Despite losing three fourth-quarter fumbles inside the red zone, the Notre Dame football team scored a late touchdown to earn a dramatic 22-17 East Suburban Catholic win over Nazareth.
The Dons (2-1, 1-1) trailed 17-14 in the final minute before sophomore running back Ty Gavin caught a short pass from junior quarterback Tom Drabik and took it for a 40-yard score with 26 seconds left on Friday, Sept. 9, in Niles.
Notre Dame added the two-point conversion and eventually stopped the visiting Roadrunners (2-1, 0-1) on four straight pass plays to seal the win.
“Right when I looked up (after catching the pass) I saw a lot of my offensive line in front of me and I saw a lot of green grass,” Gavin said. “I just had to get into the end zone. I had two turnovers, and I had to get redemption.”
Gavin scored all three Notre Dame touchdowns, including a 60-yard punt return for a score in the first half.
More Top Picks Stimming In Autism What It Is And When To Worry
The game was tied 14-14 at halftime. Nazareth took a 17-14 lead on senior Aidan Bresnahan’s 47-yard field goal midway through the third.
Both teams had trouble holding onto the football in the second half. Notre Dame’s two fumbles inside the Nazareth 5-yard line might have been too much for many teams to overcome.
“It’s a big win, the kids just never quit,” Notre Dame coach Mike Hennessey said. “We were able to sustain things and bring it to the fourth quarter, and once you do that, anything can happen.”
Nazareth lost junior starting quarterback Zach Stevens to a left knee injury early in the fourth quarter.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @danshalin