In many ways, the Wildcats' Week 2 victory over Western Illinois was a recalibration. After Northwestern suffered its 20-point defeat to Tulane in the opener, the 'Cats needed a big win — even over a clearly outmatched opponent — to regain some confidence moving forward.
Quarterback Preston Stone was the clear benefactor on the heels of a four-interception performance, but the 42-7 thrashing also provided a boost to several other key players on the team.
Left tackle Caleb Tiernan received plenty of NFL Draft hype over the offseason, but got off to a rocky start against the Green Wave. On the first play from scrimmage, Tiernan was immediately beaten off the edge by defensive end Kameron Hamilton, who drilled Stone's blindside and forced a fumble. It was the only sack Tiernan allowed that day, but it set the stage for a tough day for the Wildcats.
Tiernan's 56.5 PFF grade was the lowest he'd logged in a single game in nearly two years. However, the towering lineman rebounded against the Leathernecks last Friday. Tiernan and Northwestern's offensive line did not give up a single sack, and the team captain allowed just one pressure all day. His 85.5 overall PFF grade led the 'Cats, was the second-highest of his career and ranked fifth in the nation among offensive tackles to play over 50% of their teams' snaps last week.
The standout performance landed Tiernan on Pro Football Focus' College Football Team of the Week for Week 2. He was one of five Big Ten players to receive the honor, four of which were on the offense.
At the conference level, Tiernan was joined by cornerback Josh Fussell. The redshirt sophomore earned his spot on the Big Ten Team of the Week by tallying three pass breakups and a tackle that registered as a 'stop.' Fussell's 89.3 overall grade and 85.3 coverage grade were the highest of the defensive back's young career and far surpassed his Week 1 rating.
Fussell made PFF's Big Ten Team of the Week as a "FLEX" player, though he normally thrives as a boundary corner instead of as a Nickel.
Northwestern will need Tiernan and Fussell to play at the level they did last week if the Wildcats want any chance of taking down No. 4 Oregon on Saturday.
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