Postgame Notes

Nov. 18, 2006

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Illinois vs. Northwestern
Ryan Field, Evanston, Ill.

With the 27-16 win over Illinois, Northwestern closes the 2006 season 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats finished the season in an eighth-place tie with Iowa (6-6, 2-6) in the final 2006 Big Ten Conference standings.

For the first time since the 1998 season, Northwestern ends the year with a victory (which includes postseason games). NU ended 1998 with a win over Hawaii. The Wildcats then lost season-ending games to Illinois (1999), Nebraska (2000 Alamo Bowl), Illinois (2001), Illinois (2002), Bowling Green (2003 Motor City Bowl), Hawaii (2004) and UCLA (2005 Sun Bowl) the next seven years.

Northwestern won its fourth straight game against Illinois -- its first four-game winning streak in the series since 1950 -- to keep the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy in Evanston. Illinois now leads the overall series 51-44-5 and the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk series 31-27-2 (since 1945). Northwestern also cut the Fighting Illini's series lead for games played in Evanston to 26-25-3. This was the 100th meeting between the state's two Big Ten institutions.

Running back Tyrell Sutton needed 110 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season, and he finished the game with exactly 110 yards on a season-high 34 carries. Sutton also scored his fifth rushing TD of the season and the 21st of his career (25th overall career TD). His 21 rushing TD's places him in a sixth-place tie on NU's all-time rushing TD list with Ron Burton (1957-59). Sutton now has 2,474 career rushing yards, good enough for sixth place on NU's all-time list.

With Sutton reaching 1,000 yards for the season, it is the fifth consecutive year that the Wildcats have had a 1,000-yard rusher and the 10th time in the last 12 years.

Sutton also led Northwestern with five receptions, but for just six yards. Sutton upped his career all-purpose yardage to 3,139 yards, 12th-most all-time at NU.

Northwestern totaled a season-high 25 first downs in the game. The Wildcats also surrended just seven first downs, the second-fewest (Eastern Michigan had 5 on Sept. 16) this season.

Northwestern led in time of possession 39:03 to 20:57 and held an 82-44 edge in total offensive plays.

In five career starts, quarterback C.J. Bachér has thrown for 200 or more yards in every game. He completed 22-of-30 passes for career-best 269 yards and one TD. For the first time this season, Bachér did not throw an interception in a game.

Wide receiver Shaun Herbert, who caught four passes for a season-most 77 yards, extended his consecutive reception string to 36 games. He entered the week with the nation's eighth-longest reception streak. Herbert closes his illustrious career in fourth place on NU's all-time receptions list with 168. He also moved into third place on NU's all-time receiving yardage list, passing Lee Gissendaner (1,878 yards) and Kunle Patrick (1,873) today. Herbert closes his career with 1,926 career yards.

Wide receiver Rasheed Ward caught four more psses for a season single-game-best 50 yards. Ward also caught four passes one week against Ohio State.

With just 44 offensive plays by Illinois, Northwestern's leading tacklers were Bryan Heinz, Corey Wootton and Demetrius Eaton with 4 each. Illinois' J Leman led all players with 22 tackles. Heinz, who was playing his second game of the year and the last of his career, had two TFL's, one of which was an 8-yard pass sack.

Northwestern sacked Illinois' Juice Williams three times, giving the Wildcats 23 sacks for the year, 11 more than their 2005 total.

Northwestern's defense held Illinois to less than 300 yards of total offense (279 yards). In all four Northwestern victories this season, the Wildcats held their opponents (Miami U., Eastern Michigan, Iowa and Illinois) to less than 300 yards of offense.

Place-kicker Joel Howells had a perfect day, booting two field goals (36 and 22 yards), three PAT's and executing a perfect onside kick to start the second half. Howells concludes his career with 23 field field goals (sixth all-time) and 78 PAT kicks (second all-time).

Northwestern, which entered the game 10th in the Big Ten in third-down conversions, converted 9-of-18 third down opportunities today. Northwestern also was 5-for-5 in red-zone scoring opportunities.

Illinois Notes

Rashard Mendenhall's 86-yard touchdown run is the fourth-longest in school history and the longest since Harry Jefferson had an 89-yard run vs. Syracuse in 1954.

Mendenhall posted his second 100-yard rushing game of the year with his 113 yards today vs. the Wildcats.

Pierre Thomas returned a kickoff 75 yards in the first quarter to mark his third 70-plus yard return in his career. He is the only player in Illinois history to have such a feat. It is the second longest in his career (99 vs.Western Michigan in 2004). For his career, he has 59 returns for an average of 25.3 yards.

The Illinois offense rushed for over 200 yards for the seventh time this season.

The Illinois defense posted its first safety since the 2004 season, when a Michigan receiver was tackled in the end zone.

J Leman posted a career-high 22 tackles against Northwestern, besting his previous high of 19 recorded against No. 1 Ohio State.

Leman recorded his fourth sack and brought his TFL total to 19 for the season against Northwestern. His 19 TFL this season rank sixth on the Illinois single-season tackle for loss list.

David Lindquist recorded his second quarterback sack and fifth tackle for loss.

Chris James caught his career-long reception with a 47-yard catch from Juice Williams in the second quarter.

Williams scored his second rushing touchdown of the season on a nine-yard run in the second quarter.

Both of Illinois' first two scoring drives lapsed less than a minute each with times of 0:40 and 0:45. For the season, the Illini offense has scored six times in under a minute and 14 times in less than two minutes.

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

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C.J. Bachér

Tyrell Sutton

Rasheed Ward

Corey Wootton

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