Post Game Notes

Nov. 14, 2009

Recap | Box Score | Quotes

Illinois now leads the series 52-46-5, but Northwestern has a 10-5 edge since 1995 including wins in six of the last seven games. The Wildcats have won two in a row in the series, and beaten Illinois in Champaign three times since 2003 (2003, 2005 and 2009).
Northwestern and Illinois began playing for the new Land of Lincoln Trophy today. The two teams previously played for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy.
The Wildcats are now 7-4 overall, 4-3 in the Big Ten. Northwestern plays its final regular-season game next Saturday vs. No. 21 Wisconsin (2:30 p.m. CT, Big Ten Network).
NU's record in Big Ten road games is 8-8 under head coach Pat Fitzgerald ... Northwestern's fifth-year seniors are 11-9 in Big Ten road games.
QB Mike Kafka was 23-of -37 for 305 passing yards in the game. He now has 2,572 yards passing this season and 2,820 yards of total offense. He ranks seventh in single-season history for passing yards and sixth in total offense. He is the ninth player in NU history to top the 4,000-yard mark for total offense in a career. Kafka also notched his fourth 300-yard game of the season.
Kafka, who threw one TD pass and ran for another, finished with 317 yards of total offense.
WR Zeke Markshausen, who came into the game ranked second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally in receptions per game, totaled six catches today for 104 yards. It was his second 100-yard receiving game of the season. (Markshausen also had a 94-yard outing vs. Indiana.) He now has 76 receptions for the season, which ranks fifth on NU's single-season list.
WR Andrew Brewer caught a 52-yard pass on NU's second scoring drive of the game (their 99-yard third-quarter drive). It was his second-longest catch of his career (Brewer caught a 72-yard TD pass vs. Towson in the 2009 season opener.)
Ten different players caught passes today for the Wildcats, one shy of the 11 that NU had versus Penn State. All four NU running backs who played -- Jacob Schmidt, Scott Concannon, Stephen Simmons and Arby Fields -- had one catch apiece.
LB Nate Williams recorded his second career interception and the team's 13th of the season. The Wildcats, who ranked 16th nationally in passes intercepted, equaled their interception total of a year ago with Williams' pick. Later in the game, CB Sherrick McManis notched his team-leading fourth interception of the season and the Wildcats' 14th of the year. It was McManis' eighth career interception, which moves him into a three-way tie for seventh place on NU's all-time interception list. Williams also was credited with a forced fumble.
RB Arby Fields led all Northwestern running backs with 50 yards. He scored his fifth TD of the season, and his first since the Purdue game, early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run. Fields averaged a team-best 5.6 yards per carry.
DE Corey Wootton started his 47th career game today, an NU record. Wootton notched one sack in the game, giving him 18.5 for his career. Wootton had two TFL's in the contest, and that gives him 37 for his career, tying him for fourth place on NU's career list. Wootton ranks third on NU's career sack list.
For the fourth time this season, LB Quentin Davie led the Wildcats in tackles with 8 hits. He now has a team-best 79 tackles this season.
Northwestern, ranked ninth nationally in third-down conversion percentage, converted just 5-of-14 third down tries today. The Wildcats were converting 49.4 percent of their third-down attempts coming into the game.
Northwestern came into the game 6-0 this season when it totals more rushing yards than the opponent; 0-4 when the opponent has more rushing yards. Today is NU's first win with fewer rushing yards than its opponent (212-139).
Northwestern totaled 400-plus yards (444 yards) in total offense for the fourth time this season.
Northwestern has clinched back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1995-96. Northwestern is 8-4 under Pat Fitzgerald in November.
This game was Northwestern's first of the season with no turnovers. In the Wildcats' seven wins this season, they own a +10 turnover margin advantage.
The team entering the annual Northwestern-Illinois game with the better record has won the last 11 times in a row and 16 of the last 17, with 1998 the lone exception. (That year, Illinois was 1-3; Northwestern 2-2)
Northwestern is 23-6 in its last 29 games decided by seven points or less.
For the first time since 1996, Northwestern defeated all three Big Ten "I's" -- Indiana, Illinois and Iowa -- in the same season.

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Andrew Brewer

Scott Concannon

Quentin Davie

Arby Fields

Mike Kafka

Zeke Markshausen

Sherrick McManis

Jacob Schmidt

Stephen Simmons

Nate Williams

Corey Wootton

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