Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois
GAME NOTES: Wildcats Close Regular Season versus Fighting Illini
11/20/2018 7:29:00 PM | Football
| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Saturday, Nov. 24 |
Illinois | 2:30 p.m. | Ryan Field Evanston, Ill. |
TV: BTN RADIO: WGN 720 |
NUSports.com |
| BTN: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (color), Lisa Byington (sideline) 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 | Illinois | Big Ten Fitzgerald Press Conference | Student-Athlete Press Conference |
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EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern will close its regular season with one final tune up before the 2018 Big Ten Championship when it hosts in-state foe Illinois on Saturday at Ryan Field. The Wildcats are seeking their fourth-straight win over the Fighting Illini.
The No. 19 Wildcats (7-4, 7-1 Big Ten) and Fighting Illini (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten) will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT, on the Big Ten Network with Kevin Kugler, James Laurinaitis and Lisa Byington. Fans can listen along on ESPN 1000 AM with the voice of the Wildcats Dave Eanet, Ted Albrecht and Adam Hoge.
CHAMPS KEEP RUNNING THROUGH THE WEST -- Northwestern earned its 10th-straight victory over Big Ten West Division foes with a 24-14 victory at Minnesota last week. The Wildcats are a perfect 5-0 versus inner-divisional foes this season with the regular-season finale versus in-state rival Illinois on the horizon.
SETTING THE STAGE -- The Wildcats will look to make it four-straight victories over in-state foe Illinois on Saturday when they host the Fighting Illini at Ryan Field. The 'Cats have outscored Illinois over the last three seasons, 108-42. A win over Illinois on Saturday would match the 'Cats' longest winning streak in the series for the fifth time and would make the 2018 senior class just the eighth in program history to finish with a perfect record in the series.
THE WILD, WILD WEST -- Chicago's Big Ten Team™ improved to 7-1 in Big Ten play for the first time since 1995 with its win at Minnesota. With the win, the Wildcats also...
...Extended their road winning streak to eight games.
...Matched a program record with their eighth-straight Big Ten road victory.
...Improved to 14-1 over their last 15 conference contests.
D-E-F-E-N-S-E -- Northwestern recorded a season-high four sacks and forced a season-high three turnovers in the win at Minnesota. The four sacks were the Wildcats' most since posting four in their 42-7 win over Illinois on Nov. 25, 2016.
NUMBER 50 -- Senior quarterback Clayton Thorson started his 50th-consecutive game at Minnesota and earned his 34th career victory as the program's all-time winningest quarterback. With a start versus Illinois on Saturday, Thorson will break the all-time Big Ten mark for career starts by a quarterback.
TEN THOUSAND PLUS -- With 230 passing yard versus Minnesota, senior quarterback Clayton Thorson surpassed 10,000 career passing yards and now ranks sixth in Big Ten history with 10,113. Thorson needs just 349 yards to pass Chuck Long (10,461; Iowa, 1981-85) for fifth and 468 to set Northwestern's program record held by Brett Basanez (10,580; 2002-05).
IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN -- Thorson is the first player in Big Ten history to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 20 touchdowns in a career. The Wheaton, Illinois, native scored his 24th career rushing touchdown with a 13-yard keeper versus Minnesota, marking his 20th career game with a rushing score. The Wildcats are 16-4 during Thorson's career when he scores a touchdown on the ground.
FOURTH QUARTER EXPLOSION -- With a 68-yard pass to first-year wide receiver JJ Jefferson, Thorson completed his 12th pass of the season of 20-plus yards in the fourth quarter. Thorson's 12 completions of 20-plus yards in the fourth quarter are the most of any Big Ten player this season. He has completed 29 total passes of 20-plus yards this season.
IN THE RANKINGS -- Thorson ranks third in the Big Ten in passing yards (2,565), fourth in passing yards per game (233.2) and fourth in completions per game (21.73). He is 18th nationally in completions per game after competing a pass to nine different receivers in the victory over the Golden Gophers.
EIGHTEEN FOR SIX -- With his 13-yard rushing touchdown versus Minnesota, Thorson now leads the Wildcats with seven rushing touchdowns this season. Thorson's seven scores are tied for the eighth most in a season by a NU quarterback and are the most by a FBS player with negative rushing yards on the season (-99) since at least 2000.
ROAD WARRIORS -- Northwestern won its eighth-straight road contest at Minnesota, marking the first perfect road record since 1995 when the 'Cats went 4-0. The Wildcats eight-straight road wins and Big Ten road victories are both program records. NU's defense has been particularly strong during the stretch, limiting opponents to under 20 points five times and allowing just 17.1 points per game.
TEXAS TWO STEP -- The Katy, Texas, combination of sophomore safety Travis Whillock and sophomore linebacker Paddy Fisher combined to make 26 tackles in Saturday's win at Minnesota. The contest marked the first time in their careers they both reached double-digit tackles in the same game.
WHILLOCK[ED] IN -- Sophomore safety Travis Whillock led the team in tackles for the third-straight game with a career-high 15 stops last week, including a career-high 11 solo tackles. Whillock's 34 tackles over the last three games are the most in the Big Ten and the 11th most in the country. His 11 solo tackles were the most by a NU defensive back since Godwin Igwebuike had versus Nebraska on Sept. 24, 2016.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE -- Sophomore linebacker Paddy Fisher recorded his third-double digit tackle performance of the season last week with 11 tackles, recording his first career sack, and forced his eighth career fumble. Fisher's eight forced fumbles over the last two seasons are tied for the most in the country.
A complete notes packet is available at the top of the page.
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