Evanston, IL -- (Sports Network) - Amado Villarreal connected on three field goals to help lead the Northwestern Wildcats to a 16-8 win over the Ohio University Bobcats in non-conference action at Ryan Field.

The Wildcats (4-0), who have not won their first four games to start a season since 1962, produced a pair of blocked field goals and recovered two fumbles as they dismissed the Bobcats (0-4).

Northwestern signal-caller C.J. Bacher hit on 18-of-35 passing for 133 yards, but was also picked off four times in the winning effort. Eric Peterman collected a team-best seven balls for 61 yards, while Tyrell Sutton ran the ball nine times for a game-high 76 yards as well.

The Bobcats were paced by Boo Jackson who converted 27-of-42 for 228 yards and a TD, but he was sacked five times and picked off twice on the afternoon.

Villarreal knocked through a pair of field goals in the first half, measuring 33 and 46 yards to give the home team a 6-0 advantage at the end of one period of play.

In the second frame it was again Villarreal who converted a 23-yard field goal, followed by a one-yard touchdown run by Omar Conteh need the end of the half to extend the advantage to 16-0 at the break.

The only scoring of the second half came at the 2:08 mark of the third quarter when Andrew Mooney caught a 12-yard scoring strike from Jackson. A successful two-yard conversion by Ohio cut the deficit to 16-8, which is how the meeting ended.

Ohio University, which had its highest interception total since picking off five versus Wyoming last season, produced a meager four yards rushing on 28 attempts, the fewest for the squad since coming up with minus-six yards versus Rutgers back in 2006.