Bryant sparks second-half surge as Northwestern pounds UTEP 38-7 to stop skid
Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch runs in a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UTEP, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Erin Hooley]
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Ben Bryant threw for a touchdown and ran for one, and Northwestern used a huge second half to beat UTEP 38-7 for its first win since a hazing and abuse scandal rocked the athletic department. The Wildcats scored all but seven of their points in the second half in stopping a 12-game losing streak and giving interim coach David Braun his first victory. The win was their first since last year’s opener against Nebraska in Ireland — and their first on this side of the Atlantic since beating Rutgers at Ryan Field in October 2021. The Wildcats had lost 18 of 19. But they buried UTEP in the second half after struggling through the first two quarters.
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Northwestern tight end Charlie Mangieri carries an American flag as his team takes the field for an NCAA college football game against UTEP, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Evanston, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Erin Hooley