EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern wanted to prove a point against No. 21 Stanford, and drove it home with a strong running game and solid defense that produced a season-opening surprise.
Freshman Clayton Thorson ran for a 42-yard touchdown while playing turnover-free ball at quarterback and star tailback Justin Jackson added 134 yards rushing as the Wildcats upset the Cardinal 16-6 on Saturday.
Anthony Walker broke up two passes and had a fumble recovery, and Kyle Queiro intercepted Kevin Hogan in the end zone with about a minute left to seal the win.
Thorson scored the game’s only touchdown during the second quarter. He also threw for 105 yards, completing 12-of-24 passes.
Jackson carried 28 times. Jack Mitchell kicked three field goals, including a career-long 49-yarder that made it 16-6 with 3:38 left in the game as the Wildcats started their season on a winning note.
It was just what they needed after back-to-back 5-7 finishes, a run that followed five consecutive bowl appearances.
Stanford, coming off an 8-5 season that snapped its string of four consecutive BCS bowls, clearly has some work to do on offense.
Hogan had a rough afternoon, going 20-of-35 passing for 155 yards and one interception. He was sacked three times.
Valor Christian graduate Christian McCaffery ran for 66 yards at tailback for Stanford, but the Cardinal gained only 240 total yards.
