Northwestern having up-and-down season

Northwestern comes into Memorial Stadium this week off a high-scoring win at Indiana, and fans with Husker tickets will be looking for the Blackshirts defense to bring the Wildcats' offense back down to earth when they meet Saturday in Memorial Stadium.
Northwestern jumped on the Hoosiers in the first half. Dan Persa threw three touchdown passes in the second period to help the Wildcats to a 38-21 halftime lead, and Kain Colter threw two touchdown passes, one in each half, to help Northwestern to the high-scoring win.
Northwestern racked up 616 yards in total offense against Indiana on Saturday, so it will be interesting to see how a team that put up those kinds of numbers will do against a Blackshirt defense that held a good Michigan State offense to less than 200 yards in last week's 24-3 victory in Memorial Stadium.
Northwestern likes to mix up their quarterbacks. Persa was an impressive 16-of-20 for 261 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win over Indiana, while Colter completed two of three passes, both for touchdowns.
Colter is also a receiver for the Wildcats. He caught six balls for 115 yards in the win over Indiana, while Northwestern standout Drake Dunsmore had seven catches for 112 yards, four of those going for touchdowns.
Northwestern has a balanced offensive attack. Jacob Schmidt led the Wildcats ground game Saturday with 110 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns. The Wildcats had 330 yards rushing on 56 carries, averaging almost six yards a carry against the Hoosiers.
The Wildcats got off to a good start this year, as Northwestern beat Boston College and Eastern Illinois to start the season. The last few weeks were rough, though, as they lost five consecutive games, including a tough loss at Army and conference losses to Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Penn State, before bouncing back for their big win over last-place Indiana.
Northwestern's offense has averaged almost 432 yards per contest, but their defense has given up only one yard fewer than the offense has generated. Indiana finished with 488 yards in total offense, which should make things interesting after the Huskers were able to move the ball effectively against a tough Spartans defense.
The player to watch out for on the Northwestern team is Colter. The 6-foot, 190-pound sophomore is a threat as a runner, passer and receiver. He is the team's leading rusher with 459 yards and a 5.6 yards-per-carry average, and is the team's third-leading receiver while averaging almost 35 yards per game. He is also the backup quarterback, having completed 66.7 percent of his throws for 531 yards and four scores.
Nebraska fans will be able to see Northwestern take on the Huskers on the Big Ten Network, but great seats for Saturday's matchup are also available now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker game is ever sold out.