Final score: Northwestern 24, Indiana State 6

Brief recap: Indiana State fought hard, but it didn’t have enough to hang with Northwestern. The Wildcats’ defense was too strong and too consistent as they held Indiana State to fewer than 200 total yards. The Sycamore’s only touchdown came with 3:32 left in the game — long after this one had been decided. Northwestern’s offense wasn’t prolific either, but the Wildcats were able to get the running game going enough to put points on the board.

Key player: Evan Hull. Northwestern didn’t have much in the passing game on Saturday, but Hull made sure the Wildcats picked up plenty of yards on the ground. He totaled 126 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries.

Key moment: Hull’s second touchdown of the day put this one out of reach. He crossed the goal line with 7:37 remaining in the fourth quarter to put Northwestern up 24-0.

Key stat: 209-31. That’s the difference in rushing yards between these two teams. Indiana State gave a valiant effort, but just wasn’t able to move the ball on the ground.

What it means moving forward: Northwestern gets its first win of the season, but it wasn’t as convincing as it could — or should — have been. The Wildcats threw for just 66 yards and Hunter Johnson averaged only 4.1 yards per attempt. It’s good for Northwestern to get in the win column, but any optimism based on this performance should be tempered.