Northwestern beats Kentucky in Music City Bowl: 3 takeaways
The Northwestern Wildcats beat the Kentucky Wildcats 24-23 in the Music City Bowl. Here are three takeaways from the win.
The Music City Bowl had it all: touchdowns, interceptions, controversial officiating and ejections, plus injuries, backup quarterbacks, failed fourth-down conversions and a two-point conversion with the game on the line. And when the dust settled, Northwestern locked up its tenth win of the season, beating Kentucky 24-23.
Northwestern defensive back Kyle Queiro made the play of the game when he intercepted Stephen Johnson midway through the fourth quarter and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six, the second interception of the game for Johnson, increased Northwestern’s lead to 24-14, seemingly putting the game out of reach for the short-handed Kentucky offense.
However, a Kentucky field goal and a big stop on a dubious Northwestern decision to go for it on fourth down gave UK a chance to win.
After Northwestern backup quarterback Matt Alviti was stopped short on a fourth-down QB sneak, Kentucky took over at the Northwestern 39-yard line. Johnson completed a pass to Justin Ragg for 16 yards, then picked up six with his legs. Warren Long sacked Johnson on 2nd-and-4, but a pass interference on third down set up 1st-and-goal from the UK nine-yard line, and Johnson sprinted for the right pylon to score and pull the Wildcats to within one point.
Echoing Pat Fitzgerald’s gutsy call minutes earlier, Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops made the decision to go for the win. Unfortunately for Stoops, Johnson’s two-point pass fell incomplete, and Northwestern recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.
Kentucky star running back Benny Snell, Jr. was ejected after a questionable (ludicrous?) call when he made contact with an official (in which the official actually initiated the contact and Snell rebuffed him). As the best player on the field for the SEC’s Wildcats, it was a huge blow and one Kentucky struggled to recover from.
Snell put UK on the board first when he capped off a five-play, 67-yard opening drive with a three-yard run. The TD was set up by a pair of long pass completions from Stephen Johnson to Tavin Richardson — a 26-yarder to on the first play from scrimmage and a 37-yarder two plays later.
Johnson finished 19-for-26 for 257 passing yards and two interceptions. He added two touchdowns and 17 yards on the ground. Richardson caught five passes for 89 yards.
After the opening TD, the two teams traded three-and-outs and punts until Northwestern managed put a field goal drive together late in the first quarter. Charlie Kuhbander connected on a 33-yarder after a methodical 11-play drive to put Northwestern on the scoreboard. Northwestern would go on to score 17 unanswered points to end the first half as record-setting running back Justin Jackson ran for two touchdowns – a five-yarder to cap an 80-yard drive, and a two-yard leaping effort to capitalize on a short field set up by Montre Hartage’s interception.
Kentucky roared back on the first drive of the second half. Johnson, who was banged up and spent time in the locker room prior to halftime, connected with Kayaune Ross on a 37-yard pass play in which Ross made an incredible stumbling catch, pushing the Wildcats into Northwestern territory. Three plays later, Johnson scored from three yards out on an option keeper.
Northwestern beats Kentucky in the Music City Bowl: 3 takeaways
1. Northwestern RB Justin Jackson is an all-time great
He doesn’t get much attention on a national level, but Northwestern’s Justin Jackson just finished one of the best careers ever for a college football running back. Jackson ran for 157 yards on 32 carries with 2 touchdowns against Kentucky. When added to his 5,283 career rushing yards entering the game (which included four seasons of at least 1,150 yards), it put him in the top 10 on the official all-time leaderboard among FBS and Division I-A running backs.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Illinois native broke 100 rushing yards for the third straight game and the seventh time this season. He finished his career with 27 100-yard games.
2. Kentucky RB Benny Snell, Jr. could be the best RB in the SEC in 2018
His afternoon ended far too early, but the one quarter-plus we saw of him in Nashville — as well as the way Kentucky’s offensive momentum came to a sudden halt when he was sent off the field — only solidified what we knew coming in: Benny Snell, Jr. will be one of the top running backs in the SEC, and possibly the nation, going into 2018.
Snell ran for 1,318 yards on 256 carries (5.1 yards per attempt) in the regular season and added to his school record for rushing touchdowns, adding one to his regular season total to finish with 19 this season.
3. The injury to Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson could impact 2018
Speaking of 2018, in the days leading up to the Music City Bowl, Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson announced his intention to pass on an opportunity to enter the 2018 NFL Draft and return for his senior season. Though not completely surprising, hearing the school’s all-time winningest QB would be back in Evanston next season was good news for Northwestern. Unfortunately, because of an injury he sustained against Kentucky, Thorson’s offseason schedule — and therefore, his 2018 season — looks much murkier.
Driving deep into Kentucky territory, Thornson was on the receiving end of a throwback pass from Jeremy Larkin that set up a 1st-and-goal opportunity for the Northwestern offense. But as Jordan Jones tackled Thorson, the QB suffered what appeared to be a severe right knee injury.
Thorson finished the game with 35 yards on 4-for-8 passing, -6 rushing yards on two carries, and the fateful 24-yard reception. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior finished his season with 2,8044 passing yards and 15 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
It’s too early to know the extent of the injury, and the fact Thorson returned to the sideline on crutches in the second half instead of going to the hospital could be seen as a positive. But it still didn’t look good, and it appears the likeliest scenario is the rising senior leader will miss spring practice at the very least while beginning a long recovery.
Next: 10 teams on the rise for 2018
Let’s hope Thorson’s injury turns out to be better than it appeared, but if the worst is confirmed via MRI Saturday, his health will be the biggest question mark for Northwestern heading into 2018.