Thanks to a near-perfect defensive performance and strong running attack, Northwestern shocked Stanford in a huge, 16-6 upset at Ryan Field. Here's what happened:
Northwestern wasn't give much of a chance in their season opener against Stanford, as the Wildcats were 11.5-point underdogs to the Cardinal at Ryan Field on Saturday. However, in redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson's first college game, the Wildcat defense was dominant and the running game was explosive, leading to a 16-6 upset win.
Thorson didn't throw the ball particularly well in his debut start (12-for-24 for 105 yards) but he broke the scoring open for Northwestern with a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.