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Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Memorial Stadium)
Score: Northwestern 20, Indiana 17
Records: NU (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten), Indiana (4-4, 0-4 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Nov. 6, 2010 -- at Penn State (Beaver Stadium), Time TBD
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern became bowl eligible for the fourth-straight season Saturday, knocking off Indiana, 20-17, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Junior Jeremy Ebert caught two touchdowns and redshirt freshman Mike Trumpy had a career day with 110 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards in leading NU to its sixth consecutive road win.
Trumpy, who averaged 5.2 yards per carry on his 21 attempts, is the first Wildcat to eclipse 100 yards on the ground since Tyrell Sutton in the 2008 Alamo Bowl, a span of 21 games.
"I thought our defense was outstanding," said head coach Pat Fitzgerald. "Outside of two plays the whole game, I thought we played really well. It shows how dynamic Indiana is. They can make you pay when you make a mistake and we can't let that happen towards the end of the game. But besides that, I thought we affected the quarterback. We had good pressure and we mixed things up. We knew the challenge coming in and I think we answered that."
After being locked in a 10-10 tie at halftime, NU scored 10 straight points in the second half before Indiana posted a last-minute touchdown to narrow the deficit to three. The last seven games in the Northwestern-Indiana series have been decided by a combined total of 26 points (3.7 points per game).
The home team began the game's scoring with a lightning-quick opening drive that Northwestern finally stalled inside the 10-yard line to force a short field goal. After being shut out in the first quarter for the first time all year, the Wildcats jumped ahead early in the second when Dan Persa made a Fran Tarkenton-esque scramble before finding Jeremy Ebert for an 11-yard touchdown strike to put NU on top, 7-3.
Later in the second quarter, Indiana engineered a nearly six-minute, 97-yard drive to take the lead, 10-7, on a Ben Chappell 5-yard scramble with 48 seconds to go in the half. Northwestern responded, helped by a terrific Persa scramble-and-throw to Mike Trumpy for 38 yards before a one-handed Demetrius Fields snag for 23 yards set up a chip-shot Stefan Demos field goal to knot the score, 10-10, going into halftime.
After stopping Indiana to open the second half, Northwestern drove into Hoosier territory before a holding penalty caused a third-and-15 from the IU 30-yard line. Persa then found Ebert breaking away at the back of the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Wildcats ahead, 17-10, midway through the quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Kevin Watt blocked a punt to set Northwestern up on its own 26-yard line. After Persa was shaken up on a scramble near midfield, redshirt freshman Evan Watkins stepped in and converted a huge third-and-11 pass to Ebert to keep the ball out if Indiana's hands.
The drive eventually stalled, but Demos stepped up and nailed a 45-yard field goal into a crosswind to put NU up by two scores, 20-10, with 6:51 remaining in the game.
Indiana managed to score for the first time in the second half with 44 seconds remaining when Chappell aired out a 39-yard scoring strike to Duwyce Wilson. But the Hoosiers' ensuing onside kick did not travel the necessary 10 yards and the ball was handed over to NU to kneel out the 20-17 win.
Defensively, Northwestern was active all afternoon and constantly hounded IU's Chappell. Bryce McNaul (13), Jordan Mabin (2) and Justan Vaughn (nine) all recorded career-best totals for tackles on the day, while linebacker Quentin Davie was credited with three QB hurries.
Watt's blocked punt was the first by NU since Ricky Weina did it against Indiana last season.
Northwestern returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 6, at Penn State. The time of that kickoff will be announced prior to Monday, Nov. 1.
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