In the 1981 NFC Championship game, the San Francisco 49ers were down 27-21 with 58 seconds left in the game. They faced a third and 3 and lined up with split backs behind Joe Montana. What happened next is referred to affectionately as “the catch,” a leaping grab by tight end Dwight Clark to score the winning touchdown for the 49ers. For Northwestern fans, that term has a new meaning. Bennett Skowronek’s 32-yard diving touchdown catch that gave the Wildcats the lead — and eventually clinched the Big Ten West — will go down in history.
Watch: Bennett Skowronek dives for “The Catch” that won the West
