Northwestern Wildcats top Illinois Fighting Illini 37-20 Saturday, Nov. 22, 2003 Boxscore CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- Jason Wright's amazing day made Northwestern eligible for a bowl. Wright set career highs with 42 carries for 251 yards and tied another with four touchdowns as the Wildcats defeated Illinois, 37-20, to become the Big Ten Conference's eighth bowl-eligible team. Noah Herron had 17 carries for 163 yards for Northwestern (6-6, 4-4), which needs both Big Ten champion Michigan and Ohio State to receive berths in BCS bowls in order to receive a bowl bid, as the conference has only seven bowl tie-ins. Northwestern, which outgained Illinois on the ground by an astounding 444-122, took the lead for good, 20-13, on Wright's third touchdown, a three-yard run with 3:49 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats' advantage was just 23-20 before Wright scored on a four-yard run with 4:59 to play, and Marvin Ward capped the scoring with a 69-yard interception return on Illinois' ensuing possession. Brett Basanez completed just 3-of-9 passes for 24 yards and an interception for Northwestern, which intercepted four passes and recovered two fumbles. Chris Pazan went 18-of-28 for 188 yards and one interception and Dustin Ward 14-of-27 for 93 yards and three picks for the Illini (1-11, 0-8), who lost their final 10 games and went winless in Big Ten play just two seasons after winning the conference title.