The Northwestern Wildcats relied on field goals and defense Saturday to defeat the Boston College Eagles, 22-13, and move to 3-0 on the season.
Wildcat fans are cautiously optimistic about the young 2012 season. Northwestern has yet to string together a great game, or even play a good team. However, they've now played three teams from major conferences, and in a year when the Big Ten looks as weak as ever, the Northwestern Wildcats are still unbeaten.
SB Nation's Northwestern blog, Sippin' on Purple, believes Saturday's game was the Wildcats' best performance yet, which bodes well for the team moving forward.
...the defense played well, and the offense moved the ball effortlessly over most of the field while struggling in the red zone. Major credit is due to Jeff Budzien for hitting his five field goals and an extra point, while Mike Trumpy went over 100 yards as the most productive rusher on a 293 yard rushing day for the team.
As they approach conference season, the Wildcats will need to finish drives with touchdowns instead of field goals, but for now they should celebrate their early successes. Northwestern's next game is Saturday at home against South Dakota.
For more information on the Northwestern Wildcats, visit Sippin' on Purple. For news and notes on Boston College, head over to BC Interruption. And if you need even more college football, the SB Nation college football hub is here to help.