For about 20 minutes Saturday in Evanston, Clayton Thorson and the Northwestern offense looked more like a Big 12 outfit than the one that threw the game away against Akron.
This defied analytical precedent, as well as previous eye tests. S&P ranked the Wildcat offense at No. 97, trailing just behind Louisiana-Monroe and Middle Tennessee State. Thorson was two weeks removed from three turnovers returned for touchdowns in a 39-34 defeat to the Zips.
What a difference a bye week makes.