[NU Sports] Improbable Comebacks

[John Labbe]

After giving it some thought, Saturday's win over Iowa ranks at the top 
of my list of Northwestern improbable come-from-behind victories.  The 
description "improbable" incorporates a number of factors including the 
size of the deficit overcome and the lateness in the came that the 
comeback occurred.

The Iowa victory ranks at the top of my list because we overcame a 13 
point deficit in the final 3:30 with no timeouts remaining.  In those 
final minutes, we required 124 yards of offense and recovery of an 
onside kick to perfect the victory.

The following are the runners-up on my list:

2) Michigan 1996
We trailed to Michigan 16-0 entering the fourth quarter and won by 
scoring 3 field goals and a TD with a 2-point conversion.  We scored 
the final field goal with 13 seconds remaining.

3) at Minnesota 2000
Down 35-14 late in the fourth quarter, we rallied to score 4 straight 
touchdowns, including the game winning score (victory-right) with no 
time remaining.  The final TD was an exclamation point on this 
improbable comeback, but even without it we would have gone to OT, and 
had we won in OT, this still would have been an improbable comeback.  
We converted on numerous fourth downs in the fourth quarter to keep 
essential drives alive.

4) Michigan State 2001
After we scored what appeared to be the game-winning TD with 29 second 
remaining, MSU returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, leaving us with 
only 18 second.  But once again employing victory-right, we quickly got 
into field goal range and kicked a 47-yarder with no time remaining.

5) at Wisconsin 1996
The game appeared to be over and Wisconsin was running out the clock, 
until Ron Dayne fumbled with under a minute to play.  There was just 
enough time for a couple more plays capped off by a 20-yard Schnur to 
Bates TD pass.

6) Michigan 2000
This game appeared over after Damien Anderson couldn't pull in a TD 
pass with 1:30 remaining.  But then the A-Train fumbled with just 46 
second remaining, setting up the winning TD.

Am I overlooking any?  My Northwestern football memory only goes back 
to the mid-90s.