Big Ten Network : Northwestern Top Stories

Northwestern holds off No. 17 Wisconsin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:51:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- A purple mob rushed to the middle of Ryan Field, a home crowd celebrating Northwestern's 33-31 victory over No. 17 Wisconsin on Saturday. "I was right in the middle in the thick of things; it got a little rowdy in there. It's definitely a great feeling having fans rush the field," Northwestern's Jordan Mabin said Saturday after his interception in the closing seconds clinched the win. The Wildcats built a 27-14 halftime lead behind the passing of Mike Kafka to Andrew Brewer and then used late defensive plays from Brian Peters and Mabin to hold off the Badgers. "It was definitely an emotional day, having your parents walk out on the field with you. But we were here to win the game," said Brewer, a senior and converted quarterback who finished with six catches for 102 yards. Northwestern (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) improved its postseason positioning with its third straight victory and will get a chance to win the school's first bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl. Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3) still has one more game to play at Hawaii. The Badgers couldn't get in position Saturday for a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter, even though they had ample opportunities. "When we took the ball with about four minutes left, I felt pretty comfortable about being able to drive the ball down and if not score [a touchdown], put ourselves in field goal range," coach Bret Bielema said. "Even taking the field the last time with 42 seconds left, the way these guys have battled through and finished ballgames, I felt pretty good." Wisconsin's David Gilreath returned a punt 68 yards for a third-quarter TD to get the Badgers (8-3, 5-3) back in the game. Scott Tolzien found Garrett Graham wide open in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard pass with 10:45 to go, pulling the Badgers within 33-31 and setting the stage for a wild finish. Wisconsin then got the ball back three more times, but had turnovers on two of the possessions. The Badgers got the ball with eight minutes to go but had to punt. They stopped the Wildcats and, after a holding penalty, had possession again at their 34 with 3:43 to go. But Wisconsin's John Clay fumbled and Peters recovered at the 41 with 1:44 left. "I was trying to fight and get the first down. I let loose of the ball. I bumped into one of my guys and I dropped it," said Clay, the Big Ten's leading rusher who finished with 100 yards on 23 carries. Northwestern had to punt again, and the Badgers got the ball back at their 21 with 42 seconds to go, before Mabin sealed the victory with his interception of a long pass from Tolzien intended for Isaac Anderson. "I looked up and saw the ball coming and I'm like, 'Oh, wow, it's here.' I had to go up and get it. It's hard to explain that feeling," Mabin said. "If I were to do it again, I probably would have thrown it underneath," Tolzien said. "Come crunch time we didn't get it done." Tolzien completed 19 of 30 passes for 235 yards and two TD passes to Graham. Kafka had his fifth 300-yard passing game of the season, going 26 of 40 for 326 yards. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald -- who said he didn't like fans rushing the field because of the injury risk -- made a pitch for Kafka, his senior quarterback, to be the offensive MVP of the Big Ten. The Wildcats are playing their best football at the end of the season and had beaten Iowa and Illinois the previous two weeks. "I would say so," Fitzgerald said. "3-0 in November is a statement of where our program is now." The Wildcats used trickery to build the halftime lead. Kafka lateraled to leading receiver Zeke Markshausen, who then passed to a wide open Sidney Stewart. Stewart caught the ball at the 6 and then went to the end zone to complete the 38-yard play and cap a three-play, 80-yard drive -- Northwestern's second TD in a span of 2:21. Northwestern added a 38-yard field goal by Stefan Demos with 34 seconds to go after Wisconsin stopped the Wildcats on third-and-1 at the 20. Demos finished with four field goals. Northwestern had gone up 17-14 when Brewer fully extended to catch Kafka's third-down pass in the end zone. His highlight reel reception was upheld by video review and set up by Stephen Simmons' 64-yard kickoff return.

Moffet, Johnson help NU sweep away Iowa

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:51:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Behind a combined 32 kills from juniors Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) and Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and 21 digs from senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg), Northwestern overpowered Iowa 25-15, 25-17, 25-15 on Senior Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The victory moves the Wildcats into sole possession of sixth place in the Big Ten standings, improving to 7-11 in the conference and 16-14 overall. One night after a rousing victory over Wisconsin, the junior tandem struck again as Moffett knocked down 17 kills with a .538 hitting percentage, complimented by Johnson's 15 kills and .565 hitting percentage. The duo also combined for eight blocks on the night, led by Moffett's one solo block and four assisted. As a team, Northwestern was firing on all cylinders against Iowa (12-18, 4-14 Big Ten), finishing with a .364 team hitting percentage compared to the Hawkeyes' .060. The Wildcats also held a 9-3 block advantage, a 42-21 assist edge and out-dug the Hawkeyes 38-23. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) led all players with 37 assists while also knocking down five kills on six attempts for an .833 average and adding a pair of blocks. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) had four kills and two blocks while senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and junior Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) each added a pair of kills. Gray also posted four blocks on the night while Baxterbeck's six digs was second for the 'Cats. Northwestern controlled the tempo from the opening serve of set one, notching six of the first seven points and never looked back. Behind six kills from Moffett, the Wildcats extended their lead to as many as 11 at 24-13 before settling in for the 25-15 victory. With sole possession of sixth-place in the Big Ten just 25 points away, Northwestern took care of business in set three, racing out to a 10-3 lead on Iowa and again didn't look back. The Wildcats pushed their advantage to 10 at 24-14, and would hold onto that edge by taking set three 25-15 and sending the seniors out in style. Prior to the match, both Baxterbeck and Nobilio were honored on Senior Night. Baxterbeck ranks third on the team in kills (212) and is second in digs (255) in her best season as a Wildcat. With Nobilio's 21 digs on the night, she ups her season total to 490, needing just 10 more to become the first player in program history to record four 500-dig seasons. She also upped her career total to 2,155, leaving her 28 digs shy of moving into second-place all-time in Big Ten history. With its NCAA tournament hopes still alive, Northwestern returns to the court at Welsh-Ryan Arena one last time in 2009, taking on in-state rival and fifth-ranked Illinois Wednesday, Nov. 25 in its home finale. The match against the Illini will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with the opening serve set for 7:05 p.m.

Jaeschke, Diamant lead 'Cats past SIU-E, 68-37

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:27:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern took a 10-8 advantage on an early layup by junior Amy Jaeschke (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and never relinquished the lead, defeating Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 68-37 Friday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Jaeschke recorded her first double-double of the season--tallying 16 points and 15 rebounds--and freshman Dannielle Diamant (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) followed suit, notching a career-best 17 points and 10 boards. "We did some good things defensively and we're playing with some confidence," head coach Joe McKeown said after the game. "Having Jaeschke and Diamant in there with their skills; we're just scraping the iceberg as far as what they can do." It was clear that physical attributes were going to dictate the game plan for both teams with NU looking to pound the ball down low, while undersized SIU-Edwardsville took to playing on the perimeter. But both offenses came out of the gates sputtering until Northwestern found its rhythm thanks to Jaeschke, who scored six of NU's first 12 points to spark a 6-0 run and put NU up 14-8 with 11:35 left in the first half. Meanwhile, the Wildcats combined full-court pressure with an active zone, holding the Cougars scoreless for five minutes and extending their lead to 18-10 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half. The Wildcats shot an outstanding 47 percent through the first 12 minutes and continued their accurate marksmanship throughout the rest of the stanza, converting on 44 percent of their looks. Northwestern held the Cougars to just 16 percent shooting from the field and just one basket in the paint through the opening 20 minutes. Northwestern held Southern Illinois-Edwardsville to just 14 points in the first half, the lowest total of the McKeown era. Maggie Mocchi (Wheeling, Ill./Buffalo Grove) led all scorers with nine points in just eight minutes of action, connecting on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field. Jaeschke added eight points and seven rebounds while recording three blocks in the first frame. Diamant opened the second-half scoring with a long-distance connection and forced the visitors to call a timeout. The Wildcats continued to roll offensively, outscoring SIU-E 38-23 in the second half to roll to victory. Sophomore Brittany Orban joined Jaeschke, Diamant and Mocchi in double figures with 12 points.

Northwestern stops Wisconsin, 3-1

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:16:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Juniors Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) combined for 23 kills and 14 blocks as Northwestern defeated Wisconsin 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-21 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The victory gives the Wildcats their first victory over the Badgers since 2003, snapping an 11-match skid, and moves Northwestern (15-14, 6-11 Big Ten) into a sixth-place tie with Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings. Johnson paced the Wildcats up at the nets all night, recording 13 kills and a career-best eight blocks, including some key rejections down the stretch to seal the Northwestern victory. Moffett added 10 kills and six blocks, as with her four block assists she moves into eighth-place all-time in Wildcat history with 269 on her career. Moffett also registered two solo blocks, pushing her into ninth-place in program history with 58 for her career. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal also played a key role in the Wildcat victory, recording seven kills and adding seven blocks for Northwestern. Senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) added six kills, three blocks and eight digs for the 'Cats, with junior Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) adding five kills. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) just missed notching her eighth double-double of the season, finishing with 38 assists and nine digs. Senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) turned away 23 Badger attacks, upping her season total to 469 digs. Set turn set the tempo for the evening, as both teams were even from the start. Neither team was able to take control, as after 17 ties and nine lead changes, both the Wildcats and Badgers found themselves knotted at 21. Wisconsin (11-15, 6-11 Big Ten) recorded two straight points and looked poised to take the opening set victory, but Northwestern rallied, tallying the set's final four points to take the 25-23 decision. Set two played out similarly to the first until the Badgers began to pull away, building a six-point cushion at 20-14. But the Wildcats would rally again, using an 11-2 run to steal set two from Wisconsin 25-22. Four kills from both Johnson and Moffett and five blocks each from Johnson and Chrystal turned the tide, giving the 'Cats the convincing 2-0 lead. Wisconsin again took control in set three, leading Northwestern by as many as seven at 19-12. But once again the Wildcats would claw their way back, pulling to within a point at 20-19. But this time the Badgers were able to hold off the Wildcat rally, taking set three 25-20. A fast Wisconsin start in set four was once again answered with a Northwestern rally, as after the Badgers built an 8-3 lead early, the Wildcats would respond to tie the set at 15. The two would then battle down the stretch, but then with the set knotted at 19, Northwestern took control for the final time, outscoring Wisconsin 6-2 down the stretch to take set four and seal the victory. Wisconsin's Brittney Dolgner and Allison Wack each recorded 16 kills in defeat, with Alexis Mitchell and Mary Ording each recording five blocks and Kim Kuzma digging a match-high 30 balls.

No. 11 Butler leads throughout, drops NU

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:09:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- On a good night, it's going to be tough to beat No. 11 Butler. When a team is as short-handed as Northwestern is, it's almost not a fair fight. Shelvin Mack's 15 points led four Bulldogs in double figures, Gordon Hayward had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Butler overpowered Northwestern 67-54 on Wednesday night. It was the Wildcats' first game since announcing Monday that Kevin Coble, the team's leading scorer and rebounder the last three years, and Jeff Ryan will miss the rest of the season with injuries. "I feel for their situation," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "They're going to get it figured out. They're going to be a really good team. But three days after, it's tough. It's going to take a little time." Michael Thompson led the Wildcats (1-1) with 16, but after making three 3-pointers in the first 8 1/2 minutes he was held scoreless until only 3 1/2 minutes remained. John Shurna added 14 for the Wildcats. It was the second victory over Northwestern in two years for the Bulldogs (2-0), but their first in Evanston since 1947-48. Butler has won six of its last seven games against Big Ten teams. "Butler's been good since I was in high school," Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. "They've traditionally been a very good team, and they're probably just getting their due in the last six, eight years." Butler had to rally from double figures last year to beat Northwestern at Hinkle Fieldhouse, but there was no such scare this time around. The Bulldogs never trailed, and led by as many as 21 points in the second half. Five players scored nine points or better, and the Bulldogs had 17 assists to 10 turnovers. Anytime Northwestern threatened to make a run, Butler came up with a big bucket -- usually from outside. The Bulldogs made four straight 3s -- one each by Mack and Hayward, two by Avery Jukes -- for a 50-30 lead with 11:42 to play. "We've been playing together since the end of last season. We know how good we are, but we also know what each other is going to do," said Jukes, who finished with 10 points. "We have so many options." And Northwestern doesn't have many. The Wildcats had high hopes for this season, returning most of the team that went to the NIT last year. But Coble broke a bone in his foot at practice Nov. 10. Three days later, Ryan, a senior and valuable sub, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Northwestern's season opener. "It's kind of a heartbreaker for them," Hayward said. "But I'm sure they'd tell you they've got to move on without them." Despite returning everyone from the team that made a third straight trip to the NCAA tournament last season, Butler had to overcome some uncharacteristic jitters in its season opener against Davidson. The Bulldogs were far more composed against Northwestern, though it took them a bit to get into a rhythm. Hayward's layup to break a 15-all tie midway through the first half sparked a 12-4 run, and the Wildcats never really threatened again. The Bulldogs put the game away with a flurry of 3-pointers in the second half, getting a surprising spark from Willie Veasley. With 16:51 left, Shawn Vanzant got poked in the eye by Jeremy Nash. Vanzant backed away from the foul line several times, blinking, and had the eye looked at by Butler's trainer, but couldn't see clearly enough to take the shots. Veasley replaced him and, after making one of two, stole the ball at the other end to set up Matt Howard's tip-in. Just like that, Butler was up 36-26. Mack made a fallaway jumper and then came back with a 3, the first of four straight that all but sealed yet another win over yet another big-conference team. "I don't know that it's against the Big Ten or anyone else. Our guys like to play, they like to play together," Stevens said. "Whoever they're playing against, they're not worried about their conference affiliation."

Badgers eye share of Big Ten title

ANTHONY GIORNALISTA — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Wisconsin's rushing attack and passing game aren't accustomed to dividing the spotlight. A balanced approach, though, may help the Badgers earn a share of the Big Ten title. The 17th-ranked Badgers, with quarterback Scott Tolzien and receiver Nick Toon giving their offense a new look, have a chance to become the league's co-champion as they visit Northwestern on Saturday. Wisconsin (8-2, 5-2) is out of the running for the Big Ten's BCS bid, earned by Ohio State with its win over Iowa last Saturday, but it can finish with at least a share of the conference championship for the first time since 1999. The Badgers, Hawkeyes and Penn State can become co-champions with victories Saturday combined with a Buckeyes loss to Michigan. Ohio State earned a trip to the Rose Bowl because it holds the tiebreaker advantage over all of those teams. Wisconsin beat the Wolverines 45-24 last Saturday for its third straight win, getting an outstanding effort from Tolzien and Toon. Tolzien tied a career high with four touchdown passes - two were to Toon - and ran for a score to earn Big Ten offensive player of the week honors. Tolzien's play has been a key factor in the Badgers' success. He has a 156.4 rating in their eight wins, throwing for 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, compared to no TDs and five INTs in their two defeats. He's helped add another dimension to the Wisconsin offense after a few seasons of instability in the team's passing game. "It's good just to have another element of our offense to be able to throw the ball and not put it all on the run game," Tolzien said. "It's fun to be able to throw it, too." Toon has emerged as Tolzien's top target. The son of former Wisconsin star and NFL All-Pro Al Toon, he leads the Badgers with 42 catches for 633 yards and four TDs. With his second score against Michigan, the 6-foot-3 Toon displayed some of the skill for which his father was once known, going over the top of a cornerback to grab the ball despite being interfered with. "Yeah, he's a playmaker," Tolzien. "The best thing he has going for him is his confidence." Tolzien has the third-best passer rating in the Big Ten (138.7), but Wisconsin is still a run-first team and leads the conference with 208.0 rushing yards per contest. The Badgers have rushed for more than 200 in three straight games. They're led by John Clay, who has a Big Ten-best 1,149 yards and 12 TDs on the ground. "Welcome to Wisconsin football - that's what we do," coach Bret Bielema said. Northwestern (7-4, 4-3) gave up 212 yards rushing to Illinois last Saturday, but Mike Kafka threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score to lead the Wildcats to a 21-16 win. The victory improved Northwestern's bowl possibilities. The Wildcats, playing their regular-season finale, will appear in consecutive bowls for the first time since the Rose and Citrus following the 1995 and '96 seasons. "We're not satisfied with seven wins," Kafka said. "We want to go out and get that eighth win." Having Kafka healthy should help. He went 23 of 37 without an interception after missing most of the previous two games due to a hamstring injury. His favorite receiver continues to be Zeke Markshausen, who had six catches for 104 yards and a TD versus the Illini. He's among the Big Ten leaders with 76 receptions and 737 yards. Northwestern lost 41-9 at Wisconsin on Oct. 7, 2006, in the last meeting between the teams. The Badgers lead the series 55-32-5 but have lost their only two games in Evanston this decade.

Northwestern earns No. 9 national seed

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:46:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern earned the No. 9 national seed and a first-round bye when the field of 48 teams for the 2009 NCAA Men's College Cup was announced Monday afternoon. The Wildcats open tournament play Sunday against the winner of Thursday's match between host Notre Dame and Green Bay. Sunday's contest is set to kick off at 1 p.m. at Lakeside Field. The No. 9 seed equals NU's highest in program history, matching the 2007 squad. In addition, the tournament berth makes this year's senior class the first in program history to compete in the NCAA tournament all four years. Northwestern (10-4-4) is familiar with both potential opponents as it faced Notre Dame in an exhibition game prior to playing to a 3-3 tie at Green Bay in the season opener. The Wildcats have a recent postseason history with the Fighting Irish as they defeated 12th-seeded Notre Dame 2-1 in a second-round matchup in South Bend last season. The winner of Sunday's match advances to take on the winner of the match between eight-seeded Tulsa and either Missouri State or Saint Louis. Tickets for Sunday's matchup cost $8 for adults and $5 for students. As a special thank you for their support all season, the first 100 Northwestern undergraduate students can receive a voucher for admission to the contest at the Lakeside Field entrance beginning at 11:30 a.m. Sunday courtesy of Coach Lenahan and the Wildcats.

Coble opts to have season-ending surgery

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:25:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern University senior forward Kevin Coble (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian Academy) has opted to have season-ending surgery on his left foot following an appointment with a second foot specialist Monday morning. "After meetings with foot specialists, it has become obvious that surgery will be required to repair a mild Lisfranc fracture," Coble said. "My plans are to be with the team throughout the season and I wish them success this year. I ask that our fans keep me and my family in your prayers, while continuing your support of Wildcat Basketball." Coble suffered the injury in practice last Tuesday, Nov. 10. Surgery will take place at a date still to be determined. "We're obviously disappointed that Kevin won't be able to be on the court this season," Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody said. "He worked very hard this off-season to get himself in great shape for his senior year and we were looking forward to him having a terrific season. It was obvious after meeting with numerous doctors that surgery was the necessary course of action to take in order to best prepare him for his future." Coble was a consensus second-team All-Big Ten selection a year ago after posting team-leading averages of 15.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while helping Northwestern to a National Invitation Tournament berth. He has led the Wildcats in both scoring and rebounding in each of his first three seasons and currently ranks 14th in school history with 1,203 career points. Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday as it hosts No. 11 Butler at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

NU G Ryan suffers season-ending knee injury

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:29:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern senior guard/forward Jeff Ryan suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the Wildcats season-opening contest against Northern Illinois Friday night and will miss the remainder of the 2009-10 season. Ryan is expected to undergo surgery to repair the knee in the coming weeks. I feel badly for Jeff, Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody said. He had been playing very well the past weeks and we were looking forward to him being a key contributor this season. Its an unfortunate situation and we hope that hes able to have a speedy recovery. Ryan has appeared in 80 career games, including making 22 starts. He saw action in 28 games a year ago and averaged 2.1 points per game after posting norms of 5.1 points per game as both a freshman and a sophomore. Ryan ranks eighth in school history with a .496 career field goal percentage.

Kafka, 'Cats squash Illinois' bowl hopes

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:36:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Mike Kafka spent the third quarter carving up the Illinois' defense and building a 21-3 lead for Northwestern. When the Wildcats needed a stop to thwart an Illini comeback, Sherrick McManis pulled one out. Kafka threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, McManis' interception with 32 seconds left was upheld by replay review, and Northwestern defeated the Illini 21-16 on Saturday. Illinois redshirt freshman quarterback Jacob Charest was benched at halftime of his first start but came back in the fourth quarter to run for a touchdown and throw for another score to lead the Illini back. McManis sealed it for the Wildcats, pulling the ball away from Jarred Fayson's chest as the two rolled on the ground at the Illinois 35. Officials on the field ruled that Fayson never had possession, and replay officials decided they didn't have enough evidence to change the call. "It was a blur -- I just know it didn't hit the ground, and I caught the ball and came up with it," said McManis, who has four interceptions this season. "I was pretty confident [that the call wouldn't be overturned]. But you never know with those things." Illinois coach Ron Zook declined to blame the officials, but hinted he was not happy with the call. "Everybody has bad games," he said. "Players have bad games, coaches have bad games, officials have bad games. That's just the way it is." The win all but ensured Northwestern (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) of going to a second straight bowl game. The Wildcats haven't been to consecutive bowls since going to the Rose and Citrus following the 1995 and 1996 seasons. "We're not satisfied with seven wins," said Kafka, who was 23 of 37 without an interception. "We want to go out and get that eighth win." Kafka missed most of the last two games, including the Wildcats' 17-10 upset at Iowa last week, because of a hamstring injury. Illinois (3-7, 2-6) is guaranteed of a second straight losing season and no bowl, two years after a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Illini had won two straight and were hoping to make an improbable run to bowl eligibility. Zeke Markshausen had six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. Charest made his first start, for the injured Juice Williams, and completed 14 of 27 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and two interceptions. Charest was benched after going 5 for 14 for 34 yards in the first half in favor of Eddie McGee. But McGee was ineffective and Charest got another chance. Charest returned early in the fourth quarter and ran for a 10-yard TD with just over 10 minutes left to play. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving Illinois down 21-9. Charest found Chris Duvalt for a 32-yard touchdown with just over four minutes left and Illinois stopped Northwestern near midfield to get the ball back at its 21 with 1:14 to play. Four plays after the touchdown pass, though, McManis pulled the ball off Fayson's chest, ending the comeback. "[Fayson] was on his back on the field of play and the ball was basically on his chest," referee Dan Capron said after the game. "The receiver did not firmly grab and possess the ball. Before he had an opportunity to do so, the defender from Northwestern came up and did possess the ball." Northwestern had 222 yards of offense in the first two quarters, but couldn't put much distance between itself and Illinois. Northwestern kicker Stefan Demos missed two fields goals in the half -- and third in the second. Kafka found Markshausen for a 28-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the second quarter that gave the Wildcats a 7-3 lead and the game's first shot of momentum. "We couldn't really get much going before that," Markshausen said. "It felt good going into half knowing that we had some momentum built up" The senior led the Wildcats on a 99-yard drive early in the third quarter, first hitting Andrew Brewer for 52 yards and then punching the ball in himself from the Illini 1. He followed that up with a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped when backup Arby Fields stepped in from the Illini 1 with just over 13 minutes to play.

Penn State stays hot, sweeps Northwestern

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:26:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team (28-0, 16-0) secured their 92nd straight victory Saturday evening with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-20) sweep of Northwestern (14-14, 5-11) in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 5,312 in Rec Hall. It was the fourth-largest crowd to attend a PSU women's volleyball match. The Nittany Lions are now tied for second in the NCAA record books for consecutive wins with the North Carolina women's soccer team (1990-94). The Nittany Lions were led by senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.), who posted a match-high 15 kills. Junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) finished second on the squad with nine kills. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) paced the Nittany Lion offense with 37 assists, while junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) made 10 saves. Sophomore Katie Kabbes (Raleigh, N.C.) led the team at the net with five total blocks and also tallied four kills. Penn State attacked at a .360 clip and held the Wildcats to a meager .083. The Nittany Lions totaled 42 kills, 40 assists, 28 digs and 11.0 total team blocks. Northwestern recorded 32 kills, 29 assists, 30 digs and 5.5 total team blocks. The Nittany Lions wasted no time in the first set jumping out to a 5-0 lead before the Wildcats could get on the board. A block by Glass and junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.), a kill by Hodge and an NU error had Penn State ahead, 8-1. The Wildcats fought to within six, 11-5, but kills from Wilson, freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) and Brown gave Penn State a 14-6 advantage. After a Northwestern timeout, the Wildcats found some momentum and five kills combined with three PSU errors had NU within three, 17-14. Penn State cut off the Wildcats with a Hodge kill and a NU attack error sent the Wildcats to the bench a second time. The timeout slowed the Nittany Lions enough to allow Northwestern to come back to within three, 21-19. Penn State called a timeout to regroup and two Hodge kills, another from Dorton and a Northwestern error would secure the first set for PSU, 25-20. Two Northwestern errors put Penn State up 2-0 to start off the second set. However, a kill from Alexandra Ayers and two PSU errors had the teams tied at 3-3. Northwestern took its first lead of the match, 4-3, after another error, but the Wildcats would commit an error of their own to allow Penn State to tie it at 4-4. Back-to-back Northwestern kills put the Wildcats up by two, 6-4, but two Kabbes kills and a Wildcat error had the Nittany Lions back in charge, 8-7. Penn State increased its lead to four, 12-8, when Northwestern called a timeout. The break did little to slow PSU as the squad only increased its lead to six, 17-11, when Northwestern took a second timeout. Kabbes notched a solo block following the timeout, but Sabel Moffett posted a kill to keep Northwestern within six. Penn State held Northwestern to just 14 points in the second set as errors by the Wildcats sent the Nittany Lions surging ahead to a set two win. Northwestern's Brittany Gray posted the first point of the third and final set of the match, but she followed it with an error to put the Nittany Lions on the board. Errors would plague the Wildcats early giving Penn State a 7-3 lead. The teams traded kills until a huge block by Wilson and Dorton forced Northwestern to take a timeout. Trailing by six, 11-5, the Wildcats followed the short break with two straight kills to come within four, 11-7. Dorton slowed NU with a kill, but by midway through the frame, Northwestern was within three, 14-11. Two consecutive Penn State kills and a block by Kabbes and Brown gave the Nittany Lions some breathing room, 17-11, and had Northwestern calling its second timeout. A block by Hodge and Brown and a Hodge kill moved the Nittany Lions ahead by eight, 19-11. Despite it seeming like Penn State had firm control, Northwestern rallied and were soon within three, 23-20. Penn State called a timeout and kills from Glass and Dorton gave Penn State a 25-20 third set triumph. Penn State is back in action at Purdue on Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions then travel to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 21 for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Hoosiers. PSU returns home to close out the regular season the weekend of Nov. 27 with matches against Michigan State and Michigan.

Jaeschke dominates in 73-64 victory over Toledo

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

TOLEDO, Ohio-- Junior Amy Jaeschke (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) scored a game-high 27 points while Ohio natives Brittany Orban (North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) and Kendall Hackney (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) added 13 apiece as Northwestern emerged victorious, 73-64, in its first contest of the 2009-10 campaign. Orban and Jaeschke led NU on the boards with eight each. Northwestern is now 26-9 all-time in season-openers. Toledo came out strong, shooting 50 percent from the field through the first four minutes en route to taking a slight 7-6 advantage. Jaeschke provided back-to-back buckets to settle the 'Cats offensively and give NU confidence for a 7-0 run, propelling Northwestern to a 15-7 lead with 12 minutes left. Toledo battled back to pull to within four, 15-11, but a trey from Hackney and a layup from Beth Marshall (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) pushed NU's lead back to nine at the 10:23 mark. The Wildcats' defense remained strong, inducing a five-minute Rocket scoring drought while running off six points of their own to claim their largest lead of the game--a 28-13 advantage. The Rockets managed to get the difference to single digits with 22 ticks left in the first half, but a Jaeschke layup as time ran down set the score at 34-23 at intermission. Jaeschke led all scorers with 12 points at the half thanks to a 6-of-8 effort from the field. Hackney converted on 75 percent of her looks for seven points while adding two steals. Both teams came out of the gates firing, scoring nine points collectively in the first two minutes. Still, the Wildcats remained clearly in control, extending their lead to as much as 21. But, Toledo hung around and proved why they were picked to finish first in the MAC West, going on a 15-4 run to cut the Wildcat lead to six with under three minutes remaining. Orban nailed two free throws to give NU a 65-57 lead, and a Rocket miss on the next possession resulted in a Hackney rebound and two free throws at the other end. The freshman calmly sunk both to put the NU lead back to double-digits. The Rockets pulled back to within eight with under 1:30 left but that was the closest they would get as NU held on for its first victory of the season. Northwestern converted from the line when it counted, going a perfect 8-of-8 from the line in the final three minutes. Northwestern registered 23 points off 18 Toledo turnovers and converted on 43 percent of its looks from the field. Individually, Jaeschke was 11-of-18 from the field with three assists, four blocks and four steals. Hackney went 5-of-9 and pulled down a solid five boards while grabbing two steals.

Nash, Northwestern down Northern Illinois 77-55

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:49:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP)—Jeremy Nash scored 20 points to lead Northwestern past Northern Illinois 77-55 Friday night in the season opener for both teams. Northwestern took charge with a 15-1 first-half run to grab a 26-17 edge. Luka Mirkovic scored six points and Nash had five during the spurt. With 3:04 left in the half, Mike Capocci's alley-oop dunk off a pass from Jeff Ryan brought the crowd to its feet as Northwestern led 34-21 on its way to a 39-25 halftime advantage. But Ryan was carried off the court with a leg injury with 1:28 left in the half and did not return. Northern Illinois came within eight early in the second half, but Nash scored eight points during an 11-1 surge. The Huskies were led by Xavier Silas, who scored 18 points before fouling out, while Darion Anderson fouled out with 15 points. Mirkovic scored 15 points for the Wildcats.

Wildcats drop four-set decision to Buckeyes

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Northwestern fought back from a slow start, but Ohio State proved to be too much as the Wildcats drop a 16-25, 27-25, 10-25, 15-25 decision at St. John Arena. NU remains in seventh place in the Big Ten standings with a 5-10 mark and are 14-13 on the year. Sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) came up big for Northwestern, leading the squad in both kills (11) and digs (13) for her third double-double of the season. Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) finished with 10 kills and three blocks while senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) added eight kills and seven digs. Senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) finished with 11 digs on the night. Junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) each knocked down five kills and added a block for the Wildcats in the middle as junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) recorded a double-double of her own with 32 assists and 10 digs. After a competitive early start to set one, Ohio State (21-7, 9-6 Big Ten) began to take control. Holding a 6-5 advantage, the Buckeyes would tally 15 of the next 20 points to break the set open at 21-10. Northwestern staged a late rally, but it wasn't enough as Ohio State takes set one 25-16 despite three kills apiece from Ayers, Baxterbeck and Chrystal. The Wildcats took control early in set two, building a five-point cushion at 19-14 and seemed to have the set in hand. But a 10-3 Buckeye run would give Ohio State match point at 24-22. However, Northwestern would not only fight off two set points, but would put together a 5-1 run of its own and held off OSU 27-25, tying the match at a set apiece. But the momentum gained by the Wildcats was short-lived as the Buckeyes notched 15 of the first 18 in set three that edge. Ohio State would keep Northwestern at bay for the duration, taking set three comfortably at 25-10. The Wildcats were never able to recover, with set four playing out in similar fashion as the Buckeyes closed out the match with a 25-15 decision. Ohio State's Katie Dull finished with a match-high 20 kills, complimented by nine from Anna Szerszen and eight from Kristen Dozier. In a very unfamiliar fashion, the Wildcats, who rank third in the conference in blocks, were out-blocked by the Buckeyes 13-5.

Northwestern star may have surgery

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:40:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill.(AP) Northwestern forward Kevin Coble said Friday he is considering surgery after hurting his left foot in practice Tuesday. The 6-foot-8 senior is going to see a specialist Monday. Northwestern opened its season Friday night against Northern Illinois. With surgery, Coble would miss about four months before he would even be able to begin his rehabilitation. After finishing 17-14 last season, the Wildcats have four returning starters. Coble said if he has surgery, he would consider coming back for another season. He averaged 15.5 points a year ago while leading Northwestern to the NIT.

NU swimmers split with Badgers

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:53:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- After trailing for much of Friday night's meet against Wisconsin at the Norris Aquatics Center, Northwestern charged back to earn its first dual-meet victory of the season, 157-143. Wisconsin won the opening 200 medley relay in NCAA `B' provisional qualifying fashion, breaking a nine-year-old Norris Aquatics Center record with a 1:41.88. Northwestern (1-2) took both second and third in the race, with the team of Liza Engstrom (Reno, Nev./Robert McQueen), Jenny Wilson (Bethesda, Md./Sidwell Friends School), Meghan Cavanaugh (Anchorage, Alaska/East Anchorage) and Emily Wong (Nepean, Ontario/St. Joseph's) coming in second with a 1:45.46 and the squad of Ellen Grigg (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Latin School), Kathleen Patterson (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley), Alex Kraus (Birmingham, Ala./Vestavia Hills) and Teisha Lightbourne (Nassau, Bahamas/Peddie School (N.J.)) taking third in 1:45.95. Jenn Kocsis (Omaha, Neb./Marian) was Northwestern's top finisher in the 1,000 free, coming in second with a 10:13.22. Kassia Shishkoff (Raleigh, N.C./St. David's School) then won the 200 free for Northwestern with a 1:50.31, besting her nearest competition by an even two seconds. Wisconsin's Maggie Meyer followed with a second pool record on the day for the Badgers, winning the 100 back in 53.01 to break a 12-year-old mark set in 1997 by Stanford's Catherine Fox. Meyer led a three-way sweep of the event for Wisconsin. Wilson was Northwestern's top finisher in the 100 breast with a second-place time of 1:03.85, then Meredith King (Louisville, Ky./DuPont Manual), Cavanaugh and Hannah Points (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) swept the 200 fly with times of 2:03.70, 2:03.85 and 2:04.28, respectively, to bring the Wildcats back within three points in the meet, 67-64. Wong (23.23) and Lightbourne (23.80) finished 2-3 in the 50 free just before the first break of the meet. During the first swimming portion of the meet, freshman Felicitas Lenz (Altadena, Calif./Polytechnic School) won the 3-meter springboard diving event with a score of 292.65. Coming out of the break Wong earned a sprint win with a 50.57 in the 100 free while Lightbourne came in third with a 51.78. Wisconsin fought right back with a victory in the 200 back, with NU's top finisher placing third in the form of Genny Szymanski's (Haines, Alaska/Haines) 2:04.10. Wilson took second to lead the NU contingent in the 200 breast, coming in with a time of 2:18.99. Shishkoff then blew away the field in the 500 free for her second victory of the meet, winning the event by more than four seconds with a 4:54.56 over teammate Kocsis' 4:58.64. Grigg took fourth for NU with a 5:01.34 to again draw the Wildcats close to the Badgers, this time with the score 125-120 in favor of the visitors. A second-straight 1-2-4 finish by the 'Cats, this one in the 100 fly, pushed the home team into the lead for the first time in the meet. Cavanaugh led the charge with a 55.79, Marybeth Hall (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) was second with a 57.00 and Katie Eschenburg (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) took fourth with a 57.45 to give NU a 135-129 advantage. Northwestern came out of the second break of the meet and slammed the door shut on Wisconsin, going 1-2-3 in the 400 IM to take a commanding 151-132 lead. Points swam a season-best 4:23.37 to pace the Wildcats, followed by King (4:23.84) in second and Patterson (4:26.17) in third. Wisconsin took the final 400 free relay, but NU had by the time secured the meet. Wong, Lightbourne, Cavanaugh and Shishkoff took second in the event for the Wildcats with a 3:23.47, an NCAA `B' provisional cut. The 1-meter diving event took place during the second portion of the swimming program, with Lenz again coming out on top for the Wildcats, this time with a score of 262.95. Sophomore Carlin Dacey (West Roxbury, Mass./Choate Rosemary Hall) took third with a 240.08 for NU. Northwestern returns to action at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 14, against Illinois-Chicago at the Norris Aquatics Center. MEN'S RECAP (Final score: Wisconsin 153, NU 144) EVANSTON, Ill. -- Trailing heavily entering the latter stages of Friday evening's meet against Wisconsin at the Norris Aquatics Center, Northwestern staged a monster comeback to even the score entering the final relay, but the Badgers came out on top in that race to defeat the Wildcats, 153-144. Northwestern finished second in the 200 medley relay to start the meet, getting a 1:33.77 from Jan Hanulik (Cavisov, Czech Republic/Sportovni Gymnazium), Nathan Butler (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin), Chris Doman (Pittsburgh, Pa./St. Charles Prep (Columbus, Ohio)) and Brian Kerr (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids). Charlie Rimkus (Tustin, Calif./Beckman), Peter Park (Princeton, N.J./Peddie School) and Tony Mattar (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) swept the top three positions in the 1,000 free for the Wildcats in the first individual race of the evening. Rimkus' winning time was 9:34.13, while the NU sweep gave the hosts an early 20-15 lead in the meet. John Frutiger (Alma, Mich./Alma) held off a hard-charging Badger to win the 200 free in 1:41.43, followed by Hanulik in third place. Wisconsin took the top two spots in the 100 back with Varun Shivakumar (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Fremd) earning third with a 52.82 as NU's best finisher. Alex Tyler (Birmingham, Mich./Birmingham Groves) remained undefeated on the year in breaststroke events with a win in the 100 breast, swimming a season-best 57.06. Butler took third for NU also with a season-best time, turning in a 57.85. Also remaining undefeated on the year was Sean Mathews (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette), whose time of 1:49.93 in the 200 fly led a 1-2 Wildcats' sweep of the event along with Rimkus (1:52.66). Kerr was Northwestern's top finisher in the 50 free heading into the first break, coming in third with a 21.31. During the first swimming portion of the meet, Kalister Harmon (Olympia, Wash./Capital) took third on the 3-meter springboard with a 304.28. Wisconsin won the 100 free coming out of the break, but Mathews (46.36) and Kerr (46.65) came in second and third, respectively, for NU. The next event went the exact same way with the Badgers winning the 200 back and Hanulik (1:52.26) and Shivakumar (1:52.41) placing second and third. The race was a three-way heat to very end with Wisconsin's swimmer out-touching Hanulik by a mere .04 of a second. Northwestern scored big points in the 200 breast, getting Tyler's second win of the day in a time of 2:06.27. He was followed by Butler in third with a 2:08.00 and Jay Calhoun (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula) in fourth with a 2:11.97. Rimkus ran away from the field to win the 500 free with a 4:35.25, nearly five full seconds faster than Wisconsin's second-place swimmer. Mathews then reeled in Wisconsin's Chuck Allison for a .28 of a second win in the 100 fly, leading a 1-3-4 charge finish for the 'Cats. Mathews trailed by .55 of a second after 50 yards, but leapt ahead with a 25.85 final split to win the event. Bryan Pinkston (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) was third and Doman fourth for NU. With NU trailing entering the final individual event, Tyler and Park swept the top two spots in the 400 IM to pull the Wildcats dead even with the Badgers, 140-140, entering the final relay. Tyler swam a 4:03.80 while Park had a 4:04.36 to best the nearest Wisconsin swimmer by 1.64 seconds. In the final relay, the 400 free, Mathews gave NU a slight edge on the first leg before Kerr maintained it at the halfway point. Wisconsin's Connor Andrews hit the water hard in the third leg to reverse the margin and the Wildcats were unable to chase down the leader, falling 3:02.37 to 3:03.53. Wisconsin swept the top scoring spots in the 1-meter diving event during the second half of the swimming program.

Spartans advance in men's tourney

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:37:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michigan State downed Northwestern to advance to second round action at the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans picked up a goal in the second half and got solid play in goal from Avery Steinlage to defeat the Wildcats. MSU moves to 11-6-2 on the year, while Northwestern falls to 10-4-4. In the 52nd minute, Tim Granaderos of Michigan State broke the scoreless tie with a shot to the lower left net on a Stephen Lucianke pass. The goal is the second of the season for Granaderos. With 30:23 left in the game, referee Pawel Wydra was injured and replaced by Miguel Panduro Jr. in the middle, and Cien Asoera took over as assistant referee.

NU's Coble suffers left foot injury

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University senior forward Kevin Coble (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian Academy) suffered an injury to his left foot during Tuesday's practice session. The extent of the injury is unknown at this time and he is slated to undergo further examination Friday morning. More information will be released as it becomes available. Coble led the Wildcats in both scoring and rebounding in 2008-09 for the third consecutive season, averaging 15.5 points and 4.8 boards per contest. He was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection and helped Northwestern to a National Invitation Tournament appearance. The Wildcats begin their 2009-10 season at 7 p.m. Friday at Welsh-Ryan Arena as they host Northern Illinois.

NU named Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 14:24:00 +0000

DALLAS (FWAA) - With their 17-10 win at No. 4 Iowa, the Northwestern Wildcats (6-4) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 7, as chosen by the board of the Football Writers Association of America. Trailing 10-0, the Wildcats forced four second-quarter turnovers to ignite the rally. Corey Wooten sacked Iowa's Rick Stanzi and forced a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by Marshall Thomas to put Northwestern on the board. Stanzi was injured on the play and did not return to the game. On Iowa's next possession, a Quentin Davie interception led to the go-ahead score. Drake Dunsmore caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to cap the drive and give the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish. The win was Northwestern's third straight in Iowa City and ended Iowa's 13-game winning streak. "We fully expected if we could put together 60 minutes of Wildcat football together in all three phases we'd have an opportunity to compete," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said after the game. "And, to our young men's credit, we did." Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Nov. 7 included: * Navy (7-3): Ricky Dobbs threw a touchdown pass and ran for another as the Midshipmen upset No. 19 Notre Dame, 23-21, in South Bend. The win secured a Texas Bowl berth for the Midshipmen. * Stanford (6-3): Toby Gerhart ran for a school-record 223 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinal stunned No. 7 Oregon, 51-42. The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the sixth season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Members of the FWAA board of directors and All-America committee decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2009 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Dec. 7. Since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. This season the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game will be played on Jan. 4, 2010 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and the Insight Bowl will be played on Dec. 31, 2009 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Northwestern sends Iowa to season's first loss

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:03:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- With Ricky Stanzi watching from the sideline on crutches, No. 8 Iowa ran out of magic. Dan Persa threw a touchdown pass and Marshall Thomas recovered a fumble for another score, and Northwestern dealt a crushing blow to Iowa's national championship hopes with a 17-10 victory Saturday. Stanzi was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter on the play in which Thomas scored the Wildcats' first touchdown. "Anytime you lose your quarterback, that's not good," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. The Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) have been living dangerously all season, making a habit of comebacks and close games. Still, they were good enough to be fourth in the latest BCS standings, hoping that with a slip or two by Florida, Alabama and Texas they could end up in the BCS national championship game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7. Now that their 13-game winning streak -- second longest in the nation -- has been snapped, the Hawkeyes' focus can shift to the other big game in Pasadena. Iowa can still win the Big Ten and land in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 for the first time since the 1990 season. It was the first win over a top-10 opponent for the Wildcats (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) since knocking off No. 6 Ohio State 33-27 in overtime in 2004. It also ended the nation's second-longest winning streak. Ferentz said Stanzi had a "severe" ankle injury. Freshman James Vandenberg was just 9 of 27 for 82 yards and couldn't lead the Hawkeyes to any points after Stanzi left the game. Ferentz said that while preliminary X-rays on Stanzi's ankle were negative, he'll likely be out the next couple of weeks. That's not a good sign for the Hawkeyes heading into next week's game against Ohio State in Columbus. Iowa finishes up at home against Minnesota. "Right now we just have to take the approach that he won't go, and if he does that's a bonus," Ferentz said. Northwestern scored twice off turnovers in the second quarter. Thomas' fumble recovery made it 10-7. Drake Dunsmore caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Persa after another Iowa miscue. Brandon Wegher had 63 yards rushing for Iowa. Stanzi was 4 of 9 for 134 yards with a touchdown, an interception and that costly fumble. Iowa committed four turnovers. "It's hard to win football games against good, competitive teams, and that's basically everybody in our conference, if you're going to turn the ball over," Ferentz said. "If you do that week in, week out, you're not going to win many football games. That's what has allowed us to be successful. We have to get back to that formula." Vandenberg, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, who holds the state high school record for career touchdown passes, had thrown three passes entering the game. His inexperience showed and after the Hawkeyes won four games by three points or fewer this season they finally had a hole too deep to climb out. Northwestern's Stefan Demos hit a 47-yard field goal with 13:29 left to give the Wildcats a 17-10 lead. The Hawkeyes had a chance to tie the game after taking over with 2:04 left on their own 17, but an incomplete pass on fourth down sent the Northwestern bench erupting in celebration. Stanzi watched from the sideline in a warmup suit with crutches. He was taken to the locker room after being drilled in the end zone by Corey Wootton with 11:46 to go in the second quarter. "Obviously it was a big momentum play. Not only get the sack to cause a fumble but you also get the touchdown," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said of the hit that knocked out Stanzi. "It was greatly important from a momentum standpoint." Vandenberg's first pass was intercepted by Quentin Davie, and Northwestern took advantage. Persa's TD pass to Dunsmore gave the Wildcats their first lead, 14-10. This was a huge win for Northwestern, which just last week got drilled by Penn State 34-13. Starting quarterback Mike Kafka left that game with a hamstring injury, and he and Persa split the snaps before Persa left in the third quarter with an apparent hand injury. Before the injury to Stanzi, it looked like the Hawkeyes might finally have an easy game. They needed three plays for Stanzi to find Marvin McNutt for a 74-yard touchdown catch to make it 7-0, and Murray's 39-yard field goal pushed the lead to 10 midway through the first quarter. But a week after committing six turnovers in a win over Indiana, Iowa turned it over four times in the second quarter against the Wildcats. Northwestern took its 14-10 lead despite gaining just 109 yards of offense in the first half. The Hawkeyes honored former coach Forest Evashevski, who died last week at the age of 91, with a helmet decal and highlights on the scoreboard. Evashevski coached at Iowa from 1952-60, leading the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten titles and two wins in the Rose Bowl. These Hawkeyes still control their Rose Bowl hopes. "There's no time to hang our heads," Vandenberg said. "We're in a race with two other good teams and it's all going to be about getting back to work."