CALGARY—Marian Hossa has been in the NHL long enough to knows how to make a goal out of seemingly nothing.Hossa’s team-leading 10th goal of the season with 2:23 left in the third period lifted the Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.Chad Johnson threw up his glove to stop a hard shot from Artemi Panarin but the puck went off the top of his glove and high in the air. It ended up landing behind him where Hossa got his stick on it for his 80th game-winning goal.

”I don’t think the goalie knew exactly where the puck was and the defender tried to put his stick out,” Hossa said. ”I tried to hook on his stick so he doesn’t touch the puck and the puck just bounced pretty much close to the goal line and I just tried to put it underneath me in the net.”

As the puck trickled over the line, Hossa was in the crease and in the process of falling on the Flames goaltender.Calgary coach Glen Gulutzan said he would have challenged for goaltender interference but he did not have a timeout left, having used it earlier in the period.

Hossa, who has five goals in his last six games, is tied for fourth in the NHL in goals behind Patrik Laine (12), Sidney Crosby (11) and Michael Grabner (11).

”I just try to put the puck at the net right now,” Hossa said. ”When you feel like the puck’s going in for you, you just try to be around the net or shoot pucks to the net and try to make plays.”

It’s nothing Joel Quenneville hasn’t seen before.

”He’s scored some goals from right around that net here to get us a point or two and tonight’s a good illustration of how important he’s been for us,” he said.

Ryan Hartman and Brent Seabrook also scored for the Hawks, who have points in 12 of their last 13 (10-1-2) games. Corey Crawford stopped 28 shots.Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan scored for Calgary, and Johnson had 21 savesDown 1-0 after the first period, Calgary took the lead early in the second with two goals 3:30 apart from its new-look top line. With Johnny Gaudreau sidelined six weeks with a broken finger, Bennett has been inserted into his spot on left wing with Monahan and one time Hawk Troy Brouwer.Bennett jammed a loose puck past Corey Crawford at 3:33 from a scramble in the crease that was all set up by a dangerous rush from defenseman TJ Brodie.On their next shift, Monahan was credited with his fifth goal when his centering pass deflected in off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Gustav Forsling at 7:03.The Blackhawks tied it with about 5 1/2 minutes left in the second when Seabrook blasted a slap shot past Johnson, who was screened by Giordano.It was a power-play goal for the Hawks and came on the Blackhawks’ first man advantage of the night.Special teams once again let down the Flames. Their 30th ranked power play failed to score on five chances against the 30th ranked Hawk penalty kill – while the 28th ranked penalty kill gave up one goal on one chance.The Blackhawks nearly scored in the opening minute of the first period but video review showed that Mark Giordano pulled the puck off the goal-line before it bounced past a sprawled Johnson.Hartman then gave the Hawks the 1-0 lead at 7:42 when he got behind Dennis Wideman, took a perfect breakaway pass from Artem Anisimov, and while fending off the Flames defenseman, fired a shot inside the goal post.

NOTES—Flames LW and ex Hawk Kris Versteeg (groin) took part in morning skate and is nearing a return. He’s missed seven games … Calgary has gone 10 games without a goal from a defenseman. … Tyler Motte missed his fifth game, but coach Joel Quenneville says he’s a possibility to play Saturday….The Blackhawks are at Vancouver on Saturday night in the third game of a seven-game trip.

SALT LAKE CITY—Jimmy Butler scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz 85-77 on Thursday night.The Bulls have won four straight, including three on the road.The Bulls used 9-0 runs to start the third and fourth quarters that Utah never recovered from. Nikola Mirotic had a dunk, a steal and an assist during the fourth-quarter run that put the Bulls up 75-58.The Jazz cut the lead to 80-75 late, but Dwyane Wade and Butler hit jumpers to put the game away.Wade scored 18 points for the Bulls and Robin Lopez posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.The Jazz have lost two straight at home after going 4-1 during the preceding road trip.Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Jazz as Gordon Hayward added eight points and 12 rebounds.The Jazz led 43-41 at halftime despite the Bulls shooting just 28.8 percent from the field. What the Bulls lacked in accuracy, they made up in volume – outshooting Utah 52 percent-38 percent in the first half as the Jazz turned the ball over nine times.Doug McDermott missed his second consecutive game due to a concussion. … Rajon Rondo missed his second consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. … Butler scored at least 20 points and had five assists in his previous five games. He only had three assists Thursday.Rodney Hood returned to the starting lineup after missing last game with an illness and scored 12 points. … Boris Diaw started in place of injured Derrick Favors. … George Hill missed his sixth consecutive game with a sprained right thumb.Favors had an MRI on Wednesday and is out for an undetermined amount of time with a left knee bone contusion. The knee has been bothering him since the preseason and he’s been in and out of the lineup, missing all but one preseason game. Coach Quin Snyder doesn’t think he returned too quickly. ”It’s been a challenge for him,” Snyder said. ”The main point is, you reach a point where you’re not effective. That is where he has been, or you’re less effective to the point where you need to address the situation in a different way.”
The Bulls travel to Los Angeles for a back-to-back with the Clippers and Lakers on Saturday and Sunday.

PORTLAND—Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and the Bulls opened a six-game road trip with a 113-88 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.Dwyane Wade had 19 points for the Bulls, who extended its modest winning streak to three games. Former Blazers center Robin Lopez added 13 points and 11 rebounds.The Blazers, who had won five of six, were cold from the start, falling behind by as many as 26 points. Damian Lillard, who made just two shots from the field in the first half, finished with 19 points.The Bulls, coming off a 106-95 victory over Washington on Saturday, was without Rajon Rondo because of a left ankle sprain. Jerian Grant made his first start of the season and had 18 points.Rondo, who joined the Bulls as a free agent in the offseason, is averaging 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.5 assists.The Blazers played their third straight game without starting forward Al-Farouq Aminu, who has a sore left calf and is expected to be re-evaluated next week. Meyers Leonard has been inserted into the lineup in his absence, but he struggled and played 15 minutes with no points.The Bulls built a 20-7 lead to open the game as Portland struggled, hitting just two of 13 shots from the field. The Blazers were outscored 35-14 in the first quarter.Butler led the way with 11 points. Lillard, who was ranked third in the league with an average of 30.7 points a game, went 0 for 7 from the floor and didn’t make his first basket until midway through the second quarter.Butler finished the half with 19 points and the Bulls led 56-37. Wade had a two-handed dunk to extend the Bulls lead to 66-42.Portland was coming off a 112-105 victory at home over the Nuggets on Sunday.The Bulls lead the league with an average of 13.6 offensive rebounds per game. They had 19 against Portland. … Doug McDermott was also out because of a concussion. … Lopez and LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews all left the Blazers prior to last season, leaving Lillard as the lone starter to return.The Trail Blazers hosted the team’s first Pride Night to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Proceeds from special sweatshirts and a raffle will go to the Q Center, a local LGBTQ community center. … At the half, the Blazers also honored athletes who participated in this summer’s Rio Olympics with Oregon ties, including hurdler Devon Allen and marathoner Galen Rupp.Bulls visit the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.

WINNIPEG—Connor Hellebuyck finally made the statement he was looking for all season.Hellebuyck made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season, rookie Patrik Laine scored his NHL-leading 12th goal and the Winnipeg Jets beat the division-leading Blackhawks 4-0 on Tuesday night.

”I’ve been chasing it for a while and now I got the monkey off my back,” Hellebuyck said.

The second year player got his third NHL shutout in a pivotal win for the second-place Jets.

”The statement,” he said, ”was that we’ve figured it out and now we know how to play and now we know we can play it.”

Rookie defenseman Josh Morrissey scored his first career goal, while forwards Chris Thorburn and Nic Petan got their first scores of the season for the second-place Jets.Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists, helping Winnipeg stretch its points streak to five games.Corey Crawford was replaced by Scott Darling after letting in four goals on 22 shots. Darling made two saves.It was the first of five games between the Central Division foes this season.The Blackhawks had points in each of their previous 11 games. It was their first game in a season-high seven-game road trip.Morrissey beat Crawford at 6:26 of the first period when his one-timer from the high slot went through the goalie’s legs.

”You dream of that one in the driveway, basement and the outdoor rink,” Morrissey said. ”To finally be able to get that and see it go in was something special.”

It was only the 11th even-strength goal Crawford had allowed this season.Morrissey finished the period in the penalty box after he was called for charging against Hawks wing Vinnie Hinostroza with 26 seconds left, but the Hawks couldn’t take advantage of the extra man.The Hawks got two more power plays early in the middle period, including a two-man advantage for 1:07.Winnipeg handled the puck often in the short-handed situation and got a standing ovation from the crowd at MTS Centre after the second penalty expired.The Jets had their first power play midway through the scoreless second, but couldn’t add to their 1-0 lead.The Hawks outshot Winnipeg 20-13 after two periods.Thorburn scored at 4:41 of the third period with a surprise shot. The veteran got the puck along the boards, spun around and shot at the net. The puck went high past Crawford for the 2-0 lead.Laine scored after Dustin Byfuglien’s wraparound attempt went off a stick and Laine got the puck and flipped it by Crawford at 8:32.Eleven seconds later, Petan scored his first of the season when he missed shooting a loose puck but his second attempt beat Crawford.

”It was a tough few minutes, just (the puck) kind of going in off everything, finding its way through,” Crawford said. ”I mean, that happens in games.We’ve put together a good string of games, solid hockey. We played good tonight. They didn’t really have much. Like I said, it was a tough few minutes, but we can forget about that one for sure.”

Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice, whose squad is now 6-0 when leading after two periods, said it was their best game this season.

”They’re a good team,” Maurice said of the Blackhawks. ”They changed gears on us a bit at the end of the second and we found a way to come back.”

NOTES—The Hawks had scored at least two goals in each of its previous games this season…..Duncan Keith played in his 850th career NHL game…..The Bears are at Calgary on Friday night in the second game of a seven-game trip through Canada and California.

CHAMPAIGN—Jalen Coleman-Lands and Maverick Morgan scored 18 points apiece to lead six players in double figures and Illinois beat Division II McKendree 112-65 on Tuesday night.The game was a strong response from Coleman-Lands, who struggled in the first two games of the season.

”It feels good (to get my shot going), especially with the last two games,” Coleman-Lands said. ”My teammates just do a good job of trusting me. It’s just about repetition and getting ready for the next game.”

Michael Finke had 17 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, and eight rebounds and Tracy Abrams was 5-of-5 from the field with four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and six assists. Aaron Jordan scored 11, including three 3s, and Mike Thorne Jr. had 10 points and 10 rebounds.Illinois (3-0) opened the game with a 7-0 run, including five points by Finke, and never trailed.Coleman-Lands hit 3-pointers on three-consecutive possessions to make it 21-10 with 12:28 left in the first half and the Illini led by double figures the rest of the way.The Illinois bench outscored McKendree’s reserves 59-23 and shot 56 percent from the field, including 16 of 28 (57 percent) from 3-point range.Illinois head coach John Groce was proud of his team’s performance given his team’s sloppy play in the first two games.

”They responded today,” Groce said. ”We have a long way to go, but they played hard today for a lot longer and I liked the attitudes and vibes on our team. That was a good step in the right direction.”

Nate Michael, son of former Illinois basketball player Tom Michael, led the McKendree (1-0) with 25 points. The game served as an exhibition for Bearcats.Tuesday was a moment that Michael said he’ll never forget.

”It was a dream come true,” Michael said. ”Growing up just down the road here, having season tickets when my dad worked here . I just wish we played a little bit better here. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, and this will help us in the future.”

The Illini played the way they should against a Division-II team. Illinois will play two more relatively easy games before facing No. 19 West Virginia in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Nov. 24.The Bearcats had a good idea of how the game was going to go before the ball was even tipped. They’ll return to regular competition Saturday.After scoring a career-high 40 points against Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Malcolm Hill was limited to three points.Te’Jon Lucas got some early playing time after starter Tracy Abrams got into foul trouble. The freshman guard took advantage of the opportunity, finishing with nine points and six assists.Coleman-Lands took a break from draining shots in the second half when he assisted Maverick Morgan on a behind-the-head pass.Illinois hosts Detroit on Friday night as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.

LAKE FOREST—The Bears’ 2016 season just went from bad to worse.The NFL announced on Monday that wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The suspension will cost Jeffery a reported total of $3.4 million in lost salary.Jeffery released a statement following the announcement of his suspension.

“As a professional athlete, I have been careful about what I put in my boy. I took a recommended supplement to combat inflammation. Unfortunately this supplement contained an ingredient that was on the NFL’s banned substance list. I take full responsibility and I’m deeply upset with myself for not doing the proper research. I want to apologize to my family, the Bears organization, my teammates, and Bears fans. I will work hard to earn back the respect and trust of the Bears nation and look forward to being back on the field. ”

The suspension means that the 2-7 Bears won’t have their leading receiver for the next four weeks when they play the Giants, Titans, 49ers and Lions. Jeffery isn’t allowed to return to practice until Dec. 12 and won’t be eligible to play in a game until Dec. 18, when the Bears host the Packers.With Jeffery out, there’s a good chance that a bad Bears’ offense is only going to get worse over the next four weeks. Jeffery leads the Bears with 630 receiving yards this year, which is 205 more than any other player on the team. The receiver also has 40 catches and one touchdown.Even with Jeffery in the lineup, the Bears offense has been atrocious this season. The Bears are averaging just 15.7 points per game, which ranks 31st in the league, just ahead of the Rams. That’s right, the Bears aren’t even scoring more points than the 0-10 Browns.The suspension comes at a fragile time for the both the Bears and Jeffery.On the Bears’ end, they’re coming off a 36-10 loss to Tampa Bay that left the organization embarrassed. After the 26-point loss, several players called out Jay Cutler for his “truly embarrassing” game preparation. It’s also been reported that Cutler has lost most of the locker room.On Jeffery’s end, the receiver is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and it’s not going to be easy to cash-in if he’s coming off a down year. It’s also not going to be easy to cash-in if other teams think you’re a suspension risk.

Patrick Kane scored a spectacular tiebreaking goal in the second period and the Blackhawks beat Montreal 3-2 on Sunday night, handing the league-leading Canadiens just their second regulation loss of the season.Marian Hossa added his team-leading ninth and rookie Gustav Forsling scored his first in the NHL as the Blackhawks improved to 9-0-2 in their last 11 and ended Montreal’s four-game winning streak.Shea Weber and Andrei Markov scored for the Canadiens in a matchup of conference leaders.Both goalies faced teams from their hometowns. Canadiens backup Al Montoya, a Chicago native, made 32 saves. Corey Crawford, from Montreal, stopped 21 shots.Kane put the Hawks ahead 3-2 with 3:37 left in the second period to cap a terrific individual effort. Kane skated down the slot, fooled Jeff Petry with a move and chipped a shot past Montoya – while falling to the ice with Max Pacioretty checking him closely from behind.The 37-year-old Hossa has goals in four straight games and eight of nine. His 508th career goal on Sunday moved him past Canadiens icon Jean Beliveau into 40th place on the NHL’s all-time list.The Hawks haven’t lost in regulation since Oct. 21 at Columbus.Artem Anisimov, who entered tied with Kane for the Blackhawks points lead with 17, returned after missing one game with an upper-body injury.Montreal forward Andrew Shaw, a member of te Hawks 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup teams, played his first game at the United Center following a salary cap-forced trade to the Canadiens last summer. Shaw got a standing ovation from the crowd of 21,762 during a video tribute in the first period.Forsling opened the scoring with 7:54 remaining in the first on a screened shot from the left point. With several players in front, the drive sailed past Montoya’s glove.The Canadiens went ahead with goals 1:41 apart and on consecutive shots early in the second.Weber tied it 1-1 just 59 seconds into the period with a fluke power-play goal. His shot from from a sharp angle – almost in the right corner – deflected off defenseman Michal Kempny’s stick and over Crawford’s shoulder.Markov put Montreal ahead at 2:40 on a high shot from the slot with Brian Campbell and Montreal’s Paul Byron screening in front.Hossa tied it 2-all with 8:31 left in the second. After Montoya made a left pad save on Nick Schmaltz’s shot from the blue line, Hossa popped in the rebound from the right edge of the crease.After Kane put the Blackhawks ahead, and they dominated and checked smartly in the third to hold on.Crawford also came up big when needed. He denied Shaw on a rebound with a sliding pad save with 6:50 left and stopped Alex Galchenyuk from the edge of the crease with 20 seconds to go.

NOTES—Michel Therrien coached his 500th game with the Canadiens. He’s guided Montreal over two stints, sandwiched around 272 games with Pittsburgh. … Pacioretty was struck in the mouth by a puck that deflected off Kempny’s skate with 36 seconds left in the first, but returned for the second period. …. F Tyler Motte missed his third game with a lower-body injury. … Montreal scratches were C Brian Flynn and F Greg Pateryn. The Hawks sat out F Jordin Tootoo and D Michal Rozsival….The Blackhawks start their last ever “Circus Road Trip” at Winnipeg on Tuesday night. It starts a season-high seven-game road trip.

TAMPA—Jameis Winston kept retreating toward his own goal line, seemingly in disregard for the best interests of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.The second-year quarterback often is at his best when he’s improvising, though, and the first overall pick from the 2015 draft kept scrambling into the end zone and back out before heaving a 38-yard completion to Mike Evans.The play started at his own 23 and ended at the Bears 38, where Evans made a leaping catch. On the next play, Winston threw his second TD pass in a 36-10 rout of the Bears on Sunday.

”That’s Jameis making plays,” Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said, though that hardly crossed the coach’s mind while Winston was heading the wrong way with the Bucs clinging to a seven-point lead early in the third quarter.”Throw it away. Throw it away. Do anything. Don’t take a safety,” Koetter recalled himself thinking.But, the thing about Jameis, Jameis is going to do some things that we don’t plan for and he’s going to do some things that sometimes I don’t like,” the coach added. ”But Jameis is going to make some plays. That’s who he is. … You can’t coach that out of him. He’s a special player in that respect.”

Winston finished 23 of 33 for 312 yards with one interception, helping the Bucs (4-5) win at home for the first time this season. The Bears (2-7) are winless in five road games.

”That was a great play by him. … He retreated. I tried to get him again and he stepped up in the pocket and let it rip,” Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd said. ”Great play by him.”

Winston threw for TDs of 10 yards to Cameron Brate and 43 yards to Freddie Martino, a former practice squad player with two career receptions.Two weeks after returning from injury and helping the Bears (2-7) beat NFC North leader Minnesota, Jay Cutler threw two interceptions and fumbled twice, one resulting in a third-quarter safety that put the Bucs up 29-10.The Bucs forced four turnovers overall and sacked Cutler four times. Even though the Bears are last in the league in scoring, it was a confidence-building performance for a defense that yielded 73 points and 1,087 yards – including 857 passing – in home losses to Oakland and Atlanta the previous two weeks.Cutler missed five games with a sprained right thumb before playing well and not turning the ball over against the Vikings. The Bears had a bye last week, but the momentum they built against Minnesota didn’t carry over to the trip to Tampa.The Bears scored on Cameron Meredith’s 50-yard TD reception on the final play of the first half. Cutler finished 16 of 30 for 182 yards, and Tampa Bay’s Chris Conte returned a first-quarter interception 20 yards to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead.

”Any given week, you can win, you can lose. It depends on how you execute,” Cutler said. ”Obviously, we didn’t get the job done today.” DUH!!!

Bucs running back Doug Martin returned from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since Week 2. He rushed for 33 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 1-yard run that made it 36-10 late in the fourth quarter.Deep in their own territory and down two touchdowns after turning the ball over four times, the Bears weren’t content with merely running out the final 31 seconds of the opening half. They used timeouts after Jeremy Langford’s 13-yard run and Cutler’s 4-yard completion to the reserve running back, then set themselves up for a final play when Ka’Deem Carey scampered 16 yards to midfield on a reception before getting out of bounds. Cutler heaved his 50-yard TD pass to Meredith in the back of the end zone to finish a four-play, 83-yard drive.Winston’s second-quarter TD pass to Brate was the 40th of the second-year pro’s career. At 22 years, 312 days old, he’s the youngest quarterback in NFL history to reach that plateau, doing it in 25 games. He’s on pace to top 4,000 yards passing for the second straight year, and has thrown for 19 TDs vs. 10 interceptions this season.Lost the right side of their offensive line in the first half, with guard Kyle Long leaving with an ankle injury and tackle Bobby Massie suffering a concussion. Defensive lineman Will Sutton (ankle) left early in the third quarter and did not return.The Bears remain on the road, facing the New York Giants.

Whether he had the Bulls on his shoulders or not, Jimmy Butler couldn’t deny this. He sure gave them the lift they needed.Butler scored 37 points, and the Bulls beat the short-handed Washington Wizards 106-95 on Saturday night.He took charge when the Bulls needed it, helping them pull away on a night when the Wizards were missing star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal.Butler finished two points shy of a season high he set against Atlanta on Wednesday. He hit all 14 free throws, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out a season-high nine assists.

”I don’t consider that carrying,” Butler said. ”I consider that making some shots and doing what they need me to do. That’s being aggressive.”

Butler showed it early on and helped the Bulls put away the Wizards in the second half, though he did have some help.Nikola Mirotic came on strong to finish with 17 points. Dwyane Wade scored 14. Taj Gibson chipped in with 13 points, and Robin Lopez added 10 points and 13 rebounds.The Bulls won back-to-back games for the first time since a 3-0 start, but forward Doug McDermott exited with a concussion early in the fourth quarter.Markieff Morris had a season-high 24 points after scoring 20 the previous night. Marcin Gortat added 18 points and 14 rebounds.Sheldon McClellan scored 15 with Beal missing his second straight game because of a sore right hamstring. Tomas Satoransky chipped in with 12 points and nine assists filling in at point guard for Wall, who scored 28 in Friday’s loss to Cleveland, and the Wizards fell to 0-4 on the road.Washington’s reserves got outscored 32-18, though McClellan and Satoransky were in the lineup with Beal and Wall out.Butler got off to a scorching start with 21 points in the first half and kept it going with 11 more in the third to help the Bulls turn a 56-53 deficit into an 81-70 lead.

”When you’ve got a guy who is obviously an All-Star in this league but he’s right in the prime of his career, my job and (Rajon) Rondo’s job and everybody’s job is to get the best out of him,” Wade said. ”Right now, we’re seeing it – and he sees it, too – how great he can be.”

Leading 70-68 with about three minutes left in the third, Butler hit two free throws, a layup and a step-back jumper with 1:19 left.In the closing minute, Wizards coach Scott Brooks jumped off the bench and got called for a technical when Jason Smith fouled a dunking Gibson. McDermott made the technical free throw. Gibson missed his foul shot, but hit a layup to make it an 11-point game.McDermott was in the air going for a layup or dunk in the opening minute of the fourth when a rotating Morris hit his left arm and sent him crashing to the floor. McDermott banged his head in a hard fall that quieted the crowd.He walked off the court and headed back into the concussion protocol after missing a game 10 days earlier.Morris got called for a flagrant foul 1, and Mirotic hit two free throws.

”That was a regular old-school foul,” Gibson said. ”But the way Doug took off, he left himself out in the open. … I don’t think nobody really tries to hurt anybody. It’s one of those plays.”

Coach Fred Hoiberg said that Carter-Williams has not experienced any setbacks in his recovery from a bruised left knee and sprained left wrist. Carter-Williams was expected to miss four to six weeks after taking a hard fall at Brooklyn on Oct. 31.The Bulls play six straight on the road, starting with Tuesday’s game at Portland.

WEST LAFAYETTE—After losing back-to-back home games to Western Michigan and to Illinois State to begin the 2016 season, Northwestern knew it would be pressed to qualify for a bowl game.But including Saturday’s 45-17 victory at Purdue, the Wildcats (5-5, 4-3 Big Ten) are within one victory of bowl eligibility, having carved their path by posting a 3-1 record in conference road games.In addition to Purdue, they also have won at Iowa and at Michigan State.Clayton Thorson passed for a career-best 352 yards and three touchdowns, and Northwestern scored 31 second-half points on its way to an easy victory at Purdue (3-7, 1-6), which has lost five in a row by an average margin of 21.2 points.Thorson, who also ran for a touchdown, completed 23 of 36 passes, including five for 92 yards and two touchdowns to wide receiver Austin Carr, who tied the school single-season record with 12 TD receptions.

”Every time we came out in the second half, we were just licking our chops to get another good drive going,” Carr said. ”We were clicking on all cylinders. And of course, a bowl is a huge motivator. We viewed these last three games as a three-game playoff.”

Austin Jackson rushed 22 times for 127 yards and a touchdown, and John Moten IV had 16 carries for 119 yards, marking the first time since Sept. 14, 2013 against Western Michigan that two Northwestern backs rushed for more than 100 yards in the same game.

”The receivers were getting open, but the offensive line was playing really well,” Thorson said. ”There were only one or two times that I was rushed to even make a throw.”

Thorson’s third touchdown pass – a 42-yarder to Garrett Dickerson on the first play after an interception by linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. – gave Northwestern a 28-10 lead with 11:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Wildcats steadily pulled away.Finishing with 605 yards of offense, Northwestern outscored Purdue 31-7 during the final 30 minutes.

”We didn’t start the way we wanted, obviously, but you need to credit Purdue for that,” Wildcats coach Pat Fitzgerald said. ”We knew we would get a fast start from them. We talked about the first series of the second half being really important. Obviously, depth is important, especially when you see a couple of their defensive starters out.”

NU spotted Purdue a 10-0, first-quarter lead, then scored the opening half’s final 14 points to lead 14-10 through 30 minutes. Purdue lost its fifth in a row.The Wildcats extended their lead to 21-10 on Justin Jackson’s 14-yard touchdown run, capping a seven-play, 71-yard drive.Needing two victories in their final three games to become bowl eligible, the Wildcats scored touchdowns on each of their first four second-half drives and pulled away from the struggling Boilermakers. Northwestern gained 557 yards during the first three quarters…..Playing without their two best defenders – Jake Replogle (concussion) and Ja’Whaun Bentley (leg) – the Boilermakers’ defense was no match for Northwestern’s balanced offense and fell to 0-15 in November games during the four most recent seasons…..The Wildcats travel to Minnesota on Nov. 19 for their final Big Ten road game.