Inside NU - Northwestern vs. Nebraska GameweekRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2017-11-08T04:02:59-06:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/163565172017-11-08T04:02:59-06:002017-11-08T04:02:59-06:00Inside the Play: Nobody can catch Jeremy Larkin
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<figcaption>Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Northwestern appears to have yet another star running back in the making.</p> <p id="kPvxG6"><em>Every week, our Ian McCafferty will go back and critically review one or more plays from the past Saturday's game. These are the plays that, more than any others, were crucial in determining the outcome of the game. He'll check the film, and breakdown the how and why of those decisive few seconds.</em></p>
<p id="Vagynw">So...about this being a weekly column. It turns out even during senior year you can still get destroyed by schoolwork. ANYWAY, we’re back after a couple weeks “off” and in the meantime, Northwestern is good now! Well, good at winning games in overtime anyway. After winning a slugfest against Iowa and upsetting a very good Michigan St. team, the Wildcats went into Lincoln and won a third straight OT game. There are a few plays from this game that we could have looked at, but we’re going to focus on one of the most fun — <span>Jeremy Larkin</span>’s 24-yard TD in the second quarter. </p>
<p id="sJK1gj"><em>(All video via BTN)</em></p>
<p id="w3r1i6">There are only three more regular season games in Justin <span>Jackson</span>’s career.</p>
<p id="fcOK5z">It might not be fun to think about, especially in the middle of an incredible four-game winning streak, but we’re reaching the end of the Jackson era at Northwestern. It’s not over yet, but it’s close enough that we’ve started considering what exactly will happen after.</p>
<p id="iBrlg2">That’s where Jeremy Larkin comes in. </p>
<p id="6pOM2u">One of the most encouraging signs from this season has been the play of young players all over the roster. Some of the most notable examples are <span>Paddy Fisher</span>, <span>JR Pace</span> and the Miller brothers on defense, and Jeremy Larkin and <span>Riley Lees</span> on offense. </p>
<p id="thDUna">Larkin has provided a spark in a backup role, averaging 4.8 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns in his work spelling Jackson. On Sunday against Nebraska he had the best game of his career with 10 rushes for 69 yards and a touchdown.</p>
<p id="CMwEHK">It wasn’t your everyday touchdown either.</p>
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<p id="qOeDFN">It’s an incredible combination of speed and vision from Larkin. Let’s take a closer look. </p>
<h1 id="QQa5Ux">The Breakdown</h1>
<p id="qwtXFn">Here are our pre-snap alignments:</p>
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<p id="EAcO31">Just a basic three wide receiver set from Northwestern with Thorson and Larkin in the shotgun. This is a setup we’ve seen Northwestern run out of time and time again. Nebraska is playing a base 4-3 with the safety committed to picking up the slot receiver if it’s a pass. </p>
<p id="UXVzsy">Both teams are in roughly base sets here, so there’s not a ton that would say “this will be a touchdown” from before the play.</p>
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<p id="xbh0Dk">If you’ve ever watched any Northwestern football you’ve seen this play before. It’s an off-tackle stretch run to the right, where they pull the center and the left guard to block. It honestly what makes the actual result from this play so astonishing; with the exception of <span>Blake Hance</span>, the entire left side of Northwestern’s line has been pulled to lead block for Larkin, yet he is still able to cut it back.</p>
<p id="kYMZ5h">Also, that is a really, really good block from Garrett Dickerson. He blows <span>Alex Davis</span> (22) right off the line — Davis is 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds by the way — and creates that hole himself. </p>
<p id="EyKmGV">Anyway, a couple seconds in the play is developing beautifully for Northwestern. Dickerson created a hole, there are receivers blocking downfield and Larkin has a giant lead blocker. Also keep your eye on linebacker <span>Marcus Newby</span> (3), aka the guy who’s supposed to keep contain, right near the tip of purple arrow graphic.</p>
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<p id="PUfEh1">Unfortunately for Northwestern, the play quickly falls apart as <span>Rashawn Slater</span> can’t hold his block and gets muscled into the hole. This costs Larkin his lead blocker and closes his running lane. Another hole opens up right where Slater just was, but the large arms of <span>Mick Stoltenberg</span> (44) are going to grab Larkin right away if he hits that one. Still, most running backs would take that 2 or 3 yard gain and live to see another play.</p>
<p id="9eEq7i">Meanwhile, <span>Newby</span> continues to calmly jog towards the play, already inside the tackle box at this point.</p>
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<p id="oCAKj3"><span>Stoltenberg</span> absolutely thinks that Larkin is going to hit that hole up the middle and crashes hard, which allows <span>Tommy Doles</span> to use his momentum to push him down and for Larkin to jump cut out of the way. </p>
<p id="leFHOY">Here’s where things get fun.</p>
<p id="cR4Myr">Our friend Newby has now wandered all the down towards the play and at first glance appears to be ready to make the play. The only problem is that he has come too far inside. He’s trapped himself inside the tackle box and on the wrong side of <span>Blake Hance</span>. </p>
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<p id="xNDf5N">Larkin simply cuts it outside of Hance and Newby has no shot at keeping contain. Still, <span>Ben Stille</span> (95) is in a decent position and has an angle on Larkin now that he’s disengaged with Hance.</p>
<p id="xPjmIM">The only problem?</p>
<p id="80r1rq">Larkin, 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds, is way faster than the 6-foot-5, 255 pound linebacker.</p>
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<p id="bokeyY">Larkin is smart in that he doesn’t cut upfield too early, instead outrunning Stille to the sideline until he has an angle to turn the corner and cut upfield.</p>
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<p id="CGQizR">Stille makes a valiant effort, but Larkin simply outmaneuvered him.</p>
<p id="lKDTlE">Now if this play had been run from further away from the goal line, Nebraska safety <span>Lamar Jackson</span> probably runs down Larkin.</p>
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<p id="I7BtFV">But luckily they’re only 25 yards away and Larkin coasts into the endzone basically untouched.</p>
<h1 id="2CZdQg">Takeaways</h1>
<p id="x1Y7CG">Jeremy Larkin is very good. </p>
<p id="j5dkom">No but seriously, while the speed is impressive here, the shiftiness and the vision he displays are Jackson-esque. He waited patiently for the play to develop and then simply ran to where the defense wasn’t. </p>
<p id="WIKE04">Is running away from your blockers always the smartest decision? Not really, but if you have the skills to make it work, then by all means try it. </p>
<p id="JrJhOA">It is incredibly unfair to both sides to try and sit here and compare Jackson and Larkin in any way. Jackson is possibly the greatest running back in Northwestern history and Larkin still has a LONG way to go. But at the very least, when next year rolls around, it looks like the Northwestern ground attack will still be in good hands. </p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/8/16622664/inside-the-play-northwestern-film-analysis-breakdown-nobody-can-catch-jeremy-larkin-running-backIan McCafferty2017-11-05T04:18:03-06:002017-11-05T04:18:03-06:00Three up, three down for Northwestern’s third consecutive overtime victory
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Nebraska" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fnxhsEbcn2RN2B2sa3UwviMKIKI=/0x115:4913x3390/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57472271/usa_today_10391568.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Who stood out the most during Northwestern’s victory over Nebraska?</p> <p id="8wRnk8"><em>Out with Player Grades and in with Three up, Three down, Inside NU's newest postgame evaluation. Rather than handing out grades to the different contributors, we'll give you three players (or position groups) whose stock went up and three players whose performances were disappointing. After a one-week hiatus, here’s the report from Lincoln.</em></p>
<h1 id="HeImGy">Stock Up</h1>
<p id="otRJ4s"><span><strong>Kyle Queiro</strong></span></p>
<p id="ukR3fF">The senior safety <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/4/16607622/northwestern-pat-fitzgerald-wildcats-clayton-thorson-kyle-queiro">asked to be put on Nebraska speedster JD Spielman</a>, and for the most part he shut down the star wideout, who is <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/3/16599886/nebraska-northwestern-opponent-q-and-a-wildcats-huskers-tanner-lee-mike-riley">widely viewed as the most dangerous part of Nebraska’s offense</a>. <span>Queiro</span> was the clear MVP of this game, adding 3 key pass breakups (including two great plays on potential big gains) to his 2 interceptions and carrying Northwestern’s up-and-down pass defense across the finish line. Without Queiro, the Wildcats almost certainly lose this game in regulation.</p>
<p id="NWcBsk"><strong>The Running Game</strong></p>
<p id="uyM945"><span>Justin Jackson</span> and <span>Jeremy Larkin</span> used a variety of jump cuts and field reversals to carve up Nebraska’s defense en route to 223 yards and 2 touchdowns combined on 41 carries. Neither of them had a run longer than 24 yards, but they continually picked up chunks when Northwestern’s offense needed them to. <a href="https://twitter.com/WillRagatz/status/926899761965404160">Both first half</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WillRagatz/status/926910611589681152">touchdowns</a> were phenomenal, and the overtime game-winner was a result of the Wildcats wearing out Nebraska on the ground. The offensive line created good push all game, and that combined with the shiftiness of <span>Jackson</span> and Larkin kept the ground game churning and helped carry Northwestern over the finish line.</p>
<p id="uVeFTw"><span><strong>Macan Wilson</strong></span></p>
<p id="XCy36p"><span>Wilson</span> got more consistent separation yesterday than any Northwestern receiver has during the Big Ten slate, running open across the middle of the field on multiple occasions. 5 catches for 107 yards downplays his true performance, as he kept several drives alive with huge catches, including a diving 28-yarder that set up Larkin’s touchdown and a 42-yarder down the sideline that set up a Kuhbander field goal. Wilson is a senior, but if he can put up more performances like this down the stretch, Northwestern’s offense will be in good hands for its last 4 games.</p>
<p id="W1cYaH"><em><strong>Honorable mentions: </strong></em><span><em>Godwin Igwebuike</em></span><em>, The Offensive Line, Northwestern’s relationship with overtime</em></p>
<h2 id="D1mskS">Stock Down</h2>
<p id="4Yd9BD"><span><strong>Clayton Thorson</strong></span></p>
<p id="wRSdoi"><span>Thorson</span> made some big throws when he needed to, but his two bad interceptions and completion percentage of 54 still aren’t good enough. The junior remains a study in compromise deep into his third year as a starter; he became the winningest quarterback in Northwestern history while scoring the eventual game-winning touchdown but also nearly cost his team the game with crucial mistakes. It’s beginning to sound like a broken record, but Thorson must shore up his consistency for Northwestern to close out the season at their best.</p>
<p id="LB3Dfk"><span><strong>Alonzo Mayo</strong></span><strong>/</strong><span><strong>Jared McGee</strong></span></p>
<p id="Cf600w">The Cornhuskers didn’t do much on offense, but their three biggest plays directly involved these two. They, along with <span>Godwin Igwebuike</span>, were beaten to the edge on Spielman’s 40 yard end-around, and <span>Tanner Lee</span> targeted Mayo on his first touchdown (to tight end <span>Jack Stoll</span>) and <span>McGee</span> on his second (to wide receiver <span>Bryan Reimers</span>, for only the second catch of his career). I’m picking nits from what was a mostly staunch defensive effort, but Mayo especially has been consistently burned over the past few weeks and needs to step up his game down the stretch. </p>
<p id="ncm00t"><strong>Short-yardage defense</strong></p>
<p id="WlQMmj">Though they were just 2 for 14 on 3rd or 4th and 5 or longer, Nebraska converted each of their 5 opportunities from 4 yards away or closer. Northwestern was good enough at getting off the field to win, but they struggled defensively both on the ground and through the air in short-yardage situations. This is the first game in which this deficiency has been so clear, but it’s apparent that Northwestern has some work to do this week on stopping 3rd/4th and short.</p>
<p id="JyaXb1"><em><strong>Honorable Mentions: </strong></em><em>Time management, Northwestern fans’ health</em></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/5/16608062/three-up-three-down-northwestern-football-stock-report-nebraska-overtime-clayton-thorson-macanNoah Coffman2017-11-04T22:31:03-05:002017-11-04T22:31:03-05:00The philosophical implications of Northwestern’s OT win over Nebraska
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<figcaption>Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>ARE WE MERELY PAWNS IN THE HANDS OF FATE?</p> <p id="eAOBVN">Hypotheticals are irrelevant. Reality will not change, no matter how many well-reasoned what-if scenarios sports fans will devise. And yet, even with Northwestern’s players celebrating and 89,000 people emptying Memorial Stadium in record time, everyone involved wondered what might have been, at least once. </p>
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<cite>XKCD</cite>
<figcaption>Inside NU is no different.</figcaption>
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<p id="x3aqur">College football, like all sports, is a nonsensical game of layered probabilities. No. 6 Ohio State lost 55-24 to Iowa, a team that could not score more than 10 points against Northwestern. Was this likely? No, but that doesn’t matter. Stats are for losers.</p>
<p id="m3kuX7">After the Penn State game, I wrote that Northwestern was <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/10/7/16441420/northwestern-football-mick-mccall-clayton-thorson-wildcats-penn-state">“Chicago’s Big Ten Existential Crisis.”</a> At the time, it was a humorous dig at the team’s moribund start. But for me, it was always a personal crisis of whether college football was worth watching. Three overtime wins later, I can definitively say I was wrong. Northwestern football is worth watching. </p>
<p id="TiiiL2">Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the existential crisis is over. The way these wins have happened, in classic Northwestern fashion, are so ridiculous that you have to question the mechanics. Was this absurd string of games...destiny? </p>
<p id="FUT887">Let’s look at the math. What are the odds Northwestern would play three straight overtime games? You will likely never see that again, that’s for sure. Prior to this season, Northwestern played 15 overtime games in 264 opportunities (this is a stupid stat to use, but it’s all we have). That’s a lot. Kansas State, the other purple Wildcats, have played 3 overtime games between 1996-2016 (ironically, they also won in overtime today). But using that undoubtedly inflated 5.68 percent rate, Northwestern’s chances of going to three straight were still just .019 percent. The odds Northwestern would <em>win</em> all three, after losing the coin toss, were even greater. </p>
<p id="vY3nTL">But that doesn’t matter. While you read this, there was a 100 percent chance Northwestern would win three straight overtime games (something that had never been done before), because it actually happened. There’s no point in saying it was “unbelievable” or “unreal” because that implies another reality was more likely, which is absurd. This is all we’ve got. </p>
<p id="LGitRe">So...does Northwestern like playing overtime games?</p>
<p id="dADrLL">“I would prefer not to,” Fitzgerald said, when asked. “I think our guys have some confidence in tight games. To see now the way we responded, to see the look in their eyes when it was overtime, ‘we are going to win this game’.”</p>
<p id="0kBABl">This is coachspeak, for sure, but it still has some analytical value in a philosophical way, if not practically. </p>
<p id="x709DQ">Sporting events will always be the best gauge on whether a person believes in determinism or free will. With that quote, you feel like Pat Fitzgerald is buying into a deterministic worldview, an understandable reaction to sporting events. Fitzgerald went for it on four gutsy fourth down plays that changed the course of the game with little hesitation. Prior to this year, no one would ever say Fitz was an aggressive coach on fourth down. Now, he seems to be going for it at all times, even when the math isn’t even in his favor (remember that fourth-and-long he went for against Maryland?). That screams determinism to me. </p>
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<cite>Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<p id="atsR2N"><span>Clayton Thorson</span>, on the other hand, seems to be a free will guy. </p>
<p id="JaFcjH">“It starts up front, those guys are playing well,” he said. “On those three other drives I missed some throws I never miss, so I have do a little better job of that.”</p>
<p id="YsoZxf">This is some major armchair psychology, but as a quarterback, it makes sense that <span>Thorson</span> tends toward free will in sporting events (no clue what he thinks in non-sporting events). He’s the attacker, the offensive genius who is supposed to marshal his team to victory. He makes the throws. It’s his decision. If Thorson doesn’t believe in his individual agency, then he probably wouldn’t be a very good quarterback. </p>
<p id="K5SQe8">Of course, Thorson’s free will can lead to bad outcomes.</p>
<p id="eLZFRZ">“I definitely didn’t have my best stuff the whole game,” he said. This was a slight understatement. With Northwestern down 24-17 in the middle of the fourth, he had 175 yards and two interceptions that led to Nebraska touchdowns. He hadn’t made a pass downfield in the entire second half. He was missing wide-open players. His confidence was gone. But then, Thorson picked himself off the mat and delivered two excellent drives to tie the game and to go ahead in overtime. Free will, right? </p>
<p id="2R32WN">Not so fast. For Pat Fitzgerald, the former linebacker, determinism must be the only outcome. Just as the star quarterback must love free will, the star middle linebacker, whose main job on the field is to diagnose plays before they happen, must be a determinist. Offense=active, defense=reactive; you get it. The play is already decided before you walk up to the line. You spend hours with the scout team, looking for tells, looking at film, trying to counter. The middle linebacker, ideally, knows everything that is fated to happen before the game even begins. </p>
<p id="JSW9Ma">“We made a mistake at the end of the first half, not taking a timeout,” Fitzgerald said, frustrated with himself. “That played into the fourth decision at the end of overtime.”</p>
<p id="OzB38k">Fitzgerald made a dumb mistake, but clearly, he sees it as merely part of the process that led to his fourth down decision in overtime. And that was a major reason they won, so determinism wins, right? </p>
<p id="FnWC7e">But when you really think about it, both arguments make perfect sense. It’s as if determinism and free will are like two sides of one football team. They are compatible with one another, and as David Hume argued in the 1730s, that’s fine. Under the philosophical idea of “<a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/compatibilism/">compatibility</a>,” as long as the free decision to go on fourth down is included in the chain of events, you can have free will and determinism working simultaneously. </p>
<p id="ZfkA5j">So many things had to go a certain way for Northwestern to be 6-3. Some of them were acts of fate (Noah Fant’s dropped pass). Some were acts of free will (<span>Flynn Nagel</span> escaping a tackle to tie MSU to force triple OT). And today, if one supernatural <span>Justin Jackson</span> run gets stuffed, or <span>Godwin Igwebuike</span> doesn’t make a game-saving pick in the redzone, NOTthwestern would have lost. You can disappear headfirst into hypotheticals, and sports narrative will let you in the door for advertising revenue. Be a casual fan tonight. Rather than thinking about those darned sports narratives, I think Northwestern fans deserve a night to just appreciate what has occurred over the last three weeks, if only to relax our stressed brains. It’s been a magical mishmash of fate and freedom. This type of absurdity is why we watch sports. </p>
<p id="dFAxyZ">I made fun of Pat Fitzgerald for evaluating things “holistically,” but I am now going to evaluate college football holistically. Everything from today’s crazy day in the Big Ten, from Michigan State defeating Penn State to Rutgers having three conference wins, happened exactly how it should have happened. We are at the mercy of an unfathomable fountain of players and circumstances dictating this absurd, but very, very fun, sport. That’s what makes college compelling, not endlessly replaying events in the rankings and in our minds. Now let’s go celebrate.</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/4/16607912/northwestern-nebraska-pat-fitzgerald-nebraska-huskers-wildcats-free-will-humeTristan Jung2017-11-04T18:06:20-05:002017-11-04T18:06:20-05:00Northwestern-Nebraska final score: Wildcats pull out OT thriller over Cornhuskers in Lincoln
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Northwestern at Nebraska" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ri2rNsoogpShGCJCfwIvOiVNtK0=/0x0:6720x4480/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57468783/usa_today_10391566.1509836780.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Justin Jackson had a monster game and Clayton Thorson plunged in from a yard out to give Northwestern the winning score.</p> <p id="qA4Hmv">Another year, another thrilling contest between Northwestern and Nebraska in Lincoln. </p>
<p id="9GAle9">And for the Wildcats, another overtime contest, their third in a row.</p>
<p id="lVN6C5">And a third consecutive win.</p>
<p id="zGshIw">Northwestern (6-3, 4-2 B1G) is not a group for the weak of heart. But for yet another Saturday, it is a group of winners. The Wildcats pulled out a 31-24 win in Lincoln that featured basically everything any college football game could possibly offer.</p>
<p id="PRHfI3">Clayton Thorson snuck in on 4th and goal on the opening drive of overtime and Northwestern stopped Nebraska (4-5, 3-3 B1G) cold on the ensuing drive, pulling out an incredible win. The Wildcats set history on the way: No team in NCAA history has won in overtime three straight weeks. </p>
<p id="kgbQ96">Justin Jackson ran for 154 yards, Jeremy Larkin added 69, and Northwestern’s defense picked Tanner Lee off three times.</p>
<p id="ChWbrd">The game got off to as good a start as anyone rooting for Northwestern could ask for. After forcing an opening-drive three-and-out, Northwestern took the ball at its own 41 and promptly drove 59 yards in 10 plays, chewing up 4:18. <span>Justin Jackson</span>, who converted a key 4th-and-1 halfway through the possession, finished the drive off with a filthy jump cut and 17 yard scamper, with <span>Thorson</span> laying a key block downfield:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/J_ManPrime21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@J_ManPrime21</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NUFBFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NUFBFamily</a> TD is real nice.<br><br>But so is the Clayton Thorson block to make it happen. <a href="https://t.co/NRZeDKlQFX">pic.twitter.com/NRZeDKlQFX</a></p>— Northwestern On BTN (@NUOnBTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/NUOnBTN/status/926900259397218305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
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<p id="HFM9IR">The teams then traded interceptions, with <span>Kyle Queiro</span> picking off an underthrown ball from <span>Tanner Lee</span> near the sidelines but <span>Clayton Thorson</span> giving it right back on a poor throw deep in Nebraska territory that <span>Joshua Kalu</span> nabbed and ran to his own 39.</p>
<p id="uGS8mD">Given newfound life, Nebraska pounded the ball down the field, converting two fourth-and-1 opportunities on the ground. <span>Lee</span> capped the drive with a nice throw to 6-foot-5 receiver Bryan Reimers. At the end of an eventful first quarter, Northwestern and Nebraska found themselves knotted at seven apiece.</p>
<p id="PCz5xf">After the teams exchanged punts, Northwestern’s offense got moving with a 28-yard completion from Thorson to <span>Macan Wilson</span>, who made a nice diving catch. After another quick first down, <span>Jeremy Larkin</span> pulled out his best <span>Justin Jackson</span> impression, showing terrific patience, vision and speed on a 24-yard scoring burst.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Look at the patience from Jeremy Larkin on this touchdown run. Northwestern is set at the RB position for years. <a href="https://t.co/RQHzJC6z3u">pic.twitter.com/RQHzJC6z3u</a></p>— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/WillRagatz/status/926910611589681152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2017</a>
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<p id="02OGr3">It didn’t take long for the hosts to respond, though. J.D. Spielman took a sweep 40 yards and on the next play, Lee hit freshman tight end <span>Jack Stoll</span> off a beautiful play action fake for a score.</p>
<p id="ytRQzV">Two possessions later, Northwestern took the lead for the third time. Thorson hit <span>Wilson</span> on another big play — this time 42 yards down the sideline — but the Wildcats were forced to settle for a field goal.</p>
<div id="3uqU4s"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 55.3557%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/t/pring" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="bsPBEa">Shortly before the half, Lee gifted Northwestern terrific field position, throwing the ball right to <span>Queiro</span> for his second pick. But in a thoroughly confusing decision, Northwestern opted to run the ball, not take a timeout and eventually try a 45-yard field goal. Kuhbander missed, snapping his streak of nine consecutive makes, and a lead that could have been as big as 10 or six was three. The Wildcats went into the locker room up 17-14. Immediately following the game, Fitzgerald admitted his mistake but praised his team for continuing to battle.</p>
<p id="4ZeQGp">The second half got off to a horrible start for the visitors: After a quick first down from <span>Jackson</span>, Thorson missed way high on a short crossing route, and <span>Marcus Newby</span> took the errant toss 49 yards the other way for a pick six. Looking for a quick response on the ensuing drive, Northwestern drove into Nebraska territory before stalling out when Thorson missed an open <span>Flynn Nagel</span> on 3rd and 6. Nebraska embarked on a long drive, but Northwestern stiffened in the redzone. Drew Brown’s kick extended the Nebraska lead to seven, 24-17.</p>
<p id="hvzFNZ">After several punts, Northwestern’s defense — which had been on the field essentially the entire half — made the play it needed. With Nebraska driving once again, <span>Joe Gaziano</span> broke through and rocked Lee, whose pass fluttered into the hands of a diving <span>Godwin Igwebuike</span> for Northwestern’s third interception of the day.</p>
<p id="oXsBRS">After being unable to take advantage of Lee’s first two picks, the offense did just that at the most crucial of times. The Wildcats went 84 yards on 13 plays — a drive that included both their first third-down conversion and fourth-down conversion of the day. Thorson capped off the drive with a seven-yard burst untouched into the endzone, and Kuhbander’s extra point knotted things at 24 with five-and-a-half minutes left. The Wildcats got a huge stop on the ensuing Nebraska drive and then, following a failed Hail Mary, the teams headed to OT. No, there was no revenge on that play. Yes, there was third straight overtime.</p>
<p id="hYzmEd">And yes, Northwestern won.</p>
<h2 id="ydlwHI">Takeaways</h2>
<ul>
<li id="gjfwpl">Both of Thorson’s picks significantly impacted this game only one of of Lee’s three did. Nebraska turned both of Thorson’s picks into points: the first pick not only took at least three points off the board for the visitors, but Nebraska got into the endzone on the ensuing drive. The other Thorson INT was the pick-six. For Lee, his first turnover was answered by Thorson’s first turnover. And the second one only led to a Kuhbander miss to end the half.</li>
<li id="73YpSO">The third-down issues were really concerning, especially considering Northwestern had some success on the ground. Short down-and-distance plays continue to be a struggle area.</li>
<li id="6RxGwV">There were times in this game in which the offensive line was simply dominant. <span>Jackson</span> and Larkin had some really nice holes to run through, and Thorson for the most part had plenty of time to get through all of his reads. Improved play up front has been an emerging trend over the last few weeks.</li>
<li id="nLCYbo">Northwestern wasted a prime opportunity before the half, and there’s no reason for that. Northwestern got the ball at the Nebraska 35 with 36 ticks left on the clock. A 7-yard speed option run for Jackson should have immediately been followed by a timeout. Instead, Northwestern kept the clock running, only stopping it after a Thorson throw away with nine seconds left. Then, instead of trying to eke a few yards closer, Northwestern simply centered the ball, forcing Kuhbander into a 45-yard attempt. His career long is 40. He missed. Even if the plan was to settle for a field goal all along, there’s no reason to not take a timeout after that first play. Northwestern had found plenty of offensive success throughout the half up to that point, too.</li>
<li id="crSW3Q">Kyle Queiro was unbelievable in this game. The senior safety/corner was all over the field finishing with six tackles, two picks and three PBUs.</li>
<li id="CLXaUJ">Northwestern is bowl-eligible again.</li>
</ul>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/4/16607014/northwestern-nebraska-final-score-football-overtime-pat-fitzgeraldZach Pereles2017-11-04T08:01:01-05:002017-11-04T08:01:01-05:00Northwestern looked different (and better) on first down against Michigan State
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<img alt="Michigan State v Northwestern" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2C1dSwdVOn_Mgf0MMOPgXXmVA2g=/0x32:3108x2104/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57463085/867561072.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Wildcats’ offensive resurgence starts on first down.</p> <p id="Oj66V4">It took them eight games, but Northwestern is finally throwing the ball on first down. It has been an arduous and circuitous season of an offense full of zone reads and speed options at the behest of offensive coordinator Mick McCall. But those dark days seem to be in Northwestern’s past. After collecting less than 250 yards of total against Wisconsin, less than 270 against Penn State and then scoring just 10 points in regulation against Iowa, McCall must have had an epiphany. Maybe, McCall probably thought, just maybe, we should try something new. Against Michigan State, the Wildcats put together their most efficient first-down performance of the season.</p>
<p id="C5x009">Northwestern’s offensive rejuvenation looks good on paper. 39 points against the S&P+ No. 16 defense will put a glimpse of a smile on the face of the weariest and most apprehensive McCall skeptic. Four weeks have passed since the Wildcats came up short in Madison, and from Sep. 30 to Oct. 28, Northwestern’s first-down execution is night and day. It didn’t necessarily lead to an abundance of points in regulation on Saturday, but statistically, it was a terrific outing for McCall’s offense against one of the best defense’s it has faced in 2017. On first down, Northwestern was its best all season in conference play.</p>
<ul>
<li id="w0L1bV">31 plays for 125 yards (4.03 average) against <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lIKxla0ngSP-XImvJptQIuA0n2c4QQ5JcCX6cqxkTVQ/edit?usp=sharing">Wisconsin</a>
</li>
<li id="fSJ76Q">27 plays for 118 yards (4.37 average) against <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q3ledKIVg3dkxCUISyS9aknFbq7BcUCFWqlNFd71y_4/edit?usp=sharing">Penn State</a>
</li>
<li id="ZhfDpM">38 plays for 230 yards (6.05 average) against <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MR1vLtaJnlX_TEP5_74AwEF-4oF14w4Qi6eUtHdnlJo/edit?usp=sharing">Maryland</a>
</li>
<li id="h6vhjn">32 plays for 143 yards (4.47 average) against <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Zjmqs2p8ZCgvyZYdY4bkdilFc9EuqNyDV8Jty8XKfJ8/edit?usp=sharing">Iowa</a>
</li>
<li id="SBhge1">37 plays for 239 yards (6.46 average) against <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aVfnVhXOWbZbatUrIbapq1KUf9ENRParSyIXTbyCBQQ/edit?usp=sharing">Michigan State</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p id="5YKKlz">Those numbers aren’t perfect —ESPN’s play-by-play feature is easily befuddled by turnovers and penalties — but the individual plays, along with specific “Run vs. Pass” information, can be found on each spreadsheet hyperlinked above. Interceptions were essentially counted as a net-zero and first-down plays with penalties were ignored in favor of the subsequent first down play.</p>
<p id="dWUBkM">On Saturday, Northwestern’s <a href="http://www.nusports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=170">long-tenured coaching staff</a> proved to not be allergic to change. The offense was aggressive on first down. Quarterback Clayton Thorson threw the ball downfield. The Wildcats took what it could get from a Spartans defense that dared Northwestern to beat them through the air, and then capitalized when Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio elected to play press coverage as the game wore on.</p>
<p id="Yx615T">McCall ran the ball just nine times on first down against Michigan State. The last time the Wildcats ran their traditional zone running plays so little was when they played second half catch up against Wisconsin. This time, they threw on first down with the game tied. They even threw on first-down with the lead in the fourth quarter. They threw in overtime with a short field. They threw in double overtime and they threw triple overtime too. It was refreshing to watch. Here are three of Northwestern’s first four first down plays in its opening possession.</p>
<div id="iQqfSM"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 49.8853%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohBVd6hHALoLsigow?html5=true&hideSocial=true" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="fQxeW8">Obviously this drive doesn’t end well as the fight for extra yards by Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman results in a fumble. But Northwestern threw on all four first downs of its opening drive. Although it did not result in points, this drive was one of its most impressive opening drives of the season. It would set the tone for an offense that was determined to simply become less defensible. </p>
<p id="G8zIxW">Thorson threw early and often. Effortless completions can establish a quarterback’s confidence early. A check-down to <span>Justin Jackson</span> leads to eight easy yards on first down. Macan <span>Wilson</span> runs a simple five-yard snag route for a quick nine yards. Positive first down plays like these have been scarce, and while they weren’t explosive, they were effective. It established a much-needed rhythm for Thorson, who rewarded his play-caller with the most passing yards of his three-year career.</p>
<div id="MxPs5Q"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 49.4242%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3otWpv1lTsaem3SytO?html5=true&hideSocial=true" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="UDTKau"></p>
<div id="SeiBLY"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 53.3333%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohBVt9p99An5mtexO?html5=true&hideSocial=true" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="7il3I6">The second half told a similar story of change. Thorson opened the third quarter by finding Flynn Nagel off of play-action for 18-yards. When that play works, it forces the defense to respect the pass. Michigan State sells out to defend the run while leaving its corners on islands and dropping a deep safety to defend the slot receiver, which is Nagel. That gashed a huge hole for Nagel in the heart of the field, and the safety is so deep that Nagel has a first-down and then some after finally being brought down. It’s an easy pitch-and-catch for Northwestern.</p>
<div id="Wqyk1t"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 54.0219%;"><iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/3o6EQjbyJXQmubJsPK?html5=true&hideSocial=true" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="AS1atM">This next play is what Northwestern fans have been yearning for. Thorson saw he had one-on-one with <span>Macan Wilson</span> on the outside so he took a shot. It’s barely under thrown and Michigan State's corner does a great job of finding the ball and making a play on it. Nonetheless, Thorson has very rarely tried to beat the defense over the top this season. This was the most decisively the most exciting incomplete pass of the year.</p>
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<p id="qQBU2H">Thorson takes a huge hit on this play but hangs in there long enough to deliver a pass to superback Cam Green. He went back to the well one quarter later. The linebacker’s attempt to defend Green - a former high school wide receiver - is futile, and he gallops down the sideline for a huge gain.</p>
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<p id="tV6PrV"></p>
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<p id="FlsqJ0">This play-call immediately after Green’s second reception is fantastic. Thorson should have looked at Nagel in the slot instead of firing away at Wilson, but he was taking a shot at the end zone after a big play. On first down, that will always be OK. Another exciting incompletion. </p>
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<p id="z7V2FJ">Now is when it starts to get really unbelievable, because Northwestern throwing on first down with a fourth quarter lead is unprecedented. Thorson is given plenty of time against the four-man rush, Wilson gets just enough separation on a slant and the ball is perfectly thrown. You can’t defend this any better. But you can’t execute on offense any better. Which begs the question, why doesn’t Northwestern do this every time?</p>
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<p id="As3IhV">Once the game got to overtime, Thorson’s confidence was through the roof. And why wouldn’t it be? He finished the afternoon 33-of-48 for a career-high 356 yards and two touchdowns. These aren’t difficult throws for Thorson, but who knows if he makes them as cleanly had he not been making similar throws all game. The wheel-route by Green coupled with Thorson’s shoulder fake is almost unguardable. Touchdown. Northwestern.</p>
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<p id="OGha3M">It was Michigan State’s vaunted defense that won them conference games against Iowa, Michigan and Indiana. But on Saturday, it was Northwestern’s offense that put together its most impressive performance of the season. Backed by its highest dropback percentage on first-down this season, the Wildcats averaged significantly more yards on their first-down plays. Coming from an offense that has been traditionally stagnant, Saturday’s first-down success was a much-welcomed sight. </p>
<p id="ML00eT">Mick McCall seems to be finally channeling his offense’s untapped potential, and it’s happening by turning Thorson loose. Change can be a good thing, especially when it’s long overdue. </p>
<p id="SRj3Cx">But even more so when it works. </p>
<p id="K7W3Pk"></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/4/16600344/northwestern-first-down-offense-michigan-state-film-analysis-mick-mccall-clayton-thorson-fitzgeraldMartin Oppegaard2017-11-04T06:00:18-05:002017-11-04T06:00:18-05:00How to watch Northwestern vs. Nebraska: Start time, TV channel, live streaming, radio, betting line
<figure>
<img alt="Northwestern v Nebraska" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GcKaCskA-zbD0caNzDjHaJCzRGc=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57464287/494100992.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Wildcats and Cornhuskers are set to battle for the second spot in the Big Ten West.</p> <p id="pkUdNQ">The <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/">Northwestern Wildcats</a> (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) are in Lincoln to take on the <a href="https://www.cornnation.com/">Nebraska Cornhuskers</a> (4-4, 3-2) on Saturday. Both teams are coming off of wins; Nebraska eked out a victory over Purdue and Northwestern has won three straight after a 3OT win against Michigan State. Talented quarterbacks <span>Tanner Lee</span> and <span>Clayton Thorson</span> will each look to lead their team to victory at Memorial Stadium. Will Mike Riley be on the hot seat after a loss, or will the Huskers halt the Wildcats’ streak?</p>
<p id="4D4dP1">Here’s all of our preview content from this week.</p>
<ul>
<li id="xCvCL6">
<a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/1/16592268/northwestern-nebraska-three-things-to-know-tanner-lee-2017">Three things to know</a> about the 2017 Huskers.</li>
<li id="sN5iem">We <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/2/16587380/film-room-paddy-fisher-michigan-state-northwestern-defense-linebacker-redshirt-freshman-analysis">broke down the film</a> on Paddy Fisher’s huge day vs. Michigan State.</li>
<li id="Diyok9">These <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/2/16597224/northwestern-nebraska-matchups-to-watch-pat-fitzgerald">three matchups</a> will go a long way in determining the outcome.</li>
<li id="dA4DD7">We got the inside scoop on Nebraska <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/3/16599886/nebraska-northwestern-opponent-q-and-a-wildcats-huskers-tanner-lee-mike-riley">from the staff of Corn Nation</a>.</li>
<li id="lcz4zt">As always, <a href="https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/3/16599362/northwestern-nebraska-predictions-preview-analysis-lincoln-wildcats-cornhuskers-mike-riley-pat-fitz">we made our predictions</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="rL5Isx">Broadcast information</h3>
<p id="E82v8d"><strong>Game Time:</strong> 2:30 p.m. CT</p>
<p id="tGlBbS"><strong>TV:</strong> BTN</p>
<p id="YjmxUl"><strong>Online:</strong> BTN2Go</p>
<p id="MRBNpr"><strong>Mobile:</strong> BTN2Go App</p>
<p id="7kUYAs"><strong>Radio:</strong> <a href="http://wgnradio.com/"><strong>WGN</strong></a> AM 720, <a href="https://www.wnur.org/"><strong>WNUR</strong></a> FM 89.3</p>
<p id="OweHdZ"><strong>Betting Line:</strong> Northwestern -2, over/under 54</p>
<p id="VIxX3Z"><em>(Also, feel free to use this thread to discuss the 11:00 a.m. Big Ten games — Wisconsin-Indiana and Michigan State-Penn State. If Wisconsin loses 3 of its last 4 and the Cats win out...)</em></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/4/16605982/how-to-watch-northwestern-vs-nebraska-start-time-tv-channel-live-streaming-radio-betting-lineWill Ragatz2017-11-03T22:06:27-05:002017-11-03T22:06:27-05:00Northwestern vs. Nebraska Predictions
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<img alt="Northwestern v Nebraska" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m5etgqluQ2hiSupb4cVRa-d4leY=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57462865/494100454.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The road team has won five of the last six meetings in this series.</p> <p id="iDHib4"><em>November is here and Northwestern is riding a 3-game winning streak as it heads into Lincoln, NE, to determine who the real NU is. Nebraska is coming off a one-point victory over Purdue but at 4-4, Mike Riley’s squad has more work to do to reach a bowl. Last week, five of our eight pickers took Michigan State to beat the Wildcats, and almost all of us thought it would be a low-scoring affair. Naturally, Northwestern won in 3OT, which meant it became a shootout. College football is hard to predict, but we’re gonna give it a shot as we always do.</em></p>
<p id="6uKMQv"><strong>Will Ragatz: Nebraska 27, Northwestern 20</strong></p>
<p id="LbBQHl">If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve picked Northwestern to lose each of the last two weeks and been pleasantly surprised when the Cats have won. I’m not the most superstitious person, but I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty if I picked Northwestern and the Cats lost. I’m fine with my record in the standings plummeting if it means NU keeps winning! In all seriousness, though, I’m worried about this game. Nebraska QB <span>Tanner Lee</span> got off to a very tough start to the season (9 interceptions in a three-game stretch), but he’s thrown for 734 yards with four touchdowns and zero picks in the last two weeks. Northwestern is 119th in passing yards allowed per game. The Huskers boast a bunch of talented wide receivers who should make things very tough for <span>Montre Hartage</span>, <span>Alonzo Mayo</span> and Trae Williams. That could lead to trouble.</p>
<p id="Qn9CLS"><strong>Caleb Friedman: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 21</strong></p>
<p id="h6sOds">This is game could go either way because of Nebraska's explosive passing game, but Mike Riley's team has been a mess for large stretches this season. The Cornhuskers record is just one game worse than the Wildcats', but three of Nebraska's wins came against Rutgers, Illinois and Purdue — all bottom-feeders. There will be a significant home-field advantage for the Huskers in Lincoln, but Northwestern has found its groove defensively in recent weeks, which should help take some sting out of the crowd. I see the Northwestern D keeping the game close early, and <span>Clayton Thorson</span> will heat up as the game goes on against Nebraska's 90th-ranked pass defense (per S&P+). The 'Cats keep on rolling. </p>
<p id="rJzbRf"><strong>Tristan Jung: Northwestern 27, Nebraska 24</strong></p>
<p id="EtjlM1">This team will find a way. Whether that involves a crazy turnover or complete domination of Nebraska’s shaky offensive line, I think Northwestern will pull out another close game. </p>
<p id="yFwb4r"><strong>Noah Coffman: Nebraska 31, Northwestern 30</strong></p>
<p id="m1fTGV">If the last couple of years are any evidence, this one’s going to be tight, which means one unit could make all the difference. <span>Justin Jackson</span>, <span>Clayton Thorson</span> and the offense should have a good outing, but I’m not sold on Northwestern’s pass defense, especially when combined with a shaky, inconsistent pass rush. The Wildcats will score in bunches, but <span>Tanner Lee</span>, as mentioned by Will, has been hot recently, and he’ll lead Nebraska to a tight win down the stretch. So far, the Northwestern secondary has covered for their mistakes with some key breaks, help from a top-tier run defense and outstanding linebacker play, but the dam will finally break for the weakest unit of Northwestern’s defense against the Cornhuskers.</p>
<p id="xUJq7A"><strong>Zach Pereles: Northwestern 20, Nebraska 17</strong></p>
<p id="xo4EHz">The road team has won three straight contests. One thing I’ll be looking for is how Northwestern gets <span>Justin Jackson</span> involved. Even if Northwestern’s ground game struggles against Nebraska’s <a href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2016/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category01/sort02.html">extremely average run defense</a>, Mick McCall has to find ways to get the ball in Jackson’s hands. He’s done that over the past two weeks: Jackson has 12 receptions over the past two weeks, the most he’s ever had in a two-game stretch. In Northwestern’s 2015 win at Nebraska, Jackson had two catches for 55 yards. We’ll see if he can continue to contribute in a variety of ways; it’s a hugely important part of keeping this offense on track. I’ll give Jackson 75 yards on the ground and another 50 through the air as Northwestern ekes one out late in Lincoln.</p>
<p id="yAfXhI"><strong>Talia Hendel: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 24</strong></p>
<p id="ILmhVQ">The way Northwestern’s defense has been playing has given me a lot of faith in this team. They’ve stepped up in big moments against tough teams, giving the offense a little bit of breathing room and allowing <span>Justin Jackson</span> and Clayton Thorson to play calmly and confidently. I expect that to carry into this game as well; that said, NU’s strength has been its run defense, whereas Nebraska relies heavily on their passing game. The way the defense handles the passing attack will be a big determinant of the outcome of this game. As for the offense, I agree with Zach - get the ball to <span>Justin Jackson</span>. Thorson certainly stepped up against Michigan State, but Jackson has consistently been the heart of the offense and his ability to make plays is unmatched. Considering his ability to tear through run defenses much stronger than Nebraska’s, Jackson should be able to pick up substantial yards and a touchdown or two. </p>
<p id="AAR0N3"><strong>Davis Rich: Northwestern 31, Nebraska 20</strong></p>
<p id="2QC6gG">Clayton Thorson and the Northwestern offense picked apart a strong Michigan State defense last week. A similar trend should continue against Nebraska on Saturday. The Cornhuskers have forced only nine turnovers this season and rank 129th in the country in havoc rate. Northwestern’s pass defense will be tested, but the Wildcats bend without breaking, and force a couple turnovers to pull away in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="mEASU2"><strong>Martin Oppegaard: Northwestern 27, Nebraska 14</strong></p>
<p id="ddf5Gp">Nebraska is actually bad. Let’s not forget this is the team that gave up 36 points to Arkansas State and lost to Northern Illinois at home. Tanner Lee was better in October - but the defensive woes remain and the Cornhuskers needed a fourth quarter comeback to upend Purdue last week. This is not your father’s Nebraska team. Northwestern by double digits.</p>
<h3 id="tFxqkm">Standings:</h3>
<p id="tspwl9"><strong>Every-week pickers</strong></p>
<p id="ZxhWF1">Caleb Friedman 7-1</p>
<p id="axZe2q">Will Ragatz 5-3</p>
<p id="5ARTJQ">Talia Hendel 5-3</p>
<p id="nhWbfj">Tristan Jung 5-3</p>
<p id="54FVKN">Martin Oppegaard 5-3</p>
<p id="r86N6y"><strong>Missed at least one week</strong></p>
<p id="nIwzqW">Noah Coffman 4-3</p>
<p id="c0TAu2">Davis Rich 3-4</p>
<p id="JInS9r">Ian McCafferty 2-1</p>
<p id="jCDdRQ">Zach Pereles 2-1</p>
<p id="KodiO5">Josh Burton 1-2</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/3/16599362/northwestern-nebraska-predictions-preview-analysis-lincoln-wildcats-cornhuskers-mike-riley-pat-fitzInside NU Archives2017-11-03T08:01:01-05:002017-11-03T08:01:01-05:00Nebraska-Northwestern preview: Opponent Q&A with Corn Nation
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Nebraska at Purdue" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L4-70NrzdUks8KRTUPkJWzutxHY=/1x0:3877x2584/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57450149/usa_today_10376621.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Corn Nation is not thrilled to be 4-4.</p> <p id="yd1ZzF"><em>Northwestern and Nebraska have played some wild games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten. The game is projected to be close by Vegas and fans alike. We talked to the folks at </em><a href="https://www.cornnation.com/"><em>Corn Nation, Nebraska’s SB Nation blog</em></a><em>, to get a grasp of what we’ll see this weekend. This time, you won’t just get one set of answers, but four! </em></p>
<p id="9HRGNA"><strong>1. After the first seven games, it seemed like Riley would be gone for sure. Now, after a one-point win over Purdue things aren't quite so certain. Is he going to lose his job? More precisely, is he going to lose his job if Northwestern wins this game? </strong></p>
<p id="c4dq8R"><strong>Paul Dalen: </strong>That’s impossible to know for certain, but an AD doesn’t make hiring/firing decisions based on one game. And let’s face it, it was Purdue. Losing to Purdue can be cause for firing if it comes to that. Beating Purdue, OTOH, should mean absolutely nothing. It’s one of those things that should just happen; like Trump tweeting nonsense or breathing. As for losing to NwU…NU’s bowl chances take a steep dive if we lose on Saturday and that might be the unforgivable sin. It would likely mean a second 5-7 regular season. And I can’t see how any Nebraska coach survives that.</p>
<p id="UCBtyK"><strong>Jon Johnston: </strong>I’d put him at 85 percent gone. I honestly don’t think it comes down to wins and losses anymore—the fan base has turned against him and if he sticks around for next year there’s chances that people won’t renew season tickets and the sacred sellout streak could end. That would mean the end of the world. Yes, we are saving mankind by maintaining a sellout streak since 1962. The only way Mike Riley is still in Lincoln next year is if every other coach turns us down and we have no choice but to retain him.</p>
<p id="sAOwLg"><strong>Ranchbabe</strong>: I tend to think he’s a dead man walking. When Nebraska is the underdog to every division opponent sans Illinois (and the B1G West ain’t exactly murderer’s row) the seat gets hot. A loss to NW certainly adds ammunition for the firing squad, but short of a spectacular stretch run that includes a Penn State upset, I don’t see how he keeps his job (and have you seen our offensive line - it ain’t happening). Of course, I thought Pelini would be fired after 2013 and he got another year, so what do I know?</p>
<p id="sMQW7R"><strong>Husker Mike</strong>: The Wisconsin debacle was the final straw for many Husker fans, it seemed. The secondary market on Husker football tickets collapsed, with ticket prices against Ohio State plummeting all the way from triple digits to below $20. Even if Mike Riley pulls off an upset of Penn State in a couple of weeks, I don’t see any way he stays. The athletic department knows that fans have had enough of him.</p>
<p id="a9W3FX"><strong>Andy Ketterson: </strong>99%. The only reasoning being done in favor of him staying?</p>
<ol>
<li id="BxZpDP">“He could win out!! 8-4 and a good bowl game and he stays!” Yes, he could win out. And to quote Wayne, “Shyeah! And monkeys could fly out of my butt!”</li>
<li id="ZJ5qDa">“We can’t keep firing coaches! We just can’t!” Uh, when they’re this mediocre? Presently AND historically? Yes, we damn well can.</li>
</ol>
<p id="GTc841">That’s pretty much it. Oh yeah & the money stuff Mike said.</p>
<p id="tewg1Y"><strong>2. How has the team adapted to losing Newby and Armstrong? Have they adapted at all? </strong></p>
<p id="FLSj5S"><strong>Paul: </strong>If he lined up behind even an average FBS line, Lee would probably be performing at the level he was hyped at before the season. He is becoming an elite level quarterback. But our offensive line is (and it seems like I write this every year) a catastrophe. Armstrong was a four-year starter and that accounts for a lot but he was the YOLO king. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Our current stable of RBs is okay, but again, our OL sucks. I’m not sure Newby would have performed well behind it either.</p>
<p id="poMb2d"><strong>Ranch: </strong>I don’t think the loss of Newby has been that big. We actually appear to have competent coaching at RB (don’t ask about the recruiting part of the job however). The injury bug has been a much tougher opponent for our running back room. The offensive line was supposed to be better this year, but….sigh. </p>
<p id="TKmt2U">Losing Armstrong was a bit of a mixed bag. He certainly led Husker fans through some emotional adventures, but damn it was fun to watch him truck linebackers on an option run. I think 2016 changed Riley’s view on his preferred quarterback mold and if he sticks around, we might see more mobility than is currently in the room. The preseason hype on <span>Tanner Lee</span> was ridiculous. He displayed much better throwing mechanics than Husker fans were used to early in the season, but it is no surprise he’s struggled given the amount of time that elapsed since his last live game action. He’s starting to look better and I think the receivers like catching passes that aren’t aimed at their feet most of the time. </p>
<p id="fIZVQv"><strong>Mike</strong>: Nebraska has really missed Tommy Armstrong this season, though many fans won’t admit it. Mike Riley still hasn’t found a way to replace his production yet; he freely admits that Armstrong saved his bacon way too much his first two seasons. <span>Tanner Lee</span> has rounded nicely into a OK quarterback in October. In September, Lee might have been the worst quarterback in college football though.</p>
<p id="xfMABG"><strong>Andy: </strong>It sounds meaner than it should, but there wasn’t much special about Newby. Got some yards when Nebraska was pretending they had a run game against weak front end of last year’s schedule, but after that? Crickets.</p>
<p id="3v8UNG">They miss Armstrong mainly because he managed to make occasional hay by running for his life when the blocking broke down and firing an occasional YOLO ball or scrambling for 15. Tanner and company look like Shawn Bradley trying to run the floor with Allen Iverson.</p>
<p id="jNOH54"><strong>3. Nebraska is 15th in passing S&P, and yet every time I see Nebraska fans on the Internet, they are complaining about Tanner Lee. Why the disconnect? Why is the offense so dynamic but also so horribly inefficient?</strong></p>
<p id="bT5ndy"><strong>Paul: </strong>I suspect it was his likelihood to throw touchdowns to the wrong team early in the season. That seems to have largely corrected itself, and Lee engineered one of the best FBS QB performances all year last week at Purdue. Did I mention our OL?</p>
<p id="ExIW7P"><strong>Jon: </strong>The Tanner Lee hype train was full steam during the off-season, with claims that Lee was an <a href="https://www.cornnation.com/2017/4/20/15362872/nebraska-huskers-football-tanner-lee-quarterback-doomed">“elite NFL talent”</a>. </p>
<p id="ksNsaG">Lee started the season about as poorly as he could. He threw two pick sixes to Northern Illinois and cost us the game. Fans haven’t forgotten that and there is a certain segment of the fan base that thinks we need to run the ball 95% of the time or we’re not playing “Nebraska football”.</p>
<p id="DTa6ha"><strong>Ranch</strong>: The reality is that Husker fans are impossible and entitled and will never be happy. No coach or quarterback will ever satisfy the bloodlust that is the outsized expectations of Husker Nation. Seriously, look at the top name on most Husker fans’ wishlists for the next head coach. That is the same Scott Frost that Husker fans once booed for re-entering the game after his backup QB got a token, pre-determined series early in one game. Frost only lost two games his entire career as a Husker starter and he got booed in his own stadium, basically because he was not Tommie Frazier. Now people expect him to become the next Tom Osborne. You think they are rough on Tanner Lee on some message boards? Grab some popcorn folks.</p>
<p id="MIkBk9"><strong>Andy: </strong>Four pick-6’s in four games tend to make Wayne Brady want to choke a bitch. (If you think I’ve just advocated violence against women, please go back and watch Wayne Brady on Chappelle’s Show)</p>
<p id="OcwdsJ"><strong>4. Does Nebraska have an offensive/defensive X-Factor that could play a large role in this game?</strong></p>
<p id="CvwNEz"><strong>Paul</strong>: NU’s receiving corps is still its best unit. <span>JD Spielman</span> has demonstrated the poise and speed to become an All-<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/american">American</a> receiver and returner. Stanley Morgan, while still subject to annoying drops, is a clutch deep threat. But, at risk of sounding like a broken record, the OL....</p>
<p id="7aSwbi"><strong>Ranch: </strong>I was going to say “no”, but Spielman has been been a real gem. <span>Jaylin Bradley</span> (RB) has shown some wheels in evading backfield defenders, but whiffed on a big pass pro situation last weekend, so I expect we will never see him again as long as Mike Riley coaches at Nebraska. </p>
<p id="rUsLca">Defensive X-factors? Most of them are injured right now. The defensive line has been better than expected. It would be nice to see <span>Chris Jones</span> (CB) return to his game-wrecking self. He was injured in fall camp (knee, meniscus), came back in record time, but is clearly not himself yet. He has displayed NFL talent in his career and I hate to see a serious injury and scheme change (one he hasn’t been able to practice in much yet) derail someone with his ability.</p>
<p id="W53USI"><strong>Andy: </strong>We have shown in the last two games that we can totally shred a team that’s up 42 or goes Prevent with a minute fifty left.</p>
<p id="w16ndj"><strong>5. Will there be more than 150 Northwestern fans at this game? Media members not included.</strong></p>
<p id="jhfxPt"><strong>Paul</strong>: There are a lot more than 150 NwU alums in the Omaha area, so yeah. The visitor section will be full.</p>
<p id="feTexq"><strong>Jill: </strong>Given the exciting nature of most of the recent ‘Battle for NU’ matchups and the relatively easy Chicago-Omaha flight, I think that would draw plenty of Wildcat fans. Also, most people clad in purple will probably make up the cost of their flight in the free beer they are given by Husker fans. </p>
<p id="0QJSgO"><strong>Andy: </strong>If you’ve got a chance to ditch Chicago for beautiful Lincoln, NE, you take that flight, Mister. I can promise you this - there is actually a downtown Lincoln with restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. Some people actually believe that the stadium is right by that decrepit barn and rusty windmill in the wheat field somewhere miles outside of the city that networks are determined to show during the opening music.</p>
<p id="bXveGm"><strong>6. How do you think the game will go?</strong></p>
<p id="3j6CCQ"><strong>Paul</strong>: It will (as always) come down to the final minute. Huskers win, 30-28.</p>
<p id="Mng490"><strong>Jon: </strong>Northwestern will race out to a two score lead and ahead 24-14 at half. Lee will pass us back to victory 31-24 and a segment of the fan base will be happy because we throw the ball 40 times.</p>
<p id="8sEgkO"><strong>Jill</strong>: /searches for past NW game predictions and uses copy/paste.</p>
<p id="8gm7Qn">Purple team gets a lead early and holds it for three quarters Furious rally by red team brings hope to the majority of fans in the stands. Defensive collapse or offensive mistake allows easy purple score and all looks lost. Red team suddenly looks non-inept and brings ball to the brink of the needed line to gain.</p>
<p id="daP1mF">I can’t pick against the Huskers. Nebraska 31 Northwestern 28. <span>Justin Jackson</span> sets a record of some kind despite not being a Badger running back.</p>
<p id="amnwRe"><strong>Mike:</strong> The road teams usually win this game; I see no reason to think otherwise. Northwestern has played better than Nebraska in recent weeks, and has beaten teams with a pulse. NW 31, NU 24</p>
<p id="wgE19j"><strong>Andy: (</strong>Insert Westerkamp joke here)</p>
<p id="dSCbb6">Duke. Illinois St. Northern Illinois (remember them?). Northwestern always manages to lose one early that makes everyone think they’re about to sink to Rutgers/Illinois level then they show up and give the Huskers fits. Now, their only conference losses are to Penn St and Wiscy & they’ve quietly strapped together a 3-game win streak.</p>
<p id="RIhgV6">Also telling is that the Huskers came out as the early favorites and the money quickly flipped the spread in Northwestern’s favor. Northwest of Somewhere 37 NU 29</p>
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https://www.insidenu.com/2017/11/3/16599886/nebraska-northwestern-opponent-q-and-a-wildcats-huskers-tanner-lee-mike-rileyTristan Jung