Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
No. 23 Northwestern set for B1G West Battle at Purdue
11/9/2020 5:41:00 PM | Football
| NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL: GAMEDAY INFORMATION | ||||||
| DATE | Opponent | TIME | LOCATION | Live Stats | TELEVISION | RADIO |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | Purdue | 4 p.m. CT | West Lafayette, Ind. | Stats | Big Ten Network | AM-720 WGN Radio |
| 2020 VIRTUAL PRESS BOX | ||||||
Evanston, Ill.- The Northwestern Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways as they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the undefeated Purdue Boilermakers. Due to the cancelation of another Big Ten game, kickoff is now at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, where Wildcat fans can listen to the call on WGN 720 or watch on Big Ten Network.
NU is 3-0 for the first time since 2015 and has taken its first three games in Big Ten play for the first time since 2000. The Wildcats haven't been 4-0 since the 2015 campaign, when they won their first five games.
Northwestern picked up its first loss in Big Ten play during the 2000 season to Purdue, who also defeated NU in a back and forth battle at Ryan Field in 2019 by a final score of 24-22. Despite the loss last season, the Wildcats have won five of their last six games against the Boilermakers and haven't lost at Ross-Ade Stadium since 2007.The last time the 'Cats were 4-0 in conference play was 1996, a season where they finished as co-Big Ten Champions with Ohio State after going 7-1 in the league.
Purdue enters Saturday's matchup at 2-0, as it had its Nov. 7 game against Wisconsin canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Badger program. The Boilermakers defeated Illinois on Oct. 31 and won their season opener against Iowa on Oct. 24. This is the second straight week where Northwestern will be facing a team that had its previous game canceled due to COVID-19 complications (Nebraska on Nov. 7).
STORYLINES:
Shut It Down: Northwestern's defense has yet to allow a point during the second half of any game this season, while its offense is outscoring opponents 34-0 in the final two frames. This is the first time in the Pat Fitzgerald era that the Wildcats have shutout their opponents during the third and fourth quarters for three straight games.
Three-Headed Monster: Northwestern's senior linebacker trio of Chris Bergin (who was named as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 7), Paddy Fisher and Blake Gallagher once again all recorded at least 10 tackles in the victory over Nebraska. The Wildcats have not had three players compile double-digit tackles in back-to-back games since the annual meeting against Illinois on Nov. 30, 2013 (last game of that season) and in the season opener vs. California on Aug. 30, 2014. In addition, NU hasn't had three players compile at least 10 tackles twice in a season since 2013.
Methodical on Offense: The Wildcats have four touchdown drives of 10 plays or more in just three games this season. NU has scored at least 21 points in every game, the first time it has done so in its first three Big Ten matchups since 2012 (44 vs. Indiana on Sept. 29, 28 vs. Penn State on Oct. 6, 21 vs. Minnesota on Oct. 13).
