The Wildcats achieved bowl eligibility Saturday, defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers 28-13 and earning their sixth win of the 2011 season. The win was Northwestern’s fourth in a row after a five-game losing streak earlier this year, but the ‘Cats still need one more win to guarantee a postseason appearance. Here’s a look at the best and worst of Northwestern-Minnesota.
The best:
Northwestern’s improved defense: Northwestern’s defense has been heavily scrutinized lately, but against the Gophers the defense stepped up and controlled the game. Senior safety and team co-captain Brian Peters spearheaded the defense, totaling eight solo tackles and assisting on three others. He also forced and recovered a fumble and caught a crucial interception in the end zone at the end of a Minnesota scoring drive – all with a cast protecting a broken bone in his left hand. Additionally, Minnesota quarterback Marqueis Gray was sacked twice, once by senior lineman Vince Browne and once by junior lineman Quentin Williams. In a game where Northwestern’s offensive output was inconsistent, the defense anchored the team against the Gophers. During the postgame press conference, Peters said the defense started to feel more confident and cohesive going into the game against Indiana, not coincidentally the first victory in this four-game winning streak. Peters also made headlines over the weekend for the Big Ten Network's profile of the safety's deeds off the field.
The running game: While Northwestern’s offense still relies heavily on passing – the ‘Cats tallied 216 net passing yards to just 152 net rushing yards – the running game maintained some presence on Saturday. Running back Adonis Smith totaled 10 carries, a high amount for the sophomore, for a net gain of 31 yards and an average of 3.1 yards per carry; Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald said after the game that Smith’s play in recent practices earned him the unusually high amount of carries. Freshman Treyvon Green also had eight carries for 23 yards, and combined with senior Jacob Schmidt’s 13 carries for 69 yards, the play of the running backs Saturday showed the potential of Northwestern’s running game – even after the team lost Mike Trumpy earlier this year to injury.
The return threat: Venric Mark showed why so many ‘Cats fans were calling for him to return kicks even early last year. The sophomore returned two kickoffs for a total of 86 yards, one for 44 yards and the other for 42 yards. Considering past problems of bobbing catches off of kickoffs, seeing Mark use his remarkable speed is extremely encouraging; his ability to break off big returns also makes life easier for the offense by giving Northwestern better field position.
Honoring the 1996 Wildcats: The 1995 and 1996 Wildcat football teams achieved legendary status by recording a 15-1 Big Ten record across those two seasons. Northwestern also won the Big Ten title both years. Members of the 1996 team – Fitzgerald’s former teammates – were honored at Saturday’s game and had spent time with current Wildcats at a banquet on Friday. Seeing the men who revived Wildcat football along with former head coach Gary Barnett, who Fitz credited with changing the football culture at Northwestern, was a nice testament to past achievements of Wildcat football.
The worst:
Offensive consistency: Northwestern started off strong offensively, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter. The offense grew complacent, however, and in the next two quarters possessed the ball just 9:28 of a possible 30 minutes and converted just one of four third downs in the second quarter. The ‘Cats averaged just 4.7 yards gained per play with one fumble and one Persa interception. After the game, Coach Fitzgerald said he felt the offense got too “comfortable” and Persa agreed, crediting the defense for keeping the game under control. Persa said that at times he felt he missed the play or made the wrong decision – speaking specifically about his interception, the senior said he probably should have run the ball instead. If Northwestern wants to beat Michigan State and lock up a bowl berth, the offense will have to control the clock better and play more consistent.
It’s not number seven: Yes, the ‘Cats have recovered from what seemed to be a disastrous season by reaching six wins and bowl-eligibility. Still, early season struggles have put Northwestern in a must-win position against Michigan State next Saturday, as the Wildcats are not guaranteed a bowl game without their seventh win. Upsetting Nebraska made the thought of postseason play possible, but upsetting the Spartans will make it reality. Michigan State, on the other hand, has locked up its position in the Big Ten Championship game a week from this upcoming Saturday; a win there would propel the Spartans to the Rose Bowl.