Looking for NU v. Iowa?

Our Northwestern liveblog has moved. To catch the live blog of Northwestern vs. Iowa today, go to our new web site: NUfootballinsider.com.

Around the Big Ten: Weekly Press Conferences

With the weekend’s games fast approaching, here’s a look around the Big Ten at quotes from various team’s weekly media press conferences.

 Illinois – Ron Zook

Summary:

Everybody is excited about getting started in the Big Ten conference, and not so excited about the team we're playing. It's really a good football team. Anyone who has seen them play understands that number one, they have a program that has tradition and so forth, but number two, we think they're a better football team than they were last year.

On Daniel Dufrene:

Well I think if you go back and look at how we felt last year, we didn't feel like Rashard Mendenhall was going to be an every down back. It just turned out that way. Ever since we've been here we've been fortunate to have more than one back, and I think a lot of times you need more than one back.

 Indiana – Bill Lynch

Summary:

Knowing that the Big Ten season is here, and certainly our guys have a tremendous amount of respect for Michigan State. Not only what they've seen on tape this year, but certainly our game with them last year where they got after us pretty good. So we're anxious to get after it today when we're in full pads and really get in to the gameplan.

On stopping Javon Ringer:

Ringer's really good. But I'll tell you what, their scheme is good… They're very, very well coached up front. They're very physical and then (Ringer) is a great back behind it. He's also the kind of back that's durable enough to carry the ball 40 times and he's done it week after week.

 Michigan – Rich Rodriguez

Summary:

Michigan will be back. Michigan plays error-free football and hard-hitting defense and we have to get that back.

On Steve Threet:

Well, he's going to be the starter, yeah. He played well enough in that game for us to have confidence in him. Nick is still in the picture, too. Nick was in a tough situation. We were behind. I think he tried to maybe force a few things and all that. But Nick is still in our thoughts a little bit.

Iowa – Kirk Ferentz

Summary:

We’re obviously excited about homecoming weekend. I know it’s a little bit special for everybody and certainly good to have a lot of folks back on campus. We’ll have a great challenge on our hands with Northwestern.

On Northwestern’s defense:

Probably the biggest ting I’d say about them, they’re just not giving up big players. They’re playing very, very well right now. Playing smart. Making you work for everything. When you do that, that’s the sign of a good defense.

 Ohio State – Jim Tressel

Summary:

We've got to make sure that we step it up. We did step it up a little bit this past weekend. We've got to take a larger step this weekend because there's nothing more critical than the beginning of something and beginning of conference play is what we're looking forward to.

On Terrelle Pryor:

The thing that's best about his decision making is that when he errs he knows exactly why. Sometimes I've had guys come off the field and say, why did you throw it there? I don't know. And he's not that way. He knows where everyone is. He's got a great ability to keep his head up, a calmness about him to see, and he had one throw that probably shouldn't have thrown and he knew the minute he let go of it.

 Penn State – Joe Paterno

Summary:

You never know what to expect. I don't, really. I was just hoping we could play well enough to win a couple of games. I thought we had the potential to be a decent football team. We've been fortunate. We've played some people that haven't played really well against us, so I'm still reluctant to get too excited. But I hoped we could win all four of them, if that's what you're driving at. Yes, I had hoped we could win all four of them.

On stopping Juice Williams:

There's no best way. I think it isn't as if you can just gang up on one aspect of the game, whether it's their option game or their sprint out pass game or whatever. I think you've got to be balanced. If there's a tendency, as your game goes on, hopefully you can pick that up and take something away they might want to use in a key situation. But it's a game of chess. He's good. He can beat you running. If you play the pass and if you don't play the run, he can beat you throwing the football. They have a good screen game. We didn't do a very good job against the screen against Temple.

FACT OR FICTION: Week 5 Edition

Before I get into the truths and untruths of various media reports about Northwestern football, a quick thought on the betting line for Saturday’s game at Iowa. Now, I know that the Wildcats have basically feasted on cupcakes so far this season – they haven’t played a single team that currently has a vote in either the AP or USA Today/Coaches Poll. That being said… eight-point underdogs? Really? I mean, Iowa’s biggest win came against Big 12 patsy Iowa State, and they lost to a Pittsburgh team that may or may not be mediocre. The skewed line is yet another example of NU being shafted by the general public. Maybe a win would shut the naysayers up. Which leads me to…

FICTION: “The difference comes at the line of scrimmage, where Iowa’s defense overpowers Northwestern’s new-look offensive line and neutralizes Tyrell Sutton.”
-Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Big Ten blog

Maybe if Sutton were still favoring the left hamstring he strained last Saturday. But with him 100 percent, look for a repeat of last year’s performance against the Hawkeyes (159 all-purpose yards and a touchdown)

FACT: “But it’s worth pointing out that two teams experiencing an early-season renaissance are the spread teams Minnesota and Northwestern, both 4-0.”
-New York Times, The Quad Blog, Big Ten Notebook

NU has run the spread for years now, but the advent of new offensive coordinator Mick McCall’s no-huddle offense has certainly helped the Cats this season. Minnesota might even be more impressive, where sophomore quarterback Adam Weber in second in the conference in pass yards per game and passing efficiency. Oh, and the Gophers have already quadrupled last year’s win total.

FICTION: “If Northwestern can shut down Iowa first downs early and force (Iowa quarterback Ricky) Stanzi into second-and-longs, some experts are predicting a surprisingly fulfilling afternoon for the purple passionate at Kinnick Stadium.”
-Jim O’Donnell, Chicago Sun-Times

Don’t get me wrong, NU has a great chance at victory on Saturday. But defense intensity on first down is far from the key to a win. Much more important is the ability of NU quarterback C.J. Bacher to avoid mistakes, the turnover battle, and the red zone efficiency of both teams.

Also what “experts” are predicting a Cats win? ESPN’s Rittenberg picked Iowa 20-17, and as I said earlier, Iowa is an eight-point favorite. But that’s just me.

Bye now.
-Jake Simpson

ON THE TURF: Wednesday Practice

ROUNDUP

Following yesterday’s gorgeous weather, Wednesday’s practice featured an escape from the sun, but pleasant, pristine conditions. The team returned to shorts and shells, a standard procedure for midweek practices.

The best news of the day?

Tyrell Sutton practiced and showed flashes of why he’s the most dangerous running back in the Big Ten. And C.J. Bacher practiced for the second consecutive day without tape on his hand or fingers. All is well on the injury front for the Wildcats.

“If it's not broken and I can walk, I'm going to play," Sutton said after the morning session. “I’m 100 percent.”

And just one day after the offense witnessed the wrath that is Mick McCall, the Cats’ defense felt the same from Mike Hankwitz. After a series of missed tackles, the new defensive coordinator tore into the lack of effort and the need to finish plays.

If it wasn’t enough, McCall made three players do pushups for the length of post-practice interviews, which lasted at least 20 minutes.

FIVE RANDOM THOUGHTS

-Redshirt freshman quarterback Dan Persa lined up in the slot on a third-and-long. Yes, as a wide receiver. Persa ran a slant, juked a defender, and went into the end zone untouched. Current Northwestern receivers Eric Peterman and Andrew Brewer were high school quarterbacks who now line up on the outside. Could we have witnessed the beginning of a position change for Persa, who also saw time at running back during the Spring Game?

-For the first time all week, the Cats’ offense ran third-and-goal situations and ran various plays from a multitude of formations. The favorite play? Omar Conteh on an option pitch from Bacher. It has worked twice this season in short yardage situations because Bacher’s field vision as a runner is second-to-none. NU also ran several playaction passes where Bacher rolled back to the left and found Peterman in the corner of the end zone. While the team has been perfect in the red zone thus far, it has had difficulty from inside the 5-yard line.

-While senior defensive tackle John Gill noted that every team in the Big Ten is strong, physical, and tough, he said that the contest with Iowa might be the most physical game the Cats play all season.

“It’s going to be a tough, hard fought game,” Gill said. “Iowa’s one of the most physical teams we play all season.”

-While Kinnick Stadium is one of the toughest venues in the Big Ten, it has one of the most interesting locker rooms in the conference. The opponent’s locker room is painted pink.

“Everyone loves the pink locker room,” senior offensive lineman Keegan Kennedy said. “Everyone is fascinated about that. To tell you the truth, it’s the nicest away locker room we play at, even though it’s pink. The pink doesn’t distract us; we think its funny and a joke. We get ready for the game and go play Iowa.”

And Tyrell Sutton, the usual jokester that he is, agreed.

“I want to paint my room pink,” the star tailback said.

-Gill, a monster in last year’s game against Iowa, had a stellar practice on Wednesday. He was in the backfield swarming the ball multiple times. A season ago against the Hawkeyes, Gill had two sacks and broke up a pass in the loss.

“I’m not sure we blocked John Gill more than three times in 70 plays last year,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said to the New York Times college football blog. “He really gave us problems.” 

Around the Big Ten: Tuesday Update

The Terrelle Pryor era is underway in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel announced Tuesday that his top recruit will get his first start against Minnesota.

And barring any significant setbacks, running back Chris “Beanie” Wells will return to the starting lineup after suffering a foot injury against Ohio three weeks ago.

At Penn State, suspended players Maurice Evans and Abe Karoma returned to practice on Tuesday for the first time since the two were charged with possession of marijuana. While the stud defensive lineman practiced, there is no official word whether or not they will play this weekend against Illinois.

Penn State coach Joe Paterno will return to the sidelines to coach against the Fighting Illini this weekend after watching the second half against Temple from the coaches box last weekend. Paterno suffered a knee injury three days before the opening game of the season and aggravated on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

After seeing Paterno’s injury, and hearing of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis’s injury, coach Pat Fitzgerald addressed whether he worries about injuries on the sidelines.

“Every single rep I worry,” Fitzgerald said. “Somebody asked me a couple weeks ago why I move around so much. It’s because I’m getting the H away from the ball… You’ve got to really be careful on kicking plays.”

Fitzgerald said he questions the no sideline warning rule, stating it was a knee-jerk reaction to what happened in the Texas-Rice bowl game a season ago.

Fitzgerald said he has taken a fair share of hits, but hasn’t suffered injuries like that of Weis or Paterno.

“I’ve had about three guys go through my legs, which has been fun,” he said. “I had to jam some headgear down one time and play a cut like I was a linebacker. It’s a dangerous world out there.”

While Northwestern fans have been concerned with the status of star running back Tyrell Sutton, other Big Ten fans have been doing the same. A variety of injuries surfaced on Tuesday around the Big Ten.

At Indiana, starting cornerback Chris Phillips tore his ACL, and will miss the remainder of the season. Nick Polk, a starting safety, also suffered a knee injury against Ball State that will force him to miss the Hoosiers game against Michigan State in Bloomington. Polk’s fellow safety Austin Thomas is questionable for the contest.

Purdue will be without linebacker Jason Werner, a force on the outside this weekend against Notre Dame, the lone Big Ten team playing a non-conference opponent. Werner has missed the Boilermakers first three games after having a bone chop removed from his back.

Two Purdue offensive lineman, Kyle Adams and Jared Zwilling, are listed as questionable for their game with the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind.

The most impressive freshman running back in the Big Ten, Sam McGuffie, of YouTube fame, will have two key pieces blocking in front of him when Wisconsin travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday. Mark Ortmann and Mary Huyge should be back to help bolster Michigan’s rushing attack against the No. 9 ranked Badgers. 

ON THE TURF: Sutton and Sunshine on a Tuesday Morning

ROUNDUP
It was a gorgeous, sun-filled morning as the Cats took the field for practice, and it seemed like the team’s fortunes were as bright as the weather. Tailback Tyrell Sutton, who injured his left leg in NU’s 16-8 win over Ohio on Saturday, was working out on the sidelines while his teammates practiced on the field. While Sutton did not take the field, head coach Pat Fitzgerald was confident his star back would suit up for practice on Wednesday.

“We upgraded him from good to great,” he joked.

On the field, the Cats’ offense got a taste of Mick McCall’s wrath near the end of practice. After a series of lackluster plays, the offensive coordinator chewed out his squad on the sidelines. Considering the team’s anemic performance in the second half against Ohio, McCall should be lighting a fire under quarterback C.J. Bacher and the offense.


FIVE RANDOM THOUGHTS
-Redshirt freshman Vince Browne continues to make a name for himself just four games into his collegiate career. Browne was named the co-Defensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten after he recorded three sacks, a forced fumble, and a blocked field goal in Saturday’s victory over Ohio.

In practice, the player Fitzgerald said has “a motor that never stops” continued to play to the whistle, knocking down quarterback Dan Persa on the final play of practice.


-With a seating capacity of 70,585 and a horde of screaming Hawkeye fans, Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium is one of the Big Ten’s toughest road venues. The Cats are just 2-6 on the road in conference play the past two seasons, but one of those wins was a 21-7 victory at Kinnick in 2006. It’s a win senior safety Brendan Smith remembers well.

“Those fans are right on top of you,” he said. “I remember having a father with his son saying some ‘nice’ things to me sitting on the bench.”

Fitzgerald tried to prepare his players – particularly his offense – for the hostile environment by blasting simulated crowd noise from a golf cart on the field.

“It helps,” Bacher said of the pumped-in noise. “You’ve got to able to play through distractions.”

It may help a little. But you could hear players and coaches from across the field. That will not be the case on Saturday.


-It was back-to-school day for the players, who must now juggle classes and football. Smith explained his strategies for getting all his work done.

“It’s about managing your time,” he said. “Film is tougher to watch, so you’ve got to go through your notes and your playbook, reading it before you go to bed. Bring DVDs home with you so can watch them in your free time.”


-While injuries have plagued the Cats’ players recently, NU’s coaching staff has remained unharmed. After Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis tore his ACL when one his own players was tackled into him, staying safe on the sidelines is not a foregone conclusion, and Fitzgerald offered his strategies for staying out of the field.

“Somebody asked me: ‘Why do you move around so much on the sidelines?’” he said. “Because I’m getting the heck away from the ball. If the ball’s down there, I’ll be all the way down on the other end. I’ve had about three guys go for my legs, which has been fun. I had to jam some headgear down one time and play a cut like I was a linebacker.”


-Big Ten openers have not been kind to NU in recent years. The Cats last won their conference opener in 2001, when they beat Michigan State 27-26.


QUOTABLE:
"When the alarm goes off, the first thing in your head is. ‘Aww, really, it’s already that time?’ But the day is so much better. There’s something about waking up and going to play football."
-Senior safety Brendan Smith, on morning practices

Monday Press Conference Observations

Here are five observations from Northwestern’s weekly press conference.

INJURIES:

Coach Pat Fitzgerald knows what it’s like to be injured.

As a junior at Northwestern, Fitzgerald bolstered the Wildcats’ defensive attack in the 10-1 season that led NU to the 1996 Rose Bowl appearance. Fitzgerald’s season ended early when the Big Ten defensive player of the year and Chuck Bednarik Award winner broke his leg in the second-to-last game of the season.

It’s something he still thinks about today.

“You get a sense that I don’t like talking about injuries,” Fitzgerald said Monday at his weekly press conference.” When you miss the Rose Bowl, come talk to me.”

It came as no surprise that Fitzgerald was mum in talking about the status of senior quarterback C.J. Bacher and senior running back Tyrell Sutton.

MORNING PRACTICE:

Tomorrow, NU returns to its regular practice schedule. The team meets at Ryan Field at 6:45a.m. for team meetings and is expected to be on the field by 8:30a.m. Shortly thereafter, practice begins and runs for two hours.

Fitzgerald thinks the morning practice schedule helps the team off the field.

“It actually I believe helps our guys academically,” he said. “Our GPA the last two years has been higher than it’s ever been.”

A season ago four Cats were awarded with Academic All-Big Ten honors.

It also gives NU an advantage in morning games. With four of the next five games definitively scheduled for 11a.m. start times, the Cats are well accustomed to competing in the morning.

DUALING QUARTERBACKS:

While junior Jake Christensen entered the season as the starter behind center, the left-handed gunslinger has been splitting time with sophomore Ricky Stanzi, a right-handed passer.

“They’re not the same guy, obviously one righty, one lefty,” Fitzgerald said of the signal-callers. “One’s from Ohio, one’s from Chicago. I could keep going on and on about their differences. But schematically they’re very similar.”

Coach Ferentz expects his quarterbacks to manage the game, and get the ball in the hands of the team’s playmakers. Whoever has the hot hand will get the nod against the Cats.

OTHER INJURIES:

Junior wide receiver Andrew Brewer suffered an injury on kick return coverage in Saturday’s win over Ohio. Brewer limped off the field under his own power, and Fitzgerald updated the former quarterback’s status for Iowa.

“From an injury standpoint, Andrew Brewer won’t play on Saturday based on things as they’ve progressed though the weekend,” he said.

Fitzgerald also updated the status of junior right tackle Kurt Mattes, who has missed games due to a knee injury. The lineman is working hard in rehabilitation, and is currently day-to-day, however is not expected to play this week.

FAN SUPPORT:

While the attendance for Saturday’s game against Ohio was listed as only 4,000 more people than the Southern Illinois game, Fitzgerald said there was a noticeable difference.

“I want to say a big thank you to our students,” Fitzgerald said. “It was awesome to come at 8:35 for the Walk with us down Walker Way. And then to walk out to the pre-game”

During New Student Week, Fitzgerald taught incoming freshman, “Go U Northwestern,” the school’s fight song.

“It was great to see the class of 2012 out at the soccer game and to teach them the fight song,” he said. “We’ll be a little better moving along hopefully singing the fight song. But a big hearty thank you to our students.”

Undefeated, but not satisfied

With two minutes left in the second half, the Northwestern marching band entertained the crowd with its rendition of “Living on a prayer.”

And for most of the second half, the Wildcats did just that.

For the first time since 1962, the Cats are 4-0 — defeating the Ohio Bobcats, 16-8, at Ryan Field Saturday.

Despite the perfect record, questions loom in a game that saw the offense get shut out in the second half, while losing one of its star players to injury.

Senior running back Tyrell Sutton missed the entire second half with a leg injury, suffered on a spectacular 31-yard run that set up NU’s only touchdown of the game.

Senior quarterback C.J. Bacher threw four interceptions, relegated to a string of quarterback hurries in the fourth quarter to run clock time.

And with their offense stumbling, the Cats rested on their newfound strength: the defense.

Behind stellar play from redshirt freshman Jordan Mabin, and defensive ends Corey Wootton and Vince Browne, NU held an opponent to under 10 points scoring for the second straight game. That had not happened since the 1995 run to the Rose Bowl, with coach Pat Fitzgerald manning the middle.

Amado Villarreal paced the offense in the first half with three field goals. He remains perfect on the season, connecting on all eight attempts.

Completing an undefeated run in non-conference play for the first time since 1963, the Cats will travel to Kinnick Stadium next week for the conference season opener with the Hawkeyes. Iowa (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling on the road to Pittsburgh, 21-20.

Check back later this evening at dailynorthwestern.com for full coverage of Saturday’s win.

NU Holds On ... Barely

In a bit of a surprise move, NU goes for it on fourth down. With five wide receivers in, Bacher runs but comes up short. Ohio takes over at its own 27 with no timeouts and less than a minute to work with, down by eight.

But after a sack, a short pass and a spike, Ohio finds itself in a fourth-and-10 situation with only seven seconds remaining. This should be the game right here. The NU defense is not lined up correctly, so the Cats call their final timeout.

Jackson throws low and incomplete over the middle, and that'll do it. NU just has to kneel down once to make it official.

NU 16, Ohio 8. That win clearly goes to the defense.

Game MVP: DE Vince Browne.

Final Minute

The Cats are unable to ice the game, as Conteh gets strung out to the right side and dropped for no gain. It's fourth down and five yards to go, and NU lets the clock run all the way down before calling timeout with 56 seconds remaining.

NU Running Out the Clock

After the timeout, NU continues to run down the clock. Conteh runs around the left side for 16, by far his biggest gain since coming in for Sutton. First and 10 at the Ohio 36.

Bacher gains one on the keeper and Ohio uses its second timeout to stop the clock with 1:49 left. Conteh gains four and Ohio burns its final timeout with 1:44 to go. NU has a third and 5 at the 31, and can essentially clinch the win with one more first down.

Cats Driving

After the fumble, NU takes over on its own 18. On third and 3, Eric Peterman keeps the drive alive with an excellent leaping grab of a wild Bacher pass. First down at the 35.

After Conteh loses a yard, Bacher keeps it on second and picks up 9. On third and 2, he rolls left and keeps it again, picking up the first down at the NU 48. The clock continues to run toward two minutes and becomes a serious issue for the Bobcats. Timeout NU with two minutes to go.

Neither Team Wants This Game

Ohio narrowly picks up a first down at the NU 26 to keep its drive alive. Jackson hits Mooney on a 2-yard pass and then finds Harden, who gets knocked out of bounds for no gain. On third and 8, Jackson has plenty of time, but throws wide of Brazill and incomplete. It's fourth and 8 from the 23 and Ohio is going for it. But first the Bobcats call time out to talk things over, with 6:54 to go.

The NU defense has a chance to come up big yet again, as Ohio comes out in the shotgun, with three receivers wide. The Cats pressure Jackson, but he keeps the play alive and guns the ball to Riley Dunlop for 10 yards and a first down to the 13.

Ohio gets pushed back 10 yards on a holding call on first down. Jackson hits Brazill on a screen, but the NU defense sniffs it out and contains the play. Arrington and Mabin combine on the hit and the ball squirts loose. NU recovers, and Mabin gets credit for forcing it.

The defense bails the team out for about the 20th time today.

Bacher's Ugly Day Continues

The Cats get called for an illegal block in the back on Omar Conteh's 1-yard run, giving them first and 21 at their own 12. Not what they need right now.

After Conteh runs for 2 yards, Bacher drops back to pass. He's pressured and throws wildly, far over Jeremy Ebert's head. Michael Mitchell is there for his second pick of the contest. That's four interceptions for Bacher, and no touchdowns.

First and 10 for Ohio at the NU 36.

Three and Out All Over Again

On first down, Jackson completes to his tight end Mooney. Kwateng jars the ball loose but Mooney recovers for a 6-yard gain. On third and 3, Jackson throws incomplete, with McManis providing excellent coverage.

Peterman lets the punt go this time and Ohio downs it at the NU 22-yard line. NU takes over with 10:54 remaining.

Tepid Offense Continues

Looking to add some cushion to their eight-point lead, the Cats take over after the blocked field goal. Bacher picks up one first down with his legs. Then, on 3rd and 8, he fires a nice pass to Rasheed Ward, who was cutting across the field. But Ward juggles the ball and then drops it as he gets hit by Mark Parson.

NU almost gets another huge break when Demos' punt bounces off an Ohio player's back, but the Bobcats manage to recover at their own 27. There is 12:26 to play, with the score NU 16, Ohio 8.

Block Party Continues

After Corey Wootton comes up with a big sack on second down, Jackson completes a pass on third down but comes up three yards short of a first down. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Ohio elects to attempt the field goal.

Amazingly, NU comes up with ANOTHER blocked field goal. This one is by Vince Browne, who now has six tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and a blocked field goal in the game. NU ball, up 16-8. Ohio is now 0-3 on field goals in the game.

Undefeated, but questions loom

With two minutes left in the second half, the Northwestern marching band entertained the crowd with its rendition of “Living on a prayer.”

And for most of the second half, the Wildcats did just that.

For the first time since 1962, the Cats are 4-0 — defeating the Ohio Bobcats, 16-8, at Ryan Field Saturday.

Despite the perfect record, questions loom in a game that saw the offense get shut out in the second half, while losing its star player to injury.

Senior running back Tyrell Sutton missed the entire second half with a leg injury, suffered on a spectacular 31-yard run that set up NU’s only touchdown of the game.

Senior quarterback C.J. Bacher threw four interceptions, relegated to a string of quarterback hurries in the fourth quarter to run clock time.

And with their offense stumbling, the Cats rested on their newfound strength: the defense.

Behind stellar play from redshirt freshman Jordan Mabin, and defensive ends Corey Wootton and Vince Browne, NU held an opponent under 10 points scoring for the second straight game. That had not happened first since the 1995 run to the Rose Bowl, with coach Pat Fitzgerald manning the middle.

Amado Villarreal paced the offense in the first half with three field goals. He remains perfect on the season, connecting on all eight attempts.

Completing an undefeated run in non-conference play for the first time since 1963, the Cats will travel to Kinnick Stadium next week for the conference season opener with the Hawkeyes. Iowa (3-1) suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling on the road to Pittsburgh, 21-20.

Check back later this evening at dailynorthwestern.com for full coverage of Saturday’s win.

The hour of mistakes continues

Incomplete. Incomplete. Forced fumble. Music to Ohio's ears.

The Cats' fourth straight three-and-out results in a Stefan Demos punt, returned by Chris Garrett to the Bobcats' own 45. A personal foul penalty backs Ohio to their own 34.

Ohio's offense proves to be equally futile. On the punt, Peterman fumbles, recovered by the Bobcats deep in NU territory at the 28-yard-line.

Making matters worse, wide receiver Andrew Brewer is on the ground receiving treatment. He is helped off the field with an apparent leg/foot injury.

Boo breaks through - NU 16, Ohio 8

The field position advantage NU had in the first half is quickly evaporating. Ohio takes over at their own 48. Facing 3rd and 3 from the NU 45, the defense swarms Jackson.

Arrington misses the sack. The blitz was a few seconds late, and Jackson completes to Harden for 38 yards. 1st and goal Bobcats from the seven-yard-line.

Arrington recovers to force a five-yard-loss on Harden's next carry. But the defense breaks down, as Jackson and the Bobcats finally score - connecting with tight end Andrew Mooney for a 12-yard completion in the end zone.

Jackson completes the two-point conversion to LaVon Brazill, slicing the Cats' lead to 16-8.

Of note: this was the first passing touchdown allowed by Northwestern all season.

The Tyrell price isn't right

With the lucky seat Price is Right music playing, and the offense searching for its footing, the defense forces another three and out. The effort was headed by Prince Kwateng's tackle of Boo Jackson on a 3rd and 6 scramble.

Peterman fields the Bobcats' punt, and the Cats will take over at their own 30. They lead 16-0, with 5:37 left in the third quarter.

Bad decisions central

Sutton's absence has the offense in absolute la-la-land. After two mediocre carries by Conteh, Bacher airs up a free ball interception. Terrible decision, and Fitz takes an immediate stance, picking his brain on the sidelines.

The Bobcats take over at their own 25. What's left to be seen? How will Northwestern replace Sutton's 103 yards of total offense, which accounted for more than half of their 200 yards gained in the first half?

Who needs offense with this unit?

After a Vince Browne sack, Jordan Mabin sidesteps a route on a 12-yard fade pattern, putting NU in Ohio territory. The Cats start from the Ohio 33.

Sutton out for rest of the game

Tyrell Sutton will miss the remainder of the Ohio game to receive treatment on his leg.

Field goal? Defense says no way

Ohio drives forward 32 yards on a series of flanks and screens. With 2nd and 8 from the 10-yard-line, Malcolm Arrington lets an interception go by the wayside.

On 3rd and 8, Sherrick McManis steps up to make a strong ankle tackle, forcing Ohio into a 27-yard field goal attempt. No....chance. John Gill rises up to block the attempt, returned by McManis to the 36-yard-line.

When was the last time NU blocked a field goal? September 2nd, 2004 against TCU - Demetrius Eaton made the play.

Another one bites the dust

Bacher starts off the second half on the wrong foot. Linebacker Lee Renfro tips the pass into the hands of safety Steven Jackson. The Bobcats take over in NU territory at their 43.

Sutton questionable for second half

Tyrell Sutton is questionable for the second half with a leg injury. He came up limping on his 31-yard-run that propelled the Cats to their late touchdown score in the first half.

Jeremy Ebert returns the kickoff to the NU 29. The Cats will take over, 1st and 10, from there.

Halftime Thoughts

Chris Garrett nearly commits a disastrous mistake, muffing the kickoff. But he falls on just in time, and Ohio keeps the ball and kneels to run out the clock.

16-0 NU at the half.

Halftime Grades

Offense: C+
The Cats have moved the ball fairly well. Bacher is 14-22 passing for 113 yards and Sutton has 76 rushing yards on nine carries. But the team continues to struggle in the red zone, the final drive not withstanding. Considering their opportunities, the Cats could be up a lot more than 16-0.

Defense: A
Anyone who watched the NU defense the last few years and is watching it this year can tell the difference with their eyes practically closed. It's been said a million times already, but this defense is aggressive and is playing with more confidence and passion than I've ever seen. In the first half of this contest, they have surrendered just 93 yards of total offense and has recorded four sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.

Special Teams: A-
Amado Villarreal continues to impress. He drilled three field goals in the half, including one from 46 yards, to remain perfect for the season. Demos dropped his only punt of the half at the Ohio 10-yard line, and the kick coverage has been solid. The only demerit goes to the return game, which hasn't generated much.

What to watch for in the second half:
The most important issue facing NU right now is whether Tyrell Sutton is seriously injured. Other than that, the key is to keep working on the red zone offense to gain some confidence in that department heading into the Big Ten schedule.

NU 16, Ohio 0.

The Cats take over and run the two-minute drill. The big play is Tyrell Sutton's 31-yard run in which he spun out of a would-be tackle and broke out down the field. However, Wildcat Nation holds its breath, as Sutton comes out of the game with an apparent injury. It looks like something with his leg, but it's not clear exactly what.

Bacher misses one chance at a touchdown, sailing a pass over Jeremy Ebert's head. He the takes the ball on a designed run down to the one. After a personal foul moves the ball a little closer, Bacher takes the ball right on the option, excecuting a well-time pitch to backup running back Omar Conteh.

Finally, the Cats put one in the end zone, and take a 16-0 lead after the extra point. The drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:39 off the clock. 13 seconds remain in the half.

FUMMBBBBLLE, Part 2

Ohio takes over at its 30, trailing 9-0 with 5:29 left in the half.

NU nearly causes another punt, as Jackson throws incomplete on 3rd and 6, but McManis is flagged for defensive holding, leading to an automatic first down.

Facing a 3rd and 5 after a completion to ROBERT (uh, I mean, Steven) Goulet, Jackson throws toward the left sideline, but Phillips makes a great play to knock the ball loose from Goulet's hands.

Ohio calls timeout, with a 4th and 5 on the NU 40 with 1:59 to play. The Bobcats get to the line of scrimmage to go for it but call another timeout.

The timeouts don't work. Jackson rolls right and gets drilled from the blind side by Browne again. He fumbles and Kwateng recovers. That's three fumbles and two forced fumbles for Browne, a redshirt freshman who's really impressed early in the season.

On a sidenote, go pick up the Coconut Bangers Ball: It's a Rap. GOULET!

Red Zone? More Like Dead Zone

NU's offense continues having problems punching the ball into the end zone. Taking over at the 5, the Cats get a false start, get stuffed on a run, and throw an incompletion to bring up third and goal. Bacher scrambles but only gets to the 6.

Offensive MVP Amado Villareal hits his third field goal. 9-0 NU.

This ineptitude in the red zone absolutely HAS to be fixed by the time Big Ten play starts next week.

It's a FUMMMMBBBBLE

Arrington makes a fantastic play on 2nd and 4. Jackson scrambles left but Arrington darts in from his MLB position, showing terrific closing speed as he pounces on Jackson and throws him down for the sack.

On the very next play, Jakcson drops straight back to pass and gets drilled by end Vince Browne coming in from the weak side. He fumbles, and Wootton recovers at the 5.

The play is reviewed to see if it was really an incomplete pass, but the call stands. NU ball.

Another Unfinished Drive

Two nice runs by Sutton get the Cats a first down before Bacher throws by far his best pass of the day, dropping the ball with touch over Peterman's shoulder for a 20-yard gain despite defensive holding.

NU gets into a 2nd-and-13 situation after a holding call. Sutton picks up 10 on a screen pass but drops a pass on third down. With a 4th and 3 on the 36, Fitz decides to punt and Demos pooches one down to the 11.

The Cats' drives continue to stall.

Start of Second Quarter

The first quarter ends with Ohio sitting at 24 total yards and minus-7 rushing yards. Plus, they have two penalties for 30 yards.

The second quarter begins with Ohio facing third and 1 at its own 24-yard line, but Harden runs for a first down. After a couple of nice defensive plays, Ohio ends up with a 3rd and 13. Jackson shows his mobility by scrambling left and firing a strike to Brazill down the sideline for a 36-yard gain. The Cats did a poor job of keeping containment on the play, and Mabin got beat on third down for the second time today.

This play seems to ignite the Ohio offense, which starts moving steadily down the field behind Jackson, who shows off an accurate arm to go with his running ability.

Once again though, NU gets bailed out. Jackson lofts a pass into the end zone, clearly expecting his receiver to be in a certain spot. But the receiver wasn't, allowing Brad Phillips to haul in a gift interception. The Ohio receiving corps has now cost Jackson a TD and gotten him into an INT. Tough break for him.

End of first quarter - NU 6, Ohio 0

Solid kick coverage from Vince Browne and Jacob Schmidt pins the Bobcats at their own 15-yard-line.

Strong safety Brad Phillips makes a huge stop on first down, blitzing from the safety position to stop Garrett for a loss of two. Jackson recovers on second down, completing on a quick slant to Brazill for 11 yards.

And that's the end of the first quarter.

Some observations:
Both teams traded pairs of unnecessary roughness penalties. There's been more than shoving after each play, so don't expect small penalty totals at the end of this one.

NU has reached Ohio territory with ease, but only has six points to show for it. At the same time, the Bobcats had solid opportunities to score in NU territory and failed.

NU's run defense = unstoppable. The Bobcats registered -7 yards through one quarter.

Bacher's interception and Sutton's fumble (bailed out by an Ohio face mask penalty) are mistakes that can't happen in conference play.

Special teams play has been solid again, with two field goals and kick coverage that has given NU the edge in field position. That's been the difference so far.

NU 6, Ohio 0

NU takes over from its own 25.

A pair of carries by Sutton go for eight yards, setting up a 3rd and 2 from the NU 33.

Bacher completes to superback Alex Rooks on a sloppy play. Rooks rumbles forward for 11 yards, before fumbling out of bounds.

After completing to Peterman, Sutton fumbles the ball, and its recovered by Ohio. But the Bobcats bail out Sutton, with a face mask penalty that occurred before he lost the ball. NU profits, advancing to Ohio's 34-yard-line.

A one-yard rush by Omar Conteh and four-yard pass play to Sidney Stewart sets up 3rd and 5 from the Ohio 29. Bacher swings right to Conteh, but its incomplete.

And Villarreal's dominance from the hash marks continues. The senior kicks a 46-yard field goal, padding the Cats' lead to 6-0.

The momentum swings back

After a 43-yard return on the Bacher INT, Jackson takes one shot at the end zone and misfires, with tight coverage from Brendan Smith.

Donte Harden rushes up the gut for three, stuffed by Quentin Davie.

Facing 3rd and 7, Jackson takes another shot at the end zone, and the ball is nearly hauled in by Brazill, but it falls off his fingertips.

Kicker Barrett Way attempts a 42-yard FG, but misses wide right. The Cats maintain a 3-0 lead.

Tipping his passes - Bacher throws INT

Bacher rolls right, completing to Peterman for a 10-yard-gain and a first down.

And then the wheels break off the Cats' wagon. Bacher tips his pass to Peterman on a post corner, and its picked off by Ohio safety Michael Mitchell.

The Bobcats take over at the NU 28 and the defense will be tested again.

Defense comes up big again

Despite solid pressure from the front four, Jackson completed his first two passes on the drive for nine yards , setting up a 3rd and 1 from the Ohio 31.

On the pitch to Garrett, Jordan Mabin storms his gap, tripping up the back for a loss of three yards. Those were hard to come by last season, and its evident that the big difference is NU's conditioning allowing players to get into the backfield.

Ohio punts after the three-and-out, with Eric Peterman returning it to the NU 42. Solid field position for drive two, thanks to another solid effort from Hankwitz's defensive scheme.

1st and 10 Wildcats from the NU 42. NU still leads, 3-0.

NU 3, Ohio 0

With 311 yards through four games, Tyrell Sutton continues to push the offense forward. After a listless first down swing pass, Sutton rushed up the gut for 10 yards, and was aided by a 15-yard face mask penalty.

Moved up to their own 39, the Cats passing attack went to work, with Bacher completing a pair of passes to Eric Peterman and Ross Lane on both sides of the field.

Sutton got in the act on the passing attack, dragging six Ohio defenders for an 11-yard gain to the Bobcats 32. That catch gave him 1000 yards receiving for his career - making him only the second player in Cats history to join the 1000 rushing/1000 passing yards club.

On 3rd and 6 from the NU 16, Bacher faced intense pressure from the Bobcats front. Jeremy Ebert found an open crevice in the corner of the end zone, but the ball was overthrown.

Amado Villarreal converts the field goal from 33 yards. The drive goes for 12 plays, 73 yards.

Defense on target early

Early on, the same swarming the ball motif in last week's win is at work.

After a 12-yard pass conversion on 3rd and 10, Hankwitz's unit got to work.

Chris Garrett rushes up the gut for 2 yards but is stopped cold by Corbin Bryant and Kevin Mims.

On Jackson's first rush of the game, Quentin Davie closes, stuffing him for a three yard loss. Jackson is then sacked by Vince Browne for a loss of five.

The teams traded personal fouls for unnecessary roughnness, before Ohio was forced to punt. The squib kick rolled to the 14-yard-line.

1st and 10 NU at their own 14.

We're underway

Ohio wins the toss and elects to receive. Freshman running back Donte Harden returns it to the 32 yard-line. Vince Browne rushes down the field and makes the tackle, but he was offsides.

1st and 10 Bobcats from the 32.

Predictions?

Confidence is in the air, as our staff of writers/editors all see NU coming out with a win.

Jake Simpson
The Purple Express keeps on rolling...Northwestern 31, Ohio 14

Matt Forman
The Cats will trail at the half, but rally behind senior QB C.J. Bacher...Northwestern 27, Ohio 24

Andrew Simon
Northwestern falls behind early but comes back for a close win...Northwestern 27, Ohio 24

Chris Gentilviso
Mick McCall puts his eggs all in one basket — Tyrell Sutton...Northwestern 31, Ohio 21

Live Blog - Ohio vs. Northwestern

Good afternoon Wildcats fans. Welcome to the Daily Northwestern's live blog as Northwestern (3-0) takes on Ohio (0-3).

Some early storylines:

With a win today, the Wildcats would start a season 4-0 for the first time since 1962. That team was ranked No. 1 in the nation for two weeks under head coach Ara Parseghian, with wins over Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Miami.

The Bobcats have not started 0-4 since 2002, and have not beaten the Cats since Oct. 6, 1973 - a 14-12 win in Evanston.

Key injuries for Northwestern:
RT Kurt Mattes - out - knee
RB Stephen Simmons - out - ankle
CB Justan Vaughn - out (season) - shoulder

Keep it here throughout the game for up-to-the-minute coverage.

Cats = Rodney Dangerfield

In the fourth quarter of USC's demolition of Ohio State on Saturday night, ABC flashed a graphic on the screen of the day's Big Ten scores. Only they apparently forgot there are 11 teams in the Big Ten. And the team they left out? None other than Northwestern, even with NU alum Brent Musberger doing play-by-play. And NU wasn't even the only team in the conference playing an FCS opponent, as Minnesota faced Montana State as well.

No respect, I tell you. No respect.

Cats handle Salukis with ease

Cats handle Salukis with ease
Sutton's three rushing TDs pace NU offense

By Jake Simpson
The Daily Northwestern

This week, there was no fourth-quarter drama. Tyrell Sutton and the Wildcats' defense made sure of that.

The senior tailback had three touchdown runs, pacing Northwestern to a 33-7 drubbing of Southern Illinois.

A week after squeaking past Duke 24-20, NU (3-0) dominated Southern Illinois (1-1) on both sides of the ball, rolling to its most lopsided victory of the year. While Sutton and Co. took care of the Salukis on offense, the Cats' defensive line pummeled an overmatched and out-muscled Southern Illinois backfield.

Sutton, who outscored Southern Illinois all by himself, rushed for 101 yards on 17 carries and continued to be the focal point of NU's new no-huddle offense. The senior gave NU the lead for good in the second quarter, with a sublime 44-yard touchdown run, sidestepping a pair of Southern Illinois defensive backs on his way to the end zone.

Despite playing in monsoon-like conditions, NU continued to pile up the yards. The Cats wore down the Salukis' defense with their relentless no-huddle attack. On one second-quarter scoring drive, quarterback C.J. Bachér threw completions on five consecutive plays — a rapid-fire assault that kept the Salukis on their heels.

While the offense ran past the Salukis, the Cats' defense ran through them. Led by a ferocious effort from its front four, the revamped unit harried Southern Illinois quarterback Chris Dieker, amassing six sacks and forcing Dieker to flee the pocket on numerous occasions.

Senior defensive end Corey Wootton continued his torrid start. The preseason All Big-Ten candidate had two sacks and several hurries, seeming to spend most of his time in the Salukis' backfield.

The Cats put away the reeling Salukis with a key play on special teams. Redshirt freshman Jacob Schmidt burst through the line to block the Salukis' punt, recovering the ball five yards from the end zone. NU settled for one of kicker Amado Villarreal's four field goals, to take a 26-7 lead.

Check dailynorthwestern.com tomorrow for full coverage of Saturday's win.

Final Score: NU 33, SIU 7

The Cats defense makes one final stop, as SIU runs out of time deep in NU territory.

A very well-played game.

Persa in at QB

After NU's defense comes up with another stop, redshirt freshman QB Dan Persa replaces Kafka. The offense quietly goes three-and-out and Demos punts another one inside the 20.

Second-Team Offense Comes In

For the second time in three games, the Cats get the benefit of being able to pull their starters early. After SIU went for it on 4th and 16 from the NU 24 and Dieker threw incomplete, Kafka and the rest of the second unit came on the field. They quickly went three-and-out.

One, Two, Three Times Tyrell

Sutton takes another hand-off right up the gut and charges almost untouched into the endzone for his third touchdown of the game. If Tyrell can score once more, he would tie his career high of four TD's, set in his freshman year against Northern Illinois. Whether he'll get that chance or be pulled out of the game with his team up by 26 remains to be seen. He also moves past the 100-yard mark on the day. The drive goes 47 yards in five plays.

The NU offense is really cruising now and appears unstoppable, at least from outside the 5 yard-line.

Defense shines again -- END OF THIRD QUARTER

Scott Concannon, another backup running back and red-shirt freshman, cut through SIU blocking scheme on the kickoff, as Warner ran it out to the NU 22. 

Warner rushed for a gain of nine on first down before Arrington and Davie exploded through the line of scrimmage on second-and-one, bringing Dieker down for a loss of 12. On third-and-18, Wooton pressured off the edge, forcing Joe Allaria to run out of the pocket and gain six yards on a rush. 

This is the Mike Hankwitz defense we've been eagerly anticipating. Pressure at the point of attack that forces bad decision making. The Cats have had a different attitude in the second half. Hopefully a close game in the first half turns into a statement game for NU. 

NU 26, SIU 7

Again, the Cats had trouble scoring deep inside SIU territory. Omar Conteh rushed for minimal gains on first and second down, and Bacher's pass attempt on third down was nearly intercepted. 

Amado Villarreal hits from 21 yards on the left hash, pushing the score to 26-7 in favor of NU. 

If there's been one positive thus far, it's been the special teams. Villarreal is 4-of-4 on field goals. Demos has locked the Salukis deep inside their own territory twice. Jacob Schmidt blocked and recovered a punt. 

Punt Blocked, NU takes over at 5

Diecker completed a pass to Jeff Evans on third-and-four to get the first down on their second drive of the second half. 

Great play by Quentin Davie on the following first down, avoiding a block and bringing Warner down for a loss of three. Malcolm Arrington followed it up by evading an offensive lineman and throwing Warner to the ground for a loss of two. On third down, the Salukis screen attempt was sniffed out by John Gill. 

On fourth down, Jacob Schmidt burst through the line of scrimmage, blocked the punt attempt, and recovered it on the five yard line. Great job by Schmidt, a backup running back and red-shirt freshman, of staying on his feet after blocking the punt before recovering it. 

NU 23, SIU 7

NU was effective but sloppy en route to a two-yard touchdown run by Tyrell Sutton, his second of the game.  Sutton's fourth touchdown run of the year came on a traditional option off the left side, as Sutton dove to break the plane of the goal. Bacher hit Peterman twice on third down to extend the drive, despite the fact that the Cats struggled to move the ball. 

NU has had difficulty scoring once they get inside the red zone. Mick McCall preached capitalizing on opportunities in spring practice. The Cats have had difficulty lining up in goal line sets and scoring touchdowns - they take the unconventional route. 

Bacher was nearly intercepted twice by Mike McElroy on the drive, who intercepted two passes last week against Hampton.  But he's 19-of-26 for 171 yards on the game. 

The Cats have converted 8-of-12 third down attempts, which has extended their drives. 

Three-And-Out for Salukis

After Stefan Demos booted the opening kick for a touchback, the Salukis began their first drive of the second half at the 20. Following a holding penalty and a short run of three yards on first down, Coorey Wooton burst through the middle of the offensive line with a stunt move, and yanked Dieker down for a loss of nine. On third down, Dieker fumbled the snap and gained a short yard. On fourth down, the Salukis were forced to punt in the shadow of their own goal posts. 

It's hard enough to stop Coorey Wooton when he's being blocked, but it's unfair when he gets a free shot at the quarterback, untouched. The 6-foot-7 Wooton engulfed Dieker for the stop. 

Great start for the defense. Let's see if the adjustments Mike Hankwitz makes slow down the SIU offense. 

Around the Big Ten

Updates from the around the Big Ten...

Minnesota leads Montana State 21-13 at the break. It’s been the Adam Weber show as the sophomore has scored a touchdown on the ground and in the air. The Golden Gophers were trailing 6-0 early but have since rallied.

Michigan State leads Florida Atlantic only 7-0 at halftime. A week after scoring five rushing touchdowns, Javon Ringer is back at it for the Spartans. The senior running back has registered 134 yards on 19 carries thus far. With Beanie Wells injured, Ringer has been the most impressive back in the Big Ten.

Illinois leads Louisiana-Lafayette 17-3 at halftime. Juice Williams has completed 50 percent of his passes for 112 yards, including one touchdown to go along with an interception. Rashard Mendenhall’s replacement, Daniel Dufrene, has been impressive, rushing for 65 yards and catching two passes for 17 yards and a score.

Iowa has a 3-0 advantage at the break in Iowa City against Iowa State. The Hawkeyes have outgained the Cyclones by 70 yards, but turned the ball over in a key situation.  

Halftime Analysis

Northwestern has had success running the ball inside. Tyrell Sutton busted off a 44-yard scamper on a misdirection dive play right up the gut of the Salukis defense. Southern Illinois runs a 3-4 defensive scheme, a formation vulnerable to inside runs. The Wildcats need to continue to run North-South as opposed to East-West where SIU’s linebackers, the teams strength, can run in space. Saluki linebackers Chauncey Mixon and James Cloud were both pre-season All-Americas.

While Sutton has gained 64 yards on eight carries on the ground, he’s caught three passes for 9 yards. C.J. Bacher said Sutton would be active as a receiver this week, but we haven’t seen it thus far. Offensive coordinator Mick McCall would love to get his running backs into open space.

Coorey Wooton has been on a tear. The junior defensive end may be well on his way to a breakout year. Wooton has registered 2.5 sacks thus far, the combined total of the other defensive lineman. Even if Wooton did not force a fumble on his sack, he’s been all over the place throughout the first half. On John Gill’s sack, Wooton provided backside pressure, forcing the guard to pull off his block, and opening a hole for Gill.

The SIU running attack has left NU’s defense exposed. The Salukis have rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown, mostly the work of 5-foot-5 Larry Warner. Because Warner is so low to the ground, he seems to have no problems cutting or planting on the wet playing surface. It is the first 8-gap offensive attack the Cats have been forced to defend thus far; both Syracuse and Duke ran 6-gap fronts. The Cats linebackers need to get in the backfield and be disruptive.

It looks as if Mike Kafka going in at quarterback was scripted. McCall decided that no matter the situation or score, Kafka would take the field on the first possession of the second quarter as a change of pace. Unfortunately, Kafka led a quick three-and-out. 

HALFTIME

Warner, who has done his best Tyrell Sutton impression today, rips off a couple of big runs to start SIU's drive. The first goes for 18 but the second gets called back for holding.

SIU drives to the NU 30, where they have a 3rd-and-11. Dieker rolls right and right into the grasp of DT John Gill for a sack. SIU punts and downs the ball at the NU 2 with 14 seconds remaining. One kneel on the way to end the half.

Another NU bend-but-not-break special.

NU 16, SIU 7

Bacher shows some great improvisational skills on third down. Strung out to the right sideline, he throws up a prayer, which comes down in the hands of Eric Peterman for a 37-yard gain to the SIU 32. Peterman sneaked behind the defense, which came up a bit with Bacher scrambling.

Sutton breaks through for another big run, pickup up 15 yards up the middle on what looked like the same play NU ran for the touchdown earlier. The Cats follow that up with some attempted trickery, going for a halfback pass with Omar Conteh, who decides to keep the ball and makes a nice gain on the ground.

NU runs it four more times, including three times from inside the 5, but only gets the ball to the 1-yard-line. Right tackle Kurt Mattes comes up lame on third down and comes off the field, and it seems like he might have aggravated the leg injury that held him out of the team's season opener.

The Cats call a time-out and ultimately decide to kick the field goal. Villareal hits his third of the game, and NU is up 4:51. 11 plays, 80 yards on the drive.

After the Duke game last year, don't look for Fitz to take easy points off the board too often this year.

TURNOVER

On third down, Corey Wootton breaks through the line, grabs Dieker and slams him down for a sack. The ball pops out and Corbin Bryant pounces on it. NU has the ball at the SIU 30.

That's 2.5 sacks on the season for Wootton, whom NU really needs to be a force this season coming off the edge.

Tyrell Attacks!!!! NU 13, SIU 7

After getting stuffed most of the day, the senior running back breaks through for a 44-yard touchdown run. Credit the O-Line for opening a gaping hole in the SIU defense and Sutton for making a fantastic cut once he got to the second level to elude the SIU defensive backs.

The Cats needed that.

Stefan Demos: NU MVP

Yes, that's right. You could make an argument that the sophomore punter has been NU's best player this season. He won Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 1, played well again against Duke and is at it again today. He drives his first punt 57 yards, pinning SIU deep in their own territory.

SIU goes three-and-out, aided by a great tackle-for-loss by Quentin Davie.

Analysis: Demos is becoming a serious weapon in the field position game. NU's defense looked much better on that drive, with McManis providing some excellent coverage on third down.

Kafka in at QB

Mike Kafka is in at QB this drive. It's not clear whether Bacher is hurt or NU was simply looking for a change of pace. If we hear anything about an injury, we'll update right away.

Whatever the reason, Kafka was in and NU quickly went three-and-out as NU's former starter was nearly picked off twice.

Bacher is on the sideline, not the locker room, so that's probably a good sign. According to NU Media Relations, he's not hurt. In that case, you have to question the strategy of taking him out when he's seemingly on his game.

The answer is very nearly an immediate yes

Sherrick McManis fumbles the wet ball on the ensuing kickoff, but NU recovers and starts at their own 32.

If it keeps on rainin', the levee's gonna break....

A little Zeppelin for you folks out there, as the rain has started to come down significantly harder. Looking at the radar, it's not getting better anytime soon. Will this be a factor?

SIU 7, NU 6 -- END OF FIRST QUARTER

NU's kick coverage is leaving something to be desired, as Larry Warner takes the kick from a yard deep in the end zone out to the SIU 40, without anyone coming close to hitting him.

SIU blows right down the field for a touchdown, gaining 58 yards in the span of two plays on a deep pass to Marc Cheatham and a 19-yard rush by Warner. Extra point is good and SIU takes the lead as time expires in the first quarter.

Analysis: The momentum of the drive turned when SIU went to five wide receivers on a third-and-8 and threw deep. Then NU secondary allowed Cheatham to get behind them. Once again, it looks like the Cats will allow a lesser opponent to hang around.

INJURY UPDATE

Stephen Simmons, who was shaken up on kickoff coverage earlier in the first quarter, apparently hurt his ankle and is doubtful to return.

NU 6, SIU 0

Sutton isn't getting much running room so far, but Bacher is throwing the ball effectively, completing his first four passes on the drive, including an 18-yard gain to Ross Lane on third down and a 17-yard gain to Rasheed Ward.

Once again, NU gets into field goal range before its drive fizzles out. This time, Bacher scrambles under duress and comes up about five yards short of a first down.

Villareal hits a 33-yard field goal with 2:10 left. He's looked good so far. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 3:33 off the clock.

Analysis: When the Cats have a lot of field to work with, their passing game is finding holes the SIU secondary. But once they get inside the Salukis 30, the lack of room to operate seems to be giving them a bit of trouble. This is something they'll have to address if they want to pull away.

NU Defense Holds Up On First Drive

SIU gets a solid kick return from Lucien Walker out to the SIU 38. NU reserve running back Stephen Simmons is shaken up on the play and hobbles off the field.

SIU converts its first third-down opportunity, as QB Chris Dieker eludes pressure and throws for the first down out to almost midfield. Dieker hits Marc Cheatham on a screen for another first down at the NU 39.

Big play for DT Corbin Bryant, dragging RB Larry Warner down for a 3-yard loss on first down. After SIU is stopped on third down, SIU acts like its going for a 51-yard field goal but takes a delay of game penalty and then punts into the NU end zone.

Analysis: The NU defense again does what its been doing a lot this season: bending but not breaking, which is better than what they've been doing in recent years -- bending and breaking.

NU 3, SIU 0

With not more than a few hundred people watching, NU takes the opening kick back to the 18. NU has struggled a bit on third downs but converted their first one today, as Bacher hits Lane on a pass on third and 2. Then he passes to a wide-open Rasheed Ward for 17 yard pickup on third and 10 to move across midfield. However, NU can't convert its third third-down play of the drive, as Bacher throws low.

Villareal hits a 35-yard field goal to put the Cats up 3-0 with 11:19 to go in the first quarter.

Analysis: The Cats moved the ball well on their opening drive but C.J. missed on a couple of throws. You have to wonder if a wet ball had anything to do with it, although he's been a little wild all season. Still, NU scores first for the first time this season. Not a bad start.

More Daily Predictions

Andrew Simon: NU pulls away in the second half of this water-logged affair, winning 31-14.

Jake Simpson: Cats get stuck in the mud and fall to another FCS opponent, 27-21.

Chris Gentilviso: In a week when New Hampshire had to be in their minds, NU wins 31-24.

The Daily's Predictions

Matt Forman - The Salukis hang around for a half, but Tyrell Sutton is too much to handle. The senior running back pounds out 150 yards and scores twice on the ground. The Wildcats roll 45-28 in an offensive thriller. 

INJURY UPDATE

Cornerback Justan Vaughn is a late scratch from today's game. Vaughn started the first two games of the season but had already been replaced by redshirt freshman Jordan Mabin today. Senior David Oredugba will take Vaughn's place on the second team.

Live Blogging: Northwestern-Southern Illinois Pre-Game Notes

Welcome to live blogging of the Northwestern-Southern Illinois contest at Ryan Field...

For only the second time in 45 years, Northwestern is searching to start 3-0 when it faces off with FCS powerhouse Southern Illinois.

The Wildcats will have to avoid the Salukis annual defeat of an FBS team (formerly 1-AA). SIU topped Northern Illinois 34-31 a year ago and Indiana 35-28 in 2006.

While the loss is not fresh in their minds, the Cats will look back to the 2006 matchup with New Hampshire, a 34-17 embarrassment at Ryan Field. That cannot happen again for a team that has serious bowl aspirations.

SIU is better than UNH was. The inter-state rival has compiled an impressive track record over the past 5 seasons.

SIU, coming off a 12-2 season, has won 50 games since 2003, an average of 10 wins per season, good enough for the ninth most wins of any team at any level.

There is good news for the Cats, though. Long time SIU coach Jerry Kill left for Northern Illinois, and the Salukis are still adjusting to Dale Lennon’s schemes. The Salukis also lost several top players and are in a transition period offensively.

Heading into week three, NU is the only Big Ten team to have defeated two FBS teams. Unfortunately, the Cats let Syracuse hang around for a half in the 30-10 season-opening win and were out-gained by nearly 150 yards against Duke last week. NU needs to put together a full 60-minute attack and show consistency.

It’s going to start up front.

With monsoon-like conditions in Evanston today, this game is sure to be won in the trenches. Bad weather, though, can be an equalizer – each team is going to pound the ball and hope to break one.

Ironically, both teams feature pass-heavy attacks. Last week, the Salukis racked up 538 all-purpose yards. But running back Larry Warner is a playmaker. The senior gained 151 yards on the ground a week ago and returned a kickoff 95 yards to the house. The diminutive 5-foot-5 running back gets lost behind the offensive line – similar to NU’s Tyrell Sutton.

Sutton quietly scored two touchdowns in last week’s contest in Durham. The senior rushed for 72 yards in the victory but had to leave in the second half due to cramps.

If the weather clears up, the Cats will have an opportunity to spread the ball around. Hampton ripped off 403 yards against SIU last week. Either way, C.J. Bacher has not gotten on track yet. The senior is 37-of-66 thus far with three touchdowns and one interception. Bacher failed to throw a touchdown last week, the first time since the 2007 contest against Michigan.

And while all of the focus will be on the offenses, because each team will score, NU’s defense came up huge a week ago. They were on the field for 91 plays, yielding 472 yards of offense, but came up huge in the fourth quarter. Duke had two chances to score late in the Durham night; the Cats defense bent but didn’t break.

Arguably, the biggest contributor in the win was cornerback Jordan Mabin. The red-shirt freshman forced and recovered a fumble in the third quarter and deflected a pass on Duke’s final drive. Mabin also recorded five tackles. For his efforts, Mabin has moved ahead of Justan Vaughn on the depth chart and will start opposing Sherrick McMannis.

A Cats win will push the team’s record to 3-0. The last time it happened? 2001, when the Cats finished 4-7. 

Thats it folks! NU 24, Duke 20!

All it took was two C.J. Bacher quarterback kneels to run out the clock.

Your final score Northwestern 24, Duke 20.

The Cats escape Durham, NC with a victory and push their record to 2-0!

HUGE STOP!!!!

On the fourth down try, Lewis was pressured by Corey Wooton and Corbin Bryant, threw off his back foot out of bounds!

Huge stop for the Cats!

With 1:13 remaining, NU will kneel and run out the clock.

Penalties all around

On the first punt attempt, Northwestern was called for an illegal formation. Demos did not get a hold of his second punt attempt, and Duke returned the ball to the NU 29-yard line. The penalty results in a net difference of 59 yards. 

Lewis completed a pass to Eron Riley on first down, fired incomplete on second down, and Lewis barely overthrew Johnny Williams on third down, who would have scored a touchdown. 

Fourth-and-five at the NU 24: Lewis fired complete to Clifford Harris for a touchdown, but the score is negated due to a 10-yard holding penalty on Cameron Goldberg. This time, the huge penalty comes back to haunt the Blue Devils, who now have fourth-and-15 from the NU 35-yard line with 1:20 remaining. 

Fail to convert third down

On third down, C.J. Bacher took the quarterback keeper for a gain of three. Duke calls a timeout and NU will be forced to punt. 2:30 remaining

Eat the clock

Now it's time to eat the clock. 

On first down, Sutton took a zone read off tackle for a gain of five. McCall called the same play on second down, but this time the play went for a loss of three, and Duke called a timeout. Third-and-eight from the Cats 14 with 2:39 remaining.

Huge stop for the Cats

Jay Hollingsworth rushed for five yards on first down. On second down, Thaddeus Lewis was pressured by Quentin Davie, stepped up in the pocket, and fired long for Johnny Williams, but the pass fell incomplete on a near interception by Sherrick McMannis. Duke converted on third-and-five with an 11-yard strike from Lewis to Eron Riley. Riley, Duke's top receiver, has had a relatively quiet game.

Jay Hollingsworth pounded on first and second down, each carry for five yards, bringing up another first down.

Lewis completed a bubble screen to Johnny Williams, who was aided by a big block on the outside by Riley, a 16-yard play.

On first-and-ten from the NU 30, Lewis took a quarterback keeper for a gain of two. Clifford Harris rushed twice for 10 yards to covert the first down and into the red zone.

Harris rushed again on first down for a gain of two. On second down, Lewis took a quarterback keeper up the middle for a gain of three, bringing up a third and five from the NU 13. Lewis threw wide and incomplete on an out pattern intended for Riley.

On fourth-and-five, Lewis fired incomplete for Johnny Williams. Great defensive effort by Jordan Mabin, who deflected the pass and showed a little emotion with a celebration. Great hold by the Cats.

Conteh gives NU lead, 20-14

Instead of running, the Cats came out throwing on first down as Bacher hit Ward on a curl for a gain of 12. 

Bacher overthrew Josh Rooks on first down and fired incomplete to Rasheed Ward on the following play. On third down, Duke came with the all out blitz and Bacher hung in there just long enough to complete a 45-yard pass to Eric Peterman. Bacher showed some guys as the Cats moved all the way down to the Duke 14-yard line. 

Finally, with a first-and-ten inside the 20, McCall calls for a run. After a balanced run-pass attack in the first half, McCall has called for nothing but passes in the second half. The defense is paying for it big time. 

On second down, Bacher threw into tight coverage in the corner of the end zone, trying to hit Sutton on the fade. Great pass by Bacher on third down to Ward in the flat, who took the ball down to the Duke three-yard line. 

First and goal from the three, Sutton took the direct snap once again, but this time the Blue Devils were prepared. On second down, Bacher's playaction pass intended for Josh Rooks fell incomplete in the back of the end zone, but there was pass interference on the play.

After the penalty, the Cats were awarded an automatic first down from the two yard line, where Omar Conteh took the carry off tackle for a touchdown! Penalties came back to hurt Duke on this drive, extending NU's drive.

NU goes 9 plays, 72 yards and eats up 3 minutes and 4 seconds, despite passing the ball on the majority of its plays. 

With 9:04 remaining, NU leads 24-20. 

Duke now on top 20-17

On first down, Clifford Harris rushed for a gain of two yards which was followed by a Thaddeus Lewis pass to Johnny Williams for three yards. On third-and-five, Lewis' pass for Riley fell incomplete on what would have been a first down.

Instead of kicking the 54-yard field goal, Duke followed NU and went for it on fourth down. Lewis completed a pass to Austin Kelly, that gained five yards and one inch, confirmed by an official measurement. 

Following the conversion, Lewis completed a pass for 15 yards to Austin Kelly, moving the ball down to the NU 16-yard line. 

And Thaddeus Lewis just made the play of his life. Lewis showed playaction, scrambled outside and decided to take off for the end zone. After nearly getting tackled for a loss, Lewis spun and dove for the plane of the goal, fumbled, and then recovered for the touchdown.

Now it's crunch time. NU has to run the ball and keep the defense off the field. The Cats trail by three, 20-17. 

End of third quarter - NU 17, Duke 13

Duke took over after the failed fake field goal-pass, and drove into Northwestern's territory, to the 43-yard line of the Cats.

The Blue Devils seem to have the momentum and the crowd has clearly come alive. 

Turnover results in no points

The defense was gassed and forced a turnover. The offense had a chance to eat some clock and score some more points

Instead, Bacher overthrows Josh Rooks over the middle on first down, Sutton gains four on second down, and Bacher overthrew Brewer on third down. On fourth down, Coach Fitzgerald called for the fake field goal-pass, and Villarreal's pass to defensive end Corey Wooton fell incomplete. In fairness, it would have been a 50-plus yard field goal, but Fitz opted to leave the points on the field. 

So much for the change of momentum...

NU forces turnover

NU's front four barely gets into their three-point stance as Thaddeus Lewis takes his snaps, but NU is the benefactor of a 15-yard pass interference penalty. 

On second-and-25, Lewis completed a 18 yard pass to Jeremy Ringfield, but Jordan Mabin forced and recovered a fumble. The play is reviewed and upheld, as NU gets the ball at Duke's 30-yard line. Huge change of momentum.

Cameron Crazies coming alive

On first down, Bacher hit Andrew Brewer on a 12-yard slant. After getting off the quick snap on the following play, Michael Tauiliili delivered a blow to Bacher who had to throw the pass away. Sutton rushed for a gain of three on second down. Bacher’s pass intended for Ross Lane on third down fell incomplete.

The Duke faithful got fired up for the third down, the first time they’ve been heard since the Cats took the lead. NU needs to keep the Cameron Crazies as a non-factor. 

Duke scores - NU 17, Duke 14

Thaddeus Lewis hit Johnny Williams on a 25-yard playaction pass to kick off its drive. Williams was listed as a possible starter for Duke, has made the most of his chances, registering 53 yards receiving on four catches. 

On first down, Thaddeus Lewis barely overthrew a Duke receiver in the endzone, again, when the ball tipped off of Williams' hands on the fly pattern. Northwestern is playing with fire defensively. They've surrendered way too many yards and are clearly gassed. The Duke fast-paced attack has the Cat's defense sucking wind. 

Luckily, on third down, Lewis fired incomplete on a wide receiver screen attempt. 

On fourth, Nick Maggio kicked a 38-yard field goal to bring the Blue Devils within four. 

For a lot of NU's defenders that was the longest 2 minutes and 48 seconds of their lives. NU is extremely lucky to have only surrendered a field goal, and that this game is not tied at 17. 

Demos' directional punts help field position

Conteh rushed for a short gain on first and Bacher fired incomplete on second down. On third, Rasheed Ward makes a huge catch, coming back to the ball beautifully on an 18-yard hook pattern. 

NU gained five yards on a pass to quick pass to Sidney Steward on second down. And while Ward may be Bacher's new favorite target, it came back to hurt the Cats on third down. Bacher left Ward out to dry with a high pass over the middle. The incomplete pass brought up fourth down for the Cats.

NU held on its first punt attempt, which actually helps out. Demos' second punt went 54 yards down to the Duke 21. Demos, once again, may be the unsung hero. The Cats have won the field position battle thus far, largely because of the sophomore punter. 

Duke's long drive comes up short

Monster play by John Gill on first down. Thaddeus Lewis was welcomed back into the game by John Gill, whose powerful rush resulted in a seven yard loss and a sack. Impressive play by the defensive line so far. 

After a short gain on second down, Thaddeus Lewis fired to Johnny Williams on third down when he found a whole in the zone on a post-route across the middle. Williams broke a tackle and went 31 yards before tripping himself at the Northwestern 47-yard line. Williams would have scored easily had he not fallen on the blitz attempt by Mike Hankwitz. 

Duke lost a yard on a rush attempt on first down and Lewis fired incomplete on second down. On third down, Lewis nearly hit Austin Kelly in the middle of the end zone, but the ball was just overthrown. 

Duke lined up for a 51-yard field goal on fourth down, but pooch punted to the Northwestern 8-yard line.

NU three-and-out to start second half

Deferring to the Second Half did not pay off for the Cats. 

After a short kick return to the 21-yard line, C.J. Bacher was sacked on first down, Tyrell Sutton rushed for a gain of four off tackle, and Bacher's pass for Sutton on third down was just beyond the reach of Sutton streaking down the near sideline. 

On fourth down, Stefan Demos rips of an impressive 51-yard directional punt down the far sideline, pinning Duke at its own 24-yard line. 

Halftime Analysis

The story line is similar to last years contest, but Northwestern has the lead 17-10. After struggling both offensively and defensively early, the Wildcats responded with three scoring drives of their own and limiting Duke to only one. The biggest difference? NU has taken advantage of opportunities, despite being out-gained and losing the time of possession battle. 

The game has been up-tempo as expected, and conditioning will definitely come into play in the second half. Both teams stressed it in spring practices, but we'll see who put the extra hours in.

Great job so far by Mick McCall to balance the play calling - 16 passes, 13 runs. 

Defensively, Wooton has been in the backfield on nearly every play, Quentin Davie has made big game-saving tackles, and the secondary has held Thaddeus Lewis and Zack Asack to 94 yards through the air. 

Coach Pat Fitzgerald always stresses finishing. The Cats hold a seven point advantage, but Duke is certainly within striking distance. NU needs to put Duke away just like it did last week against Syracuse. Last year the Cats let teams hang around and surrendered late leads and was forced to play two overtime thrillers.

NU responds, up 17-10 at half

While Simmons did not break it loose, he broke a few tackles on a 24-yard return, but the return was negated with an illegal block in the back penalty. 

Penalties killed Northwestern a year ago, and while it's too early to tell, NU might be getting a little lazy. A holding penalty on second down extending Duke's last scoring drive and this penalty brings the inside its own 10 yard line.

Interesting play calling by Mick McCall to end the half. McCall opted to run the ball on the drives first five plays instead of passing and did not call a timeout until 27 seconds remained on the clock. 

Bacher did his Peterman for a 28 yard gain down to the Duke 32 yard line with 20 seconds remaining, and fired one incomplete intended for Andrew Brewer. 

On second down, Bacher fired complete to Omar Conteh on the screen pass, who juked and jumped over attempted tackles before gaining 21 yards down to the Duke 11-yard line. 

NU lined up like they were going for a touchdown on first down, but Bacher ran backwards and to the center of the field, sliding at the 17 yard line, lining up a dead-on field goal for Amado Villarreal. 

Duke took two timeouts trying to 'ice' Villarreal, but you could not ice the ice man. Villarreal's 35-yard kick split the uprights. 

At halftime, Northwestern leads 17-10 after a 9 play, 75 yard drive in 2 minutes and 13 seconds. 

Duke Sssslows it down

On Duke's kick return, three flags were thrown, all indicating holding on Duke who takes over at its own 10 yard line.

Zack Asack is in at quarterback for Duke. Asack, a junior, won the starting job two years ago, but suffered an injury and thrust Thaddeus Lewis into the starting role as a freshman. Asack has a quick release and a powerful arm. He's also got a bit of escapability, breaking two tackles, including a spin move on a four yard rush and then took a quarterback keeper for a gain of 6. 

Asack offered a great change of pace for the Blue Devils, charging the blue and white down the field quickly. Duke blended in more runs on the drive and kept the Wildcats defense off-balance. 

In with Asack was Jay Hollingsworth, a big, pounding back who shrugged off Northwestern tackles when he had the ball in open space, but could not do much in between the tackles.  

While Duke went no-huddle, it's drive was long and slow - 16 plays, 87 yards, 7 minutes and 47 seconds. 

Duke capped the drive with a 21-yard field goal bringing the score to 14-10 with 2:22 remaining. While Cutcliffe was not coaching at Duke last season, he may have learned from Pat Fitzgerald's mistake a year ago. Cutcliffe took the points while they were there, bringing the game within four points.

A little trickery! NU 14, Duke 7.

Mick McCall had some tricks up his sleeve, eh? Is he a wizard?

Peterman took an end around and passed down the left sideline to Bacher for 25 yards. Instead of Bacher to Peterman it was Peterman to Bacher.

Then, Sutton lined up at quarterback and took the direct snap five yards in for 6. Flashes of the Wildcat offense showed at Arkansas with Darren McFadden. After starting with two rushes for negative two yards, Sutton has taken three carries for 19 yards.

Speed kills. NU's scoring drive - 2 plays, 29 yards, 22 seconds. With a little over 10 minutes to play in the first half, NU has a seven point advantage.

Threes-and-out, Crazy Play

Bacher rushed for eight yards to get the Cats outside the shadow of their own goalposts. Bacher has been able to get outside twice for 12 yards. Remember in last year's contest Bacher escaped several times to put the Cats in the red zone. This is something to try to take advantage of...

Sutton rushed for a short gain on second down, and Peterman dropped a pass on third down as Bacher thread the needle between two defenders. While the pass was catchable, this one's not Peterman's fault; he was hit trying to make the reception.

Duke gets the ball at its 40 yard line, completes a near first down, and throws two incomplete passes on second and third down. Why is Duke abandoning the rushing game? Clifford Harris has rushed 10 times for 55 yards. 

On the attempted punt, punter Kevin Jones muffed the snap and the ball went out of bounds at their own 21 yard line. 

Flurry of drops

Eric Peterman dropped a pass over the middle on third down near midfield. It would have been a sure first down, but instead the Cats are forced to punt. While Bacher has five incompletions, each was a catchable pass. 

Duke takes a strike down the field on first down, and Thaddeus Lewis shows off his arm strength with a 60-yard bomb down to the Cats 20, but the ball was overthrown for his intended receiver. Clifford Harris rushed for 9 yards on second down, and on the quick-snap third down, Duke is stuffed. 

On the punt, Brendan Smith is forced to call the fair catch at NU's 15 yard line.

We're all tied up - End of First Quarter

After a three yard loss on a screen pass to Omar Conteh and an incomplete pass, Bacher connects with Ross Lane for a gain of 15, putting the ball at the 40 yard line. 

Conteh rushes for a loss of one to end the first quarter. 

Just like predicted, Northwestern and Duke have been running their no-huddle offenses. This game could come down to whoever is better conditioned. 

After struggling on the opening drive, NU's defense has settled down. The Duke offense has had several plays of 15-plus yards and been impressive, but big stops on third down have contained the Blue Devils. 

Sutton Moving On Up

A note on Sutton's rushing touchdown - The senior is now fourth on NU's career rushing touchdowns list.

Duke takes over on their own 20 after a booming kickoff by Amado Villareal for the touchback. Clifford Harris shows flashes, busts right up the middle o the power play for 15 yards. Another great play by Quentin Davie who hurried Thaddeus Lewis and delivered a blow before the pass fell incomplete. 

NU on the Board - Duke 7, Northwestern 7

Duke registers a first down on a scramble by Thaddeus Lewis, whose escapability has been impressive, but two dropped passes stop Duke in its tracks. 

Duke is forced to punt, and Eric Peterman breaks several tackles up to the 45 yard line where the Cats will take over, first-and-ten.

After a too many men on the field penalty by Duke, Bacher completes a hook pattern to Ross Lane, who breaks a few tackles and makes it down to the Duke 18 on the 28-yard strike. 

After a dropped pass by Rasheed Ward, Sutton takes a carry off left tackle and goes untouched to the end zone. That's the Sutton we're used to seeing. 

Talk about fast-paced. NU's drive - 4 plays, 55 yards, 55 seconds. 

With just over two minutes remaining in the first it's all tied. up. 

NU Gets a Stop and Gets stopped

NU forces a three-and-out of its own on a huge sack by Corey Wooton. Wooton power rushed the inside of Fred Rowland, made a swim move and dragged Thaddeus Lewis to the ground on third and six. 

Kevin Jones, not the former Detroit Lions running back, weakly punts to the Northwestern 37, where the Cats take over. 

Again the Cats go three-and-out after failing to convert on a third-and-short. Sutton took the carry up the middle but the offensive line failed to get a push. Sutton has rushed twice for -2 yards. 

Three and Out

And faster than you can say Duke, Northwestern has to punt.

Omar Conteh took a huge hit on the kick return, setting Northwestern up for a first and ten from the 25. 

The Cats went three-and-out after a dropped bubble screen to Eric Peterman. 

Duke Strikes First

Faster than you can say Northwestern, Duke is on the board. With 9:53 remaining in the first, Duke's got the early 7-0 lead. 

Quentin Davie made a spectacular read on the quarterback keeper to open the game, tackling Thaddeus Lewis for a short gain, but struggled to slow down the fast-paced Duke attack, which blended runs and passes to move all the way down the field for a touchdown. Duke ran 11 plays, going 72 yards for the score. 

Thaddeus Lewis looked to be on fire, completing all of his passes on the drive, leading to a Clifford Harris 2-yard touchdown run.