The Northwestern Wildcats headed to Nebraska Sunday, Oct. 25 hoping to avoid a third straight loss. After a back-and-forth game, the ‘Cats came away with a much needed win with a final score of 30-28.
History told us this would be a close game. In the five matchups between the Wildcats and the Cornhuskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten, four have been decided by three or fewer points.
The Huskers outplayed Northwestern for much of the game. The ‘Cats saving grace in offense came from freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson. Thorson passed for 177 yards and ran a career-high of 126. He had two runs of 68 and 49 yards to set up scores, the two biggest Northwestern offensive plays of the game. Thorson is clearly developing strength as a running quarterback.
Senior cornerback Nick Vanhoose returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown, a much-needed spark for the Wildcats.
Northwestern went into halftime with a 17-12 lead, despite Nebraska having huge statistical advantages in both time of possession and total yardage. The Huskers answered the Wildcats with a scoring drive in their first possession of the second half, which Northwestern quickly responded to with their second red-zone field goal of the day.
After Nebraska scored a field goal, Northwestern quickly earned a touchdown by going 77 yards in just two and a half minutes, finishing with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Thorson to Dan Vitale. The score was then 27-22, and the ‘Cats did not give up their lead again.
Both teams had the potential for big plays that resulted in dropped passes. Northwestern’s Christian Jones dropped what would have been a touchdown pass right before the half. The ‘Cats need to be able to hold onto the ball if they hope to beat upcoming Penn State.
While a lot of the game, especially the first half, was nothing to write home about for Northwestern’s offense, NU’s defense led the team to an important win.
What it means for Northwestern
The Wildcats are bowl eligible for the first time since 2012. The ‘Cats improve to 6-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play, third in the Big Ten West. The Wildcats needed this win to stay afloat in the fight for Big Ten West. It’s a long shot, especially with the powerhouse that is Iowa, but don’t write the ‘Cats off just yet. The win against Nebraska should hopefully give Northwestern the confidence boost they need to take on Penn State in two weeks.
What it means for Nebraska
The only fans that might understand the disappointment Nebraska feels is Northwestern. The Huskers are now 3-5, but they have lost by a total of 13 points in all 5 losses. It was a sad day for Nebraska, who now must win three of their last four games, which include matchups against Iowa and Ohio State. The loss also spoiled the return of the 1995 Nebraska national championship team, who were honored in a pregame ceremony.
originally published: http://isportsweb.com/2015/10/25/analyzing-northwestern-footballs-win-at-nebraska/