Video: NIU HC Gets Emotional in Interview After Historic Upset of No. 5 Notre Dame

Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock led his team to the biggest upset win in program history on Saturday as the Huskies took down No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend.

After the monumental win, Hammock was overcome with emotion, and rightfully so.

"I'm so proud of our kids, the coaches, everybody," he said. "They believed, they believed. And we came in and got it done."

Hammock praised his team for doing exactly what they were supposed to rather than trying to be heroes against the giant that was the Fighting Irish.

"They listened to what I said," Hammock said. "I told them all week, we don't need luck, we just got to be our best. And they were their best today and we were able to get it done."

When asked where his emotion was coming from, Hammock explained how much the win meant for his players.

"All these guys that have been with our program, they've been through the ups and downs and they continue to fight," he said. "It's like they're my kids, I'm happy for the adversity they pushed through, no matter the situation. I just couldn't be more proud."

Hammock wasn't the only one overcome with emotion after the win. The radio call by Andy Garcia, the voice of the Huskies, on the final play of the game shows just how special the win was.

Saturday's win couldn't have been more dramatic. The two teams were neck and neck the entire game, and the Huskies got a crucial interception in the final minutes, capitalizing with a field goal from Kanon Woodill to take the lead.

With just 31 seconds remaining, Notre Dame managed to get in field goal range, but Northern Illinois blocked the game-winning field goal attempt to seal the win.

Getting an upset win like Saturday's is special no matter who the coach is, but it's even more special for Hammock, who played for Northern Illinois from 1999-2002. Hammock returned to his alma mater in 2019 and has found some success over the past few years.

He's posted a pair of winning seasons, including last year when the Huskies went 7-6, winning the Camellia Bowl. He also led Northern Illinois to a conference title in 2021.

Northern Illinois was once a powerhouse of the MAC, regularly winning conference titles and even appearing in the AP Top 25 several times. The Huskies are still one of the top teams in their conference, but they're hoping Saturday's miraculous win will propel them to the next level.