A breakdown of the ‘Cats blowout win against Illinois State
Classes may not have started at Northwestern, but school is in session for the Wildcat football team. After a 37-3 win against the outmatched Illinois State University Redbirds in the home opener, here are my grades for NU.
Offense: B+
In just his second collegiate start, quarterback Dan Persa completed 19 of 23 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. He completed passes to eight different receivers and rushed for a TD, too. He’s able to change pace at the blink of an eye and knows when to go for the big play. Though most of his completions were short, Northwestern did have passes of 45 and 50 yards. Persa led the ‘Cats to scores on five of their first six drives and got to watch most of the second half from the bench. To say that he has been great thus far would be a vast understatement. If he keeps this up, the Wildside will have to make “Dan Persa is my homeboy” t-shirts.
The rushing attack was much improved from last week’s weak showing at Vanderbilt, but still left something to be desired. Arby Fields rushed for 96 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown. He averaged an impressive 4.4 yards per carry, but the team averaged just 3.3 yards/rush overall. 163 yards on the ground is pretty good, but the Wildcats should be better than that against an FCS team. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant sight to see Fields run forward (he had minus 7 yards last week against Vandy) and assert himself as the team’s number one running back.
Defense: A
After giving up a field goal on ISU’s second drive, the Wildcat defense shut down the Redbirds. They were dominant for the most part, giving up just 263 yards of total offense. The defense wasn’t great in the first half, but really stepped it up in the last two quarters. The Redbirds only gained 67 yards in the second half, never going more than 42 on a single drive.
The Wildcats forced four turnovers, three of which the offense turned into touchdown drives. Linebacker Quentin Davie had a pair of interceptions in the second quarter, the first of which showed off the senior’s freakish athleticism. Davie fully extended himself to pick off a pass from ISU’s Matt Brown, displaying the skill set that makes him considered the best NFL prospect on the 2010 Wildcats. Northwestern also got an interception from defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and a fumble recovery from Ben Johnson, a linebacker who is quickly making his mark on the defense.
This was exactly the kind of defensive performance the Wildcats needed against an opponent like Illinois State. They didn’t allow a touchdown and helped the team win by 34, the biggest margin of victory in the Pat Fitzgerald era. For a program that has won 17 games over the past two seasons, that’s saying something.
Special Teams: B-
The only thing keeping this grade above a C is the punting prowess of freshman Brandon Williams. Last year with Stefan Demos handling all of the kicking duties, the Wildcats had their fair share of problems with the punting game. In two games, Williams has averaged well over 40 yards a punt. Northwestern is now in a much better position to play a game where field position is a key factor, and they’ll be sure to see a lot of that once Big Ten play gets underway.
The placekicking was a major disappointment for the second week in a row. Demos missed a field goal and an extra point, though both could be attributed to bad snaps/holds. The duo of Williams, the holder, and long snapper Pat Hickey needs to work out the kinks. Demos was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team and is much better than his stats would have you believe. Miscues like missed extra points will become more costly as NU moves onto bigger and better opponents.
Another concern was the fact that freshman Venric Mark was only in to return one of three punts. Coach Fitz is usually averse to playing freshmen, but this is an exception. Mark gives the Wildcats a playmaker with speed the likes of which they haven’t seen in quite awhile. If given the opportunity, Mark could make some huge plays as a returner.
Coaching: A-
It’s great that the Wildcats came out with intensity despite the lesser talent of their opponent. NU has a tendency to play to the level of their opponent (prime example: New Hampshire, 2006), but they left the Redbirds in the dust on Saturday. Credit is due to Coach Fitz and his staff for motivating the guys to come out and play to their potential in a non-conference game. That should give the Wildcats some confidence going into next week’s game at Rice.
NU had a good mix of running and passing plays in the first half as they established their lead. The diversity is a welcome improvement over last week’s run-heavy showing against Vanderbilt. Running the ball when the team has a big lead is fine, but the coaching staff shouldn’t try to force the run when it’s not working. The Wildcats accumulated 163 yards on the ground, but that came against a porous Illinois State defense. With Persa and the bevy of receivers this team has, the focus needs to be on the aerial attack.
So there you have it. Grades for Northwestern’s home opener against Illinois State have been posted. Class is dismissed.