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Northwestern opens with strong 16-6 victory against No. 21 Stanford

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Northwestern wanted to prove a point against No. 21 Stanford, and drove it home with a strong running game and solid defense that produced a season-opening surprise.

Freshman Clayton Thorson ran for a 42-yard touchdown while playing turnover-free ball at quarterback, Justin Jackson added 134 yards rushing, and the Wildcats beat the Cardinal 16-6 on Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Walker broke up two passes and had a fumble recovery, and Kyle Queiro intercepted Kevin Hogan in the end zone with about a minute left to seal the win.

Thorson scored the game’s only TD in the second quarter.