PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Clayton Thorson is coming off a career day in the overtime win over Nebraska. He was 41 of 64 for 455 yards, all of which are career highs. He also set a personal-best by completing passes to 12 different receivers. The 455 passing yards are the sixth-most in program history for a single game and the most since Mike Kafka had a school-record 532 vs. Auburn in the 2010 Outback Bowl.
–WR Flynn Nagel, a senior, has been QB Clayton Thorson’s top target. Nagel has a team-leading 46 catches for 622 yards through six games. He caught 12 passes against Nebraska — the second time this season he’s had a dozen receptions — and set a career-high with 220 receiving yards. Nagel enters Saturday’s game at Rutgers averaging 103.7 receiving yards per game, which leads the Big Ten and is ninth in the country.
–PK Drew Luckenbaugh, a sophomore, made his Northwestern debut last week against Nebraska and hit the game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime. He missed from 42 yards earlier in the game but settled his nerves to make a 31-yard field goal with 2:27 remaining in regulation. Considering how Northwestern tends to play close game, Luckenbaugh could be key.
“If you saw the first kick, the ball was barely down when he kicked it,” said coach Pat Fitzgerald. “I told him to slow down and he would be fine. He’s just a great kid. His future in life is just spectacular, and I’m honored to be his coach.”
SERIES HISTORY: Rutgers leads Northwestern 3-0 but this is the first meeting between the programs since 1991 and the first Big Ten meeting.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Great Character. Absolutely terrific character. That’s who they are. It’s who we recruit.” — Pat Fitzgerald, on the late comeback against Nebraska last week.
