Northwestern University Athletics
GAME NOTES: ’Cats Travel to Duke for First Road Test of 2017
9/6/2017 8:54:00 AM | Football
| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Saturday, September 9 | Duke | 11 a.m. | Brooks Field at WWS Durham, N.C. |
TV: ESPNU RADIO: WGN 720 |
GoDuke.com |
| ESPNU: Mike Couzens (play-by-play) and John Congemi (analyst) WGN 720: Dave Eanet (play-by-play), Ted Albrecht (analyst), Adam Hoge (sideline) Social: Twitter (@NUFBFamily and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@nufbfamily) | Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern | Duke | Big Ten |
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Fitzgerald Weekly Press Conference | Student-Athlete Weekly Press Conference
EVANSTON, Ill. — After opening the season with a win over Nevada, the Northwestern football program will travel to Duke for its first road test of the season this Saturday to take on the Blue Devils at Brooks Field inside Wallace Wade Stadium.
The Wildcats (1-0) and Blue Devils (1-0) will square off on ESPNU at 11 a.m. CT with Mike Couzens and John Congemi on the call. As always, fans can also listen to the contest on WGN 720 with the voice of the Wildcats Dave Eanet, Ted Albrecht and Adam Hoge.
CLUTCH CLAYTON
Junior quarterback Clayton Thorson completed 28-of-38 passes for 352 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while scoring a pair of 1-yard quarterback sneaks to lead the Wildcats to a 31-20 win over Nevada in the season opener last week. Thorson matched his career highs with 28 completions, 352 passing yards and two rushing scores. He became the first Wildcat to throw for 300-plus yards in the season opener since Brett Basanez (353 vs. Ohio, 9/3/2005).
Since the Wildcats opened last season 1-3, Thorson has led Chicago's Big Ten Team to a 7-3 record over the last 10 games while completing 62.1 percent of his passes (234-377) for 257.8 yards per game with 25 total touchdowns (19 passing, 6 rushing) to just six interceptions.
HAVE YOURSELF A DAY, BENNETT SKOWRONEK
Sophomore wide receiver Bennett Skowronek made a career-high eight catches for a career-high 123 yards to lead the 'Cats receiving corps in the opener. Skowronek made just eight catches in 13 games as a true freshman a year ago. He became the first NU player to have 100-plus yards receiving in a season opener since Dan Vitale (101 at Cal, 8/31/2013) and his eight catches were the most by a Wildcat in an opener since Demetrius Fields matched that total at Syracuse on Sept. 1, 2012.
HEAT SEEKING MISSILE
Senior linebacker Warren Long returned to the field for the first time since Sept. 3, 2016 and shined on special teams by matching his career high with two tackles while becoming the first Wildcat to force two fumbles in a game since Anthony Walker, Jr., at Duke on Sept. 19, 2015. Long recorded the second and third forced fumbles of his career, while making a pair of solo stops.
MACAN [PLAYS] WILSON
Senior wide receiver Macan Wilson was also key in the Wildcats' win over Nevada, hauling in three catches for a career-high 77 yards and the second touchdown of his career. Wilson scored the 'Cats' first touchdown of the season on a 33-yard strike from Thorson in the first quarter and made a career-long 41-yard catch in the fourth quarter to set up Thorson's second rushing touchdown.
WELCOME TO THE PARTY [IN THE END ZONE]
Redshirt freshman Riley Lees stepped on the field in the purple for the first time last week versus Nevada and made an immediate impact with two catches for 35 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown. Lees became the first Wildcat to score a touchdown while making his debut in a season opener since Jeremy Ebert at Syracuse in 2008 and the first 'Cat to score in his debut since Tony Jones versus Minnesota in 2010.
...AND SPEAKING OF DEBUTS
A total of 22 student-athletes appeared for the Wildcats for the first time versus Nevada, including three graduate transfers, 10 redshirt freshmen and nine true freshmen. The nine true freshmen are the most to appear in a season under Dan and Susan Jones Family Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald. See below for notables from players who made their NU debut:
• Freshman Samdup Miller: Made his first career tackle and tackle for loss on his first career play.
• Redshirt freshman Paddy Fisher: Made his first career start and finished with four solo tackles.
• Freshman Rashawn Slater: Started at left tackle and became the first true freshman offensive lineman to play for the Wildcats since Patrick Ward in 2009.
• Graduate transfer Luke Otto: Record a pair of touchbacks on six kickoffs.
• Graduate transfer Jalen Brown: Started at wide receiver in his first game with the 'Cats.
KICKING COMPETITION
Freshman Charlie Kuhbander was one of the 21 Wildcats to make their debut Saturday, becoming the first true freshman kicker since Slade Larscheid in 2003. Kuhbander became the first true freshman kicker to make a field goal since at least 2000 with his 23-yard make in the third quarter and scored the most points by a true freshman kicker (7 points / 1-for-2 FG / 4-for-4 XP) since at least 2000 as well. Ira Adler holds the Northwestern record for points scored by a kicker (48) and field goals made (11) by a kicker in his freshman campaign.
MORE NOTES ON JUNIOR QUARTERBACK CLAYTON THORSON
• Thorson was responsible for 24 points versus Nevada, matching his career high and ranking fourth in Division I football through games played on Sept. 2
• 73.7 completion percentage (28-for-38) was the best of any Big Ten quarterback in the opening weekend and the best completion percentage in a Northwestern season opener since Dan Persa completed 90.5 percent (19-for-21) at Vanderbilt on Sept. 4, 2010)
• Thorson threw a touchdown pass in his 13th consecutive game; the fifth-longest active streak in the country
• Moved past Steve Schnur (5,401; 1982-85) into 9th in program history with 5,506 yards of total offense
• Also moved past Schnur (443; 1982-85) into 9th in program history with 458 career completions
• Moved past Mike Kafka (11; 2006-09) and Len Williams (11; 1990-93) into fifth on career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 12
• Improved to 18-8 as the Wildcats' signal caller over the last two-plus seasons
JUSTIN JACKSON CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE CHARTS
Senior running back Justin Jackson eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in a season opener for the third-straight year with 109 yards versus Nevada, passing Tyrone Wheatley (4,178; Michigan) and Tico Duckett (4,212; Michigan State) for 15th on the Big Ten's career rushing list with 4,238 yards. Jackson is the second-active leading rusher in FBS behind only Oregon's Royce Freeman (4,296) and leads all active FBS players with 885 career carries. The Carol Stream, Illinois, native has eclipsed 100 yards in three-straight games dating back to last season (173 vs. Illinois; 224 vs. Pittsburgh).
HE GOES, WE GO
Jackson has rushed for 100-plus yards 21 times during his career with the Wildcats posting a 17-4 mark when he hits the century mark on the ground. In fact, Jackson's success on the ground has truly been the driving force behind Wildcats' victories the last three-plus years. In the 23 wins during his career, Jackson has averaged 27 carries and 133.4 rushing yards per game, while averaging just 16.4 carries and 73.1 rushing yards per game in 16 losses.
OPENING THINGS UP
Northwestern passed for 352 yards and rushed for 156 more in its season opener versus Nevada, eclipsing 500 yards of total offense for the first time since Nov. 12 of last season at Purdue. The performance marked the 20th time since 2000 the 'Cats have had at least 500 yards of total offense and marked the most in a season opener since they matched that total at Cal on Aug. 31, 2013.
RULERS OF THE SKY
Senior safety Kyle Queiro led the Wildcats with eight tackles in the season opener and recorded the fourth interception of his career in the fourth quarter. Queiro has recorded an interception in back-to-back games for the first time in his career after sealing the Wildcats' win in the 2016 New Era Pinstripe Bowl with a pick in the fourth quarter.
MR. SOLO STOP
Senior safety Godwin Igwebuike, an AP All-America Preseason Second-Team pick, ranks eighth among active FBS players with 4.34 solo tackles per game. Igwebuike has made 163 solo tackles in 38 career games.
DEGREE IN HAND
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame released a list of 952 student-athletes who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and will be playing college football this fall while pursuing second diplomas, and the Northwestern Football program led the way with 18 members.
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