Northwestern University Athletics

#21 Northwestern 23, Penn State 21 • Postgame Notes


Northwestern Postgame Notes
Penn State at Northwestern  • November 7, 2015
Ryan Field • Evanston, Ill.
Attendance:  34,116
 
Northwestern Team Notes
  • This was the 18th meeting between Northwestern and Penn State with the Nittany Lions winning 13. The Wildcats have won the last two games of the series, having defeated the Lions, 29-6 last season at Penn State. NU is 3-6 against PSU at Ryan Field.
     
  • NU has won its last two games by a total of four points. The Wildcats defeated Nebraska 30-28 two weeks ago.
     
  • The Wildcats outrushed Penn State, 227-125, and are 7-0 this season when outgaining their opponents on the ground. Penn State averaged 144.9 yards per game rushing going into the game.
     
  • NU gained its 227 yards on the ground against a Penn State defense that had been giving up 143.9 yards per contest.
     
  • Each team had an interception, while the Nittany Lions lost a fumble. The Wildcats are 6-0 this season when winning the turnover battle and are 40-14 under Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald.
     
  • Today’s victory marks the fifth time Northwestern has passed the seven-win mark under Fitzgerald and have the most victories since the 2012 Tax Slayer Gator Bowl-winning Wildcats won 10 contests.
     
  • Northwestern stopped Penn State 10 times for losses totaling 28 yards.
     
  • Nine different Wildcats caught passes today.
 
Northwestern Individual Notes
  • RB Justin Jackson gained a career-high 186 yards, surpassing his previous high of 184 yards against Ball State earlier this season.
     
  • With 2,104 yards, Jackson is the 10th Wildcat to rush for over 2,000 career yards. He ranks ninth in program history in career rushing yards, passing Mike Adamle (2,015 from 1968-70) and Stanley Davenport (1,946, 1984-87) today.
    • On Northwestern’s second scoring drive, Jackson had runs of 48 and 25 yards.
    • Jackson has led NU 20 times in the last 21 games in rushing during his career and has 11 games exceeding 100 yards.
       
  • Coming off the bench, QB Zack Oliver had a hand in both Northwestern offensive touchdowns, passing 14 yards to WR Christian Jones and running for a one-yard score. Both touchdowns came in the second quarter.
     
  • Jones’ score was his second touchdown catch of the season, while Oliver’s pass was his third career touchdown toss.
    • Jones now has eight career scoring receptions.
       
  • SB Dan Vitale, who led the team with four catches today, paces all active Wildcats with 129 career receptions.
     
  • LB Nate Hall had a career-best 10 tackles, surpassing his previous high of three.
     
  • LB Anthony Walker Jr. finished with 10 tackles to record double-digit tackles for the fourth time this season and has 77 total in 2015. He and Hall each had seven solo stops.
    • Walker’s had three tackles for a loss of 11 yards and now leads the team with 13.5 tackles for loss this season.
    • Walker also recovered a fumble as time ran out, preserving the NU win. It was his second fumble recovery of the season.
       
  • DE Dean Lowry had one tackle for loss, giving him 29.5 in his career, and moving him into 10th place in Wildcat annals.
     
  • The Wildcats have been averaging two quarterback sacks a game this season, and added two more today, one by Walker and one by DL Deonte Gibson.
     
  • Gibson now has 12 career quarterback sacks, which ties him with Lowry and Matt Rice (1993-96) for seventh on the all-time Northwestern list.
     
  • For the second consecutive game, CB Nick VanHoose intercepted a pass. His seventh career pickoff today leads all active Wildcats and ties him for 12th all-time with seven other players.
     
  • CB Matthew Harris climbed into the Northwestern career top 10 in career pass breakups with a team-leading two PBUs today. Harris and Pete Shaw (1972-76) each have 21 pass break ups as Wildcats.
     
  • RB/KR Solomon Vault’s 96-yard kickoff return set Northwestern records with his second KOR for a touchdown this season (the first, a  98-yarder against Duke) and his third career kickoff return for a score (an 89-yard TD against Illinois in 2014).
     
  • K Jack Mitchell, whose 35-yard field goal with nine seconds left proved to be the game-winner, earlier missed a 39-yarder, only his second miss in 15 attempts under 40 yards this season
     
  • Of P Hunter Niswander’s eight punts, five landed inside Penn State’s 20-yard line.