There’s nothing quite as unsettling as 48 thousand people suddenly going completely silent.
As Clayton Thorson fell to the ground of Nissan Stadium clutching his knee, raucous cheers, that just a moment before had celebrated a surprising Jeremy Larkin pass to Thorson, turned to horrified silence.
As the trainers trended to Thorson and the cart was brought onto the field, Pat Fitzgerald gathered his players together. Injuries happen, but there’s no possible protocol for this. Losing not only your quarterback but your leader in the bowl game is not something you can prepare for.
For Northwestern, it brought back memories of Trevor Siemian against Purdue in 2014 and Dan Persa against Iowa in 2010.