Picture the scene. I’m sure you remember it well. It’s Sept. 15, and Northwestern just dropped its second consecutive game, this time in embarrassing fashion to a lowly Akron team. Clayton Thorson conceded three touchdowns to the Akron defense, and Northwestern looks like a completely lost team. Disjointed on offense, sloppy on defense, even lackluster on special teams. It’s not pretty.
Now, fast forward to Sept. 24. As Northwestern prepares for the meat of their conference schedule with Michigan coming to town, the team is dealt a devastating blow. Jeremy Larkin is retiring from football due to cervical stenosis.