EVANSTON—Northwestern ended Illinois’s two year control of this State rivalry by breaking things open in the third quarter and went on to a 50-14 win to take the Land of Lincoln Trophy in it’s third year after the Sweet Souix Tomahawk was retired after the 2009 NU win in Champaign.The Illini started pretty well,but with both teams having tackling problems, it was penalties that would play a big part in separating the two clubs.Illinois(2-10, 0-8) drew eight flags for 88 yards,and Northwestern(9-3, 5-3) just two for 20yds.
Illinois got the opening kickoff,and despite 2 penalties,NU’s defense is missing tackles like crazy. Nathan Scheelhaase is 2-0 against the Cats.and was moving his team,despite some early mistakes.Donovan Young scored on a 15 yd option pitch around left end. The Illini went for two and made it but a rare ‘illegal numbering’ penalty nullified it and they kicked the PAT instead for a 7-0 lead. Again, the NU defense looked HORRIBLE on that series.A great kickoff return by Tony Jones gave NU great field position.But they fizzled at the Illini 28 and Jeff Budzien kicked a 44 yard field goal(they could have used that against Nebraska)with 6:59 left first qtr: Illinois led 7-3. On the kickoff, Zak Pederson was clobbered, coughed the ball up into mid air. Cameron Dickerson had it pop right into his hands giving NU the ball at the UI 19. Kain Colter ran to the 2, and then scored to put the Cats ahead for good 10-7. The NU defense didn’t have to take the field, which was good for them, bad for Illinois.NU forced a punt, and on a first down,Colter fumbled,but recovered the ball for a 2 yard loss,and was dinked,but ran off the field on his own.Trevor Siemian came in and his first pass was picked off at the Illini 38 by Terry Hawthorne.But Scheelhaase then had a pass picked off by David Nwabuisi who got to the 24, and a sidline interference with an Official call against Illinois moved the ball to the 13.After 1 qtr NU led 10-7.
With Colter back at QB, on the first play of the second period, he threw a bullet to Tony Jones at the back of the end zone for a 9 yard TD and now NU was up 17-7. The Illini have shot themselves in the foot(and elsewhere)with 6 penalties for 73 yds. NU 0 penalties so far. The Illini got back in the game after starting at their 40,and with Riley O’Toole at QB, they went the needed 60 yds in 8 plays as the Wildcats defense continued to miss tons of tackles, including on O’Toole’s 12 yd TD run. It’s was hard to tell at that point which team was winless in the Big Ten and which is Bowl bound. If NU’s defense plays like this in Bowl, it won’t matter whom they play, they will stay winless in Bowls since the 1948-49 Rose Bowl(of course they did not play in another Bowl after than untill the 1995 season(since then,NU has dropped 9 straight Bowl games.NU forced a punt,and got deep into the red zone,but Budzien had to kick a 36 yard field goal with :03 left in the half.NU’s first penalty, a clip slowed that drive, but at halftime Northwestern led 27-I4.
The Wildcats turned it into rout in the third quarter. They took the opening kickoff of the second half and went 75 yds in 11 plays. Colter threw a screen pass to Tyrus Jones which resulted in a 15 yard TD and now a 34-14 NU lead. Scheelhaase threw a third down pass that Ibrahem Campbell picked off and returned 40 yds to the Illini 24.On the next play nobody guarded Paul Jorgensen,and Colter hit him in stride to make it 41-14 which it was after the 3rd qtr.
In the fourth period,NU drove to the Illini 5, then normal DL Bo Cisek(295 lbs)carried twice,and after a 1 yd loss,he fumbled and the Illini recovered.But Dami Ayoola was tackled in the end zone by Max Chapman for a safety for the final score of 50-14.
LES