Eastern Illinois @ Northwestern preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 10, 2011 ) Eastern Illinois 21, Northwestern 42

Fresh off a rousing season-opening statement win, Northwestern is trying not to get too far ahead of itself, having failed to build on upsets in the past. The Wildcats take a step toward the more difficult portion of their schedule when they host FCS squad Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

Behind a defense that limited then-No. 21 Stanford to 240 total yards, Northwestern rolled to a 16-6 win that stood out among opening-week results. The Wildcats knocked off Wisconsin and Notre Dame last year but still finished 5-7 for the second straight campaign, and they hope the defeat of the Cardinal signals a significant shift. "We're working our tails off to re-establish and earn our culture back, that we gave away," coach Pat Fitzgerald told ESPN.com. The Panthers don't figure to stand in the way after getting trounced 33-5 at Western Illinois on Sept. 3.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: NL

ABOUT EASTERN ILLINOIS (0-1): One of the few bright spots in the Panthers' season-opening loss was their three blocked kicks. Vince Speller blocked a PAT try and took it all the way back for two points, and two punts were blocked as well. It didn't help much in the end, as quarterback Jalen Whitlow had three interceptions and Eastern Illinois turned the ball over five times while failing to score a touchdown for the first time since Oct. 10, 2009.

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (1-0): The Wildcats relied heavily on their defense in the opener but will want to see more from freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson going forward. While he flashed great athletic ability (42 of his 68 rushing yards came on one play), Thorson completed half of his 24 pass attempts, averaging just 4.38 yards per attempt. It helps to have Justin Jackson to hand the ball off to, as the sophomore collected 134 yards on the ground against Stanford to provide a nice season debut after his breakout freshman campaign (1,187 yards, 10 touchdowns).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Jackson has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven of his last nine games dating to last season.

2. Vanderbilt transfer RB Jerron Seymour led the Panthers with 59 rushing yards against Western Illinois.

3. Northwestern won the only meeting between the teams by a 42-21 margin at home on Sept. 10, 2011.

PREDICTION: Northwestern 38, Eastern Illinois 3