Sept. 07--Offense
B. Northwestern redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson was efficient in his debut, completing 12 of 24 passes for 105 yards and rushing for the game's only touchdown from 42 yards in Saturday's 16-6 upset of No. 21 Stanford. Justin Jackson rushed for 134 yards on 28 carries. He broke the 100-yard mark for the seventh time in his brief career.
Defense
A. Linebacker Anthony Walker filled up the stat sheet with 10 tackles (three for a loss), a fumble recovery, a half-sack and two pass breakups. Kyle Queiro had a key interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.
Special teams
A-. Jack Mitchell converted three of four field-goal attempts, including a career-long 49-yarder. NU's kick return defense was solid.
Coaching
A. Pat Fitzgerald and his staff had their team well-prepared as Northwestern won its opener for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
