Wildcats grind past Illini, await Buckeyes in Indy
Northwestern running back Isaiah Bowser tries to dodge Illinois defensive back Michael Marchese on a first-half carry. Bowser finished with 166 yards. No. 20 Northwestern 24, Illinois 16
EVANSTON, Ill. — With nothing really to play for, and with the Big Ten championship game against Ohio State looming next weekend, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald decided to pull many of his starters in the second half Saturday against Illinois.
Fitzgerald stuck with the plan despite some unexpected tense moments down the stretch.
Clayton Thorson accounted for three touchdowns, Isaiah Bowser rushed for 166 yards and No. 20 Northwestern held off Illinois 24-16 for its seventh straight Big Ten win.
Northwestern (8-4, 8-1) already had clinched the West Division two weeks ago at Iowa, and Ohio State (11-1, 8-1) earned its spot in Indianapolis with a 62-39 victory over Michigan on Saturday to finish atop the East.
“We’ve got an unbelievable opportunity in front of us,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m fired up to take the Purple to Indy. That’s our goal every year, to win the Big Ten West. We’ve finally gotten over that hump, and now we have an opportunity, a 60-minute opportunity, to take this team to the Rose Bowl.”
Thorson completed 12 of 18 passes for 110 yards and two TDs, and he also ran for a score. Bowser had 18 carries and posted his fourth 100yard game of the season.
Neither, however, was on the field as the game tightened late.
“You should have heard the headphones,” Fitzgerald said of the communication with coordinators Mick McCall and Mike Hankwitz. “‘Hey, I want … ’ No. ‘Hey, can I have … ’ No. ‘But what about … ’ No.
“Sorry, I apologize to Mick and Hank. But to win our rivalry game with the amount of guys we had out — and what I didn’t allow our coordinators to do — was awesome by our guys.”
With Illinois driving for a potential tying score, linebacker Paddy Fisher intercepted a pass by AJ Bush Jr. at the Northwestern 8-yard line with 3:34 remaining. The Wildcats, with TJ Green at quarterback and backups at running back, then ran out the clock.
Asked whether there was a chance that Thorson might reenter the game if Illinois had tied it, Fitzgerald said, “One hundred percent, no. One million percent, no. Infinity, no.”
Fitzgerald made sure his top players wouldn’t be injured against the Illini, and he likely will need every one of them. The Wildcats have dropped six straight against Ohio State and have beaten the Buckeyes just once since 1971, a 33-27 overtime victory in 2004.
The Illini (4-8, 2-7) lost for the sixth time in seven games. Bush completed 23 of 39 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown, and Ricky Smalling finished with seven receptions for 72 yards, including a 10-yard TD that made it a one-score game with just under eight minutes to go.
Northwestern, though, retained the Land of Lincoln Trophy with its fourth straight win over Illinois.
“We never wanted to let off the gas. We never wanted to back into the Big Ten championship game,” Thorson said.
Illinois moved the ball effectively in the first half but managed only field goals of 21 and 29 yards by Chase McLaughlin. Northwestern then scored on its final two possessions of the half for a 21-6 lead, with Thorson capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 1-yard sneak and hitting Riley Lees on a 5-yard TD pass.
Jake Collins added a 25-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half to make it 24-6.