northwestern football northwestern football Game 12 // Northwestern vs. Illinois // Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 KICKOFF NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI evanston, ill. 2018 Record 7-4, 7-1 Big Ten 2018 Record 4-7, 2-6 Big Ten Rankings 21 (Coaches) / 20 (AP) / 19(CFP) Rankings n/a 2:30 pm Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald Head Coach Lovie Smith ryan field Record at NU (Yrs.) 94-69 (13th) Record at Illinois (Yrs.) 9-26 (3rd) Home Record 50-37 (.575) Away Record 2-11 (.154) big ten network Big Ten Record 55-51 (.514) Big Ten Record 4-22 (.154) vs. Illinois 8-4 (.667) vs. Northwestern 0-2 (.000) espn 1000 Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall Offensive Coordinator Rod Smith statbroadcast.com Defensive Coordinator Mike Hankwitz Defensive Coordinator n/a A NORTHWESTERN WIN WOULD... ON THE AIR ...Extend the Wildcats' winning streak versus in-state foe Illinois to four games. BTN pbp: kevin kugler ...Mark the ’Cats' 11th-straight victory versus Big Ten West Division foes. color: james laurinaotis sideline: lisa byington ...Earn NU its 15th win in its last 16 Big Ten games, matching the best 16-game stretch in program history. ESPN 1000 ...Match a program record for Big Ten wins in a season with eight. pbp: dave eanet color: ted albrecht ...Mark the first perfect season versus West Division foes in program history. sideline: adam hoge 2018 SCHEDULE & RESULTS @ Purdue* Duke Akron Michigan* @ MSU* Nebraska* @ Rutgers* Wisconsin* Notre Dame @ Iowa* @ Minnesota* Illinois* B1G Champ Aug. 30 Sept. 8 Sept. 15 Sept. 29 Oct. 6 Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Oct. 27 Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Dec. 1 ESPN ESPNU BTN FOX FS1 ABC BTN FOX ESPN FOX BTN BTN FOX W, 31-27 L, 21-7 L, 39-35 L, 20-17 W, 29-19 W, 34-31 (OT) W, 18-15 W, 31-17 L, 31-21 W, 14-10 W, 24-14 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. THE OPENING DRIVE INSIDE THE NUMBERS CHAMPS KEEP RUNNING THROUGH THE WEST -- Northwestern earned its 10th-straight victory over Big Ten West Division foes True first-year running back Isaiah with a 24-14 victory at Minnesota last week. The Wildcats are a perfect 5-0 versus inner-divisional foes this season with Bowser has scored six rushing the regular-season finale versus in-state rival Illinois on the horizon. 6 touchdowns over the Wildcats' last five games. SETTING THE STAGE -- The Wildcats will look to make it four-straight victories over in-state foe Illinois on Saturday when they host the Fighting Illini at Ryan Field. The ’Cats have outscored Illinois over the last three seasons, 108-42. A win over Northwestern extended its program Illinois on Saturday would match the ’Cats' longest winning streak in the series for the fifth time and would make the record road winning streak to 2018 senior class just the eighth in program history to finish with a perfect record in the series. 8 eight games with a 24-14 victory at Minnesota. THE WILD, WILD WEST -- Chicago's Big Ten Team™ improved to 7-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1995 with its win at Minnesota. With the win, the Wildcats also... ...Extended their road winning streak to eight games. The Wildcats have won 10-straight ...Matched a program record with their eighth-straight Big Ten road victory. games versus Big Ten West Division ...Improved to 14-1 over their last 15 conference contests. 10 foes. D-E-F-E-N-S-E -- Northwestern recorded a season-high four sacks and forced a season-high three turnovers in the win at Minnesota. The four sacks were the Wildcats' most since posting four in their 42-7 win over Illinois on Nov. 25, 2016. NU is 14-1 in its last 15 conference games dating back to last season. NUMBER 50 -- Senior quarterback Clayton Thorson started his 50th-consecutive game at Minnesota and earned his 34th 14-1 Tied for best conference record career victory as the program's all-time winningest quarterback. among Power 5 teams during stretch. 10K -- Thorson became just the second Wildcat and sixth player in Big Ten history to surpass 10,000 career passing yards. Clayton Thorson has started More notes on Thorson are available on page two. 50-straight games at quarterback, 50 tied with Washington's Jake Browning WHAT MATTERS MOST? -- According to ESPN Stats and Info, Northwestern is the first team in FBS history to go winless in for the longest active streak in FBS. nonconference play and win a division title. But who cares, because Northwestern is going to Indianapolis baby! FYI Rushing Passing Total Scoring Rushing Total Turnover Penalty LAST MEETING Yards/GM Yards/GM Offense Offense Defense Defense Margin Yards/GM • Northwestern uses the term “first year” to refer to its new 101.5 248.6 350.0 23.6 132.9 367.0 +0.18 27.7 student-athletes, abbreviated by “Fy.” • The correct abbreviation for Northwestern is 252.5 155.2 407.6 26.9 243.8 520.8 -0.27 64.3 42 7 “NU,” not “NW” or “NWU” or the like. Rushing Passing Total Scoring Rushing Total Turnover Penalty Yards/GM Yards/GM Offense Offense Defense Defense Margin Yards/GM Nov. 25, 2017 • Champaign-Urbana, Ill. •The correct logo for Northwestern is the “Block N.” Please contact Kyle Kelley at kyle. [email protected] if you are in need. TWITTER & INSTAGRAM: @NUFBFAMILY /// FACEBOOK: /NUFOOTBALL 2018 game notes 1 Big Ten First-Year Running Backs to Rush For 100 Yards and 2 touchdowns in a game this season Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota at Ohio State 23 carries, 157 yards, 2 TD Stevie Scott, Indiana at Ball State 18 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD Anthony McFarland, Maryland at Minnesota 6 carries, 112 yards, 2 TD Isaiah Bowser, Northwestern at Rutgers 24 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD northwestern football northwestern football FIRST DOWN TEN THOUSAND PLUS -- With 230 passing yard versus Minnesota, senior quarterback ROAD WARRIORS -- Northwestern won LAST EIGHT BIG TEN ROAD GAMES Clayton Thorson surpassed 10,000 career passing yards and now ranks sixth in Big its eighth-straight road contest at Ten history with 10,113. Thorson needs just 349 yards to pass Chuck Long (10,461; Minnesota, marking the first perfect Nov. 17, 2018 at Minnesota W, 24-14 Iowa, 1981-85) for fifth and 468 to set Northwestern's program record held by Brett road record since 1995 when the ’Cats November 10, 2018 at No. 21 Iowa W, 14-10 Basanez (10,580; 2002-05). went 4-0. The Wildcats eight-straight road wins and Big Ten road victories October 20, 2018 at Rutgers W, 18-15 IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN -- Thorson is the first player in Big Ten history to pass for 10,000 are both program records. NU's October 6, 2018 at No. 20 Michigan State W, 29-19 yards and rush for 20 touchdowns in a career. The Wheaton, Illinois, native scored his defense has been particularly strong August 30, 2018 at Purdue W, 31-27 24th career rushing touchdown with a 13-yard keeper versus Minnesota, marking during the stretch, limiting opponents his 20th career game with a rushing score. The Wildcats are 16-4 during Thorson's to under 20 points five times and November 25, 2017 at Illinois W, 42-7 career when he scores a touchdown on the ground. allowing just 17.1 points per game. November 4, 2017 at Nebraska W, 31-24 (OT) October 14, 2017 at Maryland W, 37-21 FOURTH QUARTER EXPLOSION -- With a 68-yard pass to first-year wide receiver JJ TEXAS TWO STEP -- The Katy, Texas, Jefferson, Thorson completed his 12th pass of the season of 20-plus yards in the combination of sophomore safety Travis Whillock and sophomore linebacker fourth quarter. Thorson's 12 completions of 20-plus yards in the fourth quarter are Paddy Fisher combined to make 26 tackles in Saturday's win at Minnesota. The the most of any Big Ten player this season. He has completed 29 total passes of 20- contest marked the first time in their careers they both reached double-digit tackles plus yards this season. in the same game. IN THE RANKINGS -- Thorson ranks third in the Big Ten in passing yards (2,565), fourth WHILLOCK[ED] IN -- Sophomore safety Travis Whillock led the team in tackles for in passing yards per game (233.2) and fourth in completions per game (21.73). He the third-straight game with a career-high 15 stops last week, including a career- is 18th nationally in completions per game after competing a pass to nine different high 11 solo tackles. Whillock's 34 tackles over the last three games are the most in receivers in the victory over the Golden Gophers. the Big Ten and the 11th most in the country. His 11 solo tackles were the most by a NU defensive back since Godwin Igwebuike had versus Nebraska on Sept. 24, 2016. EIGHTEEN FOR SIX -- With his 13-yard rushing touchdown versus Minnesota, Thorson now leads the Wildcats with seven rushing touchdowns this season. Thorson's seven MAN IN THE MIDDLE -- Sophomore linebacker Paddy Fisher recorded his third- scores are tied for the eighth most in a season by a NU quarterback and are the most double digit tackle performance of the season last week with 11 tackles, recording by a FBS player with negative rushing yards on the season (-99) since at least 2000. his first career sack, and forced his eighth career fumble.