Northern Illinois RB Gavin Williams Saved Notre Dame Upset With Heads Up Play

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The Northern Illinois Huskies picked up the biggest win in program history on Saturday against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

But it almost never happened. A newly revealed film study shows NIU running back Gavin Williams made a heads-up play that flew entirely under the radar yet saved the game for the Huskies.

Former USC and Pitt quarterback Max Browne shared the play on Twitter on Monday night.

Northern Illinois RB Gavin Williams Saved His Team Against Notre Dame

The play occured with 4:26 left on the clock and Northern Illinois trailing 14-13. The Huskies had the ball at the Notre Dame 39-yard line and first-and-10, offensive coordinator Wesley Beschorner called a flea flicker.

But that’s when things went off the rails a bit. Williams takes the handoff, but Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts comes crashing down off the edge. If Williams tosses it back to quarterback Ethan Hampton, the play likely results in either a sack or, even worse, a fumble that would’ve likely sealed the game for Notre Dame.

Instead, Williams keeps the ball and is tackled for a 2-yard loss. Seven plays later, the Huskies kicked the game-winning field goal.

“This is an unbelievable observation by you and I personally told @gwill_21 Sunday how important this play was as well as our 1st KOR rep. Those 2 plays helped us win the game,” Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock said to Browne on Twitter.

Williams, a senior, carried the ball 17 times for 59 yards. But his biggest contribution of the game came on a 2-yard loss late in the game when NIU desperately needed to gain yards.

It was a remarkably heads up play and the type of thing that often gets lost during a broadcast. Instead, the Huskies are 2-0 with one of the best wins in the country on their resume. And they may now be a contender for a College Football Playoff spot as they begin conference play in the MAC.