It was second-and-4, and Northwestern desperately needed a stop. Trailing 21-20 in the fourth quarter of its Nov. 7 game against Penn State, the Wildcats needed the ball back. But as standout Nittany Lion running back Saquon Barkley darted towards the first-down marker, hope seemed to drain out of Ryan Field.
Then, out of nowhere, up stepped Nate Hall.
Hall, a redshirt freshman linebacker who hadn't started a game all season, had been pressed into duty by an injury to starter Jaylen Prater. Hall had seen plenty of snaps throughout the season as a rotation linebacker after impressing in spring practice and fall camp, but hadn't had his time to shine.