Inside NU - Northwestern vs. Michigan State gamedayRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2016-10-18T09:01:03-05:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/130604412016-10-18T09:01:03-05:002016-10-18T09:01:03-05:00Pound the Talk: Michigan St. review
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<img alt="Northwestern v Michigan State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c04XXfUjzcynoEaY-aZPOUihoiA=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51396303/614913370.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It was a good one after a long hiatus during the bye.</p> <p id="5ZYCqo"><em>Inside NU's Zach Pereles and Rob Schaefer join WNUR's Michael Stern to discuss Northwestern's huge win over Michigan State on Saturday. They go in-depth on how the offense has improved, evolved and ultimately become an absolute power. Has it been schematic changes? Personnel? Play calling? A combination? They also talk about the not-so-good part of the game: the defensive secondary and break down how much of an issue it is going forward.</em></p>
<p id="0W8fDM">Listen below, or <strong><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-nus-pound-talk-wnur/id1019007360">subscribe, download and listen to the podcast on iTunes.</a></strong></p>
<div id="l8QsOL"><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F288783582&show_artwork=true" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: 400px;"></iframe></div>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/18/13314658/northwestern-michigan-state-football-score-stats-analysis-podcast-pound-the-talkZach PerelesRob Schaefer2016-10-17T10:45:33-05:002016-10-17T10:45:33-05:00Solomon Vault wins Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/788025274654986240">Solomon Vault wins Big Ten Special Teams Player of the&nbsp;Week</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Vault took back his fourth career kickoff return touchdown, and first of the season, on Saturday versus Michigan St., a 95-yarder. It helped erase the hosts' momentum after the Spartans had just the lead to 33-31 after two quick touchdowns. Vault is the leading returner in NU history with those four career kickoff return touchdowns.</p></p></div>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/17/13305580/solomon-vault-wins-big-ten-special-teams-player-of-the-weekZach Pereles2016-10-16T11:40:35-05:002016-10-16T11:40:35-05:00Player Grades from Northwestern’s 54-40 victory over Michigan State
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Michigan State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RFPMj8cYB3qch9oM7wafhqpFcEA=/0x136:4383x3058/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51374685/usa-today-9609003.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>High marks all around for the Wildcats in this one. </p> <p id="mef3dJ"><em>Every Sunday after a Northwestern win or loss, we'll be handing out player grades as a way to analyze the Wildcats' performance from an individual perspective. Rather than rush out the grades on Saturday, we'll sleep on them, and wake up Sunday ready to accurately evaluate NU's players, coaches and opponents.</em></p>
<p id="vlGilm"><em>Northwestern played spoiler again on Saturday, this time with a 54-40 upset victory over Michigan State at Spartan Stadium. The team report card reflects the monumental nature of the win:</em></p>
<h1 id="baXeMV">Offense</h1>
<h2 id="CJ7tZO">Clayton Thorson</h2>
<h2 id="kUDyLw">Grade: A-</h2>
<p id="u5367a"><em>Stats: 27/35, 281 yards, three touchdowns, one interception; five carries, nine yards, one touchdown</em></p>
<p id="631vnM">Truthfully, I hate to not be able to give Thorson a higher grade than an A-, but the pick-six he threw in the first quarter was absolutely deplorable. Thorson was the first one to admit fault post-game, and he was also <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13294814/northwestern-michigan-state-football-final-score-analysis-stats-clayton-throson-quuarterback">the fastest to bounce back</a> during the game. The redshirt sophomore was near perfect following the interception; he set a new career high for completion percentage in a game (77.1 percent) and came up with a number of key throws down the stretch to keep Michigan State out of shouting distance. Thank the offensive line, thank Justin Jackson, thank the Northwestern coaching staff for this Thorson performance (possibly the best of his career), but, above all, thank the resiliency and maturity of Thorson for allowing him to put the Wildcat offense’s shaky start behind him and drop 54 points on a team that, lest we forget, participated in the College Football Playoff in 2015. </p>
<h2 id="xs7YnR">Justin Jackson</h2>
<h2 id="a6aigx">Grade: A+</h2>
<p id="6Xe161"><em>Stats: 34 carries, 188 yards, two touchdowns; four receptions, ten yards</em></p>
<p id="tNWOUR">We knew Northwestern would be able to run the ball on Michigan State, but Jackson was included in the group of Wildcats who got off to a sluggish start in this one. He eventually righted the ship, finishing the day with a whopping 38 total touches, nearly 200 total yards and two scores. As important as Thorson’s development has been for Northwestern’s offense, this team still very much goes as Justin Jackson (and the offensive line) goes. If he’s going to put up performances like the ones he had against Iowa and Michigan State every week, Northwestern might just make some noise down the stretch in 2016. </p>
<h2 id="To9wqK">Austin Carr</h2>
<h2 id="DkyrmT">Grade: A+</h2>
<p id="VSKyEt"><em>Stats: 11 receptions, 130 yards, two touchdowns </em></p>
<p id="0jEyZQ">Austin Carr is simply ridiculous. He’s the best wide receiver in the Big Ten and with each passing week, this point is getting more difficult to debate. He has scored in five straight games for Northwestern and he’s easily Clayton Thorson’s favorite and most reliable target: he had more than double the receptions of the next highest total on the team today and is leading the team in every major statistical receiving category by a mile. He’s a bonafide security blanket on third down, regardless of the down and distance, and his 29-yard score with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter was the final dagger in the Spartan faithful’s hearts. There’s a legitimate argument to be made for Northwestern having both the best wide receiver and running back in the Big Ten, and if you see any truth in this claim, it’s no wonder the offense has seen such a dramatic resurgence over the past two games. </p>
<h2 id="bOmcFa">Flynn Nagel</h2>
<h2 id="JNvxgW">Grade: A</h2>
<p id="k6I8Eo"><em>Stats: Five receptions, 81 yards, one touchdown; one kickoff return, 24 yards</em></p>
<p id="BgYTnr">Entering the season, I’m not sure anyone saw Nagel’s role within this team expanding this much — remember, it was Matt Harris who was listed as the primary punt returner — and at least not in the foreseeable future. But, oh, how wrong this sentiment turned out to be. Nagel has turned into a reliable second option for Thorson in the passing game by virtue of plays like his 57-yard touchdown reception today (the first score of his career). This was a day of <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/16/13296218/northwestern-wildcats-michigan-state-spartans-final-score-stats-records-justin-jackson-austin-carr">career bests</a> for a number of Northwestern players and Nagel was certainly one of them. Under the tutelage of Carr, Nagel could turn into a legitimate weapon for NU if he continues to build off of performances like this one. </p>
<h2 id="5HWIvn">Offensive line</h2>
<h2 id="IV23uE">Grade: A</h2>
<p id="kG6zwi">This unit has really turned things around since the beginning of the season, and it’s reflected in the numbers of all the guys listed above. Clayton Thorson, Justin Jackson and Austin Carr are all playing the best football of their respective careers, and you don’t get this kind of play out of skill-position guys on offense unless you’re winning the battle up front. On Saturday, they did that, even without the on-field leadership of captain Connor Mahoney. As a unit, they probably deserve the most credit for Northwestern’s 54-point explosion, if only for the impact they had on every aspect of the Wildcat’s offense. </p>
<h1 id="MS5pwf">Defense</h1>
<h2 id="LF9uj2">Ifeadi Odenigbo</h2>
<h2 id="anVh4U">Grade: A</h2>
<p id="KShuHk"><em>Stats: Four total tackles (three solo), two sacks, two tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble</em></p>
<p id="uhj4sd">I don’t even feel remotely bad about all the A’s I’m giving out here, and if you watched this game, you understand why. The defense as a whole wasn’t necessarily a point of strength for Northwestern today, but Odenigbo certainly was. Coming off a career four-sack day against Iowa, Odenigbo came into this one determined to wreck another side’s homecoming weekend. He was able to do just that with two sacks and a key strip-sack to halt Michigan State’s momentum in the third quarter. The secondary had its lapses, but the defensive line was disruptive all day, and that all starts with Odenigbo. </p>
<h2 id="AHNOiz">Joe Gaziano</h2>
<h2 id="a2QgJe">Grade: B+</h2>
<p id="EGRq5J"><em>Stats: Four total tackles (three solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hurry, one fumble recovery</em></p>
<p id="DOVXFT">Talk about opportunistic. Gaziano’s impact was felt on two crucial plays in this one: his <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13295316/watch-gaziano-puts-a-big-hit-on-lewerke-in-end-zone-for-a-safety">crushing sack</a> of Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke for a safety in the first half (Odenigbo said he thought there was “a dead body” on the field after the hit) and pouncing on Odenigbo’s forced fumble late in the third quarter. Pat Fitzgerald was incredibly high on Gaziano post-game, so we may expect to see more out of the Massachusetts product in the coming weeks. </p>
<h2 id="QSreCN">Anthony Walker</h2>
<h2 id="0v0Bjs">Grade: B</h2>
<p id="1QHKq4"><em>Stats: Seven total tackles (four solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hurries</em></p>
<p id="LUTHiG">It’s usually difficult to discuss Northwestern’s defense at all without Anthony Walker dominating the conversation, but his number wasn’t called overly often today. He had a few disruptive plays in the backfield, but Northwestern’s second and third levels of defense struggled all day with both coverage and tackling. Walker was solid, but not quite “The Franchise” level guy we expect week in and week out. </p>
<h2 id="h0ZtWQ">Secondary</h2>
<h2 id="JrczZj">Grade: D</h2>
<p id="QyTi3c">The one blemish on an otherwise glorious day for Northwestern football. Fitzgerald lamented miscommunications and a lack of focus in the secondary in the post-game press conference and it’s easy to see where he’s coming from. Northwestern led 33-17 midway through the third quarter and appeared completely in control of the game when two long R.J. Shelton touchdowns, one a juggling grab tipped up in the air by Godwin Igwebuike and the other a busted coverage by Alonzo Mayo, allowed Michigan State to fight back into within two points. Northwestern would, of course, stave the Spartans off and a late Jared McGee interception added some respectability to the unit’s stat line, but it was overall a disappointing performance for a unit plagued by both injuries and inexperience. </p>
<h1 id="SgPQXR">Special teams</h1>
<h2 id="BTYLhG">Solomon Vault</h2>
<h2 id="NF4aWd">Grade: A</h2>
<p id="vE0qPf"><em>Stats: Two receptions, eight yards; one kickoff return, 95 yards, one touchdown</em></p>
<p id="BsQJ0x">Solomon Vault may have singlehandedly saved Northwestern from a catastrophic collapse in this game when he took a Michigan State kickoff 95 yards to the house after the Spartans had scored 14 straight to climb back within two points of the visitors. Vault’s explosiveness has yet to truly be showcased in the passing game, but he continues to find ways to make an impact in other phases of the game.</p>
<h2 id="PgsasQ">Jack Mitchell</h2>
<h2 id="FCk8jq">Grade: A+</h2>
<p id="UT1WXL">He’s really turned it around. Mitchell now hasn’t missed a kick in three weeks (sure, one of those was a bye, sue me) and suddenly looks, dare I say, reliable as a kicker. Maybe he just needed the scare of competition to drive him to consistency. It also helps when your offense puts up 38 and 54 in consecutive weeks. It’s a lot easier to consistently convert kicks when you’re attempting mostly extra points. He’s now fifth all-time in the NU scoring books.</p>
<h2 id="OpX3ws"></h2>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/16/13297438/northwestern-michiugan-final-score-state-recap-player-grades-justin-jackson-joe-gazianoRob Schaefer2016-10-16T11:14:39-05:002016-10-16T11:14:39-05:00Northwestern’s offense is firing on all cylinders.
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<img alt="Northwestern v Michigan State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LSyecw4XQQCndyPrr1wLis3MJKM=/0x0:2527x1685/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51374533/614912640.1476634478.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>For the second game in a row, the Wildcats’ offense was dialed in</p> <p id="h6Ytd0">In the first seven weeks of the 2016 season, the Northwestern offense has already had a roller coaster season filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. So much so that at times during the Wildcats’ <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13294616/northwestern-wildcats-michigan-state-spartans-final-score-football-2016-big-ten-pat-fitzgerald">54-40 win</a> over the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, it was impossible to believe this was the same offense that mustered just seven points against Illinois State last month. </p>
<p id="mXpypk">This offense’s performance week-by-week has been documented and discussed at length with mixed reviews to start the season. But these past two games have shed light on the Northwestern offense. Against Iowa and Michigan State, we saw a Northwestern offense that appears to be approaching the game with a new and improved mentality, something that came as no surprise to the team’s head coach.</p>
<p id="8Hq7MT">“Early in the year we weren’t a very good team,” Pat Fitzgerald said after the game. “We didn’t coach well enough and we didn’t play enough, but we’ve stayed the course and we’ve kept grinding and good things usually happen when you respond and I think our guys have responded pretty well offensively and especially on the offensive line.”</p>
<p id="58uP11">Coming off its best performance of the season against Iowa, Northwestern’s offensive line on Saturday was yet again one of the game’s biggest difference makers, even with the absence of senior captain Connor Mahoney at left guard. Listed as doubtful by the injury report, Mahoney did not play in the game, but his replacement J.B. Butler helped contribute to another stellar performance for the Wildcats’ offense on Saturday, which included 490 total yards and just one sack allowed. It was the second week in a row the Wildcats surrendered just one sack.</p>
<p id="kT52aL">“To see the way J.B. stepped up today with Connor being out, I thought was absolutely outstanding, outstanding by that young man,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m incredibly proud of him, I’m not surprised, he’s just a young man waiting for his opportunity and I’m really proud of the way he stepped up.”</p>
<p id="NVLZif">The o-line’s strong performance helped open up all other aspects of Northwestern’s offense as well. One major benefactor was Justin Jackson, who had a monster workload on Saturday, carrying the ball 34 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson has been an x-factor for Northwestern as of late, as he has a combined 60 carries for 359 yards and three touchdowns in the Wildcats’ last two games alone. After hitting a small slump in weeks 2–4 due to opposing defenses stacking the box with defenders, Jackson has been able to pump some life back into the Northwestern’s rushing attack, something Fitzgerald believes is crucial for having success moving forward.</p>
<p id="GSzulZ">“It’s critically important to be able to run the ball, it gives you the two dimensions because you have play action pass and you have the opportunity then to get people to come down in the box and throw the ball over their head,” Fitzgerald said. “A year ago we couldn’t do that. Right now we’re able to do that and I think that’s through a lot of hard work, I think our guys have really been grinding.”</p>
<p id="sWDf6e">As for the passing attack, Clayton Thorson was <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13294814/northwestern-michigan-state-football-final-score-analysis-stats-clayton-throson-quuarterback">able to rebound</a> from a pick-six he threw early in the game and proceeded to turn in the most efficient day passing of his career, completing 27-of-35 passes for 281 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while also adding a rushing touchdown for the third consecutive week.</p>
<p id="vfATUK">From a long stretch in this game, spanning from midway through the first quarter to the middle of the third quarter, Thorson was nearly flawless. During this duration, he completed 19-of-20 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Furthermore, he completed passes to six different players (Austin Carr, Flynn Nagel, Macan Wilson, Justin Jackson, Andrew Scanlan and Solomon Vault) and was 4-of-6 on third down conversions when he dropped back to pass. It was one of the most dominant stretches of play you’ll see all year from anyone.</p>
<p id="iAsbIl">While part of Thorson’s success can be attributed to the improved protection from the offensive line, much of the credit should also be given to the progress we’ve seen the redshirt sophomore make from last season to this season. In the Wildcats’ last two games, Thorson has displayed that he is more poised and comfortable when standing in the pocket. His accuracy has improved immensely, as evidenced by the many difficult sideline routes that he was completing throughout the game, and he appears to have built up a solid rapport with this receivers.</p>
<p id="4LAML6">“He’s 19 games into his career and he’s starting to become comfortable, I think his confidence has been building,” Fitzgerald said about Thorson after the game. “I thought Mick (McCall) did a good job preparing them and I thought we handled the adversity early really really well, in particular Clayton. I just think he needs to keep going, keep grinding.”</p>
<aside id="ML58uC"><q>From a long stretch in this game, spanning from midway through the first quarter to the middle of the third quarter, Thorson was nearly flawless. During this duration, he completed 19-of-20 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns... It was one of the most dominant stretches of play you’ll see all year from anyone.</q></aside><p id="eKxl3u">“I definitely feel more comfortable,” Thorson said after the game. “But you see these guys around me, you know I can throw it to one of the best receivers in the country, I can hand it off to one of the best running backs in the country, and our coaches are doing a great job putting us in positions to be successful.”</p>
<p id="mwPzdW">On the topic of receivers, anyone that’s watched even a fraction of Northwestern football this year knows that Austin Carr has been phenomenal for the Wildcats. And maybe even phenomenal isn’t a big enough word. Against the Spartans, his performance followed suit with the rest of his games this season as he hauled in a career high 11 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Carr currently leads the Big Ten in every significant receiving stat and none of them are close. His 43 receptions are 11 higher than any other player, his 595 yards are over 125 more than the next closest, and his eight receiving touchdowns are two more than anyone else.</p>
<p id="dIlaeq">But besides his impressive in-game statistics, Carr is also making significant impacts during practice, according to his head coach. After a poor showing from the receiving corps last season, Fitzgerald said the program’s receivers came into the off-season with a chip on their shoulders as they strived to improve their preparation and consistency. And while Fitzgerald does acknowledge that Carr has played a major role in the receivers’ development this season, he also credited another senior wideout who has played an equally large role in mentoring the younger receivers.</p>
<p id="efAEwl">“I’m really proud of Andrew Scanlan,” Fitzgerald said. “I just thought he brought an attitude to the room, and he was hungry and he’s been through a lot of adversity in his life. I think he’s kind of the grandpa of the group, he’s done a really good job of imparting wisdom of the young players.”</p>
<p id="9E7wxP">Both Carr and Fitzgerald praised Scanlan’s passion and work ethic that he brings to the locker room. According to Carr, Scanlan’s demeanor compliments his own in that the two senior wideouts can take on a “good cop, bad cop” role with the younger players.</p>
<p id="YofHMG">“Scan brings the fire,” Carr said. “He’s a fiery guy. I like to say he’s the emotional leader of the group.”</p>
<p id="hUQOBd">Moving forward, each position group will play a key role if the Northwestern offense wants to keep up the pace. The offensive line needs to continue opening up holes for Jackson to run through and giving Thorson time to throw. Jackson needs to break some big runs early on to open up the passing attack. Thorson needs to continue to stand tough in the pocket and execute on the difficult throws he’s been completing these past two weeks and the receivers need to continue to make Thorson’s job as easy as possible.</p>
<p id="utvHkh">“It’s just gonna take a continued effort every week,” Jackson said looking forward to next week. “Coaches pushing us like they’ve been doing, us responding and coming into games...putting everything out on the field and not thinking too much or anything, just going out and playing. Trusting our preparation and trusting ourselves to go out there and make plays.”</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/16/13297562/northwestern-football-michigan-state-final-score-analysis-stats-clayton-thorson-justin-jacksonZach Wingrove2016-10-16T09:03:03-05:002016-10-16T09:03:03-05:00Northwestern-Michigan State highlights
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uPGfIyrbw_HtjlIVX4B4_3KKN8s=/190x0:1501x874/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51372475/Screen_Shot_2016-10-16_at_3.07.35_AM.0.0.png" />
<figcaption>Northwestern Athletics on Youtube</figcaption>
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<p>These are lots of fun.</p> <p><em>Courtesy of Northwestern Athletics.</em></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/16/13297520/northwestern-michigan-state-highlights-football-2016-justin-jackson-austin-carrZach Pereles2016-10-16T08:00:03-05:002016-10-16T08:00:03-05:00Northwestern players set tons of records vs. MSU
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<img alt="Northwestern v Michigan State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A3WuBnKS8WtSDpQj9q9c0d8X0hw=/0x0:2929x1953/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51372437/614909422.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>54 points will do that for you.</p> <p id="4GwoUB">Yes, this is what offense feels like.</p>
<p id="EcAmSE">The Wildcats put up 54 points in an incredible high-flying display against Michigan State in East Lansing. The visitors racked up nearly 500 yards of offense en-route to the victory evening their record to 3-3.</p>
<p id="RxXFn6">This game was filled with a ton of highs and lows and crazy plays throughout, and with the Wildcats firing on all cylinders offensively, a lot of individuals were able to set career highs. Here are all of the records set Saturday as well as some team accomplishments as well.</p>
<h1 id="Z8QyCT">Individual offense:</h1>
<h3 id="mD117T">Justin Jackson</h3>
<ul id="KhDf7v"><li>188 rushing yards (previous high: 186)</li></ul>
<h3 id="Sjc0wk">Austin Carr</h3>
<ul id="6Eyo6f">
<li>11 receptions (previous career high: eight)</li>
<li id="GpaRIZ">First Wildcat with a touchdown reception in five straight games since Teddy Johnson in 2000.</li>
<li id="QQEVf0">First Wildcat with multiple receiving touchdowns in back-to-back games since Jeremy Ebert in 2011.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="OgAtVF">Flynn Nagel</h3>
<ul id="qoi8v7">
<li>81 receiving yards (previous high 48)</li>
<li>Five receptions (previous high: four)</li>
<li id="Ipwo8G">Long of 57 yards (previous high: 33)</li>
<li id="MTZ4ZO">First career touchdown</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="49Q5DG">Andrew Scanlan</h3>
<ul id="uSfBat">
<li>32 receiving yards (previous high: 19)</li>
<li>Long of 20 yards (previous high: 19)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="kEg43X">Clayton Thorson</h3>
<ul id="0FrZE9">
<li>27 completions (previous high: 24)</li>
<li id="Irq3K5">77.1 completion percentage (previous high: 73.7)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="NJ74YF">John Moten</h3>
<ul id="8C8h8V">
<li>Eight carries (previous high: three)</li>
<li id="TRx63q">12 yards (previous high: 11)</li>
</ul>
<h1 id="PPRfvJ">Individual defense:</h1>
<h3 id="GN6TAW">Kyle Queiro</h3>
<ul id="9BuOVP"><li>Seven tackles tackles (previous high: 6)</li></ul>
<h3 id="1r1mku">Joe Gaziano</h3>
<ul id="FXAINJ">
<li>Four tackles (previous high: three)</li>
<li id="B0va68">First career sack</li>
<li id="yzVeGj">First career tackle for loss</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="aI7lNJ">Trent Goens</h3>
<ul><li id="SW5n91">Three tackles (previous high: two)</li></ul>
<h1 id="dEY18K">Team:</h1>
<ul id="pGBT9k">
<li>The 54 points scored were the most Michigan State has <em>ever</em> surrendered at home.</li>
<li id="PyHEGx">It also marks the highest output from NU since 59 against Indiana on October 29, 2011.</li>
<li id="5GclZo">The 92 combined points over the past two games are the most since the Wildcats put up 92 combined versus California and Syracuse to open the 2013 season.</li>
</ul>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/16/13296218/northwestern-wildcats-michigan-state-spartans-final-score-stats-records-justin-jackson-austin-carrZach Pereles2016-10-15T21:38:18-05:002016-10-15T21:38:18-05:00The source of Northwestern’s resiliency is its most important player
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Michigan State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4CCeTfjiuCLTP6g9jSC17JILJqw=/0x14:2316x1558/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51370611/usa-today-9608440.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>When all looked lost for Northwestern, the Wildcats’ biggest names stepped up. The brand of resiliency the Wildcats showed today could come to define their 2016 campaign. </p> <p id="0xU8We">He looked left. He looked right. There was no pressure in the face of Clayton Thorson, yet he was apprehensive. And then he made his decision, turning to the right sideline and firing a bullet in the direction of Austin Carr. But the ball was released too late. It never reached the intended target. It wasn’t close.</p>
<p id="FLz6IK">Instead, Michigan State cornerback Justin Layne stepped in front of the pass and trotted 43 yards, uninhibited, into Northwestern’s end zone to extend the Spartans’ lead to 14-0 with 8:31 remaining in the first quarter. It was all too familiar. Northwestern marches into the state of Michigan with considerable momentum and <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/10/10/9494449/northwestern-michigan-final-score-wildcats-wolverines-shutout-jehu-chesson">is squashed by a big-name conference foe</a>. </p>
<p id="Nu9ivN">But then, something funny happened... For the second week in a row, the Wildcats fought back.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">We'll ask again:<br><br>How good is <a href="https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily">@NUFBFamily</a> RB <a href="https://twitter.com/J_ManPrime21">@J_ManPrime21</a>?<br><br>More video » <a href="https://t.co/Afb2pFbefb">https://t.co/Afb2pFbefb</a> <a href="https://t.co/LyUaBijXEu">https://t.co/LyUaBijXEu</a></p>— Northwestern On BTN (@NUOnBTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/NUOnBTN/status/787386713366638592">October 15, 2016</a>
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<p id="FIa2ds">Both supporters and media have been lambasted over the years with the moniker ‘Cardiac Cats’, and it has (for the most part) been a fitting pseudonym for Chicago’s Big Ten team. The lore is timeless, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbp8C9cff0Y">highlights</a> thrilling. But maybe, just maybe, this year’s Northwestern team is forming a new identity, one based around one word: resiliency. </p>
<p id="Ao1Nr6">In a lot of ways, today’s contest in East Lansing was a microcosm of Northwestern’s season. The Wildcats started slow; after being pinned on their own one yard-line and promptly going three-and-out, Northwestern’s defense allowed redshirt freshman quarterback Brian Lewerke and the Michigan State offense to span 39 yards on just three plays and jump out in front 7-0. Three plays later, Thorson’s egregious pick-six, one that he called “completely my fault” <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13295922/press-conference-notes-northwestern-puts-up-54-in-win-over-michigan-state">post-game</a>, afforded the Spartans a 14-0 advantage. All looked lost for the Wildcats. The team on the field in the first five minutes of the first quarter more resembled the one that put up seven points on Illinois State at home than the one that stormed into Iowa City and bulldozed the Hawkeyes on their home turf two weeks ago. </p>
<p id="X3TaaT">As Layne waltzed into the south endzone, Northwestern could have folded, abandoned the run, struggled to stay on the field on offense or off it on defense en route to a humiliating loss after a big win the previous week(s). And considering the Wildcats’ up-and-down nature this season, that’s what would have made sense.</p>
<p id="zNcdz7">In that moment, there’s no way you could tell me, or any other fan, this would happen at Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoon:</p>
<ul>
<li id="BSzkyJ">Clayton Thorson will finish the game 27/35 with 281 yards and four total touchdowns (three passing).</li>
<li id="BYPUlC">After trailing 17-7, Northwestern will rattle off 26 unanswered points and lead by as many as 17 before the game’s conclusion. </li>
<li>Northwestern will convert 10 of 19 third-downs compared to five of 16 for Michigan State, an area that had killed the Wildcats this season.</li>
<li id="JbXOPp">The Wildcats will win the time of possession battle by over 10 minutes.</li>
<li id="nT3Y5R">Jack Mitchell will not miss a kick in this football game.</li>
<li id="GwAHbv">Northwestern will score 54 points in this football game.</li>
<li id="KQbMCU">Northwestern will win this football game.</li>
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<p id="4fCFeq">And yet, all of that happened. There are a number of factors that go into a turnaround like the ones Northwestern has recently experienced — dating back to their comeback victory over Iowa two weeks ago — but none are more important than the resurgence of their quarterback, by all accounts the most important player on the team: Clayton Thorson. </p>
<p id="kQmUXg">The age-old adage says that to be a great quarterback, you have to have selective memory. Amnesia, if you will. In his year-and-a-half at the helm of Northwestern’s offense, Thorson has never exhibited the capacity to move past his mistakes; all three of his losses in 2015 were by over 30 points and were the result of poor starts snowballing into catastrophic blowouts. Even this season, Thorson flashed his vulnerability in high-pressure situations at the end of the Western Michigan loss and throughout the Illinois State debacle.</p>
<p id="RZpVHk">But in these past two games, he’s figured it out.</p>
<p id="2fWt0L">“He didn’t lose his composure, he didn’t get upset,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said of Thorson’s performance post-game. “Sometimes bad things happen and it’s more about how you respond than what happens.”</p>
<p id="yCo9It">Thorson <em>did</em> respond, but, of course, he didn’t defeat Michigan State alone. Even without captain Connor Mahoney, the offensive line consistently afforded Thorson enough time to run through his progressions with a clear pocket. J.B. Butler filled in admirably for the senior captain. Justin Jackson utilized holes opened by that very same line to gash the Spartans’ front seven to the tune of 188 yards (a career high) and two scores on 34 carries. Austin Carr is the best receiver in the Big Ten. The defense cracked down on Lewerke after his hot start and eventually forced him out of the game in favor of the incumbent Tyler O’Connor. And when O’Connor came in and inexplicably catapulted Michigan State back into the game with two long touchdown throws, Solomon Vault quelled the bleeding with a timely kick-return touchdown. </p>
<p id="TLbd1X">When other people do their job, it takes part of the massive load of leading this team off of Thorson’s shoulders. The result of this is a more relaxed Clayton Thorson, a more resilient Clayton Thorson and, perhaps most importantly, a more efficient<em> </em>Clayton Thorson. </p>
<p id="W1GjeE">“I definitely feel more comfortable. I can throw it to one of the best receivers in the country, I can hand it off to one of the best running backs in the country and our coaches are doing a great job of putting us in positions to be successful... Everyone’s bought in,” Thorson said. </p>
<p id="FuBMbl">This is the Clayton Thorson Northwestern needs. A lot was made before and during the beginning part of the season about Northwestern’s hesitance to take chances, to stretch their opponent’s defenses out. But maybe that wasn’t their problem at all. Between the Iowa game two weeks ago and the Michigan State contest Saturday, Northwestern has had its two best offensive performances of the Clayton Thorson era. In fact, NU hadn’t put up this many points in a game since dropping 59 on Indiana back in 2011. But Thorson is averaging only 6.8 yards per attempt in those two contests. That mark would rank him 88th in the FBS among qualifying quarterbacks. But he also completed 69.2% of his passes in these games, and the offense he leads has put up a combined 92 points in their last eight quarters of football.</p>
<p id="lQLV4N">Fitzgerald himself stressed the importance of consistency in play-calling and execution and the contributions of others to Thorson’s development and maturity. “It’s critically important to be able to run the ball, it then gives you two dimensions... You get people to come down into the box and you can throw it over their heads. A year ago we couldn’t do that.”</p>
<p id="ZtlxzE">So how do you turn offensive efficiency into a 54-point road explosion against a conference opponent? The answer is simple. Confidence and execution. They go hand-in-hand When Thorson is confident, he can really put pressure on the defense with his arm and his legs. It then trickles down to the rest of the team and good things happen: wide receivers gain confidence (ask Austin Carr about the confidence he has in his gunslinger). You don’t go from fumbling on the one-yard line toto dismantling a Mark Dantonio team in East Lansing overnight. It takes establishing a run game. It takes gaining confidence in short-to-intermediate throws and then, over time, expanding your offensive repertoire further downfield. It takes patience. That’s how you go from being last year’s Clayton Thorson to the guy that makes this play on fourth and six with five minutes left in the fourth quarter:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Have a feeling Justin Jackson & Austin Carr will be sharing <a href="https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball">@B1Gfootball</a> Offensive Player of the Week. <a href="https://t.co/JxXVNcssPt">https://t.co/JxXVNcssPt</a></p>— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) <a href="https://twitter.com/BTNBrentYarina/status/787427619671126016">October 15, 2016</a>
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<p id="RX5GyU">“He’s maturing in the offense. We’re six games in, 13 last year... And he’s starting to become comfortable, his confidence has been building,” Fitzgerald said. We’ve seen flashes of what Clayton Thorson can be in the past and now, coming off the best two games of his life, is his chance to cement himself as a leader of the offensive unit and the team as a whole. </p>
<p id="SiU1tN">This season may very well still end up being a disappointment for Northwestern. 3-3 is not the end goal of this team. But the progress Thorson and, by association, the team has made in recent weeks is cause for legitimate optimism moving forward. We’ve harped on Northwestern’s coaching issues all season, but this team (and Thorson especially) has clearly embraced the identity of a typical Pat Fitzgerald squad. Tough. Focused (for the most part).</p>
<p id="muaiB9">Resilient. </p>
<p id="6RjMzy">“We can pout and start to point fingers,” Fitzgerald said on his team’s early-season struggles, “Or we can stay on the grind and keep the pedal down... The only way we we’re going to get it fixed was us.” </p>
<p id="CrTZxB">The defense showed cause for concern today, and Fitzgerald acknowledged that this team is not a “finished product.” He’s absolutely right regardless, this is not the Northwestern team that sent the city of Evanston into a frantic spiral with their sloppy 0-2 start to the season. This isn’t even the same Northwestern team that rattled off 10 wins in 2015. This is a new team, and it just might be Clayton Thorson’s team. </p>
<p id="jH2p2e">“He just needs to keep going, keep grinding,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s 19 games into his career and he’s doing a pretty good job. He’s giving us opportunities to win games.”</p>
<p id="EGIpHE">As Northwestern hits the stretch run, it’ll need for him to continue to do just that.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13294814/northwestern-michigan-state-football-final-score-analysis-stats-clayton-throson-quuarterbackRob Schaefer2016-10-15T20:13:47-05:002016-10-15T20:13:47-05:00Northwestern-Michigan State video recap
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<p>It was a huge win for the Wildcats. Here are our takeaways.</p> <p id="8K0UZG">It was yet another victorious roadtrip for Northwestern. We break it down.</p>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/insidenu/videos/1124170714285579/"></a><p>NU-MSU recap</p>由 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/insidenu/">Inside NU</a> 貼上了 2016年10月15日</blockquote></div>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/15/13296300/northwestern-michigan-state-final-score-recap-stats-clayton-thorson-justin-jacksonZach PerelesSam BriefZach WingroveRob Schaefer