Northwestern didn’t attempt a pass in the second half, but it didn’t need to throw to win.
After falling behind 13-7 in a sloppy first half, the Wildcats pounded the ball on the ground with running backs Jason Wright and Noah Herron en route to a 37-20 victory over Illinois (1-11, 0-8 Big Ten) in front of 38,688 at Memorial Stadium.
With the win, the Cats (6-6, 4-4) became bowl eligible, reclaimed the Sweet Sioux tomahawk trophy awarded to the winner of the Land of Lincoln rivalry game and left their coach sappy after the game.
“I’m so overwhelmed, and I can’t say how proud I am of this football team,” coach Randy Walker said. “I’ve rarely had this kind of feeling, and for those of you who know me it’s hard to believe, but I’m almost speechless.”
There wasn’t much to say. NU ran over, through and around Illinois again and again.
The Cats rushed the ball 70 times for 444 yards against an Illini defense that came into the contest allowing more than 200 yards a game on the ground. In the second half, while Illinois put nine defenders near the line of scrimmage the Cats ran the ball 41 straight times. Even when NU faced a 3rd-and-10 the team went with a reverse to wide receiver Brandon Horn that gained 42 yards.
“I didn’t go into the game or the second half saying ‘Lets just run it every play,'” Walker said. “But if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Let’s just keep riding that horse.”
The Cats’ horsepower: Wright and Herron.
Wright, who came into the game with an ankle injury that limited him to fewer than 10 carries in each of the past three games, rushed the ball 42 times for a career-high 251 yards. The senior, playing his final Big Ten game, had the fifth-best rushing day in school history, and with four touchdowns he finished the season as the Big Ten’s leading scorer with 20 touchdowns.
Wright finished the season with 1,151 yards, which makes him the third running back in school history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
“Both Wright Herron are superior backs, and I feel sorry for the defense that has to face them,” NU linebacker Pat Durr said. “When someone runs it down your throat it takes a toll on you, and they basically took Illinois heart out.”
Giving the ball to Herron almost guaranteed a first down Saturday as the junior racked up 163 yards while averaging 9.6 yards a carry.
Herron and Wright piled up the yards as the Cats’ offensive line blew Illinois off the ball and engulfed defenders with their blocks.
“You could see it in their eyes, they were getting tired,” offensive lineman Matt Ulrich said. “On the first play of the second half they were talking a lot of trash, but by the end of it they were gasping for air.”
The Cats went to the ground as the passing game struggled on the windy day. Quarterback Brett Basanez was 3-of-9 for 24 yards in the first half, and didn’t throw a pass in the second half.
“I think he will get over it,” Wright said. “He has plenty of time left to get over it, and I will tell him that.”
On Saturday the Cats’ defense had more receptions than the offense. NU senior Kunle Patrick was the only offensive player to catch a pass, he had three receptions, while defensive backs Bryan Heinz and Marvin Ward snagged two interceptions a piece.
“I grabbed Marvin and said ‘Heck, it’s about time you scored,” Walker said. “You’re the fastest guy on the planet.”
The NU defense kept the team in the game as the offense failed to take advantage of scoring chances in the first half.
The Cats missed a 38-yard field goal, threw an interception that was returned for the only touchdown of the half, had a touchdown on a fake field goal called back because of a holding call, failed to convert a fourth down deep in Illini territory and lost one of three fumbles.
“It was kind of typical of us this year — inconsistent, shooting ourselves in the foot and a lot of mental errors,” Wright said. “It was kind of what we had been doing, but we bounced back this game and had a great second half.”
