Captured: Northwestern football tops Western Illinois 24-7

Welcome to The Daily’s photo blog: Captured. This is a space to share photos by The Daily’s staff as well as photos from members of our community. Students can submit entries to be considered from their classes, vacation or just from around NU by emailing [email protected].

Northwestern earned its first win of the season Saturday, defeating Western Illinois 24-7. The victory wasn’t pretty, but after an 0-2 start to the season, the Wildcats can’t complain. Saturday also marked the first ever game for the NU class of 2018, which ran across the field before the game as part of an annual Wildcat Welcome tradition.

The Cats’ victory included breakout performances from a pair of freshmen running backs. Solomon Vault (15) rushed for two touchdowns in the first half, and Justin Jackson (28) carried 21 times for 92 yards, earning the bulk of NU’s carries in the second half.

Though the Cats allowed more yards than they gained, they won comfortably thanks to opportunistic defense and strong special teams. Keith Watkins II (3) blocked a punt, and the defense bent but didn’t break, holding Western Illinois scoreless after the first quarter, much to the delight of the NU faithful in the stands.

Photos by Sean Su and Luke Vogelzang. Text by Alex Putterman.

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