--- NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: POSTGAME NOTES vs. Auburn--- Friday, January 1, 2021 • 12 p.m. CT • Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Fla. Scoring Drives 1st 2nd 3rd 4th FINAL ● 1ST QTR: Ramaud Chiaokhio-Bowman 35-yard reception from Peyton Ramsey (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:28) -- NU ​ 7, Auburn 0 ● 1ST QTR: John Raine 6-yard reception from Peyton Ramsey (10 plays, 68 yards, 4:21) -- NU 14, Auburn 0 Auburn 0 6 7 6 19 ​ ● 2ND QTR: Anders Carlson 50-yard field goal (8 plays, 20 yards, 2:36) -- NU 14, Auburn 3 ​ ● 2ND QTR: Anders Carlson 26-yard field goal (15 plays, 72 yards, 3:45) -- NU 14, Auburn 6 Northwestern 14 0 7 14 35 ​ ● 3RD QTR: Elijah Canion 57-yard reception from Bo Nix (6 plays, 75 yards, 2:10) -- NU 14, Auburn 13 ​ ● 3RD QTR: Peyton Ramsey 30-yard run (9 plays, 87 yards, 2:10) -- NU 21, Auburn 13 ​ ● 4TH QTR: Cam Porter 1-yard run (7 plays, 50 yards, 2:16) -- NU 28, Auburn 13 ​ ● 4TH QTR: Riley Lees 8-yard reception from Peyton Ramsey (6 plays, 24 yards, 3:35) -- NU 35, Auburn 13 ​ ● 4TH QTR: D.J. Williams 2-yard run (10 plays, 75 yards, 3:08) -- NU 35, Auburn 19 ​ OFFENSIVE STARTERS DEFENSIVE STARTERS POS No. Name Career Start POS No. Name Career Start QB 12 Peyton Ramsey 32 DE 49 Adetomiwa Adebawore 12 RB 20 Cam Porter 2 DT 90 Jake Saunders 14 TE 0 John Raine 14 DT 93 Joe Spivak 8 TE 89 Charlie Mangieri 11 DE 99 Earnest Brown 9 WR 81 Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman 22 WLB 51 Blake Gallagher 35 WR 19 Riley Lees 23 MLB 42 Paddy Fisher 47 LT 77 Peter Skoronski 9 SLB 28 Chris Bergin 25 LG 66 Nik Urban 24 CB 21 Cam Mitchell 1 C 52 Sam Gerak 20 S 16 Brandon Joseph 9 RG 76 Ethan Wiederkehr 11 S 5 JR Pace 35 RT 73 Gunnar Vogel 18 CB 11 AJ Hampton 4 NORTHWESTERN TEAM NOTES Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz secured the 400th victory of his 51-year coaching career in his final game before retirement. No other active coach has been a part of more victories. ● Hankwitz has served as Northwestern’s defensive coordinator since 2008. He began his career at Michigan in 1970 and won a national championship with Colorado in 1990. This is the sixth bowl win in Northwestern history, and the fifth win in the Pat Fitzgerald era (2006-present). Northwestern has now won four-consecutive bowl games...extending what was already the longest bowl game winning streak in program history. The Wildcats’ four-game bowl winning streak is tied for the longest active streak among any Big Ten school (also, Minnesota). Northwestern’s 16-point win marks its largest margin of victory in a bowl game and the Wildcats’ most points scored in a bowl win. It also marks the fewest points allowed in a Northwestern bowl game since allowing 14 vs. Cal in the 1949 Rose Bowl. ● Also marked NU’s largest margin of victory ever over an SEC school. Northwestern amassed 457 yards in offense, accumulating at least 400 yards for the third time this season. The Wildcats also rushed for 166 yards, their third consecutive game crossing 100 yards on the ground. Senior linebackers Blake Gallagher and Paddy Fisher both recorded double-digit tackles. It is the seventh time in their careers that they have each recorded 10+ tackles in the same game. The WIldcats held Auburn to a 15.4% third-down conversion rate (2-for-13), the lowest for a Northwestern opponent since Rutgers converted 14.3% of third downs (2-for-14) on Oct. 20, 2018. The Wildcats’ 35 points were their most since scoring 43 in the season opener against Maryland (Oct. 24). Northwestern scored a 35-yard passing touchdown on its first possession to cap off a nine play, 75 yard and 3:28 opening drive. It marked the Wildcats’ fifth opening drive touchdown of the season. The Wildcats forced a three-and-out on Auburn’s first drive, the fourth time they have accomplished that feat this year. ● Northwestern did not allow a single opening drive touchdown this season. ● The ‘Cats did not allow points on their opponent’s opening drive in seven games this season. Northwestern outscored Auburn 14-0 in the first quarter to give the Wildcats their largest first quarter lead of the season. ● It marked the second time this season Northwestern held its opponent scoreless in the first quarter (vs. Nebraska Nov. 7). Northwestern converted on their first two fourth down attempts and three in the game bringing their season total to 18, fourth-most in the nation. The Wildcats’ 69.2% fourth-down conversion rate leads the nation among teams with at least 24 conversion attempts. The ‘Cats did not allow a touchdown in the first half for the third-straight game. The Wildcats forced a three-and-out on Auburn’s first drive of the second half, the fourth time they have done so this season. ● Northwestern did not allow a point on the first defensive possession of the second half in any game this season. Northwestern has recorded 19 takeaways (14 interceptions, five fumble recoveries) this season, the most through nine games since 2013. The Wildcats defense has forced a turnover in 12 of its last 13 games. The Wildcat defense dominated in the red zone, allowing only eight red zone touchdowns the entire season, tied for the lowest allowed in the nation among teams playing at least eight games. NORTHWESTERN PLAYER NOTES LB Paddy Fisher picked up his 400th-career tackle on the final play of the third quarter. He is the sixth player in program history to reach at least 400 tackles, and the ​ first since NU’s current LB coach (and all-time FBS leader in total tackles) Tim McGarigle (2002-05). ● Fisher is the FBS’ active leader in total tackles, with 404 in his career. ● He finished with double-digit tackles for the fifth time this season and the 15th time in his career His 15 games with 10+ tackles are second-most for a … Northwestern player since at least 2000, only behind Chi Chi Ariguzo (2011-14) who recorded 16 such games. QB Peyton Ramsey threw for 291 yards, his most in a Northwestern uniform, and was responsible for four touchdowns. ​ ● Ramsey connected with Ramaud Chiaokhio-Bowman for a 35-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the game. ● His 35-yard completion is the longest touchdown pass thrown by a Northwestern QB since Hunter Johnson connected with JJ Jefferson for a 50-yard score against UNLV on Sept. 14, 2019. ● The 35-yard touchdown is his longest completion of the season. ● The 30-yard touchdown run is the second-longest rush of Ramsey’s career, the longest being a 35-yard touchdown against Maryland on Nov. 10, 2018. ● Ramsey has connected on his first six passes in consecutive games for the first time this season. ● Ramsey recorded 193 passing yards in the first half, his most yards in a half this season. ● Ramsey had a season-long 30-yard rushing touchdown to extend the Northwestern lead to 21-13 at the end of the third quarter. ● This is Ramsey’s seventh-career game with at least three passing TDs. WR Ramaud Chiaokhio-Bowman hauled in a 35-yard touchdown on the first drive of the game to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead. ​ ● His 35-yard touchdown is the longest scoring play of his Northwestern career behind only his 52-yard reception in the third quarter of the 2018 Holiday Bowl vs. Utah (Dec. 31, 2018). ● It is the longest touchdown reception since JJ Jefferson caught a 50-yard touchdown against UNLV on Sept. 14, 2019. TE John Raine hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter, his second touchdown of the season and ninth of his career. ​ ● He set a new career high with 76 receiving yards, and his six catches were his most as a Wildcat. ● Raine had a 30-yard reception in the third quarter, his longest catch as a Wildcat. ● Raine has three or more receptions in five games this season. ● Including his performance with Florida Atlantic in the 2019 Boca Raton Bowl, Raine has now combined for 13 catches, 149 yards and two touchdowns in his last two bowl games. DL Adetomiwa Adebawore recorded half a tackle for loss in the second quarter, bringing his season total to 6.0 and his career total to 7.0 Adebawore has recorded ​ … 3.5 tackles for loss over the last three games. ● Adebawore batted down a third down pass to start the third quarter, his second in as many games. DL Earnest Brown recorded a tackle for loss in the third quarter, bringing his season total to 8.5. ​ ● Brown recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, his second-career fumble recovery and first since Oct. 13, 2018 when he recovered a fumble and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown vs. Nebraska. DL Jordan Butler forced his first-career fumble in the fourth quarter. ​ RB Cam Porter capped off the Wildcats’ 50-yard touchdown drive with a one yard touchdown run. Porter accounted for all 50 yards in the drive, averaging 7.1 yards ​ per carry. ● Porter now has reached the end zone in four-consecutive games, the first Wildcat to do so since Clayton Thorson in 2017. The last Northwestern running back to score a touchdown in four consecutive games was Justin Jackson, when he did so in the last four games of 2016.