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Mike Wright passed for 178 yards and ran for 65 yards and a touchdown in his team debut to lift host Northwestern to a 13-6 season-opening win over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday in Evanston, Ill.

Northwestern regrouped from a sluggish start, driving 62 yards in eight plays on its first drive of the second half for the game’s lone touchdown.

Wright, a Mississippi State transfer, punctuated the possession with a 13-yard scoring run up the middle to put the Wildcats up 10-3 with 9:42 left in the third quarter. A 25-yard pass down the left side to Thomas Gordon set up the touchdown.

Miami made its only trip to the red zone on the day in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a six-yard pass from Brett Gabbert to Cade McDonald and an ensuing roughing the passing penalty. The drive stalled inside the Wildcats’ 10 as the Redhawks settled for a 26-yard Dom Dzioban field goal with 7:28 remaining to draw Miami within the final margin.

Robert Fitzgerald sealed the victory when he intercepted Gabbert at the Northwestern 25 with 57 seconds to go.

Jack Olsen kicked field goals of 45 and 38 yards for the Wildcats, who outgained the Redhawks 328-267.

Gabbert was 22-for-37 for 227 yards and two interceptions. Jordan Brunson led the ground game with 33 yards on eight carries and McDonald had eight receptions for 105 yards.

Bryce Kirtz caught six passes for 91 yards for Northwestern while Cam Porter had 63 yards on 13 carries. Wright was 18-of-30 passing.

The schools traded field goals in an uneven first half.

Northwestern opened the scoring on a 45-yard Olsen field goal with 7:21 remaining in the first quarter. The Redhawks answered just under six minutes later on Dzioban’s 43-yarder.

Early turnovers hampered the Wildcats. After losing just one fumble during all of last season, Northwestern lost two – both by Wright – in the second quarter. Dzioban was short on a 50-yard field goal attempt after the first fumble.

The second occurred on a keeper at the Redhawks’ 1-yard line, one play after a nine-yard Porter run brought the Wildcats to the doorstep of the end zone.

Northwestern is playing home games in a temporary stadium on campus for the next two seasons as the university renovates the Wildcats’ longtime home, Ryan Field.

–Field Level Media