Cats fall to Auburn in wild OT Outback

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TAMPA—In it’s long awaited New Year’s Day Bowl Northwestern lost for the 2nd straight year in a Bowl overtime 38-35 to Auburn, Northwestern received,but on a third and five from their own 25, Mike Kafka did his best(or worst)imitation of Jay Cutler with an Outback Bowl record five interceptions as NU and Auburn each got a pair of TD’s in the final quarter to force extra time. Kafka tried a pass over the middle which hit RB Scott Concannon,popped in the air,and it was picked off by Auburn’s Walter McFadden picked it off at the NU 31. Just 5 plays later,Kodi Burns crashed over to give Auburn a 7-0 lead just 2:35 into the game. The Wildcats answered with a nice drive of their own that started at their own 24.Kafka hit Drake Dunsmore with a 17 yard pass to the Auburn 40.They got to the Auburn 4 for a first and goal,but then things fell apart. Kafka took too long on the count for a delay of game,and on a second down, Kafka threw a pass to the goal line that McFadden picked off and took officially 100 yards the other way untouched to give the Tigers a 14-0 lead. Again the Wildcats moved the ball,starting at their 33.

The two teams exchanged picks on their first drives of the second half. That included Kafka’s fourth thrown interception of the game.After stopping the Tigers again, NU got back in the game with an 88 yard 6 play drive, capped by a 35 yard pass to Brewer,who got behind the DB’s and scored his second TD of the game with 2:42 left in the half. Once more, the Tigers went three and out and punted to the NU 34. On the first play of the drive, Kafka hit Dunsmore on the near sideline and he broke three tackles including one attempted by McFadden at the five yard line,and he scored the tying TD. It was 21-21 after three quarters.NU again forced a punt,but Kafka unleashed his fifth interception of the game, toZeke Markshausen for 11 and Dunsmore for 8 put the ball at the NU 48. Then Three plays later from the Auburn 39, Andrew Brewer got behind the secondary and Kafka hit him in stride for a touchdown to bring the Cats to within 14-7 after the first quarter.The Cats then drove to the Auburn 31,but Stefan Demos missed a 48 yard field goal.Auburn then got to the NU 37 and went for it on fourth and 4.They went for it and a Chris Todd pass was incomplete,turning the ball back to the Wildcats.But a failed drive gave the Tigers the ball at their 25, and just five plays later, Todd fired to Quindarius Carr who appeared to get away with a push off,but he caught it to up the Auburn advantage to 21-7 with 8:54 left in the half which is the way the half ended. The Wildcats had a time of possession advantage of 19:55 to 10:05 in the opening half and had a net yards advantage of 289-194 with 52 plays to 29. The interceptions were clearly the difference.T’Sharvan Bell. That led to a 5 yard tie breaking TD run by Ben Tate with 10:10 left to put Auburn back in front 28-21.After an offensive pass interference killed an NU drive, Demos punted to the Auburn 35,and just three plays later, Tate scored again, from the five to ice the game.NU didn’t quit as they drove to the one thanks to a pair of Kafka to Markshausen passes to the Auburn 2, and the quarterback ran it in,but Demos’s PAT try was blocked.Auburn’s Neiko Thorpe then fumbled and Sherrik McMannis fell on it at the NU 31.The Cats needed 7 plays and a key faceask penalty to tie it when Kafka hit a wide open Sidney Stewart and then they used some razzel-dazzel for the tying two point conversion. Kafka tossed to Brewer,who rolled right and hit an open Kevin Mitchell to tie it 35-35. After a fumble, the Cats drove to the Auburn 27 with :03 left. Demos then missed wide right on a 44 yarder as time expired,sending Northwestern to it’s second Bowl overtime in a row.

NU won the toss and chose to have the ball second.Auburn got to the Five after a pair of runs by Tate, but had to settle for a Wes Byrum 21 yard field goal.After the Cats got a first down at the Auburn 15, Kafka was sacked at the 30.Two plays later Demos hit the right but a roughing the kicker gave the Cats a first down inside the 10. Demos was also hurt on the play.It got to a 4th down and NU tried a fake field goal and was stopped, ending the game.

NOTES—Attendance on a rain soaked New Years Day was 49,383…..The Bowl loss was the Wildcats 7th in a row with their only win 20-14 over California in the Jan 1948 Rose Bowl…..This was NU’s first January Bowl Game(and their first in Florida in 13 years(the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando against Payton Manning and Tennessee)….This was the highest scoring Outback Bowl to date.

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R ! ! ! ! !

LES