Northwestern News Network

By Greg Mroz

Evanston, Ill – After last week’s win against Purdue, Northwestern knew that they could complete their playoffs, finish 6-6, and win whatever bowl game they got sent to. Before this game even begin Northwestern fans already envisioned how badly this team would beat their in state rival that was also fighting for bowl eligibility. Everything seemed in Northwestern’s favor.

But as the old saying goes, there is a reason why you play the games.

Behind backup quarterback Reilly O’Toole, Illinois came out firing on offense and seemingly never ceased, riding 438 yards of total offense and five takeaways to a 47-33 victory over Northwestern at Ryan Field. The win was the first for Illinois over Northwestern since 2011, who will be going to the postseason for the first time in the Tim Beckman era. For Northwestern, it was the same disappointment that the team and fans have felt all season long.

“It was a pretty somber locker room after the game.” Head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “They (the seniors) poured their hearts and souls into the program on a daily basis.”

Northwestern starting quarterback Zack Oliver, starting in place of the injured Trevor Siemian, threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles in his first career start. Oliver was pulled but only temporarily.

“Not good enough.” Oliver said. “Can’t win like that, that’s on me I’ve got to be better.”

Northwestern got the ball back after an Illinois three and out at the beginning of the 4^th quarter, down 33-17 at that point. On 4^th and 1 from the Illini 35, Justin Jackson ran a toss play to the outside for 35 yards and a touchdown. The Wildcats went for two and Zack Oliver completed a pass to Cameron Dickerson that got the score to within a possession at 33-25. Jackson finished with 130 yards on 24 carries, finishing up a strong freshman season

“Im proud of Justin” senior wideout Tony Jones said. “I’m proud of all the young guys for how they fought throughout the year.“

Despite getting within a single possession, a bad kickoff put the Illini at the Northwestern 44 yard line, and on the third play of the drive, Josh Ferguson broke a run up the near sideline for a 46 yard touchdown that made it 40-25. The score was Ferguson’s 2^nd play from scrimmage that went for 40 yards or more. He finished with 132 total yards including 95 rushing yards on 15 carries.

On the next drive the Wildcats faced a 4^th and 3 on their own 43, but Coach Fitzgerald elected to punt to set up Illinois inside their own 20. Illinois didn’t score on the drive but after downing a punt inside the Northwestern six yard line, Northwestern got the ball near midfield after a 35 yard completion to Justin Jackson. But Zack Oliver threw a pick six to Mason Monheim that all but sealed the victory for Illinois, making it 47-25 Illini at the time. Despite the loss, Fitzgerald is still satisfied with the state of the program.

“I’d say that we’re pretty darn close to where we want to be. “ Fitz added. “Our program is as stable and as strong as its ever been.”

 

 

 

 

 

By Greg Mroz

Punting down 15: Facing a 4th and 3 at their own 43, Pat Fitzgerald decided to punt. The decision proved to be costly as even though Illinois did not score on the ensuing drive, they got inside Northwestern’s 40 and punted the ball down to the Northwestern 6 yard line. The Illini capitalized on the field position with a pick 6, but still, Northwestern had momentum and couldnt keep it moving.

Defense: Illinois did not get sacked once, and Northwestern had injuries hurt their secondary to a point where only Matt Harris and Ibraheim Campbell were left from the original starters to begin the year. Reilly O’Toole burned NU on the read option all day long to the tune of 147 yards on 21 carries.

Whats Next: This article was posted before Coach Fitzgerald spoke at his press conference. His comments upcoming will be very interesting in regards to the performance, which after the wins against Notre Dame and Purdue, has to be considered one of the most disappointing in recent memory.

By Greg Mroz

Illinois 33, Northwestern 17

Reilly O’Toole: The senior who has never had a chance to be a full time starter came to play. In addition to three touchdown passes, O’Toole has run the ball 12 times for 78 yards. He has played by far of the best games in his career, and the Chicagoland native barring a 4th quarter Northwestern comeback will be a big reason why Illinois is going to a bowl game.

Zack Oliver to Tony Jones: Oliver finally got himself in rhythm, throwing three passes for 52 yards on NU’s touchdown drive that made the score 33-17. Jones has 4 of Oliver’s 6 completions on the day. After a disastrous 1st half, Pat Fitzgerald stuck with Oliver knowing that he was the best chance Northwestern had to throw it effectively.

Justin Jackson: Quietly, Jackson has had an effective day. He has 21 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Oliver’s ability to throw the ball more precisely has opened up the holes for Jackson. It will be interesting how Illinois will play the run when Jackson goes off tackle. He has shown all throughout the season the ability to be able to break tackles.

By Greg Mroz

Illinois 26, Northwestern 7

Turnovers: Coach Fitz always preaches winning the turnover battle, and Northwestern committed four of them in the half alone. Two interceptions from Zack Oliver along with two Oliver fumbles gave Illinois a plethora of scoring opportunities. The Fighting Illini got the football inside the red zone on five consecutive possessions, and scored on 4 of them.

Zack Oliver: Oliver was not good in the first half, and with two fumbles and two interceptions, he was pulled in favor of Matt Alvitti. If this is the end of the day for Oliver, he finished with 9 yards passing on two completions.

Special Teams: Had Illinois not missed a field goal and given up a kick return touchdown to Solomon Vault, the game could be a lot more lopsided than it already is. The wind has played a factor as it is blowing hard south to north. Regardless, with the score where it is, Northwestern is lucky for Illinois’ special teams gaffes.

 

By Greg Mroz

Illinois 13, Northwestern 0

Offensive Penalties: Both Northwestern and Illinois had penalties that forced their offenses into 3rd and long situations. In particular, Illinois had an offensive pass interference call on Mike Dudek, who didnt even catch the pass, negate a pass that would have put Illinois at Northwestern’s 35 yard line. A holding penalty negated a Josh Ferguson run that would have put Illinois inside the Northwestern 10 yard line on their third drive.

Run Games: Illinois’ has been effective, Northwestern’s has not. The Illini are averaging 5.6 yards per carry, the Wildcats just 4.8 . The last drive of the 1st quarter helped boost that average from 3.3 yards per carry.

Zack Oliver: Oliver has not been effective thus far. His starts through one quarter stand at 9 yards on two completions with an interception that lead to the 2nd Illini touchdown of the day. Oliver needs to play better or this could get ugly quickly.

By Greg Mroz

Here are three things to watch for before NU faces Illinois

1. Injuries for Northwestern will be critical. Kyle Prater listed as doubtful appeared on senior day in street clothes. Prater was Siemian’s main target in the Notre Dame and Purdue games. It will be very interesting to see who becomes Zack Oliver’s main target. Look for it to be Cameron Dickerson who has been very active the past few weeks.

2. Who starts for Illinois? Wes Lunt has the greater big play capability but has been prone to mistakes. Reilly O’Toole kept the Illini’s bowl hopes alive against Penn State. Both could play, but if Lunt is effective expect him to get the majority of the playing time.

3. The effectiveness of Justin Jackson will depend on NU’s ability to throw. If the Wildcat’s can throw effectively, that will open up the ground game nicely for Jackson

WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana — Northwestern followed up last week’s upset of No. 18 Notre Dame with a one-sided 38-14 victory over Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Boilermakers made it easy for the Wildcats in the first half, turning the ball over four times (one interception, three lost fumbles).

Northwestern first takeaway came when linebacker Jimmy Hall picked off an Austin Appleby pass that deflected off a receiver’s helmet.

With 4:11 left in the first quarter, Hall also forced and recovered a fumble.

“Fumble recoveries is just — you’re in the right place at the right time,” Hall modestly said. “Nothing special on my part.”

Though Northwestern’s bowl hopes stay alive, the win may have come at too great a cost. Senior quarterback seemingly injured his left knee early in the second half and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. He was carted off the field at halftime.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald would not comment on whether he thought Siemian could be back next game but did say it looks like a pretty serious knee injury.

“I’ll know a lot more on Monday [about the injury],” Fitzgerald said. “He’s meant so much to us.”

Before the injury, Siemian went 7-for-12 for 93 yards and a touchdown. If Siemian is unable to play next Saturday against Illinois, his college career is over a week early.

The coaching staff opted to replace him with redshirt freshman Matt Alviti. He led Northwestern’s following drive and completed his first career pass, a three-yard checkdown to  super back Jayme Taylor. However, Alviti fumbled the ball at the second quarter’s 11:54-mark.

Junior Zack Oliver appeared under center for the remainder of the game and figures to be next week’s starter if Siemian is unable to play.

Oliver said Siemian is his best friend and that he “wishes him the best,” but the team needs to move forward.

“We’re playing for him,” Oliver said. “We’re going to practice our butts off [this week] and then we’re going to be ready for Illinois.”

Though Oliver did not impress greatly, senior Kyle Prater aided the backup and kept the offense flowing. The senior caught four passes for 84 yards for his fourth 80-plus yard game of the season, and second in a row. His shortest catch went for 16 yards.

Running back Justin Jackson too had a good game, which has become a weekly expectation from the true freshman. He carried the ball 23 times for 147 yards. He also had two rushing touchdowns, with one coming in the form of a 68-yard run in the fourth quarter that put Northwestern up 38-7.

“I’m pretty proud of the way I’ve played and the way our running backs have played,” Jackson said.

The Wildcats (5-6, 3-4 B1G) are bowl eligible with a win against Illinois next Saturday in a battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. The Fighting Illini (5-6, 2-5 B1G), who are coming off a 16-14 win against Penn State, are also fighting for bowl eligibility.

However, with Siemian’s injury, the team faces many questions as it prepares for the final game for the regular season.

The Purdue offense picked up where it left off in the third quarter, at least to some extent. They steadily fed running back Azeem Hunt the ball, making their way to the NU 17-yard line. But linebacker Anthony Walker and defensive lineman Dean Lowry sacked Austin Appleby on third down, forcing the field goal unit to come out for the Boilermakers. However, Paul Griggs’s 42-yard attempt hit the left upright, and Purdue came away with no points.

Northwestern’s first drive of the second half didn’t start until 6:44 left in the quarter. About a minute later, they’d punt the ball back to Purdue.

After an uneventful third quarter, Northwestern heads into the 4th quarter with a 24-7 lead.