Final Score: Ohio 6, Northwestern 35

Brief Recap: The Wildcats did not always look sharp against Ohio, but Pat Fitzgerald’s squad did more than enough to build a lead that the Bobcats could not recover from. In particular, 2 first-half scores from running back Evan Hull built the lead before Northwestern ground out a win in the second half.

Defensively, the Wildcats forced Ohio into 2 turnovers, including the seventh interception of Brandon Joseph’s career (His first of 2021). The first turnover came on an early fumble that Northwestern turned into a long drive and Hull’s first score of the day.

Key Player: Evan Hull was the story all afternoon for the Wildcats. He carried the ball 22 times for a season-high 216  yards and 2 touchdowns. His two scores came in the first quarter and provided Northwestern the early cushion needed to cruise to the finish line. By comparison, Hull entered the game with 262 yards on the season. His career-high number of 220 yards came from 2019 in a performance against UMass.

Key Moment: All the momentum in this game swung on a couple of plays early on. After going 3-and-out on the first possession of the game, Northwestern braced for the ensuing drive by Ohio. Fortunately, the Wildcats forced a fumble and turned that possession into an 8-play drive and a touchdown. From there, Northwestern forced the Bobcats to punt after 4 plays. Hull raced 90 yards for a touchdown after that punt, putting an early end to any concern surrounding the game.

Key Stat: Third-down efficiency. All game long, Northwestern limited Ohio to a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third down. On the opposite side of the ball, Northwestern converted 6-for-13 third downs to wear down the Ohio defense.

What it means moving forward: Northwestern gets back to .500 at 2-2 and did so without QB Andrew Marty, but the team would like him back moving forward. A tough road trip to Nebraska awaits, and the heart of B1G play is still ahead for the Wildcats.