Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats, Illini Play First Land of Lincoln Trophy Game
11/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 9, 2009
NU Football Game Notes (vs. Illinois) 
For Openers
• After achieving bowl-eligibility with its 17-10 victory at Iowa last Saturday, Northwestern remains on the road this week, playing its final away game of 2009 at Illinois. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT. ESPN Classic is televising the game to a national cable audience.
• Northwestern's triumph over Iowa halted the Hawkeyes' 13-game winning streak, which represented the nation's second-longest victory string. The last time the Wildcats defeated a team with a better record (9-0) than the Hawkeyes was in 1949, against 10-0 California in the Rose Bowl. The victory also gave NU its third straight win at Kinnick Stadum.
• Saturday's victory in Iowa City assured Northwestern of six wins for a third consecutive year and the sixth time in the last seven years. The Wildcats also have earned bowl-eligibility for a third consecutive year, a school first.
• Northwestern held Iowa scoreless for the final 54 minutes and 10 seconds to come back from a 10-0 deficit and post a 17-10 victory over the Hawkeyes. Corey Wootton's sack of Ricky Stanzi in the end zone, and Stanzi's subsequent fumble that was recovered by Marshall Thomas for a Wildcat touchdown, sparked the comeback.
• For the fourth time this season, Northwestern held an opponent to less than 100 yards on the ground, allowing Iowa just 65 rushing yards. The Wildcats now rank 33rd nationally in rushing defense, giving up 117.1 yards per game. Northwestern is on pace to shatter last year's school-record defensive rushing figure of 126.4 ypg.
• Northwestern has won five of its last seven Big Ten road games, going 3-1 away from home in 2008 and 2-1 this year. Under fourth-year coach Pat Fitzgerald, NU can even its Big Ten road record at 8-8 with a victory in Champaign on Saturday.
• Junior place-kicker Stefan Demos has been tabbed one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which honors the nation's top kicker. Demos, one of two Big Ten kickers among the semifinalists, has been honored twice this fall as the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. Demos has converted 14-of-16 field goals.
• Starting in 2009 with the 103rd all-time meeting between Northwestern and Illinois, the two schools are playing for a new rivalry prize, the Land of Lincoln trophy. From 1945 through 2008, the two schools played for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy. The new trophy, which was determined by an online fan poll, was designed by Dick Locher, a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist.
• The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) has tabbed Northwestern as its Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week after defeating Iowa on Saturday. Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor.
• Following a 1-6 start, Illinois has posted back-to-back wins with a 38-13 dismantling of Michigan at home and then a 35-32 road victory over Minnesota this past weekend. The Fighting Illini are playing their final Big Ten game of the year on Saturday against the Wildcats. Illinois closes out the season with nonconference tilts against Cincinnati and Fresno State.
• The Wildcats' defense will get a stiff test from Illinois' ground attack, which averages 188.1 yards per game, the nation's 25th-best rushing offense. In the Illini's victory over Michigan two weeks ago, Illinois totaled 377 rushing yards. Earlier this season, the Illini had 384 rushing yards against Illinois State.
The Broadcasts
Radio -- Saturday's game will be broadcast on WGN 720 AM and wgnradio.com with the broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Ted Albrecht (analyst) call the action. WNUR (89.3), NU's student radio station, also will carry the game. The game can also be heard on Sirius (channel 151) and XM (channel 198) satellite radio.
Television -- ESPN Classic is televising the game nationally. The game is also available on ESPN360.com.
(For a complete set of game notes, download the PDF above.)
