DETROIT, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Northwestern was fortunate to secure a bowl berth and Friday looks to prove it belongs when the Wildcats play in the Motor City Bowl.
The Wildcats went just 6-6 this season but will take on Bowling Green (10-3) in Detroit.
Northwestern became the eighth Big Ten conference team to land a bowl berth when both Michigan and Ohio State secured slots in BCS bowl games.
The Wildcats, who are seeking their first bowl victory since a 20-14 win over California in the 1949 Rose Bowl, have lost their last three bowl games by a combined score of 155-77.
Bowling Green accepted a bid to the Motor City Bowl after suffering a 49-27 loss to Miami Ohio in the Mid-American Conference championship game. The Falcons are making their first bowl appearance since 1992, when they defeated Nevada, 35-34, in the California Bowl.
Falcons quarterback Josh Harris was a relative unknown until he opened some eyes with his performance against Northwestern on Nov. 17, 2001, a match-up the schools arranged to replace games that were canceled due to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Trailing the entire game, Bowling Green rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat the Wildcats, 43-42, on a two-point reception by Cole Magner with 36 seconds remaining. The Falcons scored 29 points in the final period, setting an NCAA record for most points in the fourth quarter by a trailing team.
Harris accounted for 498 yards on total offense, setting a school record he has since broken. Northwestern gained 618 yards in the loss, with Zak Kustok establishing a school mark with 532 yards of total offense.
Harris needs just 79 yards of total offense to break the MAC record of 4,267 held by Marshall's Byron Leftwich. Harris has passed for 3,427 yards and rushed for 762 yards. Magner, an
Alaskan native, was his favorite target with 87 receptions for 1,041 yards and eight TDs.
