Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch completed 10-of-18 passes for 203 yards as Northwestern snapped its two-game losing skid, defeating Maryland 37-10 Friday night. Lausch also rushed for a touchdown.
As the lights of SECU Stadium beamed down on a smattering of fans in the stands, the Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) marched into College Park, Maryland, and toppled the Terrapins (3-3, 0-3 Big Ten) to secure their first win of conference play.
NU’s first drive, marred by errors including a fumble recovery on the kickoff return and a false start, stalled after going three-and-out.
A strong defensive performance, replete with a sack by sophomore defensive lineman Michael Kilbane, landed NU back on the offensive.
Lausch, making his fourth career start, tossed a 40-yard bomb to graduate student A.J. Henning to set the ’Cats up at the Maryland 14-yard line. The redshirt sophomore put NU on the board with a 9-yard scramble with just over eight minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The next ’Cats’ drive, their third, was their best of the game. After starting at its own 8-yard line, NU put together a 10-play, 92-yard drive that included 68 receiving yards from graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz. Graduate student running back Cam Porter put the ’Cats up 14-0 after rushing a 3-yard direct snap into the endzone.
The Terrapin troubles continued on the ensuing kickoff when graduate student linebacker Greyson Metz forced a fumble and redshirt freshman defensive back Damon Walters recovered the football, setting NU up in prime real estate.
However, the ’Cats offense sputtered and NU turned to redshirt junior punter and emergency kicker Luke Akers, who drilled his first career field goal from 43 yards out. Akers, filling in for redshirt junior kicker Jack Olsen –– who was ruled out due to injury –– handled punts, kickoffs and field goals Friday.
Maryland got on the board following a 16-play, 90-yard drive that culminated in a rugby-style quarterback sneak from Terrapins quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. –– his third rushing touchdown of the season –– with three minutes remaining in the first half.
After the Terrapins turned the ball over on downs during their first drive of the second half, the NU offense went three-and-out before Akers sailed a punt to the Maryland 1-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, redshirt junior linebacker Mac Uihlein blew up Maryland running back Roman Hemby in the endzone. However, the referees ruled Hemby had made it back to the half-yard-line. The Terrapins then put together an 18-play, 86-yard drive that took up nearly 10 minutes and cut the NU lead to 17-10.
In the fourth quarter, redshirt junior defensive lineman Carmine Bastone –– making his debut after missing the first five games of the season –– strip-sacked Edwards Jr., forcing a fumble that redshirt defensive lineman fell on in the end zone to put the ’Cats up 24-10 with 13 minutes remaining.Maryland drove down the field in an attempt to answer the fumble score, but the NU defense stood firm on 4th-and-6 from the ’Cats 19, forcing a turnover on downs and enabling the offense to put the game on ice.
Akers drilled another field goal, this time from 39 yards, to extend the NU lead to 27-10 with just under nine minutes left in the game. On the first play of Maryland’s ensuing drive, Uihlein forced a fumble by Terrapins wide receiver Preston Howard. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Braden Turner recovered it.
Walters picked off Edwards as the Terrapins tried to muster a comeback, the fourth turnover by the defense and Walters’s first career pick.
Graduate student running back Jake Arthurs, who entering Friday night logged just one snap this season, scored his first touchdown in three years during mop-up time, punching in a 9-yard score to make the score 37-10.
Here are five takeaways from Friday night’s contest.
1. Lausch provides optimism for remainder of season
Offensive coordinator Zach Lujan dialed up some shot plays for Lausch early on, and the young quarterback delivered.
Lausch completed four passes of more than 25 yards Friday, delivering a deep completion on both of NU’s touchdown-scoring drives. Another deep shot, dropped by Henning, displayed perfect placement within a tight window.
In the fourth quarter, Lausch hit Kirtz in stride for a 55-yard catch-and-run, a connection that has proven deadly through the past two contests. Against Indiana, Kirtz had 10 receptions for 128 yards. Against Maryland Friday, Kirtz finished with three catches for 123 yards as it has become evident that Lausch has found his favorite target.
Lausch’s final line: 10-for-18 for 203 yards, completing 56% of his passes. His passer rating finished at 150.3, just eight points shy of perfect. He also rushed eight times for 24 yards and a touchdown. From start to finish, the quarterback appeared poised and confident within the pocket. It is an encouraging sign for the NU gunslinger, who had struggled in earlier starts.
2. Uihlein turns in legacy performance
A staple of ’Cats defenses, from the Fitzgerald era now to the Braun era, has been strong linebacking play. Friday night was no different.
Uihlein got involved early on and logged a team-high 13 total tackles and 11 solo tackles, commanding the defense while calling defensive plays as the Mike linebacker.
He also saved a touchdown with a pass breakup in the third quarter, forcing the Terrapins into a field goal.
Defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle was a linebacker for the then-St. Louis Rams. In his first year in the role, both Uihlein and graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller have stepped up and delivered strong outings.
3. Akers steps up in Olsen’s stead
With Olsen unavailable for Friday’s game, Akers was thrust into a do-it-all role, handling punts, kick-offs and field goals.
The redshirt junior from outside of Nashville, Tennessee, delivered in every facet Friday, hitting his first career field goal in the first half from 43 yards. In the fourth quarter, Akers drilled from 39 to put the ’Cats up 27-10 before hitting a 38-yarder midway through the final frame.
Akers, with three field goals and three extra points, outscored the Terrapins Friday night.
Akers also punted five times, including a 58-yard boot, averaging 49.2 yards per punt with two punts inside the 20-yard line.
Coach David Braun has lauded Akers’s work ethic in press conferences. The special teams weapon regained his starting job this season after redshirt junior punter Hunter Renner shared the bulk of reps in 2023.
4. Saka stars in homecoming game
Hailing from Phoenix, Maryland, about an hour’s drive from SECU Stadium, redshirt sophomore Anto Saka wreaked havoc within the Maryland trenches.
Making a homecoming of sorts, Saka logged three tackles, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. Edwards seldom had time to set his feet in the pocket.
Saka logged 5.5 sacks in last year’s campaign and has continued to pester opposing quarterbacks.
5. Defense returns to dominance
NU entered the season with high expectations for its defense –– Braun’s specialty –– and tonight was indicative of a strong performance. Maryland entered Friday’s matchup with a +11 turnover differential. Entering Friday’s game, the Terrapins had only committed three turnovers. NU nearly doubled Maryland’s season tally.
The ’Cats, who had generated just one turnover in Big Ten play thus far, forced three fumbles and an interception Friday night. The ’Cats earned 20 points off turnovers Friday. NU also sacked Edwards three times, logging nine tackles for loss, while breaking up 10 of his passes.
Edwards, who entered Friday with 11 touchdown passes to just two interceptions, was held scoreless through the air by the ’Cats.
NU returns home for its final game of the season at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium next Saturday, taking on Wisconsin as it looks to build on a blowout win.
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