BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Northwestern earned its first victory in three weeks on the legs of redshirt freshman Mike Trumpy, defeating Indiana 20-17. With the win, the Wildcats became bowl eligible for the fourth straight year.
However, the Cats lost junior quarterback Dan Persa to a concussion, leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter. His status for next week is unknown.
NU had its most productive ground game of the season, led by Trumpy who rushed 21 times for 110 yards. With his performance, Trumpy became the Wildcats’ first 100-yard rusher since Tyrell Sutton in the 2008 Alamo Bowl. He also had three receptions for 54 yards.
Defensively, the Cats shut down the Hoosiers’ run game, holding Indiana to 65 yards rushing. However, NU gave up more than 300 yards passing for the second straight week as quarterback Ben Chappell completed 30-of-54 passes for 308 yards with a touchdown. He also scrambled five yards for another score.
