Nov. 1, 2008
- Northwestern won the toss and elected to receive. It was the fourth time this season the Wildcats won the coin toss (Syracuse, Duke, Indiana, Minnesota).
- NU won its first game at Minnesota since 2000 and now trails the all-time series with the Golden Gophers, 49-30-5. Northwestern, which has won the last two games in the series, is 6-4 against Minnesota since 1995. The Wildcats, who were playing their final game at the Metrodome, finished with five all-time wins in the facility (1984, 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2008) and a tie (1988).
- Northwestern won its third road game of the year (Duke, Iowa and Minnesota) and improved to 3-1 away from Ryan Field this season. NU's win over Minnesota also was its first over a ranked foe this year and its first since defeating No. 22 Michigan State in 2005, also on the road.
- With the win, Northwestern is now 17-4 in its last 21 games decided by seven points or less.
- The victory clinched a winning season for Northwestern and the first for third-year coach Pat Fitzgerald.
- Northwestern, which came into the game having scored just three points in the first quarter of its four Big Ten games, scored 10 points in the first 15 minutes and held a 10-0 lead after one quarter. On the season, NU had been outscored 50-22 in the opening frame of its first eight games.
- Junior QB Mike Kafka made the start today, in place of injured QB C.J. Bachér (injured hamstring at Indiana), who had started Northwestern's last 25 games at quarterback. Kafka's last start came Sept. 22, 2006 at Nevada. Kafka started the first four games of the 2006 season.
- Kafka opened the game by completing his first eight pass attempts (103 yards) and running for 54 yards. Kafka threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to WR Jeremy Ebert for a 7-0 NU lead. It was Kafka's second career TD pass and Ebert's second career TD reception.
- Kafka's 53-yard run in the second quarter (which set up NU's second TD of the game), was the second-longest run of his career. He had a 55-yard run at Nevada (Sept. 22, 2006). Kafka finished with 217 rushing yards on 27 carries (8.0 ypc), an NU single-game record for rushing yards by a QB. The former record was held by Zak Kustok, who had 115 rushing yards against Penn State in 2001. The last Wildcat to rush for 200 yards in a game was Tyrell Sutton against Illinois in 2005.
- Kafka finished the game with 360 yards of total offense (143 passing, 217 rushing), a career best and NU's highest individual total of the season.
- Safety Brendan Smith won the game with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was his second interception of 2008 as well as his second pick-six of the season (26-yard return against Syracuse) and the seventh interception of his career. Smith now ranks ninth on NU's career interceptions list with seven.
- PK Amado Villarreal booted his 16th field goal of the season in the opening quarter. Villarreal, who came into the game ranked first in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in field goals per game (1.8), is now 16-of-20 (.800) on field goal attempts for the season.
- TE Josh Rooks caught his second TD pass of the season, a 2-yard reception in the second quarter. It was just his fifth reception of the year.
- DE Corey Wootton improved his team-leading pass sack total to 6.5 with a first-half sack. He came into the game ranked sixth in the Big Ten in pass sacks. He now has moved into a fourth-place tie on NU's career sacks list with 12.
- DB Sherrick McManis and LB Nate Williams tied for the team lead in tackles on the day with eight apiece.
- Key reserve DE Vince Browne, who was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in NU's win over Ohio and was second among all NU defensive linemen with 22 tackles and 7.0 TFL's, suffered a game-ending left knee injury in the first quarter.
- Northwestern turned the ball over on two occasions, a pair of interceptions by Minnesota's Traye Simmons. Minnesota entered the game with a turnover margin of plus-15. NU finished the game even in turnover margin, picking up two turnovers in the game's final 20 seconds.
- P Stefan Demos, who came into the game ranked first in Big Ten punting (Big Ten games only), with a 44.2 average, booted six punts for a 42.8 yard average today.
- NU, which ranked first in the Big Ten and 12th nationally in sacks with 3.0 per game, added two more today, giving the Wildcats 26 for the season.
- Northwestern will return home to entertain nationally ranked and two-time defending Big Ten champion Ohio State (7-2, 4-1) at 11 a.m. next Saturday at Ryan Field. The game will be televised by by ESPN2. Ohio State had an open date today.