End of regulation
Michigan State 37
Northwestern 20
Turnovers were the team’s Achilles Heel last year and they certainly were here today as well. The turnovers kept the defense on the field too long and this began to show in the second half as NU was completely unable to stop Javon Ringer and the Spartans. Every time the ‘Cats scored in the second half the Spartans would just go back and methodically answer with a score to prevent any thoughts of a comeback.
But it was not just NU’s turnovers. Michigan State proved itself today as belonging in the Big Ten’s elite. Hoyer played completely error free and made the ‘Cats pay every time they paid too much attention to Ringer. Speaking of Ringer, he gained over a 100 yards again and showed why scouts are so high on him.
Nonetheless, NU fans will have to be upset with the way the team played this week. The game was never close after the first few minutes and the turnovers sucked all the atmosphere out of the crowd. Bacher’s play remains inconsistent at best and Fitz made a few questionable calls.
Ohh well, have a good weekend everyone. See you next week when NU takes on Purdue here at Ryan Field.
5:54 4Q: Well, you can stop worrying about how a trip to Miami would interfere with class. MSU kicks a field goal to make the score 37-20 and end any chance of a Wildcats’ comeback. Ohh well,at least our mascot doesn’t wear a kilt and have a mop on his head.
11:53 4Q: The Cats face another 4th down but this time, to the disappointment of their fans, they decide to kick a field goal to make the score 34-20. Booo. It is nice to get the game down to two scores but with the ball on the 4 the ‘Cats should have tried to get in the end zone. The field goal keeps the game alive but the ‘Cats still are not in it so what does it matter if they are alive a little longer. They needed to get the td to get back in the game. And yes, I am aware this only makes sense to me.
13:14 4Q: Again, the Cats are forced to go for it on 4th down. This time, a roughing the passer penalty gives NU the first down and puts them on the 13 yard line.
End of the 3rd quarter: Michigan State 34, Northwestern 17.
You never know but things sure do not look good right now. The offense has played pretty well this half but the defense has worn down. This should come as no surprise as the Spartans had the ball for about 5 minutes longer than the ‘Cats in the second half.
1:11 3Q: The Spartans seem content to allow NU gains of 5-10 yards. They know the NU defense can not stop their offense and the only way NU can get back in the game is with a quick score.
2:18 3Q: MSU kicks a field goal to push the lead to 34-17. Asking for three scores with only about a quarter left is probably a little much. But hey, at least it wasn’t Homecoming this week.
5:04 3Q: Hoyer makes a perfect pass to B.J. Cunningham to get the Spartans to the Northwestern 32 yard line. I expected the ‘Cats to have some trouble with Ringer but I never thought they would have as much trouble with Michigan State’s passing attack as they have. I guess it just shows what an influence having a great running back can have on other aspects of a team’s offense.
6:25 3Q: Pray for a turnover
6:53 3Q: The Cats settle for a 31 yard field goal after failing to convert a 3rd and 9. It’s not what they wanted but it still cuts the lead to two touchdowns. Two touchdowns is definitely doable if Northwestern can find some way to stop Michigan State from using Ringer to run out the clock. Michigan State 31, Northwestern 17.
8:00 3Q: NU goes for it on 4th and 3, knowing they must score to keep the game alive. Bacher comes through, hitting Ross Lane for an 8 yard gain and the first down.
10:23 3Q: The Spartans respond with a Javon Ringer touchdown run to make it 31-14. MSU had good field position after NU unsuccessfully attempted an onside kick. I understand that Fitz wanted to shake things up but I still disagree with the onside kick call. This is not a drunken Madden game. NU had the momentum and was only down ten with almost all of the second half to play. Not converting the attempt puts the defense in a tough position. Now, the ‘Cats again face a 17 deficit.
13:53 3Q: On 3rd and 6 Bacher completes a pass to Rasheed Ward who runs it in for a touchdown. The Spartans’ lead is now 24-14. Fitz must have said something to inspire the ‘Cats during half time as they came out flying. Or maybe the offense was just embarrassed of its first half performance.
14:25 3Q: The Cats start the quarter right with a 66 yard rush for Tyrell Sutton to set up a 1st and goal. The run was the longest of Sutton’s career. Maybe we can do to Michigan State what they did to us in 2006.
End of the second half: Michigan State 24, Northwestern 7
NU did not play that poorly overall in the first half but they were simply killed by turnovers. If they have any hope of getting that 6th victory today, the offense will have to play perfect in the 2nd half. The Spartans, on the other hand, have to be thrilled with the performance of their offense. Hoyer went 8/13 for two touchdowns and Ringer gained 86 yards. For me, the biggest surprise was NU’s reluctance to run the ball. Sutton only had 10 carries in the first half, just 5 more than Bacher had, and Bacher actually had the more net rushing yards of the two. Not surprisingly, the student section has begun to thin out and will probably start emptying if the Spartans score the first points of the second half.
:53 2Q: Hoyer throws another touchdown pass, this time to Andrew Hawken, for a 24-7 Michigan State lead. The NU corner completely bit on a play action, leaving Hawken wide open.
:58 2Q: Hoyer throws a screen pass Keshawn Martin, who with a few blocks is able to sprint 42 yards to the Northwestern 14. A touchdown at the end of the quarter would push MSU’s lead to 17 and would be extremely deflating for the purple and white. A big 3rd down is coming up.
3:56 2Q: Tavaris Jackson Bacher makes another appearance, throwing his second interception of the day in the end zone and ending what was a promising drive. Red zone turnovers are deadly, especially when trying to stage a comeback against a ranked team.
5:00 2Q: With all his receivers covered, Bacher just takes off and runs, gaining 17 yards for an NU first down. The first down takes the Wildcats to the Spartans’ 30 yard line. If they can score and enter the locker room only down a touchdown they should be in good shape.
10:45 2Q: NU really dominated the lines on the Spartans’ last possession, hurrying Hoyer multiple times and recording a bone rattling hit on Ringer as well as a sack. At the very least the defense has not given up on this game. Unfortunately, Spartans punter Aaron Bates records a beautiful kick, backing up NU to the 2 yard line.
13:55 2Q: Touchdown! Bacher runs into the end zone to get the ‘Cats back in the game. It is now 17-7 Spartans. Bacher has been inconsistent to say the least. He looks awful on one play and then on the next completes a clutch pass while getting pressured by several Spartans linemen. The rest of the game will probably be decided by which Bacher makes the most appearances, the Eli Manning one or the Tavaris Jackson one.
14:00 2Q: Take back everything I said about Bacher doing better. On first down he almost threw an interception and then on 2nd down he overthrew an open Peterman in the back of the end zone. However, he did complete a pass to Sutton on 3rd down to give NU a 1st and goal.
End of the 1st quarter: Michigan State 17, Northwestern 0. Northwestern ends the first quarter moving the ball and will have a 3rd and 1 on the Michigan State 18 to begin the second quarter. Bacher looks much better on this drive, completing 5 of 6 passes so far.
2:34 1Q: Ok, things can get worse. Ringer bounces it to the outside and walks into the end zone. The Spartans now lead 17-0. It is easy to see why Ringer is likely to be a first round draft pick next year. He has excellent field vision and is very strong, often taking hits and not even slowing down.
4:17 1Q: Just when things are starting to turn around and NU’s offense is driving, Danny Fortner intercepts a C.J. Bacher pass over the middle. MSU is not Ohio, a team NU can beat with Bacher struggling. It is hard to see how things could get much worse right now.
5:55 1Q: The Spartans convert the short field into a field goal and a 10-0 lead. However, you have to think they are going to regret not getting the touchdown. The NU defense really stepped up on this drive, hitting Hoyer as he attempted to throw on 3rd and 5. The drive’s highlight was a 5 yard run by Ringer where he made a great move reminiscent of Barry Sanders.
9:15 1Q: Northwestern fumbles the kickoff and the Spartans recover inside the NU 30 yard line. Not exactly how Fitz drew this one up.
9:23 1Q: Hoyer hits Garrett Celek in the end zone with a three yard touchdown pass to give the Spartans an early 7-0 lead. The key play in the drive did not come on a Ringer run, but on a 20 yard pass to B.J. Cunningham. Yes, his name is B.J. Anyway, if Hoyer plays as crisp as he did during that second drive it is likely to be a long day for Northwestern.
12:04 1Q: The Cats also go three and out on their first possession and are forced to punt. On the kickoff, the Cats used a sort of squib kick to try to keep the Spartans from a long return. It backfired and Michigan State advanced the ball to the NU 42, where they will start their second possession. It is early but NU is getting killed in the special teams battle.
13:37 1Q: After Glenn Winston took the opening kickoff out to midfield, the Spartans go three and out. On the third down play B.J. Cunningham was open in the end zone but dropped what looked to be a sure touchdown pass. More importantly, the ‘Cats handled Ringer on the first two downs, something which bodes well for the rest of the game.
Coin toss: The Spartans win the toss and elects to receive the opening kickoff. So, we’ll get to see right away how the Cats’ defense will fare against Ringer.
Pregame: 50 minutes till game time and the student section is already half full. I can’t see anyone not wearing purple and the students have done what should be the first of many “Spartans suck” chants. Looks like it’s gonna be an exciting day at Ryan Field. Here’s to hoping it ends with Northwestern still undefeated.
For the last decade Northwestern football has talked about the desire to establish themselves as a serious program in the eyes of both students and the national media. Well, today they can take a major step towards achieving that goal when they play the Michigan State Spartans at 2.30 at Ryan Field. The Spartans, 5-1, have posted victories over Notre Dame and Iowa en route to a 5-1 record and a top 25 ranking. If the Wildcats can defeat the Spartans, the Wildcats will also enter the top 25 and you can count on hearing some early murmurings about a possible Rose Bowl birth. To do this they must accomplish one thing: stop Michigan State running back Javon Ringer. Ringer has run wild over defenses this season and is the key to the Spartans’ success. If the ‘Cats can contain Ringer, they will force Spartans’ quarterback Brian Hoyer to beat them with his arm. Hoyer is no slouch, but he is no Tom Brady either and I like the Cats chances if they force Hoyer to go aerial.