Yards to Glory

26. Purple Pride

D'Wayne Bates catch spurs victory over Notre Dame

Sept. 2, 1995: Northwestern took the first step on its improbable path to Pasadena at Notre Dame Stadium in the 1995 opener. After stopping Notre Dame early in the third quarter, Northwestern needed less than a minute to score. Quarterback Steve Schnur found D'Wayne Bates for a 26-yard touchdown pass as Northwestern went up 17-9 and held on to win 17-15. The historic upset propelled Northwestern to its first winning season since 1971 and its first bowl appearance since the 1949 Rose.

-- Adam Rittenberg

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