Jack Lausch threw for 227 yards and two TDs in his first start, and Northwestern pulled away from Eastern Illinois 31-7 on Saturday night in Evanston.

Northwestern redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch began his Week 3 buildup Monday morning with the same mindset he established as a sophomore on Brother Rice High School’s varsity squad — prepare like the starter.

New quarterback Jack Lausch got rolling after a slow start, passing for 227 yards and tossing his first two collegiate touchdowns, and Northwestern pulled away Eastern Illinois 31-7 on Saturday night at Martin Stadium.

While Jack Lausch hasn’t looked back since seizing those reins, he’s fully aware of how that time helped him handle his long road to the starting job at Northwestern. “I’ve learned, like, be ready for your opportunity,

Lausch, a Chicago native and red-shirt sophomore, finished with 20 of 31 passing after connecting on only four of his first 13 throws. He hit A.J Henning with 3-yard toss late in the third quarter for Northwestern’s first passing TD this season, then found Marshall Lang with a 9-yard pass midway through the fourth.