New quarterback Jack Lausch got rolling after a slow start, passing for 227 yards and tossing his first two collegiate touchdowns, and Northwestern pulled away from Eastern Illinois 31-7 on Saturday night at Martin Stadium in Evanston.
Lausch, a Chicago native and Brother Rice alumnus, finished 20 of 31 in his first start after connecting on only four of his first 13 throws. He hit A.J Henning with 3-yard toss late in the third quarter for Northwestern’s first passing touchdown this season, then found Marshall Lang for a 9-yard score midway through the fourth.
Lausch also rushed for 62 years, all in the first half.
Joseph Himon II ran for a touchdown to put Northwestern ahead 14-7 with 14 seconds left in the first half on a quick drive engineered by Lausch after a blocked Eastern Illinois field-goal attempt.
Cam Porter rushed for 77 yards and his third touchdown of the season. Jack Olsen booted a 46-yard field goal as Northwestern dominated in total yards 450-207.
Eastern Illinois quarterback Pierce Holley hit Eli Mirza with a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to tie the game at 7. Holley finished with 167 yards on 17-for-31 passing but threw a costly interception to Devin Turner in the third quarter that led to Henning’s score.
The Wildcats (2-1) bounced back from a 26-20 double-overtime loss to Duke last week behind Lausch, a redshirt sophomore. He got the nod from coach David Braun after Mike Wright, a transfer from Mississippi State, struggled in in Northwestern’s first two games with 334 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Lausch previously played in 10 games over two seasons and threw for 78 yards with no passing touchdowns and an interception.
Eastern Illinois dropped to 0-11 against Big Ten opponents and 0-3 against Northwestern.
Northwestern led 14-7 at the half, cashing in for a go-ahead touchdown on Himon’s 32-yard dash with 14 seconds left. The quick eight-play drive was set up after Najee Story blocked Drew Schiller’s 36-yard field goal attempt 98 seconds earlier.
Lausch went 5-for-7 in the late drive that put Northwestern ahead.
Porter dashed in from the 1-yard line with 1:22 left in the first quarter to open the scoring. Lausch was lined up under center to create a deception, but the snap went directly to Porter, who sliced in for his third touchdown this season
Holley and Eastern Illinois stormed back with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to tie it. A wide-open Mirza pulled in Holley’s 13-yard pass at the right edge of the end zone 4:23 into the second quarter for his first touchdown.
Both teams blocked field-goal attempts in the second quarter before Himon’s late score.
Olsen hit a 46-yarder midway through the third quarter to make it 17-7. Northwestern upped it to 24-7 with 2:39 left in the third quarter on Henning’s first TD. Lang’s score at 4:08 of the fourth sealed it.
The takeway
Eastern Illinois: The Panthers rebounded from an opening 45-0 blowout at Illinois to beat Indiana State last week. They seemed to be in this one until Northwestern wrested away the momentum with the late first-half drive and Holley’s interception in the third quarter.
Northwestern: Expect Lausch to continue behind center next week when the Wildcats open Big Ten play at Washington. Meanwhile, Northwestern’s defense seem to be gelling. … WR Frank Covey IV suffered a lower-body injury and didn’t return.
Up next
Eastern Illinois: The Panthers play at Illinois State on Saturday.
Northwestern: The Wildcats open Big Ten play Saturday at Washington (2-1).
