Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern 16, #21 Stanford 6 • Postgame Notes

Northwestern 16, #21 Stanford 6 • Postgame Notes
Northwestern Team Notes
  • This was the seventh meeting between Northwestern and Stanford and the first since 1994 with the series 3-2-2 in favor of the Cardinal. Today’s victory was   Northwestern’s first win in the series since the Wildcats prevailed 28-0 in 1958
     
  • For only the second time since 2009, NU began the season at home.
     
  • With the 16-6 victory over Stanford, head coach Pat Fitzgerald improved to...
    • 9-1 in season openers. Northwestern is 16-5 in its last 21 opening games and 79-45-4 all-time.
    • 26-10 in September games, 11-1 dating to 2012 and 17-2 since 2010.
    • 30-7 (.811) in non-conference games. 
  • Fitzgerald earned his 8th win against a top-25 team and his first in an opener against a ranked opponent. 
     
  • Northwestern outgained Stanford on the ground, 225-85 with the Wildcats having the game’s top two ground gainers in RB Justin Jackson (134 yards) and QB Clayton Thorson (68).
     
  • With 330 yards, Northwestern has gained over 325 yards in total offense in four consecutive games dating to last season.
     
  • Northwestern held the Cardinal to just 240 yards of total offense Saturday. Last season, the fewest yards by an opponent came when the Wildcats held Penn State to 266 yards in a 29-6 win. 
     
  • Northwestern converted on both of its red zone opportunities. NU was 35-of-42 in the red zone (.833) in 2014.
     
  •  Postive turnover margin has been a hallmark of Fitzgerald Wildcat teams.  Today NU did not commit a turnover while intercepting one pass (S Kyle Queiro’s late-game pickoff) and a fumble recovery (by LB Anthony Walker).
     
  • The Wildcat defense held Stanford to only 3-of-15 successful third-down conversion attempts. NU’s offense was 12-of-22 in third down success.
 
Northwestern Individual Notes
  • RB Justin Jackson led all rushers with 134 yards on 28 carries. Jackson now has seven career 100-yard games, and four consecutive contests dating to last season (149 yards vs. Notre Dame, 147 vs. Purdue, 130 vs. Illinois).
    • Jackson outgained the entire Cardinal rushing rushing offense, 134-85.
    • Jackson has been the Wildcats’ leading rusher in 13 straight games including all contests last season as a freshman. 
    • Jackson’s 21-yard run was the game’s third-longest run from scrimmage.
       
  • In QB Clayton Thorson’s debut, he passed for 105 yards and ran for 68 more, with the game’s longest run, a 42-yard scamper for his first career touchdown, the game’s only TD.
    • Thanks in most part to his touchdown run, Thorson led all players with an 8.5 yards per carry mark.
       
  • WR Christian Jones retuned from an inactive 2014 season by leading all players (along with Stanford’s Austin Hooper) with five receptions for a game-high 52 yards.
    • Entering Saturday's game, 60 percent (60 total) of Jones' receptions went for a first down. Jones continued the trend with three catches (2 on 3rd down, 1 on 4th down) for first downs against the Cardinal. 
       
  • WR Miles Schuler led all players with a 16.5 yards per catch average and the game’s longest receptions, a 25-yarder on 3rd-and-8 from Thorson late in the fourth quarter.
     
  • LB Anthony Walker had a standout defensive performance today with a career-high 10 tackles, two tackles for loss (including an assist on a quarterback sack), a fumble recovery and a team-leading two pass breakups.
     
  • Sophomore CB Kyle Queiro’s game-clinching interception in the end zone and subsequent 17-yard return, marked his initial pickoff as a Wildcat.
     
  • CB Nick Van Hoose broke up his 26th career pass today. That mark ranks fourth all-time among Wildcats and is four away from No. 3 Sherrick McManis (2006-09).
     
  • DE Ifeadi Ofenigbo led NU with 1.5 quarterback sacks, giving him 10 for his career, which ranks first among all current Wildcats and is tied for 10th all time in Northwestern annals.
     
  • DE Dean Lowry, who has 9.5 career sacks, paced Northwestern with two quarterback hurries today along with DL Deonte Gibson.
     
  • S Treveon Henry, the Wildcats’ current leading career tackler with 181 stops, had eight today, including a team-high seven solo tackles.
     
  • K Jack Mitchell’s 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter is his career long.
    • Mitchell’s three field goals today is his second-highest single-game total. He made four-of-five attempts against Notre Dame last year, which included his previous long, a 46-yarder.