Offense Game Notes Senior running back Justin Jackson carried the
OFFENSIVE STARTERS
Offense Game Notes ● Senior running back Justin Jackson carried the ball 18 times for 144 yards and a touchdown, moving past Montee Ball (5,140; Wisconsin) for fourth in Big Ten history with 5,283 career rushing yards. ○ Jackson had a careerlong 79 yard rush and then scored from one yard out to give the Wildcats a 287 lead in the third quarter. The touchdown was the 39th of Jackson’s career, breaking his tie with Damien Anderson (38; 19982001) to give him the program’s alltime record for career rushing touchdowns. ○ This marks the 26th time in Jackson’s career—19th vs. Big Ten opponents—he has gone over 100 yards rushing. The Wildcats are 224 in Jackson’s career when he rushes for over 100 yards and a perfect 160 when he rushes for 131 or more yards. ○ Jackson moved past Anthony Thomas (6,000; Michigan) for seventh in Big Ten history in career allpurpose yards. He is just the eighth player in Big Ten history to have 6,000plus career allpurpose yards. Jackson enters the bowl season with 6,131 career allpurpose yards. ○ Jackson moved into 11th on the NCAA list for career rushing yards. He entered the day No. 17 overall and moved past Montee Ball (5,140; Wisconsin), Garrett Wolfe (5,164; NIU), Avon Cobourne (5,164; West Virginia), Archie Griffin (5,177; Ohio State), Hershel Walker (5,259; Georgia) and LaDainian Tomlinson (5,263; TCU). He has 5,283 career rushing yards in 50 career games. ○
POS
No.
Name
Career Start
QB
#18
Clayton Thorson
38
RB
#21
Justin Jackson
43
SB
#9
Garrett Dickerson
24
WR
#15
Macan Wilson
10
WR
#2
Flynn Nagel
22
WR
#88
Bennett Skowronek
10
LT
#72
Blake Hance
34
LG
#59
J.B. Butler
16
C
#69
Brad North
29
RG
#71
Tommy Doles
25
RT
#70
Rashawn Slater
11
POS
No.
Name
Career Start
DE
#97
Joe Gaziano
12
DT
#67
Tyler Lancaster
38
DT
#99
Jordan Thompson
23
DE
#91
Samdup Miller
12
WLB
#10
Brett Walsh
17
MLB
#42
Paddy Fisher
11
SLB
#32
Nate Hall
24
CB
#7
Marcus McShepard
6
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S
#21
Kyle Queiro
24
●
S
#16
Godwin Igwebuike
42
CB
#24
Montre Hartage
23
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In four career games versus instate rival Illinois, Jackson finished with 100 carries, 619 yards and seven touchdowns. NU went 31 versus Illinois in Jackson’s career, winning each of the last three. ○ Jackson needs just 20 yards in the bowl game to move into the NCAA top10 all time. ○ Jackson’s 1,154 yards this season are the fifth most by a Northwestern player in his senior season. Junior quarterback Clayton Thorson threw his 44th career touchdown pass with an 11yard strike to senior Garrett Dickerson in the second quarter, tying Brett Basanez (200205) and Len Williams (199093) for the most in program history. ○ Thorson’s 15 touchdown passes this season are tied for the 10th most in NU singleseason history. ○ Thorson finished the game 13for21 with 140 yards and a touchdown. Senior superback Garrett Dickerson caught his fourth touchdown of the season and his third in the last two weeks in the second quarter to tie the game, 77. Junior wide receiver Jelani Roberts scored on a fiveyard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Wildcats’ a 147 lead. Roberts has a rushing touchdown in each of the last two games.
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Sophomore wide receiver Bennett Skowronek had a 52yard reception in the second quarter to set up Roberts’ touchdown. Skowronek has two catches of 50plus yards this season. Senior defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster had two carries for five yards on the Wildcats’ final possession of the game. Redshirt firstyear running back Jeremy Larkin scored a fouryard touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Wildcats a 357 lead. Larkin has scored a touchdown in backtoback games for the first time in his career. The touchdown was Larkin’s fifth of the season. ○ Larkin finished with a seasonhigh 71 rushing yards on nine carries. Redshirt firstyear running back Jesse Brown s cored his second touchdown of the season with a 18yard carry in the fourth quarter to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 427. Brown finished with season highs in carries (2), rushing yards (27). His 18yard run was the longest of his career thus far. FOOTBALL GAME NOTES: NORTHWESTERN at Illinois (Nov. 25, 2017)
Junior wide receiver Flynn Nagel made a teamhigh five receptions for 32 yards. Nagel finished the regular season with a teamhigh 47 receptions, which set a new career high. He had a catch in every single game and at least five catches in four contests. He has made at least one catch in 17straight games dating back to last season.
Defensive/Special Teams Notes ● Redshirt firstyear linebacker Paddy Fisher f inished the game with a teamhigh 10 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and his first career interception. ○ Fisher recorded his first career interception in the third quarter. ○ The firstyear linebacker finished the regular season with a teambest 110 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. His 110 tackles are the most by a rookie Wildcat and the fourth most overall since 2000. ● Junior linebacker Nate Hall recorded a sack in the first quarter for a loss of one yard. This marks the first time in Hall’s career he has recorded a sack in backtoback games. Hall had a careerhigh 2.5 sacks versus Minnesota last week. ○ Hall had a second sack in the second quarter, marking backtoback games with multiple sacks. He is only the second player since 2000 to have backtoback games with multiple sacks (Ifeadi Odenigbo, 2016: at Iowa; at Michigan State) ○ Hall had 2.5 tackles for loss in the first half, cracking Northwestern’s singleseason top 10 list. He currently ranks sixth in singleseason history with 16.5. ○ The junior finished the game with five tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. Hall had at least 5 tackles in 10 of 12 games this season. ● Firstyear defensive end Samdup Miller’s half sack in the second quarter gave him 5.5 for the season, matching the most by a NU rookie since Ifeadi Odenigbo had 5.5 in 2013. ● Sophomore defensive end Joe Gaziano had a sack and forced fumble in the third quarter that resulted in a recovery and touchdown by Samdup Miller . It marked Northwestern’s first defensive touchdown since Nick VanHoose returned an interception 72 yards at Nebraska on Oct. 24, 2015. ○ The sack was Gaziano’s teamleading eighth of the season. He moved past Matt Rice (12; 199393) for 10th and tied Dean Lowry (201215) for ninth in program history with 12.5 career sacks. ○ Gaziano’s eight sacks this season are tied with Loren Howard (2003) and Casey Dailey (1996) for the eighth most in NU singleseason history. ○ Miller is the first player to return a fumble for a touchdown since Anthony Walker, Jr., versus Minnesota on Oct. 3, 2015. ● Senior defensive tackles Tyler Lancaster a nd junior defensive tackle Jordan Thompson teamed up for a sack in the second half of Saturday’s contest. Thompson has now recorded a sack in backtoback games for the first time in his career. ● Sophomore cornerback Trae Williams intercepted his first pass of the season and second of his career in the fourth quarter. Career Highs ● RB Justin Jackson: Long Run (79) ● RB Jeremy Larkin: Rushing Yards (71), Rushing Touchdown (1; tied) ● RB Jesse Brown: Attempts (2; tied), Rushing Yards (27), Long Run (18), Rushing Touchdown (1; tied) ● WR Jelani Roberts: Rushing Touchdown (1; tied) ● DL Tyler Lancaster: Rushing Attempts (2), Rushing Yards (5), Long Run (4) ● LB Paddy Fisher: Interception (1), Tackles for Loss (1.5; tied), Pass Breakup (1; tied) ● DE Joe Gaziano: Forced Fumble (1; tied) ● DL Jordan Thompson: Tackle for Loss (1; tied), Pass Breakup (1; tied), Quarterback Hurry (1; tied) ● LB Brett Walsh: Quarterback Hurry (1; tied) ● CB Moe Almasri: Tackles (4), Assisted Tackles (3) ● DL Alex Miller: Tackle for Loss (1; Tied), Pass Breakup (1; tied) ● RB Corey Acker: Tackles (2; tied), Solo Tackles (2; tied) ● DB JR Pace: Tackles (2), Solo Tackles (2) ● DB Trae Williams; Interception (1; tied) Team Notes ● The 22ndranked Wildcats won their seventhconsecutive game to finish the regular season 93 overall and 72 in Big Ten play. This is the ’Cats’ longest winning streak since a sevengame stretch in 1996. ○ The Wildcats have won nine games for the eighth time in program history. This is just the third time in program history the ’Cats have won 7plus Big Ten games. ○ Three of the eight 9plus win seasons in program history have come under Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. ○ With a win in a bowl game, the Wildcats would finish with 10 wins for fifth time in program history and second time under Fitzgerald. ● The Wildcats retained the Land of Lincoln Trophy for the thirdstraight year and improved to 51555 all time versus their instate rival. The ’Cats have won 12 of the last 16 meetings. Fitzgerald improved to 84 versus the Illini as the head coach. ● Northwestern rushed for a seasonhigh 306 yards, marking the first time they have eclipsed the 300yard plateau since 303 yards versus Bowling Green on Sept. 16. ○ NU has rushed for 583 yards over their last two games (291.5/game) and 909 over their last four (227.25/game). ● After giving up the opening score of the game, Northwestern scored 42unanswered points for their largest margin of victory over the Fighting Illini since a 36point point win (5014) at Ryan Field on Nov. 24, 2012. ○ Northwestern has given up just 20 points over the last three games (2313 vs. Purdue; 390 vs. Minnesota; 427 at Illinois). This marked the fourth time this season the ’Cats held an opponent to 10 or fewer points. FOOTBALL GAME NOTES: NORTHWESTERN at Illinois (Nov. 25, 2017)
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○ The seven points by Illinois are their fewest in the series since the Wildcats and Fighting Illini tied, 00, on Sept. 9, 1978. Northwestern’s 356 first downs this season are the most in program history (12 games). Northwestern selected heads and lost the toss. Illinois chose to defer to the second half. The Wildcats elected to defend the south end zone. Attendance: 30,046
FOOTBALL GAME NOTES: NORTHWESTERN at Illinois (Nov. 25, 2017)
