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Northwestern Football:
Evaluating Clayton Thorson's
Season So Far
By Brian McGuire
After
losing their first two games in close games to weaker opponents in
Western Michigan and Illinois State, the Northwestern Wildcats have
bounced back and won two of their last three games. These two wins have
come against much more respected opponents in Duke and Iowa. There are
many components that go into a football team, but none are more
important than the quarterback position.
Sophomore quarterback Clayton Thorson was given more range in the
offense for the 2016 season. In five games this season, Thorson has
thrown for 1,120 yards, eight touchdowns, four interceptions, with a
54.4% completion percentage and a QB rating of 121. Thorson also has
two rushing touchdowns on the season.
In his first two games, Thorson failed to throw over 200 yards in
either game and only threw one touchdown. In the first game against
Western Michigan, Thorson costs his team the victory, fumbling the ball on the goal line,
with under three minutes remaining in the game. Thorson took full
responsibility for the loss after the game, saying, “I came around the
edge and saw a lot of space. I’ve got to hold onto the ball. Can’t
fumble on the one-yard line.”
In the second game, Thorson couldn’t get anything going against the
Illinois State Redbirds, throwing for just 191 yards and one touchdown.
Thorson had the chance to drain the clock late in the fourth quarter,
but missed on a 3rd and 4th throw to Austin Carr. The Wildcats were
forced to punt the ball back to the Redbirds in a 7-6 game, which
ultimately led to a 71-yard drive that ended with a 33-yard,
game-winning field goal as time expired.
Thorson came back the following week and had the best game of his
Northwestern career, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the
24-13 win over Duke. Even though he was under pressure all day and took
hit after hit, Thorson showed how tough he was and did not miss a snap.
With Duke beating Notre Dame in South Bend the following week, this win felt even better one week later.
Thorson and the Wildcats could not produce any momentum after their
victory over Duke, losing to Nebraska 24-13 in their next game. Thorson
threw for 249 yards but also threw two costly interceptions, one in the
first drive coming out of halftime with a 10-7 deficit, leading to a
Cornhuskers touchdown. The other came late in the game, which basically
iced the win for Nebraska.
In a 38-31 win at Iowa, Thorson played poised and confident. In a
back-and-forth game, Thorson hit Austin Carr with a 25-yard touchdown
to take a 38-24 lead. Thorson found the senior Carr for all three of his touchdowns on the day. It was a sweet victory for the Wildcats, as the Hawkeyes 40-10 beat them last year at Ryan Field.
It has been an up-and-down season for the sophomore quarterback. He
deserves a grade of nothing higher than a C+. He had a great game
against Iowa, but his fumble in week one and his inconsistent play has
hurt his team. He and the rest of the team will now be tested for the
next four games, as they are scheduled to play at Michigan State,
Indiana, at #2 Ohio State, and #11 Wisconsin.
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