On Saturday Northwestern earned its first football victory since Sept. 10 as the ‘Cats traveled to Bloomington and knocked off the Indiana Hoosiers, 59-38. The victory was much-needed for Northwestern, which had lost five straight games prior to Saturday and is in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2007. Here’s a look at the best and worst of the Wildcats’ victory over the Hoosiers:
The best
Drake Dunsmore’s record day: Although a number of players shined offensively for the ‘Cats, the offensive star of the game was Drake Dunsmore. The senior super back caught seven passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns, three of which came in the second quarter. Dunsmore’s four-touchdown performance is a school record for receiving touchdowns; he also became the new school leader for receiving yards by a tight end.
Northwestern quarterback play: If throwing the ball against Northwestern seems like playing Madden on “Rookie” level, then passing the ball against Indiana is like playing on “Easy Play.” The Wildcats’ two quarterbacks, Dan Persa and Kain Colter, lit up the Indiana secondary for 299 yards and five touchdowns. The two quarterbacks threw the same amount of touchdowns as incompletions, as Persa and Colter combined for only five. The vast majority of the passing explosion occurred in the first half, as Northwestern took its foot off the gas pedal with a big lead in the second half. The difference between Northwestern’s quarterback play and Madden “Easy Play?” You never show mercy in Madden.
Jacob Schmidt the ball carrier: Northwestern senior running back Jacob Schmidt had the best statistical game of his career on Saturday, carrying the ball 15 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns against the Hoosiers. It’s the first time Schmidt has rushed for over 100 yards in a game in his career. In fact, Schmidt’s previous game-high rushing total was 61 yards on Sept. 12, 2009 against Eastern Michigan, when he ran for 61 yards on 13 carries. Overall, Northwestern rushed for 317 yards against the Hoosiers this Saturday, an excellent total.
Brandon Williams (or lack thereof): The best possible day for a punter is to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. For the majority of Northwestern’s game against Indiana, Wildcats’ punter Brandon Williams did just that. The ‘Cats did not punt until the fourth quarter, when NU already led the game 59-31. Northwestern scored on nine of its first ten drives; the only outlier consisted of two kneeldowns to end the first half of play.
Indiana tailgate scene: Indiana’s football team is clearly not among the best in the Big Ten or elsewhere. But its tailgate scene looks more like that of a big-time football program. Indiana students and alumni set up huge tailgates, some of which include RVs and other trailers. The best part? A good portion of Indiana students only attend the tailgates and forsake the actual game.
The worst
The two defenses: Saturday confirmed what we already knew about Northwestern’s defense: It isn’t very good. But we also learned that Indiana’s defense is far worse. For all that fans have complained about NU’s defense this year, the ‘Cats have played well at times. Indiana, however, has been abysmal, and that trend continued on Saturday. Northwestern hung 59 points on the Hoosiers, the fourth straight game Indiana has given up 40 points or more. And while the ‘Cats deserve to be commended for a 28-point victory, we should also remember that they gave up 38 points to a team that is 1-8 this season. That mark ties Indiana’s season high, which the Hoosiers set against FCS opponent South Carolina State in September.
Northwestern’s run defense: The ‘Cats may have rushed for 317 yards against the Hoosiers, but Indiana rushed for 319 yards against Northwestern. The effort included 19 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns from IU running back Stephen Houston, and 22 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown from freshman quarterback Tre Roberson. With rushing powerhouse Nebraska upcoming this weekend for the ‘Cats, the run defense will have to improve if Northwestern is to stand a chance. The Wildcats were able to escape Bloomington due to a fantastic offensive effort, but they won’t be able to get out of Lincoln with a win on Nov. 5 if the run defense does not come through.
An opportunity wasted?: With such a large lead late in the game, it would have been nice to see Kain Colter or even Trevor Siemian throw a few passes. The game was well in hand by middle of the second half, which could have been an opportunity for Colter or Siemian to get some more game reps. Obviously, it’s understandable that Northwestern would not want to run up the score on the Hoosiers, but such opportunities to play backup quarterbacks late in games have not come often for the ‘Cats.
Not much student spirit: Obviously, this past Saturday’s game between Indiana and Northwestern wasn’t exactly a marquee contest. But the Hoosiers did not have much of a homefield advantage. The students that did make it to the game were quiet and unspirited, and the vast majority left by halftime. Northwestern’s student section isn’t quite as spirited as some of the bigger Big Ten programs, but purple-clad Wildcat student supporters definitely have the edge over Indiana’s student body.