Cats in total control, beat ISU 37-3, now 2-0

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EVANSTON—The Northwestern Wildcats returned home and as expected,handled the Illinois State Redbirds 37-3.Dan Persa was 19 of 23 for 240 yards, and Drake Dunsmore caught both his TD passes. Arby Fields ran for 96 yards and a touchdown run for the Wildcats (2-0).After the Northwestern running game had trouble at Wake Forest last week,they came out, um, running the ball on the first drive.After Illinois State moved the ball deep into NU terratory to start the game,the Cats stiffened and forced a punt which was fair caught on the 11. But with mostly running,the Wildcats moved 89 yards in 15 plays with QB Persa,the one guy who did run the ball for 82 net yards in Nashville,hit Dunsmore from 9 yards out in the back of the end zone to make it 7-0 with 7:56 left ion the half. The Redbirds moved the ball again and in fact marched 68 yards,but again their drive stalled-this time at the NU 6 and Steven Fetzer booted a 23 yard field goal. But the Cats answered and used a 50 yard pass from Persa to true Freshman Rashad Lawrence which put the ball on the ISU 2. Two plays later,Persa crashed over from the 1 and it was 14-3 which was the score after the first quarter. On the Wildcats third possession, Persa hit Sidney Stewart for 28 yards to the Illinois State 36, but then on a third down,Steward dropped a perfect pass in the end zone and Stefan Demos kicked a 39 yatrd field goal for a 17-3 lead with 11:06 left in the half. The first turnover occoured when Quentin Davie intercepted Matt Brown’s pass at the Cats 40,and Persa hit Jeremy Ebert for 45 yards to the ISU 4. Two plahys later Fields,with a nice second efford scored from the one with 1:51 left in the half to make it 24-3.The Cats got it back with ** left when Davie again intercepted a Brown pass and returned it to the Illinois State 22.Persa would then throw a 5 yard TD pass to Dunsmore with :18 left.Demos missed the Pat wide left whichleft the half time score 30-3.The only score in the entire second half was a 1 yard plunge by backup Mike Trumpy with 4;31 left in the game.

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