Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/423491
NORTHWESTERN 38, PURDUE 14 TOP PLAYERS No.1 Northwestern running back Justin Jackson: Jackson became the sixth player to rush for at least 100 yards against Purdue this season, and he did it by averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Jackson had 147 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter when he beat Taylor Richards' open-field tackle and raced to the end zone. No.2 Northwestern linebacker Anthony Walk- er: Walker may have been Northwestern's most active defender, sacking Austin Appleby in the first half and forcing a fumble that Northwestern recovered, getting a team-high nine tackles and stopping Purdue twice for TFLs. No.3 Purdue linebacker Danny Ezechukwu: On the game's second play, Ezechukwu dropped deep into his spot in Purdue's zone and stepped in front of Trev- or Siemian's pass for his first career interception. Later, he forced a fumble that Purdue recovered. He also had a sack on a blitz, one of his seven tackles. No.4 Purdue receiver Gregory Phillips: Making the first start of his career, freshman Phillips delivered some big plays among his career-high four catches for a career-high 69 yards. His longest catch, a 27-yarder, wasn't even his best catch. On a second-and-17 on Purdue's first drive of the second half, Appleby zipped a ball near the right side and Phillips was crunched immediately when he caught it. But he held on, gaining 18 and the first down. No.5 N o r t h w e s t e r n safety Ibraheim C a m p b e l l : The big safety was a consis- tently physi- cal defender a g a i n s t Tom Campbell Freshman running back Justin Jackson became the sixth player to rush for at least 100 yards against Purdue this season when he raced for 147 and two touchdowns on 23 carries. GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 12 • 19 Purdue's receivers — and maybe even got away with pass in- terference a couple times — to limit big plays. He also forced a fumble when he stripped Hunt and recovered it, picked off Appleby's punt-like heave in the second half and had eight tackles. j