Scouting: Illinois State @ Northwestern

Illinois State (1-0) at Northwestern (1-0)When: 11 a.m. Saturday at Ryan FieldTV: BTN; Radio: WGN 720-AMSeries: First meetingCoaches: Brock Spack (7-5, second year at ISU); Pat Fitzgerald (28-23, fifth at NU)Players to watch: ISU sophomore QB Matt Brown threw for 312 yards and 2 TDs last year at Illinois, so he's not likely to be flummoxed by facing a Big Ten defense. Brown went for 298 yards and 3 scores in last week's 55-54 win over Central Missouri. Former Wisconsin (and Bolingbrook) tailback Erik Smith posted 96 yards on the ground while ex-Michigan State back Ashton Leggett added 56. Illinois transfer Bo Flowers gained his eligibility Thursday and will see time in the secondary.Northwestern QB Dan Persa dominated through the air (222 yards, 3 TDs) and the ground (82 yards) last week against Vanderbilt. RB Arby Fields lost 7 yards on his 10 carries, but said he watched the tape and realized he needs turn it upfield. MLB Nate Williams, S Brian Peters and OLB Quentin Davie were all over the field in Nashville, while DTs Jack DiNardo and Corbin Bryant controlled the interior.The skinny: The Redbirds are 0-5 lifetime against Big Ten foes and 3-31 against Football Bowl Subdivision teams, but they won't be a pushover. NU coach Pat Fitzgerald has emphasized ISU's nine Big Ten transfers to ensure his guys don't dismiss the team's FCS pedigree. Northwestern wants to get its running game rolling, but didn't learn much from ISU's first game tape because Central Missouri threw on almost every down. Conversely, the Redbirds are going to spread out the Wildcats. This will be a game for NU's secondary to showcase its depth and ability. Off the field, the United Way asks for school supply donations for young Chicago students- and Northwestern says beware detours on Sheridan Road near the lake.