Northwestern
5-5 , 4-3
Purdue
3-7 , 1-6
Career Days Highlight Northwestern Rout of Purdue, 45-17
11/12/2016 2:11:00 PM | Football
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Northwestern's offense exploded for 605 yards while the defense picked off four Purdue passes to lead the Wildcats to a massive, 45-17, Big Ten road win Saturday over the Boilermakers.
BUY TICKETS TO NORTHWESTERN'S FINAL HOME GAME NOV. 26 AGAINST ILLINOIS AT RYAN FIELD!
Clayton Thorson threw for a career-high 352 yards with a rushing touchdown and three passing TDs, including a pair of scores to all-world receiver Austin Carr. Justin Jackson scampered for 127 yards on the ground and John Moten IV tallied a career-best 119 rushing yards to give the Wildcats two 100-yard runners in the game. Montre Hartage had his first multiple-interception game with a pair of picks to lead the Northwestern Sky Team.
The Wildcats improve to 5-5 (4-3 B1G) with the win while Purdue falls to 3-7 (1-6 B1G) with its loss.
Purdue jumped out to an early lead, going ahead 10-0 after its opening two drives. Hartage flipped the momentum on Purdue's third drive however, intercepting a pass on the Purdue 26. Four plays later, Thorson found Carr on a short crossing route to pull within 10-7 with three minutes left in the quarter.
The touchdown flipped the momentum of the game. After allowing eight first downs in the first quarter, the Wildcat defense didn't allow one in the first 11 minutes of the second, and conceded just two in the period. Anthony Walker, Jr. recorded nine tackles in the half en route to a team-best 12 in the game.
With eight minutes remaining in the half, Thorson fired from the midfield-logo to hit Austin Carr for a 33-yard touchdown. The touchdown was Carr's 12th of the season, tying him for the most in single-season program history. The #B1GCats got the ball back deep in their own half with a minute remaining in the quarter and gained 75 yards to reach the 12, but were unable to find the end zone.
No worries, though: Northwestern pulled away with a big third quarter, scoring touchdowns every time they touched the ball. Jackson capped off a seven play, 71-yard drive with a 14-yard TD run. Jackson broke 1,000 yards on the season with the run, making him the first Wildcat in program history to do so in three-consecutive seasons.
After Walker came up with an interception near midfield, Thorson had his second long touchdown of the day, finding Garrett Dickerson with a 42-yard score. Northwestern racked up 267 yards in the quarter, before Jackson scored his second touchdown of the game on the first play of the fourth to extend the Wildcats' lead to 35-17.
The Sky Team, Northwestern's vaunted secondary, showed their mettle, recording three of their four interceptions in the second half. Hartage recorded his second, and Trent Goens tallied his first collegiate interception. Thorson added a late TD scamper and Jack Mitchell tacked on a field goal as Northwestern cruised to a 45-17 victory.
Northwestern returns to action next Saturday, Nov. 19, at Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and the Big Ten Network will carry the broadcast. NU then returns home to conclude the regular season Nov. 26 against Illinois. BUY TICKETS TO THE ILLINOIS GAME HERE!
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Team Stats
NU 0, PUR 3
PUR - Dellinger, J.D. 26 yd field goal 11 plays, 61 yards, TOP 4:07
NU 0, PUR 10
PUR - Blough, David 1 yd run (Dellinger, J.D. kick), 8 plays, 33 yards, TOP 2:24
NU 7, PUR 10
NU - Carr, Austin 2 yd pass from Thorson, C. (Mitchell, Jack kick) 4 plays, 26 yards, TOP 1:35
NU 14, PUR 10
NU - Carr, Austin 33 yd pass from Thorson, C. (Mitchell, Jack kick) 8 plays, 74 yards, TOP 2:49
NU 21, PUR 10
NU - Jackson, Justin 14 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 7 plays, 71 yards, TOP 2:26
NU 28, PUR 10
NU - Dickerson, G. 42 yd pass from Thorson, C. (Mitchell, Jack kick) 1 plays, 42 yards, TOP 0:07
NU 28, PUR 17
PUR - Marshall, Bilal 49 yd pass from Blough, David (Dellinger, J.D. kick) 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 0:51
NU 35, PUR 17
NU - Thorson, C. 2 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 7 plays, 74 yards, TOP 2:22
NU 42, PUR 17
NU - Jackson, Justin 9 yd run (Mitchell, Jack kick), 9 plays, 91 yards, TOP 3:09
NU 45, PUR 17
NU - Mitchell, Jack 23 yd field goal 9 plays, 36 yards, TOP 5:27
