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Jackson drives the bus: Northwestern senior tailback Justin Jackson averaged 34 carries and 150.5 yards in victories over UW in 2014 and ’15. UW held him to 42 yards on 13 carries en route to a 21-7 victory last season. When Jackson runs the ball effectively, he keeps the chains moving and takes pressure off quarterback Clayton Thorson. Jackson rushed for 109 and 121 yards, respectively, in victories over Nevada and Bowling Green this season. Thorson in those games passed for a combined 722 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson was held to 18 yards on seven carries in a 41-17 loss at Duke. Thorson was held to 120 passing yards and threw two interceptions in the 24-point loss. “I think he is one of the best backs in the country,” UW linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “I’m excited for the challenge.” Wildcats defenseless? Northwestern already has lost three cornerbacks — one projected starter and two reserves — to season-ending injuries. That has left a defense already looking to replace several key players in the front seven scrambling. Northwestern enters the weekend 10th in the league in points allowed (22.7 per game), 12th against the run (157.0 yards per game), 11th against the pass (253.3) and 13th in third-down defense (47.2%). UW’s offense appears to be finding its groove. The Badgers rolled up 491 yards — 256 passing and 235 rushing — in a 40-6 victory over BYU before the bye. They enter the weekend No. 1 in the Big Ten in scoring (43.3), No. 1 in rushing offense (275.3), No. 2 in total offense (511.0) and No. 1 in thirddown conversions (57.9%). Can Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who worked on UW’s staff in 2006 and ’07, find a way to slow the Badgers? Taylor on a roll: UW freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor enters Game 4 No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing at 146.0 yards per game. That is 16.0 yards better than the No. 2 player, Ohio State freshman J.K. Dobbins, who has played in four games. Taylor leads the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns and showed against BYU the ability to run for tough yards between the tackles. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry, with a long run of just 18, because he had seven runs of at least 11 yards. Expect Northwestern to stack the box in an attempt to slow Taylor and UW’s other tailbacks. That could open up play-action passes against the linebackers and secondary. Thorson struggles vs. UW: Thorson, a junior who has started 29 consecutive games for the Wildcats, leads the Big Ten in passing yards at 280.7 per game. His completion mark (63.9%) is No. 4 among the top 10 quarterbacks in the league. However, Thorson has not fared well in his two starts against UW. He completed just 9 of 20 attempts for 60 yards as a freshman in 2015 and was 28 of 52 for 277 yards last season. His combined numbers: 37 of 72 (51.4%) for 168.5 yards per game. He has one touchdown pass, has been sacked three times and has rushed 13 times for 4 yards. Thorson is averaging just 4.7 yards per attempt and 9.1 yards per completion against UW.