Wildcats Blank Huskies In Season Opener

Saturday, September 1

Evanston, Ill.

11:00 AM

Northwestern

1-0

Northeastern -- North Shore Community Day

0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Northeastern	0	0	0	0	0
Northwestern	7	10	10	0	27

C.J. Bacher throws a pass in the first half. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Wildcats Blank Huskies In Season Opener

9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Sept. 1, 2007

Box Score (PDF Format) | Game Notes (PDF Format)

Box Score | Quotes | Game Action (AP) | Game Action (NU)

Watch NU's post-game press conference on NUsports.com All-Access.

Free Video
Coach Fitzgerald's opening statement.
Coach Fitzgerald talk about the defense.
linebacker Adam Kadela discuss the defensive effort.
running back Tyrell Sutton talk about the offense.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Quarterback C.J. Bachér threw for one touchdown and rushed for another as Northwestern beat Northeastern 27-0 on Saturday at Ryan Field.

Bachér, a junior who missed six games last fall with a stress fracture in his left leg, was 23-of-29 for 243 yards and capped the Wildcats' opening drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. His 23 completions were a career-most.

Northwestern (1-0) claimed its first shutout since 1997 in the nonconference game and first meeting between the schools. The Wildcats' last blanking came Aug. 23, 1997 when they defeated Oklahoma 24-0 in the Pigskin Classic at Soldier Field. Northwestern's last shutout at Ryan Field came on Oct. 21, 1995 against Wisconsin (35-0).

Wildcat junior running back Tyrell Sutton scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. He carried 24 times for 108 yards and moved into fifth place on NU's rushing list with 2,582 yards. Sutton passed Noah Herron on NU's all-time list and is now 43 yards shy of Jason Wright, who is in fourth place with 2,625 yards.

Bachér completed seven straight passes in the Wildcats' opening drive and hit wide receiver Ross Lane on a 2-yard TD pass in the second quarter. As a team, the Wildcats completed 25-of-31 passes for an 80.6 completion percentage, which ties NU's single-game team completion percentage (first set in 2005 vs. Illinois).

Northeastern quarterback Anthony Orio was 10-of-18 for 69 yards in part-time duty while running back Maurice Murray rushed for 48 yards on 16 attempts.

Northwestern's defense held Northeastern to 260 yards while cornerback Sherrick McManis led the Wildcats with 10 tackles. The Wildcats limited Northeastern to just 81 yards of offense in the second half.

Junior receiver Jeff Yarbrough led all NU receivers with a career-best day: seven receptions for 68 yards, including a game- and career-long 32-yard catch.

With the victory, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald became the first NU coach since Pappy Waldorf to win his first two season-opening games as a head coach since 1935-36.

Northwestern, which has won two straight games, returns to Ryan Field next Saturday for an 11 a.m. contest (Big Ten Network) vs. Nevada, which opened its season at Nebraska.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)