Cats Bowl eligible after 30-28 win at Nebraska.

Northwestern Wildcats (1981 - Pres)

LINCOLN—Clayton Thorson’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Dan Vitale and Jack Mitchell’s third field goal gave Northwestern an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats hung on to beat Nebraska 30-28 on Saturday.The Wildcats (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) bounced back from consecutive losses to Michigan and Iowa in which they were outscored 78-10 and handed Nebraska (3-5, 1-3) its fifth loss by five points or less.Mitchell’s 27-yard field goal put Northwestern up 30-22, but the Huskers drove 75 yards in eight plays to pull within two points. But Tommy Armstrong’s two-point pass to Stanley Morgan Jr. fell incomplete, and Northwestern’s offense was able to run out the final 4:18.Thorson passed for 177 yards and ran for a career-high 126, with 117 coming on two carries that led to scores. Armstrong passed for 291 yards and a touchdown. With the win, the Cats became Bowl eligible for the first time in two seasons.