NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Where to start?
With a serious knee injury to the winningest quarterback in Northwestern history? With his replacement finally getting a chance to shine after five seasons and two hip surgeries? With an offensive attack that produced two 100-yard rushers against an SEC team? How about with two bizarre coaching decisions on fourth down?
Or do you start with a Music City Bowl officiating crew that had all of America fuming by ejecting perhaps the best players on both teams?
The result of the game almost seemed secondary, but not to the Wildcats from the Big Ten.
NU's 24-23 victory over Kentucky gave Northwestern its fifth 10-win season in school history _ and third under coach Pat Fitzgerald.
But it came at a price.
Clayton Thorson got carted off after making a catch on a trick play, the type NU rarely tries. Jeremy Larkin took a handoff and fired across the field to Thorson, who made the 24-yard catch before getting tackled by linebacker Jordan Jones.
Thorson's right knee buckled, and he grabbed it immediately. The stadium hushed. Justin Jackson approached to offer encouragement. The friends since their grade-school days of youth sports in Chicago's western suburbs tapped heads. Several Kentucky players also approached to offer encouragement and shoulder taps.
Matt Alviti replaced him and held his own, rushing for 54 yards and completing 4 of 11 passes for 50 yards.
The stars of the game, though, were Jackson (157 yards) and Larkin (112) and the linemen who cleared the holes.
Despite all that production, NU opted for another trick play on fourth-and-1 from the Kentucky 2 in the fourth quarter. It was a reverse pass that had receiver Riley Lees scrambling away from pressure and flinging a pass into a crowd.
Kentucky took over, but safety Kyle Queiro intercepted a Stephen Johnson pass and tip-toed down sideline into the paint. That 26-yard pick-6 gave NU a 24-14 lead.
An even more shocking decision came with 2:36 to play.
Nursing a 24-17 lead, the Wildcats faced a fourth-and-1 from their own 39. Rather than punt, Fitzgerald called a quarterback sneak. Alviti was stopped short, making NU 1 for 5 on fourth downs.
Four plays later, Johnson scrambled home from 9 yards out to cut NU's lead to 24-23 with 37 seconds to play.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops set up to go for two. Fitzgerald responded by calling a timeout. And then another timeout.
Finally, Johnson threw into the end zone, and cornerback Marcus McShepard broke up the pass.
Finally, Northwestern had a victory in one of the strangest games in recent memory.
Jackson scored his 40th and 41st career touchdowns and exits stage right having rushed for 5,395 yards, 10th in NCAA history and third among Big Ten backs, trailing Ron Dayne and Archie Griffin.
Paddy Fisher also had an interesting afternoon. NU's star linebacker ejected for targeting with 22 seconds left in the first half.
Kentucky lost its best player to an even more questionable disqualification. Running back Benny Snell got tossed for making contact with an official. But it appeared that all Snell did was reject an official's effort to help him to his feet.
Kentucky fans howled again after NU defensive end Joe Gaziano tackled quarterback Stephen Johnson well out of bounds. The Kentucky bench got an unsportsmanlike penalty, pushing its offense out of field-goal range. Johnson was seen hollering at the officials as he headed to the locker room before halftime.
Backup Drew Barker replaced him for UK's final series and hit Sihiem King for a short completion. When King leapt, Fisher drilled him in the chest. NU's All-Big Ten linebacker appeared to lead with his helmet, prompting the ejection.
Fitzgerald didn't see it that way, telling WGN Radio: "It might be the worst call I have ever seen in the history of college football."
On top of that, NU lost top receiver Bennett Skowronek after he landed on his head on a tackle.
It was a wild game that few who witnessed will ever forget.
