Clayton Thorson – Noteworthy
On a day when Northwestern had little choice but to pass early and often, Clayton Thorson was up to the task. Thorson threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and the Wildcats recovered from another second-half slip to beat No. 20 Michigan State 29-19 on Saturday. The Spartans (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten) entered with the nation’s top-ranked run defense and held Northwestern (2-3, 2-1) to 8 yards on the ground, but it didn’t matter. The Wildcats moved the ball consistently well through the air, and Michigan State’s offense was mostly inept except for a brief stretch in the third quarter.
“I think this was one of my best games in responding when bad things happen,” Thorson said. “We don’t win a lot when I throw two picks. So really credit to our guys for staying in it.” Thorson threw a 21-yard scoring pass to Cameron Green with 15 seconds left in the third, and a 2-point conversion gave Northwestern a 22-19 lead. The Wildcats missed a field goal with 6:41 to play, but Michigan State went 15 yards backward on the ensuing possession and had to punt. The Spartans held again defensively, and on the next possession, they had second-and-1 from their own 11. After two near-sacks, running back Connor Heyward was stopped on fourth down. Thorson scored on a 2-yard run to make it a 10-point game with 2:51 left. – AP College Football