Northwestern Makes a Statement: New Era Pinstripe Bowl Champion

By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Pittsburgh came up short  in their ninth straight Bowl appearance as Northwestern won their second consecutive bowl game, 31-24.  The New Era Pinstripe Bowl once again had a feel of championship contest from the opening kickoff to its nail-biting conclusion.

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Northwestern had a running back named Justin Jackson who literally took over Yankee Stadium. The junior running back from Carol Stream, Illinois  ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns that gave the Wildcats their third Bowl game win.

“Big city. Big stage,” Jackson  said. “We walked into Yankee Stadium and everything kind of really hit us.” And they did walk in and do more than hit the nation’s #22 ranked team.

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Welcome to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl which has become a tradition at Yankee Stadium as well as a nationally televised event. It was a memorable game in a ballpark known for defining moments on the field. Old-timers remember the football game contested on the December 28, 1958 — “The Greatest Game Ever Played” — when the Baltimore Colts won the NFL championship in the first overtime game in NFL history with a hard-fought victory over the New York Giants at historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

Photo credit: Gary Quintal

“Justin’s day will go down as one of the great performances by a Northwestern running back,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said.

img_0092giradiNew York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who played baseball Northwestern University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, watched his team comeback to defeat Pitt.

Girardi and his daughters had the pleasure of awarding the New Era Pinstripe Bowl championship trophy to his alma mater’s victorious football team.

Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake, another Northwestern grad, took in the game with family and friends.

The annual Pinstripe Bowl game at Yankee Stadium has been a success story for Penn State, the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers which had a one-point win over Boston College two years ago, and the Duke Blue Demons who narrowly defeated Indiana last year.

 

New Era Pinstripe Bowl trophy. Photo credit: Gary Quintal

New Era Pinstripe Bowl trophy presented by Yankees President Randy Levine (right).
Photo credit: Gary Quintal

The New Era Pinstripe Bowl game concludes a week of events for both schools and their alumni. The New York Yankees organization and the Bronx are proud hosts, and nationally ranked football programs jump at the opportunity to play here.

 

 

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com  Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

 

 

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