Northwestern RB Justin Jackson breaks free from Kentucky LB Jordan Jones for a 14 yard carry and a first down in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2017. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Northwestern QB Matt Alviti is tackled by Kentucky LB Courtney Love on a 16 yard carry that earns a 1st down. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Northwestern RB Justin Jackson runs for 18 yards and a first down, putting the Wildcats in position to earn their second touchdown of the game. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Northwestern RB Jeremy Larkin runs for a 64 yard gain. This drive ended with a turnover on downs on Kentucky’s 2 yard line. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Northwestern S Kyle Queiro stayed inbounds and returned an interception for a touchdown near the end of the third quarter. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Kentucky WR Kayaune Ross signals his readiness to a referee before attempting a two point conversion that would give the Wildcats a lead late in the fourth quarter. (Photo Andrew Brown for HillsboroGlobe.com)
Northwestern’s Justin Jackson rushed for 157 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns at the 2017 Frankling American Music City Bowl held December 29, 2017 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photographer Angel Powell, Rights reserved HillsboroGlobe.com)
Kentucky’s quarterback Stephen Johnson earned 277 all purpose yards and scored a pair of touchdowns at the 2017 Franklin American Music City Bowl held December 29, 2017 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photographer Susan Strasinger, Rights reserved HillsboroGlobe.com)

Northwestern Edges Kentucky in a wild finish at the Franklin American Music City Bowl

Kentucky goes for two and the win but falls short. Stephen Johnson runs it in from 9 yards out to put Kentucky down by one late, but the Wildcats fail on the two-point conversion as they fall to Northwestern in the Music City Bowl.

Hillsboro Globe Reporter – Angel Powell, Andrew Brown, Sports Reporters

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Kentucky Wildcats football team rallied from a 10-point deficit to get within a point of tying the game in the fourth quarter with the No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats but failed on a two-point conversion with 37 seconds left in the game.

Box Score

The 2017 Franklin American Music City Bowl game will be remembered for its frenzied rallied Kentucky comeback, notable injuries and even a couple of ejections at Nissan Stadium on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Northwestern posted 442 yards of total offense compared to Kentucky’s 338 yards. Northwestern dominated in the run game, posting 333 yards on the ground, while Kentucky only gained 65. In his last game as a Wildcat, Justin Jackson ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns as Northwestern (10-3) finished off back-to-back bowl wins in consecutive years for the first time in program history.

In addition to Jackson’s 157 rushing yards, redshirt first year Jeremy Larkin busted out for a career-high 112 yards on the ground, while quarterback Matt Alviti scooted for 54.

Kentucky (7-6) trailed 24-14 with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter. A 10 play, 43 yard drive set up a 48-yard field goal from Austin McGinnis to cut the lead to 24-17 when the comeback began.

Kentucky’s defense would rise and the Northwestern Wildcats from Evanston, Illinois on the following drive on a fourth-and-one from the Kentucky 39 yard line, giving UK the ball in good field position with 2:31 remaining.

Firing up the Kentucky fans in blue, the Wildcats drove down the field, and quarterback Stephen Johnson scored on a nine-yard rush to cut the lead to 24-23 with just 37 seconds left.

Next came the gutsy move to go for two instead of squaring up for an overtime game.

Johnson’s pass on the conversion attempt was broken up. Northwestern then recovered UK’s pooch kick, sealing the victory.

Both starting quarterbacks left in the first half with injuries. Kentucky’s Stephen Johnson was knocked out of the game on multiple occasions but kept coming back. Johnson connected on 19 of his 36 passes for 257 yards. He also rushed six times for 17 yards and a pair of touchdowns

Kentucky also lost running back Benny Snell Jr. to an ejection for contact with an official early in the second quarter, and Northwestern lost leading tackler and linebacker Paddy Fisher before halftime when he was ejected for targeting.

“We just lost a heartbreaker by inches,” Kentucky Head Coach Stoops said.

Northwestern Head Coach Fitzgerald echoed Stoops sentiments when he tried to describe the last minute of the game. “I’m not sure words can describe that game,” Fitzgerald said. “Wow. What a great job by our young men. …Go for the win,” Fitzgerald said of Stoop’s decision.

With quarterback Clayton Thorson knocked out early in the second with an injured right knee , Northwestern outran Kentucky 333-65. Safety Kyle Quiero provided the winning margin taking Northwestern’s second interception 26 yards for a TD with 7:49 left.

TAKEAWAYS

Northwestern: Losing Jackson won’t be easy. Jackson went over the century mark for the 27^th time in his career and moved into 10^th in NCAA history in career rushing yards with a 14-yard carry in the second quarter.He finished with 5,440 yards. But Jeremy Larkin is a redshirt freshman who ran for 112 yards, and he will be back in 2018. Thorson already planned to return for his senior season too.

Kentucky: Snell, who came in leading the SEC in rushing TDs, capped the opening drive of the game with a 3-yard TD that was his 19th this season and 32nd of his career. Both are school records, and he’ll be back for his junior season.