EVANSTON-There were so many yellow flags during Northwestern's 30-25 win over Central Michigan on Saturday that it often resembled a crash-filled NASCAR race more than it did a football game.

Officials threw a total of 20 flags during the contest; Northwestern was penalized 11 times for 106 yards and Central Michigan committed nine infractions for 90. Between those numerous penalties and several time-consuming official reviews, the game often slowed to a tedious crawl, with neither team able to rev its engines and open the throttle.

Some games are remembered for big touchdowns or momentum-changing turnovers. This ugly matchup in Evanston will be remembered for officials dropping flags and walking off yardage.

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