Read by quarter: First | Second | Third | Fourth

Multimedia: Slideshow | Video | Credits

Northwestern and Indiana are set to kickoff at 11:00. The Wildcats are coming off a tough defeat against Iowa last week, dropping their overall record to 5-5, and must win their final two games to have a real chance of getting into a bowl game. NU has struggled down the stretch recently, losing their 17-14 lead going into the fourth quarter against both Perdue and Iowa. Indiana gained bowl-eligibility last week, with a record of 6-4, and hopes to improve their 2-4 Big Ten record and secure a spot in a bowl game. Both teams are looking to seperate themselves from the middle of the pack in the Big Ten.

Slideshow:

Pregame

The band is on the field! The band is on the field! However, it is Indiana’s band, not Northwestern’s. This is the first time that a visiting team brought their band to the game this season. I guess IU’s trying to get every edge they can. Still, NU’s marching band puts them to shame.

It’s Senior Day today, and the seniors are being announced and getting their pictures taken with their parents and Coach Fitz. Hopefully the emotions of playing their last home game at NU will inspire them.

First Quarter

14:39- 21 seconds into the game and an Indiana defensive player is injured. The injured Hoosier is senior cornerback Tracy Porter. He’s riding the stationary bike and looks likely to return.

11:10- C.J. Bacher completes his fourth straight pass to Tyrell Sutton, putting the Wildcats in the red zone. Bacher was able to handle the blitz well.

9:32- NU makes a field goal after stalling in the red zone. NU 3, Indiana 0.

9:15- James Bailey goes 91 yards on the kickoff return to score. He easily cut through the NU special teams. NU 3, Indiana 7.

6:36- Look who’s back! Tracy Porter, who was injured earlier, comes back in and picks off a poorly thrown pass by Bacher. The receiver clearly had his defender beat, but the ball was thrown behind him and consequently intercepted. That stopped an otherwise decent drive into Indiana territory.

5:20- NU holds on defense after a few miserable tackles (or lack thereof) and gets the ball back on their own 21. They need to keep a drive going to keep the game within reach early.

3:13- After abandoning the run last game, the Wildcats appear firmly committed to it today. Their success in the running game set up a nice play action play that gained nine yards and a first down inside Indiana territory.

1:30- A nice rollout by Bacher and good communication with his receivers results in a complete pass and puts NU on the 21-yard line and within striking distance again.

:00- Bacher tries to hard count the Indiana defense offsides, to no avail. The quarter ends with a second and nine for Northwestern on the Indiana 10. The score could change soon. As of now, NU 3, Indiana 7.

Second Quarter

14:13- Indiana holds the Wildcat offense, and Indiana gets rewarded even further with a missed field goal. Northwestern fails to capitalize on an opportunity to put some points on the board, and the score remains the same.

12:13-Indiana running back Bryan Payton rushes 21 yards, and goes untouched through the line and linebackers. Fortunately the secondary was able to make open field tackles, or that would have been a touchdown.

9:08- On a fake run that probably fooled everyone in the stadium, including myself, Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis rushes the ball in himself for a touchdown. NU 3, Indiana 14.

8:51- Sutton rushes 46 yards to the 16-yard line, adding on to the nice kickoff return by Sherrick McManis. NU needs to put some points on the board now, ideally 7.

7:09- What looked like a surefire touchdown to Ross Lane turns into a drop, which bounces right into the hands of the Indiana defense. Nothing is going right for Northwestern, and they fail to score some points yet again. They can’t afford to make any more mistakes if they want to win this game, or even keep it close.

5:11- Indiana quarterback Kellen Lewis is injured on the field, but he was able to get up and jog off the field under his own power. If the last injury was any indication, Lewis should return to the game and make a big play. As for now the new quarterback is Ben Chappell.

5:01- Touchdown Northwestern! The first throw from the new Indiana quarterback results in a interception by senior Eddie Simpson that is taken back 40-plus yards for a touchdown. In the blink of an eye, NU is right back in this game. NU 10, Indiana 14.

1:30- Northwestern seems content with going into the half down by 4, as they have run the ball constantly inside their own red zone. A pretty good punt has Indiana starting at their own 40.

:33- Lewis is trying to do everything himself for Indiana, and the Wildcats get to him and sack him. They face a third and six on the Northwestern 43.

:00- Bacher can’t even kneel because NU is pinned at their own 1, but he pushes forward for a gain to end the half. Considering all the poor plays they had, Northwestern has to feel somewhat satisfied that the game is still within reach. NU 10, Indiana 14.

Third Quarter

15:00- Northwestern looked like they were kicking off to Devin Hester, resulting in the ball going out of bounds and giving the Hoosiers good starting field position to start the half.

13:54- Wow. What started out as Lewis trying to avoid getting sacked ended up as a 70-yard touchdown pass to Ray Fisher. He completely blows by the defense and scores without being touched. Yet the play is under review because Lewis may have stepped over the line of scrimmage. Looking at the replay, it is very close. Reversed! The play is ruled an illegal forward pass, causing a five-yard loss, and a loss of downs. Northwestern dodges a major bullet and will now get the ball back.

12:57- 27-yard gain on a beautiful pass from Bacher to Lane. The pass was basically up for grabs, and Lane simply snatched it out of the air, advancing the Wildcats to the 16. They have a very good chance at taking the lead, and their offense looks sharp.

11:31- Indiana looks disorganized, with two offsides penalties and miscommunication that forced them to call a timeout. Northwestern is on the one-yard line and has three shots to put it in the endzone.

11:26- Who needs three tries? Sutton runs it in after a quick breakup of the huddle, and the extra point is good. Northwestern’s is utilizing a nice combination of the run and the pass. NU 17, Indiana 14.

10:26- A reviewed play gives Indiana credit for a long completion. The Hoosiers are on the move and are currently at midfield.

8:59- Almost an interception for NU, but it’s still fourth down anyway. In a really stupid move, an Indiana player runs right into Eric Peterman, who signaled fair catch. The result is a 15-yard penalty. I still don’t think he knew what he did wrong.

6:30- Northwestern is really pounding the ball with Sutton, and it is opening up the passing game significantly. This is the second time NU has run on the first two downs, then found an open receiver on third down. Maybe keeping the opposing defense honest with the run is what Northwestern has been lacking over the last few games.

3:08- Halloween was last month! In a tricky play reminiscent of the San Diego Chargers, Northwestern treats the fans to a halfback pass. Bacher hands the ball off to Roberson, who throws the ball to Thompson for a touchdown. The ball was tipped, forcing the play to be reviewed, but the video confirmed it was a touchdown. A huge play on third down gives NU a ten point lead. NU 24, Indiana 14.

2:05- Terrible coverage by Reggie McPherson, as it looked like he let the receiver make a catch before tackling him. Indiana is storming down the field.

1:09- More terrible defense, as wide receiver James Hardy sidesteps three NU players and runs easily into the endzone. In just under two minutes, the Hoosiers are able to cut the lead from 10 to three. Looks like NU will have their third chance in just as many weeks to defend a three point lead going into the fourth. NU 24, Indiana 21.

Fourth Quarter

14:12- Nice play from Bacher to Thompson, proving that Northwestern has some firepower of its own. The long completion moves Northwestern into Indiana territory to the 30-yard line. At this point though, a field goal will only put them up six, leaving them vulnerable to an Indiana touchdown.

10:19- Why, oh why couldn’t Porter have just been injured for the rest of this game? He strikes again, this time intercepting a pass in the endzone intended for Thompson. Even though I said a field goal wouldn’t help much, it would help a lot more than nothing. Now the pressure is on the NU defense to hold strong- something they haven’t done well down the stretch of the last two games.

8:49- After getting sacked for a five-yard loss, Lewis responds with a fifteen yard run of his own to get Indiana an important first down. Then on the following play, NU is called for a fifteen-yard facemask penalty. This is not the kind of discipline that a defense should be playing with in the fourth quarter of a must-win game.

6:45- The Northwestern defense looks like a piece of Swiss cheese- full of holes. On running plays they miss tackles, and there are wide open receivers everywhere. It takes three or four players to make a tackle.

5:34- Completely terrible coverage by Northwestern. Indiana counters the NU blitz with a simple slant route by Hardy. Remember when the Wildcats were up comfortably by ten? Indiana has scored fourteen unanswered points, stunning the Northwestern crowd. NU 24, Indiana 28.

4:01- A beautiful (and somewhat licky) seventeen-yard pass from Bacher to Sutton keeps the NU drive alive. This time a field goal will definitely not do any good, so the offense needs a touchdown. They are playing well despite the pressure of their season being on the line.

3:00- Another nice pass on the run by Bacher to Lane, pushing the ball nearly into the Indiana red zone.

2:11- Bacher makes a nice 10 yard run, yet the ball is spotted less than a yard shy of the first down. It doesn’t really matter, because Bacher sneaks it for two yards on the following play. And the drive continues.

1:12- Nice fake toss from Bacher, who takes it himself to the three. They are so close.

:44- TOUCHDOWN! As we’ve seen so many times before, Bacher completes a three-yard pass to Lane, giving the crowd something to cheer about in the fourth quarter for the first time in a while. Extra point is good, and now it’s Indiana who’s feeling the pressure. NU 31, Indiana 28.

:22- Indiana is moving the ball nicely, and on a play that probably should be reviewed but isn’t going to be, Indiana gains fourteen yards and moves to the Northwestern 34.

:12- Fumble by Indiana! NU’s line gets to Lewis and sacks him, resulting in the ball coming loose. However, the play is being reviewed because it is possible that it could be considered a pass. The play stands! It is a fumble! Northwestern will be able to run out the clock and get the win. This is an absolutely great win for the Wildcats, who are now bowl eligible and, with a little help, still have a shot at earning a spot in a bowl game. Final score: NU 31, Indiana 28.

Credits

photos by Julie Beck
video by Patrick St. Michel
report by Brian Chappatta
multimedia production by Laura Ashbaugh