DETROIT — It probably will be called the greatest comeback in the history of the football program.

When University of Akron junior quarterback Luke Getsy hit senior receiver Domenik Hixon on a 36-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to play and senior kicker Jason Swiger made the extra point, it gave the Zips a 31-30 win against Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference championship game at Ford Field Thursday night.

"Obviously it was an unbelievable finish," Akron coach J.D. Brookhart said. "We had ups and downs, but these guys kept plugging away and it paid off."

A national television audience watched one of the most thrilling finishes of the season. Akron (7-5 overall, 6-3 MAC) will now play in the school's first Division I bowl game Dec. 26, the Motor City Bowl, also at Ford Field.

Few of the 12,051 fans in attendance can honestly say they thought the Zips had a chance to win when they trailed 30-24 with less than two minutes left and the ball at their own 19.

But Akron believed.

Brookhart believed.

Hixon believed.

And "Cool Hand Luke" believed.

"We just had to keep believing, and that was what we have been doing all season," said the former Pitt and Steel Valley High quarterback. He completed 30-of-50 passes for a career-high 413 yards.

In a 48-42 overtime win against Northern Illinois in September, Getsy threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns.

"He hurt us last time with the same thing," Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak said. "We felt we had a real good plan against him, but he still got out there and made some plays."

Hixon finished with eight catches for 144 yards and a touchdown — probably the biggest of his career. Hixon and the rest of the seniors were on the verge of ending their careers with a disappointing loss. Instead, they made school history.

"Coach asked me if I could get by the defender, and I said yes," Hixon said. "I was glad he had the confidence in me to call the play and Luke had the confidence to throw it to me."

Meanwhile, Northern Illinois running back Garrett Wolfe was the one who made things tough for the Zips' defense. The 5-foot-7, 177-pound junior set championship records in yards rushing (270) and carries (42). He also scored a touchdown.

Wolfe was asked if this was his best performance.

"I wouldn't go that far because we lost," he said. "Anytime we lose, it doesn't matter how many yards I have or touchdowns I score. When you lose, it really doesn't matter."

Akron effectively contained Wolfe in the first quarter, allowing him to rush for 49 yards. Meanwhile, the Zips' offense jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 47-yard field goal by Swiger and a 3-yard touchdown run by Dennis Kennedy with 2:55 remaining in the quarter.

In the second quarter, Wolfe erupted for 78 yards and scored on a 1-yard run as the Huskies fought back to tie the score 10-10 at halftime.

Northern Illinois led 30-24 with 3:58 left in the game after Chris Nedrick booted a 52-yard field goal, which set a championship-game record for longest field goal. Akron drove down the field but the drive stalled with 2:10 left when a pass by Getsy, which was intended for Kennedy, bounced off Kennedy's hands and into the arms of Northern Illinois linebacker Phil Brown.

Akron's defense, however, stopped the Huskies on three downs, forced a punt and got the ball back with 1:41 remaining.

The rest is history.