It wasn't even halftime, heck it wasn't even the second quarter when Illinois went up 21-14 on Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

This is really turning into a shootout in a little band box of a "football stadium."

What's happened so far has been eventful and somewhat sloppy for NU.

NU turned the ball over twice on fumbles, one resulting in an Illinois touchdown.

Safety Brian Peters returned an interception 59 yards after the Illini's Eddie McGee pitched it to Peters on accident during a reverse.

Watkins tossed an interception late in the quarter and then Mike Trumpy scored on an 80-yard rush for NU, which was the longest rushing touchdown from scrimmage for the Wildcats since 1982 and eighth longest in the program's history.