With his MVP performance in the Pinstripe Bowl, it seemed like Northwestern running back Justin Jackson took the lyrics of Alicia Keys to heart.
You know some of the more motivational lines from “Empire of State of Mind,” her power ballad about New York City:
“Now you’re in New York….there’s nothing you can’t do…these streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you!”
“Yeah man, it’s big city, big stage. We’ve been saying that all week. Wanted to prove we deserved to be here, we’re not just happy to be here, we’re just happy to win,” Jackson said.
With a 31-24 victory over #23 Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Northwestern, 5.5 point underdogs coming in, achieved their second bowl game win this decade. Before the 2013 Gator Bowl, the program had a bowl game victory drought that spanned from 1949-2012.
Yankee Stadium and the Pinstripe Bowl provided the perfect back drop. “It’s an iconic venue, just the aura about it,” Jackson said after he led the way with 224 yards rushing on 32 carries and three touchdowns. He actually broke the Pinstripe Bowl rushing record, but then lost a couple yards on a negative play, so hit total net was below the milestone mark of 227.
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“He’s a very very good tailback Jackson is, and we didn’t stop the run,” said Pittsburgh Coach Pat Narduzzi.
Jackson’s previous career high was 188 yards rushing, which came on October 16th at Michigan State. This was the third time the Northwestern junior has had three TDs in a single game (career highs). He also finished 2016 with the third most single season rushing yards in Northwestern history.
“Obviously, Justin’s day will go down as one of the best by a tailback in Northwestern history, and he’ll be the first to give credit to his offensive lineman,” said Northwestern Coach Pat Fitzgerald, “but I also saw him making some players miss, and it was just a spectacular day.”
He also broke the Northwestern bowl game carries record. When you add in Jackson’s nine receiving yards, his 233 yards from scrimmage accounted for more than half of NU’s total offense on the day.
In the postgame press conference Jackson also ended any speculation (which originated from who knows here) about his potentially not playing his final season at NU.
Jackson: “You know, you don’t come here and not get a degree, so I’ll leave it at that.”
Fitzgerald: “He just asked you that? There’s no way. There’s no way. Your dad will kill you, man. I’m not dealing with that.”
Given the severe weakness of Pitt’s secondary, which ranks 127th out of 128 teams nationally in passing yards allowed, it was thought that this Bronx tale would be more about Austin Carr and the rest of the Northwestern wide receivers running through the panthers secondary faster than the pace of musical theatre patter song.
(In keeping with the New York theme, the Northwestern University Marching Band performed a Broadway show tunes set for the Pinstripe Bowl halftime entertainment).
Also, Pitt’s run defense was ninth in the nation coming into the Pinstripe Bowl, so this script got entirely flipped.
Credit offensive coordinator Mick McCall and Justin Jackson for turning a rousing performance on par with a Broadway musical Act 1 Finale. He now heads into his senior year of 2017 as the program’s second all time leading rusher, completing his junior year with a very memorable Pinstripe Bowl performance.
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Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.