Illinois vs. Northwestern

THE GOOD: Running game. Bowser and Hanaoka were able to find huge lanes to run through. This got the offense rolling and will be a huge key in the future.
THE BAD: Defense. Northwestern's defense gave up way too many yards. They were able to do a nice job of forcing field goals after long drives, but giving up that many yards is a recipe for disaster in the future and must be corrected.
THE UGLY: Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald pulled the starters way too early and nearly cost Northwestern the game. Northwestern will need great coaching from Fitzgerald in order to have success in the future.

Northwestern vs. Minnesota

THE GOOD: Clayton Thorson. Thorson rebounded nicely in this one. He made a ton of great throws to keep drives moving and make the offense work. He also had a couple key runs to keep the defense honest. Northwestern will need Thorson to keep leading the offense if they want to have success down the stretch.
THE BAD: Adjustments. Northwestern didn't seem to adjust very much on defense. Turnover bailed them out multiple times, but Northwestern really failed to stop the slant route. Northwestern's coaching staff will need to get better at recognizing patterns in the future. Northwestern gave up too much success on the same route. Adjustments will need to made in the future in order to continue to have success.
THE UGLY: Running game. Northwestern started the game running the ball well, but struggled mightily as the game went on. The offensive line began to get pushed around, and there was little room for the running backs to work with. The running game will be a key for Northwestern in the future, so this will need to turn around. The offensive line will need to toughen up and become the ones doing the pushing in order to open up lanes to run. It all starts with physicality up front, and Northwestern's offensive line needs to rekindle that.

Northwestern vs. Iowa

THE GOOD: Big Ten West champions. Northwestern did it. They clinched the Big Ten West. They've played hard all season and have achieved one of their biggest goals. This is a huge step in the right direction for them program, but they still have to continue to perform well to continue achieving their goals.
THE BAD: Clayton Thorson. Thorson struggled to make plays down field for most of the game. He held onto the ball too long sometimes and struggled to be accurate when hitting receivers for big plays. He will need to find consistency if Northwestern wants to achieve their goals.
THE UGLY: Receivers. Flynn Nagel is the only Northwestern receiver who can consistently get separation from defenders. Now that defenses are focusing on him, the rest of Northwestern's receivers cannot seem to get open. This has greatly hindered the passing game, and needs to be corrected by running different route concepts to scheme receivers open or giving new guys a chance to play.

Notre Dame vs. Northwestern

THE GOOD: Isaiah Bowser. For the third game in a row, Bowser ran with a purpose and was able to have great success. He has done a great job of taking advantage of his opportunity and has really changes Northwestern's offense for the better.
THE BAD: Pass rush. Northwestern generated almost no pass rush. This forced the secondary to cover for long periods of time and they could not maintain tight coverage for extended periods of time. This led to some big plays being given up through the air. Northwestern will need to generate pass rush in order for their defense to be effective in the future.
THE UGLY: Adjustments. Northwestern failed to adjust on defense. They continuously put their corners ten years off the line and were content to give up big plays on flat routes. They crashed down on the middle on run plays, but failed to account for the quarterback run on multiple occasions. Northwestern will need to make adjustments to what their opponent is doing in the future if they hope to have success.

Wisconsin vs. Northwestern

THE GOOD: Defense. Northwestern's defense was flat out dominant. They completely controlled the game and helped overcome mistakes by the offense. Montre' Hartage continued to dominate on the outside. He was in complete control of one side of the field and showed how important he is to this defense. The defensive line stuffed the run and got to the quarterback. It was amazing to see Nate Hall back in the linebacking corps and he picked up right where he left off and helped power the defense to a breathtakingly dominant showing.
THE BAD: Play calling. Northwestern's offensive play calling seemed very predictable. They were still able to move the ball both on the ground and through the air, but they would've been able to find more success had they mixed up the play calling a little bit.
THE UGLY: Clayton Thorson. Thorson made enough plays to win and that is what counts. His legs were one of his biggest weapons, but he made some horrible decisions. Three interceptions is unacceptable, and needs to be cleaned up in the future. Mistakes like those cannot happen if Northwestern hopes to achieve their goals this season.

Northwestern vs. Rutgers

THE GOOD: Isaiah Bowser. Northwestern found a running game. Bowser carried the ball across the goal line twice and his hard running carried Northwestern to the finish line. Northwestern will need Bowser to keep up this pace if they hope to have success in the future.
THE BAD: Pass blocking. Northwestern's offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback at times. It hurt the rhythm of the passing game and slowed down the offense as a whole. This will need to be corrected immediately.
THE UGLY: Clayton Thorson. Thorson struggled mightily. He was wildly inaccurate at times, and dragged down the offense. He will need to right the ship immediately if Northwestern is going to have success.

Nebraska vs. Northwestern

THE GOOD: Passing game. Clayton Thorson and Flynn Nagel balled out once again. Northwestern was able to march up and down the field by throwing the ball. This is the identity of Northwestern's offense now, and they will need to keep up the success in the future.
THE BAD: Running game. Again Northwestern struggled to get any push up front in the running game, and the running backs struggled to make anything happen. Northwestern will need to get some diversity in their offense moving forward.
THE UGLY: Tackling. Northwestern missed tackles all over the place. They constantly allowed running backs to make people miss and gain extra yardage. There were a number of screen passes that could've been stopped for a loss, but missed tackles allowed the screens to go for positive yardage. Normally, Northwestern is a good tackling team, but they really struggled to wrap up and get players on the ground. This will need to be corrected going forward.