Not much was expected out of Northwestern heading into the 2015 season. However, the Wildcats pulled off the first upset of the college football season Saturday afternoon.
Stanford came into Evanston ranked No. 21 in the country by the Associated Press and were favored by double digits against Northwestern. By the end of the day, the Wildcats prevailed 16-6.
Let em’ know! Northwestern knocks off No. 21 Stanford, 16-6. https://t.co/jd0CwcMlsk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 5, 2015
Northwestern beat Stanford at their own game. The Wildcats out rushed their opponent 225 to 85 and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides.
The Wildcats took a 10-3 lead into halftime. Scoring came at a premium throughout the game. The only points scored in the second half was a field goal by Stanford and a pair of field goals by Northwestern, including a 49-yard bomb by NU kicker Jack Mitchell with just over three and a half minutes left in the game.
The lone touchdown was scored by Northwestern in the second quarter by Clayton Thorson on a 42-yard run.
Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan struggled to find a rhythm and nearly missed throwing a number of interceptions.
He was finally picked off in the final moments of the fourth quarter. Cornerback Kyle Queiro made a play on the ball in the corner of the end zone, effectively ending the game.
Northwestern stays at home next week against Eastern Illinois.
