Justin Jackson could be in line for monster game against Purdue
Who: Purdue vs. No. 18 Northwestern
When: Saturday, 11 p.m. CT
Where: Ryan Field, Northwestern
TV: Big Ten Network
Spread: Northwestern -16
Matchup to watch: Anthony Walker vs. Markell Jones
Northwestern’s top defender will have the primary responsibility of preventing Jones from getting steam at the next level. The Purdue freshman has the ability to break big runs as well as almost anyone in the B1G, which we’ve seen throughout his young career. And Walker has the ability to break up running plays before they get started. Purdue has to get a few home run plays to beat a defense like Northwestern’s. Michigan did that, and Akrum Wadley broke free for long scores, as well. This isn’t even necessarily a game in which Walker has to pile up tackles for loss and disrupt Jones in the backfield. He just has to be able to bring down the Purdue tailback in the open field.
Thing I’m excited to see: Justin Jackson go off
I’m calling Jackson’s shot. Against a Purdue defense that’s struggled mightily against shifty backs like Shannon Brooks, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Josh Ferguson, this could be a monster day for the Northwestern sophomore. He finally got his legs back under him last week and racked up 186 yards against a stout Penn State defense. With Clayton Thorson coming back from an injury, all signs would point to Jackson getting 25-30 touches out the backfield. Purdue is the B1G’s worst run defense, which was shown by the fact that it allowed nearly 400 yards on the ground alone. In other words, get ready for a career day for Jackson.
Number to remember: 6
That’s Northwestern’s ranking in the country on kick return yardage. What does Purdue rank in defending kick returns, you ask? Ninety-ninth. Yikes. Solomon Vault has quietly put himself into All-B1G consideration for his ability to break free in the return game. We saw him gash Penn State last week for a 96-yard score right after Penn State made it a one-possession game at the end of the first half. It was a massive momentum shifter. Vault did the same thing but at the start of the second half at Duke. Northwestern’s offense doesn’t have a bevy of playmakers, but it isn’t hindered because it has a special teams game-changer like Vault. Purdue is in an uphill battle as it is, defensively. The last thing the Boilers can afford to do is give away points without even making Northwestern put together a drive.
Prediction: Northwestern 42, Purdue 14
This could be a tough matchup for David Blough. Northwestern handles mobile quarterbacks pretty well and for a guy that isn’t an established pocket passer yet, that could be troubling. I expect Dean Lowry and Walker team up for a similar effort to the one they delivered against Tommy Armstrong. As much as Purdue would like to work the ball downfield to DeAngelo Yancey, I don’t see that being a consistent option. I do see Jackson being a consistent option for Northwestern. Thorson won’t have to be at 100 percent for the Wildcats to roll in this one.