EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Corey Wootton got up in the locker room at halftime and made an impassioned speech to his Northwestern teammates: You can still win a game you once trailed 28-3. You have to, he said, because it's a defining moment in the season.

The Wildcats must have been listening Saturday.

Stefan Demos kicked a 19-yard field goal with 21 seconds left as Northwestern completed the biggest comeback in school history by rallying past Indiana 29-28.

"I spoke from my heart and I said what I meant," said Wootton, the team's star defensive end who's been slowed by injuries this season.

Mike Kafka had two key completions to former quarterback Andrew Brewer — one a 51-yard TD pass to start the fourth quarter and another a fourth-down hookup to set up Demos' game-winner. Northwestern's biggest previous comeback was from 21 points.

Kafka, who also led Northwestern on two long second-quarter drives to cut the lead to 28-17 at the half, overcame three second-half interceptions.

"We gave up a few touchdowns early. The word on the sideline was keep on fighting, keep on clawing, keep on getting back into it," Kafka said. "We responded."

The Wildcats (5-3, 2-2) trailed 28-3 in the second quarter after Indiana used a 70-yard TD run from Darius Willis on the game's first scrimmage play and a 93-yard kickoff return from Ray Fisher to build the big lead.

But the Hoosiers (4-4, 1-3), who twice failed to convert fourth downs in the second half — once at the Northwestern 1 — couldn't maintain the lead and were blanked in the second half.

"It's a hard loss for everybody," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said. "They made more plays than we did down the stretch."

Kafka hit Brewer on the 51-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter to cap a 98-yard drive that started after Indiana failed to score on a fourth-and-goal from Northwestern's 1. That got Northwestern within 28-26.

The Hoosiers gambled again on fourth-and-3 in the fourth quarter from the Northwestern 33, but a pass from Ben Chappell was tipped away.

After some tough running by Scott Concannon, Kafka hit Brewer on a key fourth-down pass of 6 yards to the Hoosiers' 29. Jeravin Matthews broke off a 15-yard run to the Indiana 10 as the Wildcats got Demos in position.

Indiana tried a last-play field goal but Nick Freeland's 59-yard attempt fell short.

After Austin Thomas intercepted Kafka and returned 38 yards to the Wildcats 23 late in the third, the Hoosiers appeared on the verge of putting it away. Indiana went for it on a fourth-and-goal from the 1, but a scrambling Mitchell Evans tripped over his own blocker and went down at the 2.

Evans, a wide receiver, frequently entered the game in Indiana's wildcat offense where he would take a snap as the only back. He was supposed to pass on the play from the 1. But when his receiver was covered, he reversed fields and couldn't reach the end zone.

Willis broke around the right side, got into the clear and sprinted down the sidelines to give the Hoosiers the lead 20 seconds into the game.

Fisher, who also had a punt return to set up a score, weaved his way through early would-be tacklers and took off down the left sideline to put the Hoosiers up 28-3 midway through the second quarter.

Chappell, who threw for 333 yards last week in a victory over Illinois, finished 15 of 26 for 159 yards. Kafka was 26 of 46 for 312 yards.

With his team trailing 28-3, Kafka directed a pair of long scoring drives in the final 4:07 of the half to get Northwestern back in the game. He sneaked in from the 1 to end a 75-yard march that featured a pass interference call on the Hoosiers.

Kafka lofted an 8-yard TD pass to Zeke Markshausen with seven seconds to go in the half, a play upheld by video review, completing an 84-yard drive.