Do you believe in miracles?

After defeating Minnesota last week with four critical fourth-down touchdown conversions, including a last-second Hail Mary, Northwestern coach Randy Walker explained, “Somebody that invented this game gave you four downs, so you might as well use them.”

Someone also invented the game of football with 60 minutes, and the No. 21 Wildcats proved why in an all-offense shootout against No. 12 Michigan Saturday.

In one of the most remarkable games in school history and in all of college football this season, NU miraculously turned the tables in the final minutes to upset the Wolverines, 54-51, in front of 47,130 at Ryan Field.

“What can I say?” Walker said. “We had some guys really step up in a huge way. A lot of guys. I expect them to play like this. I expect them to play for 60 minutes and we do, and you just keep playing the way to win and … I’m just about speechless. I don’t know what else to say.

“It’s something I know these kids will take with them their whole lives.”

When the game ended, NU students and fans flooded the field and tried to take down a goalpost. Their enthusiasm was understandable after an unthinkable finish that featured Damien Anderson’s dropped touchdown pass with 1:38 to play, an improbable fumble by Michigan’s tailback 52 seconds later and a touchdown pass from NU quarterback Zak Kustok to Sam Simmons with 20 seconds left for the win.

With the win, NU kept alive its hopes for the Big Ten title. For the Cats (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) to reach the Rose Bowl, they need to beat their final two opponents and have Purdue lose one of its two remaining games. Michigan (6-3, 4-2) all but dropped out of the run for Pasadena.

“The whole second half, we felt every time we got the ball, we were going to have to score,” Kustok said.

After four second-half scores by each team, NU found itself at its own 10-yard line, down 51-46 with 3:35 remaining. And Kustok took control, guiding the Cats to Michigan’s 7-yard line, where he connected with Teddy Johnson for an apparent touchdown. But an ineligible receiver penalty pushed NU back five yards into fourth-and-goal from the 12.

With the game seemingly on the line, Kustok faked a handoff to Anderson and with a blitz in his face tossed a lob to a wide-open Anderson in the left corner of the end zone.

A miracle finish?

Not yet. Anderson, who had rushed for 268 yards and two touchdowns to that point, let the ball bounce off his hands.

Said Anderson: “I couldn’t see it for a second with the lights, but I mean, I should’ve caught it. It hit me in my hands, so I really don’t have an excuse. I should’ve caught the ball.”

But instantly after Anderson dropped the pass and the Wolverines took possession, Walker thought, “Shoot, we have a lot of football left.”

Michigan prepared to kill clock. Quarterback Drew Henson (23-for-35 passing, 312 yards, four touchdowns) handed off to Anthony “A-Train” Thomas. On the first play, Thomas, who rushed for 199 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries, broke through the left end for seven yards.

At that point, Michigan needed to burn less than a minute of clock and the game was history. Again, the Wolverines handed off to Thomas, who drilled up the middle and appeared to clinch the game.

Then the A-Train got off track.

Just as Thomas crossed the line of scrimmage, NU safety Sean Wieber stuck in his hand from Thomas’ blind side and knocked the ball loose. Cornerback Raheem Covington, who had his hands full catching wideout Marquise Walker all day, dived for the ball and hung on.

“I thought the A-Train was gone,” Wieber said. “We’re a pretty spiritual team and everyone was on the sidelines, huddled together, praying, ‘We need a play.’ Train busted it out and I just got one hand on it and it was the Lord.”

Added Covington: “I don’t know if you realized it or not, but when that ball was on the ground, they were not going to get it from me. They would’ve had to rip my arms off to get that ball away from me.”

From there, it was all Kustok. He nailed a short route to Johnson for 14 yards. And with 23 seconds left, Kustok gunned a perfect pass to Simmons — who caught the winning Hail Mary pass last week — on a play called “Route Skinny,” in which Simmons cuts inside on a straight path to the end zone.

It ended a career game in which Kustok passed for 322 yards and two touchdowns and added two more touchdowns rushing.

The crowd erupted, and NU’s win seemed secure until Michigan drove 31 yards in 15 seconds to set up a 57-yard field goal attempt. Wolverines kicker Hayden Epstein had nailed a 52-yarder in the third quarter, but he didn’t even get a chance at the kick.

The game ended when the hold was mishandled by Michigan quarterback John Navarre — who, as fate would have it, was a Gary Barnett recruit who committed to NU two years ago but opted for Michigan amid rumors that the coach would leave.

As the scoreboard ticked down to zero, the NU players rushed to midfield in celebration. The student section joined in, with the help of Ryan Field staffers lending a hand to those who wanted to climb down the wall of the stands. About a dozen fans scaled the north end zone goalpost and tried, unsuccessfully, to rip it down.

“I was running all over the place,” Covington said. “I had my pads on and basically tackling people all over the place. Because I had my uniform on, and people were like, ‘Good game. Good game.’ I’m running ’em over.”

Many players stood at the entrance of the locker room and celebrated with the students. By that time, Michigan’s intimidating tradition was all but forgotten.

“I said, ‘Fellas, I’m sure going to sit and enjoy this tonight. I hope you do too,” Walker said. “We’ll come to work tomorrow — let’s have some fun tonight.”