of 23 passes without a turnover.

Josiah Freeman caught seven passes for 143 yards for the Bulldogs (9-4), who came in with the 14th-best defense in the nation at 293.4 yards surrendered per game.

Miami freshman quarterback Thomas Gotkowski completed just 6 of 22 passes for 72 yards with an interception.

The RedHawks (7-7) were the defending Arizona Bowl champions.

The lone touchdown came with 11:12 left in the fourth quarter when Warner capped a 13-play, 70-yard drive by hitting Richie Anderson III with a 2-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 15-3.

Shortly after, Warner went into the medical tent after getting tackled following a 6-yard run, Dylan Lynch booted his fourth field goal of the game to extend it to 18-3 with 2:56 left in the game.

After the RedHawks forced a three-and-out on their first defensive series of the game, Keith Reynolds had a 32-yard run on Miami’s second offensive play to move into field-goal position and Dom Dzioban booted a 33-yarder for a 3-0 lead with 9:09 left in the first quarter.

Lynch came back with field goals of 28, 23 and 25 yards in the second quarter to move the Bulldogs ahead 9-3 at the half.

A 51-yard completion from Warner to Freeman put the Bulldogs back in field-goal position on their first drive of the second half, but Lynch missed a 28-yard field goal try with 6:52 left in the third quarter.

Reynolds finished with 46 rushing yards on three carries to lead Miami’s ground attack.

Jordan Brunson, who came in with 724 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the RedHawks this season, was held to 43 yards on nine carries.

Fresno State first-year coach Matt Entz earned a $45,000 bonus for his team’s ninth victory and for winning the Arizona Bowl. He had already pocketed $110,000 in bonuses for winning eight games and qualifying for a bowl game.

–Field Level Media

Fresno State stands between Miami (Ohio) and back-to-back Arizona Bowl crowns

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Miami (Ohio) will try to win the Arizona Bowl for the second straight year when it meets Fresno State in the first meeting between the schools on Saturday afternoon in Tucson.

The RedHawks (7-6) defeated Colorado State 43-17 at the University of Arizona last season to cap their fifth straight year in a postseason bowl game.

“We loved it last year,” said Miami coach Chuck Martin. “We were very, very excited that we got to go again.”

The RedHawks experienced their share of adversity before returning to Tucson. They began the season 0-3. Then seventh-year starting quarterback Dequan Finn, who was on his third college team, departed in mid-November to begin training for the NFL Draft.

Henry Hesson, a fourth-year senior with Miami, was given the first shot at the starting role, but freshman Thomas Gotkowski quickly passed him by and led the RedHawks to back-to-back wins against Buffalo and Ball State that advanced them to their third straight MAC championship game.

In four games, Gotkowski has completed 32 of 64 passes for 503 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also has rushed for 99 yards and one score.

“I always expected to see the field at some point,” Gotkowski said. “My mentality going into the season was, ‘Let’s prepare at a high level in case that opportunity comes sooner than you think.’ It may come today, may come tomorrow, but let’s be in a position where I’m able to execute at a high level and know the game plan whenever that moment comes.”

Miami also has a solid ground game led by senior Jordan Brunson, who has rushed for 724 yards and four touchdowns this season while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

The Bulldogs (8-4) are bowl-eligible for the fifth season in a row after holding their opponents to 293.5 yards per game, their fewest in a season since 1988.

Simeon Harris has five interceptions for Fresno State while Finn Claypool has racked up 6 1/2 sacks in his first year playing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. He stacked up 30.5 sacks in four years at FCS Drake.

E.J. Warner, the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, started the first seven games for Fresno State before he was benched in favor of sophomore Carson Conklin.

The Bulldogs were shut out for the first time at their home stadium in Conklin’s debut, so Warner eventually won back the starting job for the final two games of the regular season.

“We know what’s at stake,” Fresno State coach Matt Entz said. “Our guys have shown all year they can rise to the occasion. Now it’s about executing for four quarters.”

Entz has already earned $110,000 in bonuses for winning eight games and qualifying for a bowl game. He can pocket another $45,000 with an Arizona Bowl win.

Entz, who came to Fresno State this season after serving as the assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach at USC last season, knows the type of player he wants in his program.

“The things that we look for are high character, intelligence in the classroom and on the field, athleticism, and a level of toughness to fit into our program,” Entz said. “We don’t skip the work and we don’t skip the development at Fresno State. So, if you’re looking for a place where you’re going to show up and move right into a playing role, this isn’t it. You’ve got to come earn it at Fresno State.”

–Field Level Media

Western Michigan, Jalen Buckley defeat Miami (Ohio) to secure MAC title

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Jalen Buckley rushed for 193 yards on 19 carries, including two long-scoring runs, and Western Michigan claimed its first Mid-American Conference championship since 2016 with a 23-13 victory over Miami (Ohio) in Detroit on Saturday afternoon.

Broc Lowry completed eight of 13 passes for 111 yards and rushed for 65 yards on 23 carries for the Broncos (9-4), who also won the regular season title outright. Western Michigan’s defense recorded four sacks.

Jordan Brunson rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown for the RedHawks (7-6), who were making their third consecutive appearance in the title game.

The Broncos led 16-6 at halftime.

Buckley’s 67-yard touchdown run opened the scoring. Miami scored on a 1-yard run by Brunson. Palmer Domschke accounted for the rest of the scoring in the half with three field goals, including a season-best 50-yarder.

Buckley broke loose on a 64-yard touchdown run during the first two minutes of the second half.

Henry Hesson’s 6-yard scoring pass to Cole Weaver with 6:43 left cut the Broncos’ lead to 10 but couldn’t get any closer.

–Field Level Media

Rutgers began their football season,Thursday, August 28, 2025, with a game against Ohio University.

Athan Kaliakmanis tosses 4 TDs as Rutgers beats Miami (Ohio)

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Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 259 yards and a career-best four touchdowns, including two to Ian Strong, as Rutgers topped Miami of Ohio 45-17 Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.

Kaliakmanis completed 26 of his 36 passes as the Scarlet Knights (2-0) beat an opponent from the MAC for the second week in a row.

Strong benefited from the effective passing attack, catching nine passes for 116 yards. Rutgers rolled up 421 yards.

The RedHawks (0-2) faced an opponent from the Big Ten for the second straight week and lost despite DeQuan Finn having a hand in the majority of Miami of Ohio’s 368 yards. He threw for 251 and rushed for 85 and a score.

Keith Reynolds had seven catches for 120 yards. Kam Perry finished with four catches and 108 yards.

The game was delayed by an hour because of lightning in the area. It didn’t take Rutgers long to score once the action was underway.

Kaliakmanis completed all seven of his passes on the Scarlet Knights’ opening drive, the last finding a wide-open Ian Strong, who caught the ball from 14 yards out for a 7-0 lead with 7:25 to go in the first quarter.

Miami of Ohio responded as Finn hit Perry on a 62-yard pass where Perry eluded a diving defender and nearly scored before getting stopped just short of the goal line.

D’Shawntae Jones finished the four-play drive with a 1-yard run up the middle, tying the score at 7-7 with 5:11 left.

Rutgers seemed poised to score another touchdown early in the second, sitting in a first-and-goal situation at the 7-yard line.

But Kaliakmanis threw two incompletions and was then sacked by Jackson Kuwatch on third down for a loss of 14 yards, forcing the Scarlet Knights to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Jai Patel.

Finn had the RedHawks in position to potentially take the lead, but a throw on first-and-10 from the 25 of Rutgers was picked off by a leaping Bo Mascoe, who ran it back 68 yards before being tackled at the 12.

Three plays later, Antwan Raymond ran 2 yards for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead with 8:18 to play in the half. Raymond also scored with 1:53 left in the game to cap the scoring.

Rutgers surged in front with a 24-7 cushion with 1:20 remaining after Kaliakmanis connected with KJ Duff on an 11-yard touchdown toss.

Miami of Ohio nearly answered as Finn threw to Deion Colzie, who tried to snag it with one hand in the end zone. The RedHawks settled for a 40-yard field goal by Dom Dzioban and trailed 24-10 at halftime.

After forcing Rutgers to punt on its first drive of the second half, thanks to Koy Beasley breaking up a third down pass, Miami of Ohio went to work.

Finn hit Reynolds on a 69-yard pass in the middle of the field. Three plays later, he cut to his right and dove for the end zone on a 5-yard run, sliding out of bounds as he reached for the pylon as the RedHawks closed the gap to 24-17 with 10:21 left in the third.

Strong and DT Sheffield both caught touchdown passes in the second half to help Rutgers put the game out of reach in a wire-to-wire win.

Defensively, Kuwatch and Eli Blakey recorded 11 and 10 tackles, respectively for Miami of Ohio. Jett Elad and Kaj Sanders led Rutgers with five tackles each.

–Field Level Media

Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16), runs with the ball, Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Rutgers aims for better defensive effort against Miami (Ohio)

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Rutgers’ identity, particularly under second-term head coach Greg Schiano, is to run the ball and play tough, physical defense to win its games.

Last week’s 34-31 win over Ohio in the season opener was an anomaly as the Scarlet Knights scored 31 points in the first half, passed efficiently and averaged 14 yards per completion, but had trouble stopping a Mid-American Conference foe.

Rutgers will try to keep its offensive explosive while making improvements defensively on Saturday when it hosts another MAC opponent, Miami of Ohio.

“We have work to do to improve, right? We’ve got to make fundamental improvements,” Schiano said. “Miami’s played for the MAC championship the last two years. They’re going to play hard and we have to be ready.”

Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis hit a career-best 18 of 23 passes last week against Ohio for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Antwan Raymond and CJ Campbell Jr. combined for 158 yards on the ground, with Raymond scoring a touchdown.

But the Knights must get better on defense. They yielded 440 total yards, permitting more than 200 rushing and 200 passing.

Ohio rallied from a 31-17 halftime deficit by outscoring Rutgers 14-0 in the third quarter to tie the game. Jai Patel’s 26-yard field goal with 11:11 remaining accounted for the only points of the fourth quarter, and came on the Scarlet Knights’ 14-play, 67-yard drive that took 7:56 off the clock.

Miami started its season last week with a 17-0 loss at Wisconsin, playing a good defensive game but gaining just 117 yards and seven first downs on offense.

Quarterback Dequan Finn, in his seventh year of eligibility, was held to 83 yards (9 of 18, two interceptions) in the air and 13 net yards on the ground (12 carries).

Finn, who previously starred at Toledo and then transferred to Baylor, where he lost his starting job after three games last year, has been responsible for 93 career touchdowns. But he’s also one of 11 new offensive starters for coach Chuck Martin’s RedHawks.

“DQ’s played a lot of football, (sixth-year running back) Kenny Tracy’s played a lot of football and that’s it,” Martin said about his offense. “(redshirt senior Deion) Colzie’s played some football. Everyone else out there, this was their first go-around, and it looked like it at times.

“There is enough talent there, enough pride there and enough character there,” added Martin, the Redhawks’ head coach since the 2014 season.

This will be the first meeting of the programs.

–Field Level Media

Aug 28, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers defensive lineman Brandon Lane Jr. (95) and linebacker Mason Reiger (22) sack Miami (OH) RedHawks quarterback Dequan Finn (1) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

QB gets hurt, but Wisconsin shuts out Miami (Ohio)

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Reserve quarterback Danny O’Neil threw for a second-half touchdown and ran for another and Wisconsin held Miami (Ohio) to 117 total yards en route to a 17-0 victory on Thursday in the nonconference season opener for both teams in Madison, Wis.

O’Neil, who replaced injured starter Billy Edwards Jr. midway through the second quarter, directed a 54-yard scoring drive that put Wisconsin up 10-0 with 4:08 left in the third quarter.

O’Neil, a sophomore transfer from San Diego State, set up the score with a 22-yard completion to Grant Stec to the 3-yard line, then hit Vinny Anthony II with a touchdown toss on the following play.

Edwards, making his debut after transferring from Maryland, left with a lower-body injury and did not return. The senior, who passed for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns last season as the Terrapins’ starter, completed 6 of 13 passes for 68 yards before the injury.

Preston Zachman returned an interception 17 yards to the Miami 2-yard line to set up Wisconsin’s final touchdown, a 1-yard sneak by O’Neil with 6:45 left.

O’Neil completed 12 of 19 passes for 120 yards with one interception.

Wisconsin redshirt freshman Dilin Jones ran for 73 yards on 14 carries, helping the Badgers finish with 165 yards on the ground.

Miami, which returned no starters on offense, rushed for just 34 yards, averaging just 1.5 yards per carry.

The RedHawks, who advanced to the MAC title game the last two seasons, managed just seven first downs and were 0-for-9 on third-down conversion attempts.

Miami quarterback Dequan Finn, a seventh-year transfer from Baylor who also previously played at Toledo, completed 9 of 18 passes for 83 yards with two interceptions.

Wisconsin took a 3-0 lead on its second possession, marching 69 yards in 15 plays from its own 6-yard line before settling for Nathanial Vakos’ 42-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the first period.

O’Neil led a 65-yard drive on the opening possession of the second half, but was picked off by Silas Walters in the end zone on fourth-and-3 from the 10-yard line.

–Field Level Media

Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) is shown during spring football practice Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin unveils new QB, RB and OC against Miami (Ohio)

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Visiting Miami (Ohio) should provide a solid measuring stick for the Wisconsin Badgers and coach Luke Fickell, looking to bounce back from a disappointing season, in the nonconference opener for both teams Thursday night in Madison, Wis.

Wisconsin dropped its final five games last season to finish 5-7 in Fickell’s second year at the helm, snapping a streak of 22 consecutive winning seasons.

Miami, 9-5 last season, has appeared in the last two MAC championship games. The RedHawks lost to Ohio 38-3 in the conference title game last year, then defeated Colorado State 43-17 in the Arizona Bowl.

Wisconsin, which averaged just 22.6 points per game last season, has some major changes on offense. Jeff Grimes, offensive coordinator at Kansas last season, replaces Phil Longo in the same role.

For the third consecutive season under Fickell, the Badgers will have a veteran transfer starting at quarterback. Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 2,881 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions for Maryland last season, completing 65 percent of his passes.

Redshirt freshman Dilin Jones has been tabbed the starter at running back, with returnees Darrion Dupree (317 yards) and Cade Yacamelli (274 yards) as back-ups.

The Badgers will be without injured tight end Tucker Ashcraft vs. Miami.

“Ultimately, game one in particular, is about focusing on yourself,” Fickell said Monday. “For us, it’s about us going out there playing with some confidence and playing clean. We’ve got a lot to prove to ourselves.”

The RedHawks also will rely on a veteran transfer at quarterback, seventh-year senior Dequan Finn, who was at Baylor last seasons after five years at MAC rival Toledo.

Finn started the first two games at Baylor last season before suffering a shoulder injury. At Toledo, Finn passed for 7,074 yards and 63 touchdowns, while adding 1,840 yards rushing with 25 scores and was the MAC’s Most Valuable Player in 2023.

The RedHawks are still trying to figure out their rotations, coach Chuck Martin said last week.

“We’ve still got a hodgepodge mess of talented kids that are inconsistent,” Martin said. “We’re going to play a ton of Wisconsin on offense. I think there’s definitely some guys that we know on defense, our elder statesmen on defense, that are our guys.”

The Badgers face a tough challenge to improve under Fickell, 12-13 in his first two full seasons after going 53-10 in his final five seasons at Cincinnati, including one College Football Playoff appearance.

After home games against Miami and Middle Tennessee, the Badgers travel to eighth-ranked Alabama — the first of six games against teams in the preseason top 20, including four on the road.

It will be the first meeting between Wisconsin and the RedHawks since 2015 when the Badgers rolled to a 58-0 victory at home.

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs for a touchdown as Miami Redhawks linebacker Matt Salopek (15) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Riley Leonard stars as No. 17 Notre Dame routs Miami (Ohio)

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Quarterback Riley Leonard accounted for 297 yards of offense and three touchdowns, and No. 17 Notre Dame pulled away for a 28-3 win over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

Leonard completed 16 of 25 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown for Notre Dame (3-1), which won its second game in a row since a stunning loss to Northern Illinois. Leonard also carried the ball 12 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Brett Gabbert completed 14 of 35 passes for 119 yards and two interceptions for Miami (Ohio), which remained winless on the season at 0-3. Cade McDonald caught four passes for 52 yards to lead the team.

Notre Dame outgained Miami (Ohio) 428-229. The Fighting Irish averaged 6.7 yards per play, compared with 3.6 yards per play for the RedHawks.

The RedHawks opened the scoring on a 26-yard field goal by Dom Dzioban with 12:32 remaining in the first half.

Notre Dame grabbed a 7-3 lead with 3:33 to go in the half. Leonard faked a handoff, kept the ball and dodged a couple defenders for an 8-yard rushing score.

The Fighting Irish struck again with 1:05 to go in the half to make it 14-3. Leonard connected with Beaux Collins, who hauled in a 38-yard pass down the right sideline for his first touchdown of the season.

In the third quarter, Notre Dame turned to its ground game to pull ahead 21-3. Jeremiyah Love scored on a 15-yard run to cap off a seven-play, 60-yard drive.

Leonard struck again with his legs in the fourth quarter to increase Notre Dame’s advantage to 28-3. He kept the ball on fourth-and-1 and sprinted for a 50-yard rushing touchdown to put the score out of reach with 5:39 remaining.

The play marked Leonard’s second touchdown of the afternoon and his sixth rushing touchdown in four games with Notre Dame. It also made Leonard the first Fighting Irish quarterback to surpass 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games since Carlyle Holiday accomplished the feat in 2001.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) throws a touchdown pass in the first quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Towson Tigers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

Miami (OH) out to retain upper hand vs. rival Cincinnati

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For the first time since 2006, Miami (OH) enters its rivalry game against visiting Cincinnati with the Victory Bell in their possession.

The Redhawks (0-1) will try to hold onto the prized trophy over consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003 when they won their third straight over the Bearcats (1-1).

The series is deadlocked, with each team holding 60 wins and seven ties heading into Saturday’s game at Oxford, Ohio.

The long, storied rivalry that dates to 1888 could end with the 2026 game, as both schools canceled all future games on campus, including 2025 at Cincinnati. The 2026 contest is scheduled for Paycor Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, and this week’s game is the final matchup scheduled for Miami’s campus.

Last year, the Redhawks rallied to tie the game at 24-all, then won 31-24 in overtime after ending regulation with a block on a 35-yard field goal attempt from Bearcats kicker Carter Brown. The win snapped Cincinnati’s 16-game win streak in the matchup.

This year, both teams enter the game off losses. Miami fell at Northwestern 13-6 on Aug. 31. Cincinnati opened with a 38-20 home win over Towson before blowing a 27-6 third-quarter lead and losing 28-27 to visiting Pitt last Saturday.

“Right after the game, there was so much positivity up there already, even after a hard loss like that,” Bearcats center Gavin Gerhardt said. “And I think myself and a lot of guys have taken pride in and not allowing what happened last year in our program, the poutiness and whatnot, to happen anymore.

“This is a big rivalry game for us. And I think a lot of us older guys and the guys that have been here and have played Miami before last season even are taking a lot of pride in bringing that Bell back to Cincinnati. So that’s a big game for us. We’re not worried about Houston (next Saturday) at all. We’re worried about Miami.”

Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, a transfer from Indiana, has thrown five touchdowns and run for two scores in the first two games.

“They’ve got a ton of new players, a ton of new transfers offensively. They rolled up (658) yards against Towson, and the quarterback they’ve got, he’s really athletic,” Miami head coach Chuck Martin said. “He’s got a rifle arm. This guy can throw it, make all the throws. They’ve got a lot of different ways to attack you in the run game and then throw the ball over your head defensively.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Cam Porter (1) runs against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks during the first half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern holds off Miami (Ohio) in low-scoring affair

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Mike Wright passed for 178 yards and ran for 65 yards and a touchdown in his team debut to lift host Northwestern to a 13-6 season-opening win over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern regrouped from a sluggish start, driving 62 yards in eight plays on its first drive of the second half for the game’s lone touchdown.

Wright, a Mississippi State transfer, punctuated the possession with a 13-yard scoring run up the middle to put the Wildcats up 10-3 with 9:42 left in the third quarter. A 25-yard pass down the left side to Thomas Gordon set up the touchdown.

Miami made its only trip to the red zone on the day in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a six-yard pass from Brett Gabbert to Cade McDonald and an ensuing roughing the passing penalty. The drive stalled inside the Wildcats’ 10 as the Redhawks settled for a 26-yard Dom Dzioban field goal with 7:28 remaining to draw Miami within the final margin.

Robert Fitzgerald sealed the victory when he intercepted Gabbert at the Northwestern 25 with 57 seconds to go.

Jack Olsen kicked field goals of 45 and 38 yards for the Wildcats, who outgained the Redhawks 328-267.

Gabbert was 22-for-37 for 227 yards and two interceptions. Jordan Brunson led the ground game with 33 yards on eight carries and McDonald had eight receptions for 105 yards.

Bryce Kirtz caught six passes for 91 yards for Northwestern while Cam Porter had 63 yards on 13 carries. Wright was 18-of-30 passing.

The schools traded field goals in an uneven first half.

Northwestern opened the scoring on a 45-yard Olsen field goal with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter. The Redhawks answered just under six minutes later on Dzioban’s 43-yarder.

Early turnovers hampered the Wildcats. After losing just one fumble during all of last season, Northwestern lost two – both by Wright – in the second quarter. Dzioban was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt after the first fumble.

The second occurred on a keeper at the Redhawks’ 1-yard line, one play after a nine-yard Porter run brought the Wildcats to the doorstep of the end zone.

Northwestern is playing home games in a temporary stadium on campus for the next two seasons as the university renovates the Wildcats’ longtime home, Ryan Field.

–Field Level Media