THE GOOD: Backfield. I couldn't pick just one. Clayton Thorson and Justin Jackson both balled out. This was probably the best performance of Thorson's career. He played essentially mistake free football and continually made clutch plays when he needed to. Jackson was held in check from a rushing yards standpoint, but his impact in other areas. He was nearly impossible to tackle in the open field because he was so shifty. To top it all off, he threw a touchdown pass. He showed why he is the best running back in the Big Ten by putting on a show when his team needed it most.
THE BAD: Tackling. This was not a huge issue, but Northwestern missed more tackles than they usually do. Northwestern has been fairly good when it comes to tackling this year, so this was an unexpected area for them to struggle in.
THE UGLY: Coverage. Northwestern got beat far too many times in this game. Northwestern's safeties like to play up in the box, but this presents a challenge when they bite on play action because they cannot get back effectively cover over the top. Northwestern probably should reconsider how close to the line their safeties play in order to prevent getting burned over the top in the future.
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