MAPLE — I couldn’t believe what I was seeing as I pulled into the parking lot for Northwestern’s game against St. Croix Falls on Friday evening.

After turning left off the highway, I navigated a sea of cars lining the grass along the entry road leading to the school.

Both the lower and upper lots were at capacity. The line of people waiting to get into the game probably reached well into three digits.

It was special.

Perhaps the fans had a feeling that the home opener against the rival Saints, who they’ve bumped into three consecutive years in the playoffs, would be the beginning of one of the most prolific seasons in recent Northwestern history.

The Tigers left nothing to chance, as they rolled to a 41-0 win over a Saints team that began the year as a top-10 team in Wisconsin’s Divis

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