Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Northern Ill
Football Turns Back Northern Illinois In Opener
8/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Northwestern University football team scored five touchdowns from four different players -- including three who scored for the first time in their collegiate career -- as the Wildcats knocked off Northern Illinois, 35-17, at Ryan Field Thursday night.
The game was the season opener for both clubs. The 35 points scored by Northwestern were the most by a Wildcat team since the final game of the 1998 season, and it marked just the second time since 1962 an NU team has scored 35 points in a season opener.
After the teams traded possessions to start the game, Northwestern drew first blood with a 9-play, 57-yard drive that ended when Damien Anderson ran in from four yards out. After NU held the Huskies on downs on the next drive, the Wildcats then went 95 yards in 16 plays, mixing it up nicely offensively. The drive culminated in a three-yard pass play from Zak Kustok to Eric Worley, Worley's first career TD.
Northern Illinois got 10 points back in the second quarter on a 36-yard field goal by Brian Grider and a Thomas Hammock 3-yard run, but Northwestern regained momentum at the end of the half with a 73-yard drive. Anderson ran it in from seven yards out to make the score 21-10 at the half.
Northwestern made two big defensive plays that led to the game being put away in the third. Northern Illinois led off the third with a drive that went all the way to the Wildcat 3-yard line, but NU linebacker Napoleon Harris forced a fumble that was recovered by Kevin Bentley. The Wildcats made the turnover hurt the Huskies, going 91 yards in just six plays before Kevin Lawrence cashed in from the 2-yard line.
On NIU's ensuing possession, the Huskies again drove deep into Northwestern territory, but cornerback Harold Blackmon intercepted a Chris Finlen pass in the end zone. Northwestern's drive stalled that time, but on the next drive -- after Sam Simmons returned a punt 63 yards -- Kustok found Ronnie Foster in the end zone for a 24-yard TD pass.
Northern Illinois scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the game when Dan Urban rushed in from one yard. The TD was set up by a Jon Peters recovery of a Kustok fumble.
For the night, Kustok was 16-of-27 for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Anderson played only the first half, gaining 88 yards on 20 carries, before giving way to Kevin Lawrence (16 for 87 yards) and Torri Stuckey (6 for 28 yards). The offense also got a big boost from Simmons, who accumulated 211 yards of total offense including a 40-yard pass reception.
For NIU, Hammock had 74 yards on 14 carries, while Finlen was 17-of-36 passing for 216 yards.
Northwestern is home again next weekend, hosting Duke on Saturday, Sept. 9, at noon central.
