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Evanston, Ill. - The season got off to a promising start for the Cardinal with a strong first drive; then everything fell flat as the upstart Wildcats upset the 21st ranked Cardinal 16-6.
Senior Quarterback Kevin Hogan could not get in rhythm, and the Wildcats defense proved to be too much for the Cardinal.
The Wildcats were paced by a tremendous performance from Sophomore Justin Jackson with 134 yards on the ground.
Northwestern dominated on the ground with 225 yards to 85 for Stanford, and were able to control the clock the entire game.
Stanford failed to impress on both sides of the ball. Bad passes, dropped passes and a lack of urgency plagued the anemic offense. The defense could not stop the run.
Hopes were high headed into this game and a fairly easy win was expected. Stanford did not look like a well-coached team this morning. This team now faces many difficult questions on both sides of the ball.
The Cardinal will have a chance to rebound next Saturday at home against Central Florida.