Nebraska pulled the ultimate miracle in their game yesterday, sending up a Nebraska Hail Mary in order to defeat Northwestern. The game ended when Nebraska’s quarterback Ron Kellog III threw up a desperation attempt to the end-zone and the pass was tipped and caught by Jordan Westerkamp. The touchdown was scored with no time left in the game, and the final score of the game was 27-24.
Nebraska lost to Minnesota last week, and this win may just be enough to save their season, and their coach Bo Pelini’s job. While they are now able to control their own destiny with a 6-2 record in the Big Ten Legends division, they have some tough games coming up against Michigan and Michigan State. Although, if Michigan plays anything like they did against Michigan State yesterday, Nebraska should have no trouble in that game.
Hail Mary… Full of grace… #Nebraska
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) November 2, 2013
Kellog described the Nebraska Hail Mary that he threw as “a crazy play,” and a crazy play it was, to say the least.
The game continued to go back and forth all afternoon, and when Northwestern took a 3-point lead with 1:20 left, it seemed that the game was all but over. Nebraska was forced to start the final drive from their own 17 with no timeouts, a seemingly impossible feat to overcome. Northwestern took an early lead, but simply lost control after that. They went up 21-7, but their following 11 possessions resulted in 10 punts and an interception.
Ron Kellog III’s Hail Mary for Nebraska came at just the right time, and while he was only the third-string quarterback coming into the season, Bo Pelini has said that if they ever needed to drive the field in the final 2 minutes, Kellogg would be the guy he called on.
Ron Kellogg III is a walk-on 5th-year senior. Comes in with Nebraska's season on the line and throws a Hail Mary. That's pretty cool.
— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) November 2, 2013
The Nebraska Hail Mary that was executed on November 2nd was perhaps its most dramatic since Matt Davison’s “Miracle at Missouri” that kept their national championship hopes alive in 1997.