PURPLE PINSTRIPE
Jackson leads Wildcats in Bronx, a place where ‘Derek Jeter peed’
Northwestern knocks off Pitt in annual bowl at Yankee Stadium
The Bronx now boasts a Mr. December. Justin Jackson, a junior running back at Northwestern, rushed right, left and up the gut against No. 23 Pittsburgh in the Pinstripe Bowl Wednesday afternoon into evening. His longest scamper went for 68 yards and he scored three touchdowns. In all, his legs and shoulders carried the Wildcats up and down the field for 224 yards en route to a seasonending, 31-24 victory over the Panthers at Yankee Stadium. He tried to make the measure of his place in the venue’s list of past performances.
“Great people have come through here,” he said. “Like, Derek Jeter peed in that urinal.”
Northwestern (7-6) threw option pitches and straight handoffs at the Panthers. The Wildcats also picked off three passes and converted all four of its fourth down attempts on offense, including a 21-yard touchdown reception by Garrett Dickerson on fourth-and-1 with 8:23 left in the game. The Northwestern defense then stood its ground on 4th and 10 when Pitt quarterback Ben DiNucci was picked off at the 3-yard line with 2:49 left. Add in an earlier missed field goal and Pitt’s miscues piled up.
“A lot of plays we left out there,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “So many points we left out there.”
There was a missing piece, as well. Pitt lost star tailback James Conner after only eight carries for 32 yards. Narduzzi noted that Conner, a 1,000-yard rusher, took a hit to the head on a play that Conner did not carry the ball. Narduzzi seemed to take exception to the hit.
“Kind of interesting,” Narduzzi said.
Northwestern needed no help in the rushing game. Jackson ran all over the Panthers. His first touchdown came on a sprint left that ended with his headfirst dive to the pylon. His second score came on a sprint off right tackle. He absorbed one hit at his legs and spun his way over the defender past the goal line. That put the Wildcats up 14-3, but Pitt responded immediately, scoring on a 69-yard connection between quarterback Nathan Peterman and wideout Jester Weah. The play took 11 seconds, and cut Northwestern’s lead to four points at halftime.
“It was just them against us,” Jackson said.
By game’s end, it was Jackson wearing the title of Most Valuable Player. He was asked whether he would return for his senior year and maintained that he would finish his degree. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald agreed that he was staying.
“There’s no way,” Fitzgerald said. “Your dad would kill you.”