Other Autry Goes Over Top for Northwestern

He was so nervous before his first college start that Adrian Autry limited his pregame meal Saturday to a single piece of French toast.

After the game, after he’d replaced a star with the same last name--Darnell Autry--and after he had set up and scored the winning touchdown, Adrian Autry was understandably hungry.

But he was also satisfied.

“I was OK by game time. I felt comfortable and everyone showed confidence in me,” Autry said after helping No. 11 Northwestern pull off another last-minute victory, a 27-24 triumph over Illinois.

Autry leaped over from a yard out with 1:02 to play for the game-winning touchdown after getting some advice from Darnell Autry, who was sidelined because of a shoulder injury. The two are not related.

“He told me to go over the top. We really don’t have a play like that but he told me to run it,” said Adrian Autry. “So I went over the top.”

And Northwestern, 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten, went into position for its second consecutive bowl bid with its 13th Big Ten victory in a row.

Northwestern has won its last seven, and the last four have been decided in the final minutes--victories over Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and now the Illini. The Wildcats have won those four games by a combined 10 points, three of the victories coming on fourth-quarter rallies.

Illinois (2-5, 1-3) led, 17-7, in the first half and went ahead, 24-20, on Robert Holcombe’s third touchdown of the game, a one-yard run a with 8:43 to play.

Illinois stopped Northwestern on its next drive, but the Wildcats forced a punt and began the winning drive with 3:44 to play at the Illinois 48 with Autry gaining 29 yards on a first-down run.

On a fourth and five from the 14, Steve Schnur threw a nine-yard pass to Brian Musso.

“You just run to the first down area and get open real fast,” Musso said.

Three plays later, Autry, who had 128 yards in 30 carries, leaped into the end zone.