11/22-Northwestern ends Illinois' bowl hopes

Evanston, IL (Sports Network) - C.J. Bacher threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Northwestern Wildcats to a 27-10 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in a Big Ten Conference bout at Ryan Field. Eric Peterman caught eight passes for 111 yards and a TD for Northwestern (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten). Illinois (5-7, 3-5) quarterback Juice Williams threw for 212 yards and an interception, and he also led the team with 94 yards on the ground. Stephen Simmons got the Wildcats on the scoreboard first with a one-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, capping a 13-play, 77-yard drive. However, Amado Villarreals extra-point was off the mark. NU extended its lead at the 12:07 mark of the second quarter, when Bacher connected with Ross Lane for a 14-yard touchdown pass. Illinois finally got on the board with 9:45 to play in the third quarter, on a one-yard run by Jason Ford. Villarreal made it a 16-7 game with a 28-yard field goal at the 2:41 mark of the third quarter. Matt Eller answered with a 21-yarder for Illinois early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 16-10. But the Wildcats took over down the stretch. Bacher hooked up with Peterman for an 18-yard touchdown pass with nine minutes to play. Villarreal added a 24-yard field goal with 2:44 remaining. The game was more evenly matched than the final score would indicate, as NU held a slim 339-335 edge in total yards.