SB Nation - Brad Phillips

Gearing up for the Northwestern Wildcats!

Acid Reign — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:25:00 -0000

This highlight clip comes directly to you from the Northwestern Athletic Department. What a refreshingly modern approach to video! (As opposed to the SEC's antique model...)

War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for a look at Auburn's 2010 Outback opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Trying to imagine what will happen in this contest has NOT been easy. Auburn and Northwestern have never played each other in football. There are NO common opponents on the two teams' schedules. Both teams feature wide-open offenses that try to push the tempo. Auburn's spread attack has been more run oriented. Northwestern, without a feature back, has aired it out more. Both teams have tended to favor the 4-man rush on defense, and zone coverage. Both Auburn and Northwestern have had up and down periods, losing games they shouldn't have, and beating ranked teams. For those who are expecting a media-bandwagon "SEC is superior to the Big 10" post in this space, you are going to be disappointed. I think bowl history in the past ten years shows the two leagues to be remarkably even.

Northwestern began the season looking like a lower echelon Big-10 team. After blowing out Towson, the Wildcats struggled to a 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan. Losses on the road to Syracuse and Minnesota followed. The Wildcats appeared to be headed for a third road loss at Purdue, trailing 21-3 in the second quarter. The Wildcat D stepped up, forcing six turnovers. Northwestern would rally to beat Purdue 27-21, salvaging the season. A defensive win over Miami of Ohio followed, but then the Wildcats were shut down in East Lansing, falling to Michigan State 24-14. If you thought the 21-3 deficit was huge against Purdue, Northwestern fell behind 28-3 to Indiana at home. 26 unanswered points provided a miraculous 29-28 win over the Hoosiers. Northwestern appeared to be on the way to a major upset hosting Penn State. The Wildcats led 13-10 at the half, but quarterback Mike Kafka was hurt, the dam broke in the 4^th quarter, and Penn State won going away, 34-13. With a 5-4 record, and games left against Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, it looked like Northwestern was in dire trouble. In Iowa City, quarterback Mike Kafka was limited with a leg injury, and gave way to backup Dan Persa. Then Persa hurt his hand. Kafka limped back on the field, and led Northwestern to a stunning 17-10 upset of the BCS-bound Hawkeyes. In Campaign Illinois, again with Kafka hobbling, the Wildcats downed Illinois 21-16. A huge underdog in their home finale against Wisconsin, Northwestern led much of the day, behind a 326-yard passing effort by Kafka. In the end, it was the Wildcat defense turning the Badgers away again and again. Northwestern won it, 33-31. The Wildcats finished 8-4, 5-3 in the Big Ten.

Offensively, the Wildcats try to run a balanced spread attack. This year, with a young offensive line and a variety of backs, rushing totals have been down. Fireplug freshman Arby Fields is the team's leading rusher, with 294 yards. Quarterback Mike Kafka is close behind with 265. Many of the big Wildcat rushing plays have been on quarterback scrambles, which happens to be one of Auburn's defensive weaknesses. The Tigers have been plagued all year by 3^rd and long plays in which the quarterback pops through the middle for big yards. Auburn will have to contain Kafka, who should be 100% healthy after battling leg ailments in the latter half of the regular season. Northwestern's passing attack is dangerous, if Kafka gets time to throw. Senior H-back Zeke Markshausen has caught a whopping 79 passes, and lanky senior wideout Andrew Brewer has added 49 more. Five Northwestern receivers have at least 23 or more catches, and 8 receivers have ten or more catches. The Wildcats are averaging 266 passing yards per game, and 386 total yards per game. By comparison, Auburn is averaging 214 rushing, and 219 passing, for 433 total yards per game.

Defensively, Northwestern has a stout front seven that has weathered brutal Big-10 trench warfare well. A banged up patchwork Wildcat secondary has managed 15 interceptions. The bad news for Auburn is that all 4 starters should be healthy for the Outback Bowl. Lockdown senior corner Sherrick McManis has 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups, and I'd expect to see him matched up on Auburn's Darvin Adams for much of the morning. Auburn's Chris Todd will have to be careful airing the ball out, as Northwestern's defensive backs all seem to play the ball well. Where Northwestern has had problems is against pounding running games, and against screens. On the line, the Wildcats look to senior defensive end Corey Wootton. Wootton suffered a major knee injury in last year's Alamo Bowl, and has battled a high ankle sprain all year. Despite that, he's still managed 6 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hurries. All in all, a pretty salty Wildcat defense has tallied 62 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. By comparison, Auburn has 71 TFLs and 25 sacks. Defensively Northwestern gives up 344 yards and 23.3 points per game. Auburn gives up 354 yards per game and 26.9 points per game.

On special teams, Auburn has a few advantages, although a couple of glaring holes remain. Auburn has yet to locate a punt returner who doesn't drop the ball. While this has yet to cost the Tigers meaningful points off a turnover, it has seriously impacted field position. Auburn also has a porous kick coverage unit. Northwestern covers kicks and punts pretty decently, but their returns are only average. Auburn has struggled punting the football with only a 35.4 yard net, but Northwestern is worse, managing only 31.7. Both teams have good placekickers. Auburn's Wes Byrum only missed one field goal all year. Northwestern junior Stefan Demos has hit 18 of 23.

Unit matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Northwestern offensive line: Auburn enters this bowl with a veteran line anchored by senior All-SEC defensive end Antonio Coleman, who led the SEC in sacks despite ligament damage in his arm. Northwestern is young on the offensive line. The veteran is junior guard Keegan Grant. There are three sophomores: center Ben Burkett, guard Doug Bartels, and left tackle Al Netter. Right tackle Neal Deiters is a redshirt freshman. Auburn has a pair of bullrushing tackles in Jake Ricks and Mike Blanc. And Auburn can bring Nick Fairley off the bench for a breather. Coleman against Netter is a good matchup to watch, but a better matchup will be on the other side, where junior Antoine Carter takes on a freshman tackle. Carter spent the early part of the year injured, but came on against Ole Miss and beyond. The combination gives Auburn speed rushers on both edges, and creates protection problems. Auburn's biggest problem on the D-line has been quarterback contain, and the Wildcats have the guy to exploit it in Mike Kafka. On the other hand, Northwestern has given up 29 sacks. Auburn has 25 on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. Northwestern runners: Auburn has absolutely been ravaged by injury in the linebacker corps. Juniors Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens have had to play every snap in most games, and have had difficulty holding up as Auburn played 11 games in a row without a break. After a week off, the pair STONED Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, holding the Tide great to 30 yards. Weakside linebacker has been a rotating cast. Sophomore Eltoro Freeman is perhaps Auburn's most talented linebacker, but injuries have held him back. He's trying to recover in time for the Outback Bowl, and is practicing. The only other scholarship linebacker available is true freshman Jonathan Evans. Northwestern runs the ball by committee. Quarterback Mike Kafka seems like the biggest threat, running the zone read with aplomb. The likely bowl starter at running back will be sophomore Scott Concannon, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. Northwestern receivers: Auburn's Walter McFadden, a senior, will likely spend the day matched up with Northwestern's Andrew Brewer. McFadden has handled a number of dangerous SEC wide receivers well, good for 4 interceptions and 8 pass breakups. Where Auburn may struggle is on the other side. Sophomore Neiko Thorpe has been suspect from time to time, although he does have 1 interception and 8 pass breakups. The battle between Thorpe and Northwestern junior Sidney Stewart will be interesting to watch. Both are tall and athletic. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Northwestern secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn will need SERIOUS help here from the linebackers and corners. The Tigers start true freshman Darrin Bates at one safety, and sophomore JUCO Demond Washington at the other side. Washington has only started 3 games. Both guys have lots of speed and are hitters, but are short on experience. Redshirt freshman T'Sharvan Bell is first in off the bench in nickel situations. Northwestern has OPTIONS in the slot. As mentioned above, Zeke Markshausen is a mainstay. The Wildcats can go heavy with "superback" sophomore Drake Dunsmore, a 235-pounder with 38 catches. Northwestern is particularly good at running "clear-outs," where the corners are pinched in on slants and posts, and the slot guys go out and up. Quarterback Mike Kafka has the arm to make all of the throws. Huge Advantage: Northwestern.

Punting: Auburn senior Clinton Durst dropped two yards in his punting average this year, finishing at 40.7. In Durst's defense, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware has revealed upon occasion that Durst was instructed to kick the ball out of bounds rather than test our suspect coverage unit. Junior Stefan Demos has struggled likewise for Northwestern, averaging only 35.3 yards per punt. Coverage for the Wildcats has been shaky, giving up 9.9 yards per return. Auburn's been downright bad on coverage, giving up 13.8 yards. Northwestern's 6.6 yard per punt return average won't impress anyone. Auburn has gone through a merry-go-round of return men, and has probably dropped a dozen punts on the ground over the course of the season. The Tigers' 4.5 yard punt return average is among the worst in the nation. It's been a miracle that the punt teams' woes haven't resulted in a loss. This may be the game! Advantage: Northwestern.

Kickoffs: Auburn is slightly better on kickoff distance, averaging 62.0 yards to Northwestern's 59.9. Auburn coverage has been worse, giving up 23.6 yards per return, to Northwestern's 21.1. Auburn has kicked 5 balls out of bounds, to Northwestern's 1. Lately, we've cheered kickoffs out of bounds, because the other team usually does BETTER than the 40 on returns! Northwestern averages 20.4 yards on returns. Auburn averages 23.6. The thing to note about the Tiger kick return game is that they discovered sophomore Demond Washington's talents late. Washington wasn't used on returns till late in the season, and he's averaging 32.2 yards per return. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Placekicking: Auburn junior Wes Byrum has had a nearly flawless season, hitting on all of his 49 extra points, and 14 out of 15 field goals. Northwestern's Stefan Demos has a good year, too. Demos has hit on 31 of 32 extra point attempts, and 18 of 23 field goal attempts. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Northwestern defensive line: This is a strength vs. strength matchup. The Tiger line has held its own all year, and was only really beaten against Georgia and LSU. Auburn placed junior left tackle Lee Ziemba and junior center Ryan Pugh on some second-team All-SEC units. Auburn runs an array of traps, draws, and misdirection plays. Pulling guards Mike Berry and Byron Issom have been used almost like fullbacks, and have been very effective blocking on the corner. Despite playing in a spread offense, the Tigers have only given up 18 sacks this season. Where Auburn is weakest is handling the speed rush at right tackle. Senior Andrew McCain is a solid run blocker, but has trouble with speed off the edge. I look for Northwestern to at times move senior defensive end Corey Wootton to the right to try and get a mismatch. Wootton vs. Ziemba should be a good battle. Wootton vs. McCain worries me. Wootton is big, at 280, and fast. Wootton isn't the only capable lineman Northwestern has. Junior tackle Corbin Bryant and senior Adam Hahn are solid. Sophomore defensive end Vince Browne is tied for the lead on the team with 4 sacks. There is Wildcat depth in front four, too. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Northwestern linebackers: Auburn's backs have done well most of the year, and should benefit from weeks of rest. Running back Ben Tate made second-team All-SEC. H-back Mario Fannin was a blocking force and caught 39 balls. Backup H-back Eric Smith is a threat, too. Freshman tailback Onterrio McCalebb is a speed-demon. He's been battling ankle injuries in the last 8 weeks of the season, but should be healthy for the bowl. Juniors Nate Williams and Quentin Davie anchor the Wildcat defense. The pair combined for 160 tackles, including 14 for loss. Davie has been dangerous as a pass rusher too, with 4 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, and 4 forced fumbles. These are prototypical Big 10-sized linebackers at around 235-240, and they won't be bowled over easily! Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. Northwestern corners: For the Tigers, this is the Darvin Adams show. Left out of All-SEC balloting, Adams finished in the top five in the league in every category, including a spiffy 17.8 yards per catch average. Terrell Zachary holds down the number two spot, and is a threat on the end around. Zachary only has 24 catches on the year, but is averaging 19.4 yards per reception. Northwestern will counter with senior Sherrick McManus and sophomore Jordan Mabin. Mabin has only two passes defended on the season in 12 games, so look for Auburn to try to test him. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Northwestern safeties: Auburn will go with senior quarterback Chris Todd and a battle tested bunch. Blocking tight end Tommy Trott has been off and on as a receiver, and Chris Todd has struggled to get him the ball late in the season. The main receiving threat of the secondary receivers is Mario Fannin. That bubble screen to Fannin is probably our single most popular pass play, and I look for Northwestern to have the short zone dialed up for that. With a pair of seniors deep for Northwestern, Auburn may have trouble in the middle. Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith are solid, and sophomore Brian Peters are all among the leaders on the team in tackles. Advantage: Northwestern.

Auburn is not going to wow anyone on special teams, but they MUST minimize mistakes! When Northwestern has the ball, Auburn must really run to contain Kafka and the spread. If Auburn loses the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will be a long day of chasing Wildcat receivers. When Auburn has the ball, they have to continue to be multiple. If the Tigers have to rely on either the run or the pass too much, Northwestern has the scheme and players to shut it down. Chris Todd needs to have an accurate game in his Auburn finale, for the Tigers to win.

Prediction: With an El Nino pattern firmly in place, the gulf coast is seeing wave after wave of low pressure systems, mixed with waves of cold air from the northwest. It's been one of the wettest years on record, in the Southeast. Expect rain, for this year's Outback Bowl. Both teams will struggle with the conditions, and Auburn's running game is the difference in this one. Auburn wins, 27-20.

All-Big Ten Awards Announced, Swept Once Again By Toto

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:45 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

about 1 month ago: Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Northwestern won 17-10. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

View full size photo »

Good news, everyone!* The Big Ten announced its picks for the all-conference teams. Naturally, the offensive and defensive player of the year are both Terrelle Pryor. Okay, not true; he's not even honorable mention.

But there's plenty of actual good news. First, the devil media named Kirk Ferentz coach of the year, and here he is reminding them that they can go suck it and he hasn't forgiven them for the slights of the regular season.

Such language, Kirk!

As for the players, here's the link to the voting results. The media named Bryan Bulaga to the first team on offense, while the second team featured four of his friends from the line: Rafael Eubanks, Dace Richardson, Kyle Calloway, and Tony Moeaki.

On defense, the first team had a little more Iowa representation; Adrian Clayborn, Pat Angerer, and Tyler Sash all received their no-brainer merits. On the second team, Brett Greenwood and Amari Spievey. Iowa put eight players on the media's honorable mention team: Ryan Donahue, Broderick Binns, A.J. Edds, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Karl Klug, Daniel Murray, Adam Robinson, and Ricky Stanzi.

Not surprisingly, the coaches had a slightly higher opinion of the Hawkeyes; here's the link to their voting results. Bryan Bulaga was named their offensive lineman of the year(!!!), an award the media doesn't give out. Bulaga is joined on the first team by Moeaki and Richardson, both of which are worthy selections. Calloway and Eubanks didn't make the second team--not sure why on Calloway--but Derrell Johnson-Koulianos snuck in on a three-player tie for second-team WR.

On defense, the coaches agreed with the media in putting Sash, Clayborn, and Angerer on the first team roster. They also added Amari Spievey; as coaches, they're more likely to know that the reason Spievey didn't have a ton of picks wasn't that he's not good at football, but that there's just no hope in throwing at him; Spievey was a machine this season, and we're starting to lose hope that he's got more than one game left in an Iowa uniform. A.J. Edds is the lone Hawkeye on the defensive second team.

For honorable mention, it's as follows:Christian Ballard, Kyle Calloway, Ryan Donahue, Brent Greenwood, Karl Klug, and Adam Robinson.

Full All-BXI teams and a few thoughts are after the break.

MEDIA

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	JOHN CLAY, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Tandon Doss, Indiana	Blair White, Michigan State
WR	Keith Smith, Purdue	Zeke Markshausen, Northwestern
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa
G	Justin Boren, Ohio State	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Dace Richardson, Iowa
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Kyle Calloway, Iowa
T	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin	Dennis Landolt, Penn State
TE	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin	Tony Moeaki, Iowa
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan State	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Jared Odrick, Penn State
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	GREG JONES, Michigan State	Josh Hull, Penn State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Brent Greenwood, Iowa
DB	Donovan Warren, Michigan	Amari Spievey, Iowa
DB	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern	Brad Phillips, Northwestern
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

COACHES

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
QB	Daryll Clark, Penn State	Mike Kafka, Northwestern
RB	Evan Royster, Penn State	Brandon Saine, Ohio State
RB	John Clay, Wisconsin	Ralph Bolden, Purdue
WR	Eric Decker, Minnesota	Tandon Doss, Indiana*
WR	Blair White, Michigan State	Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Iowa* Keith Smith, Purdue*
C	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State	Rafael Eubanks, Iowa* Joel Nitchman, Michigan State*
G	Dace Richardson, Iowa	Jon Asamoah, Illinois
G	John Moffitt, Wisconsin	Justin Boren, Ohio State
T	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa	Rodger Saffold, Indiana
T	Dennis Landolt, Penn State	Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
TE	Tony Moeaki, Iowa	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
PK	Brett Swenson, Michigan	Stefan Demos, Northwestern

POS.	FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
DL	Adrian Clayborn, Iowa	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DL	Brandon Graham, Michigan	Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DL	Jared Odrick, Penn State	Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
DL	O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin	Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue
LB	Pat Angerer, Iowa Linebacker	A.J. Edds, Iowa
LB	Greg Jones, Michigan State	Ross Homan, Ohio State
LB	Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Sean Lee, Penn State
DB	Tyler Sash, Iowa	Donovan Warren, Michigan*
DB	Amari Spievey, Iowa	Sherrick McManis, Northwestern*
DB	Brad Phillips, Northwestern	Brandon King, Purdue*
DB	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State	David Pender, Purdue* Jay Valai, Wisconsin*
P	Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Okay. While we're quite happy that Bulaga got such high accolades for the season, we can't be alone in thinking that he was hardly the best lineman in Iowa City, much less the Big Ten. He was either on the sidelines or out of sorts for the majority of the season, and we still haven't seen the elephant-tusk-covered road grader from last season on display. He totally would have deserved a preseason OL of the year, but his performance over 2009 didn't merit such superlatives.

This is hardly a new development from these postseason lists, however; generally, the lists are crafted off of the preseason lists, and anybody whose knee blew out with more than four games left was excised and replaced by someone else. After all, Bulaga was only a second-team All-BXI player last season, even though he was by far the best lineman on the team in 2008. Seth Olsen, meanwhile, had the good fortune to be a first-teamer to start the year, so he was on the first team after 2008, despite a relatively blah senior campaign; we'd have put him about fourth on the list of Iowa linemen for 2009, behind the two bookends at tackle and Rob Bruggeman at center.

Essentially, Bulaga won the award in 2009 for his play in 2008.

At the end of the day, this comes down to stats; there aren't any for linemen, despite the ill-fated attempt to get the "pancake" introduced about a decade ago (for this, we blame Orlando Pace). It's assumed that linemen are sure things, and that as long as they stay healthy, the narrative has stayed true. After all, without stats, most scribes have no time (or no idea) how to watch linemen individually.

Frankly, though it's a subjective stat, we'd love to see how linemen grade out per play (remember that Blake Larsen famously graded at 100% during his senior season at Atlantic; lord, had those knees survived...) Without having the means to undertake such an activity ourselves, we'd imagine that if you graded each Iowa offensive lineman, Kyle Calloway or Dace Richardson would probably be at the top.

If they're not, which is possible, then it would probably be the guy who didn't even get an honorable mention: Riley Reiff. He was stout in relief of Bulaga--hell, we're pretty sure O'Brien Schofield would not have batted Reiff around like a catnip mouse, unlike some Iowa linemen--and he basically forced his way into the starting lineup even before Big Dace went down. But since he wasn't even a projected starter, to say nothing of a preseason honoree, Reiff didn't have much of a chance for postseason mention. Shame, really; dude is legit, and he hasn't even filled out his frame yet.

As for the skill players, it's a little disappointing that Stanzi only made one honorable mention team. But we get how that can happen. Spievey only making second team in the media is flatly ridiculous. If he'd put together that same season in an Ohio State uniform, he'd be getting All-American talk.

Other than that, we don't have a ton of beef; Stanzi killed himself by leading the conference in interceptions when he went down to injury, and the rest of the offensive skill players were far too inconsistent or hurt to merit much consideration. Jeremiha Hunter not getting any honorable mention love is a little disconcerting, but the BXI was lo-ho-hoaded at linebacker this season; we're not quite sure whom we'd place him above. He'll get some love in 2010 if he stays healthy. Also--given the play of Jeff Tarpinian in relief--if Hunter stays healthy between now and next September, there's no position battle at weakside backer next season, right?

So, all in all, a fair list, even if the voting on offensive linemen is basically a year behind schedule. It's a year behind for everyone else, after all. Anybody else that you folks think got shafted? Did Marvin McNutt deserve a nod, or is he still a year away from recognition?

*/Farnsworth'd

Eight Crazy Wins

Rodger Sherman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:55:08 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

We fly high. No lie.

Browse more photos »

Yeah, maybe I do got three papers to write in the next two days. But here's why I haven't started any of them, because, well, as of seven minutes ago, I've done all the reading for all of them, and most importantly, this was a victorious weekend, people. You better act like it.

First off: someone needs to do some calculating: find out the monetary difference for Northwestern, the Big Ten Conference, and the Big Ten Network of how much they make for a Northwestern vs. Whoever 11:00 AM start time and a 2:30 PM start time. Then they need to calculate the difference for your average spectator of how much more enjoyable a 2:30 PM start time is than the 11:00 AM. I guarantee you no human being enjoys the 11 nonsense, and that the world wouldn't collapse if we started our games at like 12:30 or something. Go ahead, try it next year. If the world collapses, I'll take the hit on this one.

Last year against Illinois, I was just a naive college football spectator, and, to be honest, when people rushed the field, I was thrilled. At first, I thought rushing the field was a practical impossiblity. Did you see all those cops? We might get arrested or something! Then, it happened. We just won our ninth game, and it all seemed so spontaneous and I just got caught up in it and sprinted over that barricade. Then, later, when I got to thinking about it, it all didn't seem that cool. I mean, yeah, it was awesome to be on that field, sing the fight song, and watch people hang from goalposts. But why in the name of Dermarr Johnson are we rushing the field after beating a middling Illinois team in a game that was pretty much over from kickoff, and one we were probably supposed to win anyway? In retrospect, it just didn't seem like field rushing material. It was forced.

Yesterday, I felt none of that. A team that looked like it might trickle out five or six wins just knocked off a top-25 team for their third straight win, eighth of the year, and second W against a ranked squad. You're going over that fence, non-negotiable.

As an NU student, you're bound to meet a lot of football players in your college career. There's a bit over a hundred of them on a campus of 8,000 people, do the math. You recognize them on Sheridan, you see them in classes, you talk with them at parties. They're there, they're people. However, as I learned for the second time in two years, one of the world's worst situations for discourse between humans is "when one of them is really tired and still wearing a football helmet and uniform from the football game they just played and you're on their field and possibly wearing a shirt." I probably could've learned this last year after my conversation with Brendan Smith:

Me: Hey, man, nice return!

Brendan: Oh, thanks.

Me: (puts out hand for high five, which is grudgingly returned.)

But if there's one thing I enjoy, it's awkward shirtless conversations. When jammed with a few thousand other students in the middle of a football field, and I noticed the guy next to me was Dan Persa. So this happened.

Me: Hey, Dan Persa! (nothingness.) Thanks for the Iowa win, man!

Dan: Yeah.

l think I gave him a pat on the back, but I'm not sure. I also told some offensive lineman I was jammed up against "I'm sorry I'm not wearing a shirt." He told me not to worry about it.

I should mention: the reason I wasn't wearing a shirt is the same reason I wasn't wearing one for the Minnesota game. The people whose house I was at were doing the chest-painting thing, and told me they needed an extra letter. By the time I got the purple base layer on, we realized they counted wrong, and that they already had enough letters. I tell you, life as an exclamation point is not a fun one. Especially because the paint from the top dripped down and just made me look like a giant lowercase l, and a splotch of paint got on my jeans zipper, making me look like I went all Lonely Island all over my Levi's. However, the lowercase l is very flattering to your form.
By the way, it's way colder than it was back in September. You might have heard rumors that Evanston gets cold in winter, and as someone who was not wearing a shirt yesterday, I'm prepared to confirm that rumor.
We were spelling "Kafka!" or, rather, "Kafkal". Sure enough, Kafka had a phenomenal game to end a pretty damn phenomenal stretch of football. Iron Mike hasn't thrown a pick since the Indiana game, and after spending like, eight games dinking-and-dunking with pinpoint accuracy that led to painstaking seven minute touchdown drives and moderately successful offense while overthrowing every receiver more than ten yards downfield he could (or just lofting picks), Mike has actually developed a deep passing game. A great one. In the past two games, it seems like the majority of his completions are to receivers 15-25 yards downfield. Kafka's early-season short-yardage play seems to have opened up a whole new world of downfield receivers as defenses realizes they can't let him just go to town on short routes, but also, he seems to be a more capable thrower now than he was two months ago. Kudos to Mike.
And while we're kudosing, Andrew Brewer. Perennially open downfield, as is Sidney Stewart, but that second touchdown grab is second only to Ross Lane's good-on-Sunday's Alamo Bowl snag in catches I've seen at NU.
And Zeke Markshausen! Everybody who saw that play went through the same thought process: "okay, screen, three yards, I'll take it." "wide receiver throw! Andrew Brewer comes through again!" "Wait, does Andrew Brewer wear #85?" "Uhhh, Zeke Markshausen can't throw. He's a wide receiver." "Wait, that guy's wide open!" And then several minutes of celebration. Great play for The Syndrome (thus called because Illinois' PA announcer last week pronounced his name "Munchausen" a bunch of times. Roll with it, even if you're not familiar with the sort of funny illness, which is made decidedly not funny by its serious Wikipedia page.)
It's really crazy: this run defense looked incomprehensibly horrible for about five or six weeks. But after holding Wisconsin to 99 yards rushing, well, I wouldn't say it's a strong suit, or even a medium suit. But we're so, so much better at it than we once were.
And we held the passing game to a relative halt, and three sacks is nothing to scoff at. NU's defense wasn't spectacular, not by a long shot. But with an offense as dynamic as the one NU has, you've got to like their chances, especially if they learn how to keep opponents from running back punts or kickoffs every other game. Without that return, it's not a game. So don't get too down on our defensive unit.
In fact, you should be... uh, up, on Brad Phillips, who was EVERYWHERE - tackle numbers are generally difficult to interpret because they're so subjective, but 11 solo tackles, a pass breakup, a sack and a QB hurry are, like, great stats from a defender and Corey Wootton, who is really bringing the pressure from the defensive end spot in a way he just wasn't earlier in this season.
Like I said back in October, we'd be better off just never running. Our ground game showed signs of life at points throughout the year - the past two weeks included - but it looked alive in the same way Tupac looks alive now, in that there was vague, but extraordinarily questionable, evidence that it theoretically, possibly potentially, could be not dead, but nobody would legit say "oh, well Tupac/the Northwestern running game is alive." (follow? didn't think so.) (also, allow that to be the first and last time Scott Concannon is compared to Tupac Amaru Shakur.) But we really shouldn't worry about whether or not it is alive. Outside of QB sneaks, broken plays, Dan Persa, and an occasional draw up the middle or option, we should never, ever run. And those are just to keep the defense honest, not to gain yards, although 3rd and 6 is more appealing than 3rd and 10, our offense looks just as successful on 3rd and 6 as it does on 3rd and 1.
By the way, offensive line, stop that whole false starting thing before the bowl game. Please? You're great, we love you, but, like, stop it.
I had a major problem with the game earlier this season where I got to the game late and saw from the stadium shuttle that the other team had already scored a touchdown. I have less of a problem with it happening to NU. Although I kind of did want to see that touchdown. But that's what highlight reels are for.

That's all I got for now. Should be some good posts this week, so stick around, fellas.

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times: Northwestern Ends on a High Note Over Wisconsin, 33-31

hmlee — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:05:41 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Browse more photos »

Well, that turned out to be quite the exciting game. I was rather shocked by the final score, though not by who won. Those of you who've been around since the beginning of the season know that this was a tough one for me, as I write about both Wisconsin and Northwestern for The Rivalry, Esq. I grew up a Badger fan and as a current Northwestern Law student also cheer quite hard for the Wildcats. While the Northwestern-Wisconsin rivalry isn't a blood feud like some others in this conference, it was still a difficult game for me. Every play was essentially both good and bad. I cheered and then felt despondent for the entirety of this game. That's not really a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

I had hoped earlier this season that things would shake out in such a way that this game would only be important to one team and thus I would be able to pick a side for the game and stick with it. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) this game held implications for both teams. Both teams gained bowl eligibility weeks ago, but the the narrative of their seasons was on the line. While the cheesehead in me is sad that the Badgers lost, I think, in the end I am happy that the game turned out the way it did. Frankly, Northwestern needed this game more.

That might seem to be an odd statement, but, looking at the reality of this conference it makes sense from both a bowl perspective and a recruiting perspective. The current Big 10 standings have three teams at 10-2 on the season, with Ohio State taking the championship based on their better in conference record. OSU will thus claim the Big 10's automatic BCS berth and head to Pasadena to take on the Pac-10 champ. As far as at large berths go, Iowa will probably claim another for the Big 10, and Penn State has an outside chance of grabbing one also. If they didn't get an at large, PSU would be slotted into the Capital One bowl vs. a SEC team.

Wisconsin, then, was priced out of the BCS a long time ago. Even at 10-2, it would have been unlikely for them to move from their slot in the Outback bowl, and at 9-3 (assuming a win in two weeks over Hawaii) they won't drop from that perch either. Further, Wisconsin's team is a young one. They have performed remarkably well for such a freshman-sophomore loaded squad, and I see only bright things ahead of them.

Northwestern was in a similar bowl game spot. With the upset of Iowa and the expected victory over Illinois, Northwestern had vaulted themselves to 7 wins and past the rest of the mushy middle of the Big 10 to claim a ticket to the Champs Sports bowl. The victory today gives them eight wins, but they still sit behind Wisconsin and unless the Badgers falter in Hawaii they will still have a worse record by a game. Because Michigan State lost to Penn State today, there is no team capable of leapfrogging the 'Cats. Northwestern is as stuck as Wisconsin.

So, then, we must look at this game from a recruiting perspective. Wisconsin will always do well in recruiting among Big 10 teams. They are a flagship state school known both for academics as well as athletics. They have the loyalty of an entire state, as well as a history of a great football team and will always be competitive with the upper tier Big 10 teams for recruits. A victory tonight wouldn't have altered that in any meaningful way.

Northwestern, by contrast, could gain a significant boost from this victory. With today's win they have sealed an eight win season after coming from virtually nowhere to reach nine wins last year. They will not only be going to a bowl two years in a row, but a warm weather bowl at that (no Pizza! Pizza! here). Despite the dismal beginning to this season, they defeated two of the three ranked teams they played against, and came one quarter away from upsetting the third when Penn State came to town. These upsets, if they can be combined with the 'Cats first bowl victory in 60 years, would seal the impression in recruits minds that Fitz is determined to build a consistently winning program in Evanston that will compete with the conference's upper tier.

Thus, the team that needed the victory most managed to pull it out, and I am at least moderately happy for that.

After the jump, I do a multiple personality recap of the action on the field...

Bama Hawkeye takes a look at the sweet goods on the line this weekend in the Big 10...

Graham and Law Buck engage in dueling coverage of the OSU and Michigan rivalry game...

The only way to really address the in game action today is for me to look at it both as a Northwestern fan and a Wisconsin fan. Because Northwestern comes first alphabetically, I'll start with them.

Northwestern:

It was good to see the 'Cats start this game off on all cylinders. I like this style of play much better than their "wait until we're down by an absurd margin and then mount a nail-biting comeback" gameplan.

Kafka lead the 'Cats on their opening drive from the Northwestern 25 yard line for a score. The defense then answered that by coming out of the gate and largely containing the John Clay led Badger offense and forcing them to punt away their first possession. Both teams then three and outed before Northwestern managed to end the quarter with a field goal to take a 10 point lead on Wisconsin.

Offense:

I was heartened by the fact that all of Northwestern's running backs - Scott Concannon, Stephen Simmons, and Arby Fields - managed to make contributions to Northwestern's game today. At least Concannon and Fields will be back next year, and I am unsure if Simmons, a senior with another year of eligibility, will stay as well. Even if Simmons is gone, the competition between Concannon and Fields during camp next year will only be a positive for Northwestern. It is true that Northwestern runs a spread offense from the shotgun, but having versatile running backs to compliment the mobile QBs will always make the receivers more dangerous.

The second quarter was not quite as kind to the 'Cats. Wisconsin carried over their drive from the 1st and converted it into a John Clay touchdown. Northwestern managed to get the ball back for all of one play before it was fumbled away by Scott Concannon and recovered by Wisconsin. While I never like to see turnovers, I can't put too much heat on Concannon as he has been quite sure handed for most of the games this year. Wisconsin went to their tight end for a TD to give Bucky a four point lead.

Stephen Simmons then broke off a great 64 yard kick return to put the 'Cats within smelling distance of the Badger redzone. Mike Kafka rattled off several passes to Drake Dunsmore, Zeke Markshausen, Arby Fields, and Andrew Brewer to once again take the lead at 17-14. I was happy to see Kafka playing in a much more mobile and healthy way than in the last few games, and it was great for him to end his last regular season on a winning note. Hopefully he can cap off his time at Northwestern with a bowl victory in a few weeks.

Northwestern's defense three and outed the Badgers and then on their next drive Kafka executed a great end-around pass to Markshausen who pitched it downfield to a wiiide open Sidney Stewart. The ball was perfectly thrown and took advantage of the Wisconsin secondary, which isn't exactly the most dominant in the Big 10.

Northwestern regained their 10 point lead 24-14 and never really looked back. Stefan Demos once again looked his automatic self and tacked on three more field goals for the remainder of the 'Cats 33 points.

Defense:

The final score of today's game really doesn't do the defense justice. Yes, the 'Cats let Bucky come unacceptably close to a comeback win, but the defense played a good game for all 60 minutes. Three different Wildcats had sacks - Brad Phillips, Corey Wootton, and Vince Browne. The 'Cats managed to hold John Clay to only 102 yards rushing and 1 TD, which is pretty good considering he's the best RB in the conference. They also managed to step up in the crucial moments, forcing two turnovers during the forth quarter. Brian Peters recovered a clay fumble, and Jordan Mabin ended the late Badger threat with a great interception of Tolzien in the final seconds.

All in all, a good way to end the season. I think with a healthy Kafka the Wildcats will be very competitive come bowl time, and I'm looking forward to a great Champs Sports Bowl match up.

Go U! NU!

Wisconsin:

Now, I'll let my slightly more depressed dairy state side take over. This really was a trap game for my Badgers. While they were coming off three wins, Purdue, Indiana, and Michigan aren't exactly formidable competition this year. Northwestern is a deceptive team who had only been getting better as the season has gone on. It seemed that the Badgers were in danger of looking past both Northwestern and Hawaii towards the bowl season, and I think that's just what they did.

The Badgers simply played sloppy football, and it cost them the game.

Offense:

The one bright spot on the white and red side of the ball was the offense. The Badgers executed a balanced gameplan that got more dangerous as the game went on. Yes, they started off slowly, but Clay managed another triple digit ground game with a score, and Scott Tolzien threw for 235 yards and 2 TDs - both to the newly full strength Garrett Graham. Nick Toon also showed why he's going to be a big threat for years to come, as he had 7 catches for 70 yards, a nice follow up to his 98 yard game at Michigan. I don't know that he will ever live up to his father's stats, but he is definitely a solid part of the Badger offense and has a good chance to be their top receiver for the next year or two.

For all his inconsistency this year, Tolzien had a solid game, throwing only one interception in the closing seconds on a last ditch effort to move the Badgers downfield. For someone who was presumed to be a career backup at best, this season has been a good one and I'm looking forward to next year. Wisconsin finally has a quarterback who can make both the short quick throws and the deep passes. I'd like to see a win against Hawaii and a bowl victory to cap off his first starting season... regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, the competition between him and Curt Phillips will make for an interesting camp next year.

Defense:

Unfortunately, this was not one of the defense's better efforts. They allowed the most points they have all season, even more than they did to Ohio State, and even my other half would agree that the 'Cats are most certainly not the Buckeyes. Frankly, the Wisconsin defense was just not equipped to handle the Northwestern spread. The secondary is the weakest part of the defense and it showed. Kafka burned the Wisconsin defense for 326 yards passing and 2 TDs. The defense also looked completely fooled by the end around to Zeke Markshausen... he's a receiver for goodness sakes! He shouldn't be able to throw a TD! Gah.

This was also only the third game of the entire season in which the Badgers had no interceptions (the other two were against Northern Illinois and Iowa). They did have one fumble recovery, but lost the turnover battle overall. Still.... this is a young unit and can only really get better next year. I just hope we don't draw a spread based team in a bowl game, or it could get ugly.

Special Teams:

Once again, the special teams was a Jekyll and Hyde unit. Two separate returns best show this.

In the second quarter, Isaac Anderson inexplicably picked up a kickoff in the end zone and ran the ball out... to the 5. Ugh. Wisconsin managed to get the ball out to their 18, but the resulting punt gave Northwestern great field position near midfield, and the Wildcats would convert that into a field goal. Sigh.

In the third quarter, though, the special teams partially managed to redeem themselves when David Gilreath returned a a punt 68 yards for a TD which pulled Wisconsin within 3 of Northwestern.

The kick coverage today was similarly mediocre. Northwestern managed one 60+ yard return and several 30 yard returns. Their shortest return was for 12 yards after a Welch field goal. That's not really a dominating performance.

The interesting thing about this game is that both Northwestern and Wisconsin have ST units coached by the head coaches. Northwestern, for the most part, manages to do it right. They constantly execute good returns and usually do not make stupid mistakes. Wisconsin, by contrast, is prone to such mistakes and to sloppily executed tackling on their return coverage. Simply put, as long as Bielema is still coaching that unit, you never know what you're going to get. Until he finally gets a full time coach, it will always be the Achilles heel of this squad. It is long past time for that change to happen.

Disappointing as all that was, I must give credit to the Badgers for not giving up. They fought hard and pulled within two points, taking the game down to the final seconds. They can still end the season strong in Hawaii, and a bowl victory would prove that an excess of youth does not necessarily spell doom in the NCAA. In truth, they can only get better from here.

So...

On to Hawaii, On to the regular season finale, and ON WISCONSIN!!!!

This isn't going away anytime soon.

Rodger Sherman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:44:26 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Last name Ever. First name Greatest.

Browse more photos »

I'm still letting this one sink in.

It's not every year you even get to play a top five ranked team, let alone beat one. I mean, at NU, it's not every half-century you beat a top five ranked team.

So, just enjoy this. Take all your nonsense about "this season is still kind of disappointing" and "oh, but the refs jobbed Iowa!" (yes, they did) "but Stanzi got hurt!" (first off. kid threw a pick too. and four in a quarter last week. maybe he hits djk on that long ball, but, the dude's not johnny friggin unitas. and second off, every team deals with injuries. we're dealing with them too!) and just take a few seconds, minutes, or hours to think about how great that win was for NU.

That win took a team that looked questionable for bowl season and essentially made them a lock for a postseason bid. If you ask people around NU what their goal is going into every season, I bet they'd say "to win a bowl game." Our program, as you know, has only been to back-to-back bowls once, and only won a bowl game once, and that was before my parents were alive. Either of those things happening would, in my opinion, make this a historic/successful season. This game probably doubled NU's chances at doing both of those things. Think about that for a second.

In fact, think about it the entire time I break down things that went well yesterday.

Our defense. Back. I mean, going into this season, we talked about our defense being an elite unit. And the team that played yesterday - with every starter except Brendan Smith on the field - fit that description: they didn't allow a single sustained drive for points all game long, they forced four - four! - turnovers.
I'm not a fan of hyperbole. (Actually, screw that, I am.) But I honestly don't think it's hyperbolic to call Wootton's strip-and-maim one of the most important plays in NU history. NU historians, if you can disagree with that statement, go ahead, I know I'm not as versed in Wildcats history as I should be. But without that play, we don't win that game. And without that game, well, this is a mediocre season at best. What Ferentz is thinking running a designed naked bootleg at our favorite formerly-formerly dynamic defensive end, I have no idea. But Wootton looked like that guy we knew not just on that one play, but all day: he's got more explosiveness than he had up till this week. He's back.
A boring but effective thing to do in this post is just listing defenders who played excessively well yesterday: Nate Williams, David Arnold (those two dudes were literally making tackles EVERYWHERE), Quentin Davie, Marshall Thomas (apparently, the reason he's been playing all year is because he's really great at hopping on fumbles), well, our whole d-line, subs and starters, Sherrick McManis and Jordan Mabin (let's not talk about the DJK touchdown), Brad Phillips. Applause, all around. The d-line was able to shut down the rush - not totally surprising against a team that was missing it's top 8 running backs - but the pass pressure was something we haven't seen all year. And neither Stanzi nor Vandenberg could settle in, or, for that matter, complete anything.
Mike Kafka cemented his place in our respective memories with the Minnesota game last year, and Persa, regardless of what the future holds (and I'm officially no longer scared), did that yesterday. Great game. Outside of the one ugly pass that got picked, he looked effective passing the ball, and, well, he's faster than Kafka. (less elusive, but faster. Both great runners.) I was not expecting that. Again, applause.
There's some serious slurpage going on here, but Mike Kafka also had a cojones performance. I mean, to come back in after looking suspect at best (both passing and not being able to move) in the beginning and then just running things after Persa's injury.
Scott Concannon. What? Where did this guy come from? He looked bad in the Towson game, then got a concussion, and then all of a sudden he comes back as a great runner against Indiana. I like his style: he's really good at waiting for his blockers to open up a hole where others might just try to plow through with speed, where Concannon knows his best option is to take it slow, see things develop, and then maybe just barely elude a hit. Only 60-odd yards on the day for him, but, damn, the guy doesn't go down unless you really hit him.
And I think who you credit with Concannon's success that he didn't have earlier in the year, and Persa's being able to run with no pretense of passing (something that never happened when he came in to spell Kafka and got stuffed for gains of one or two earlier in the year) is our offensive line. Another unit that was supposed to be decent coming into the year and then looked they couldn't open up a hole for Adrian Peterson. But yesterday, they were getting a major push against Iowa's d-line - Iowa's d-line! Yeah, they weren't great at pass protection, but when Persa came in, that sorta stopped mattering.
I think Stefan Demos could hit a 83 yarder. Just sayin.

So, yeah, I'm still too pumped to write something actually analytical, in case you couldn't tell.

Oh, yeah, and who's coming to Champaign next weekend?

Iowa's Five Worst Upsets in All of History

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:15:15 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

FILE -- This is a Sept. 27, 2008, file photo showing Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz looking on during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

Browse more photos »

1. Northwestern 2008: jNWU 22, Iowa 17

This is the obvious choice for the worst loss in Iowa history, mainly because nobody could see it coming. Ricky Stanzi had the case of the turnoversies that he usually saves for cupcake opponents like A-State, Indiana, and jNWU.

But even with a expulsion-worthy helmet-to-helmet hit incapacitating Shonn Greene by Brad Phillips and Stanzi's full smorgasbord of new and creative changes of possession, Iowa still had a 1st and goal inside the jNWU 10-yard line with time running out. Alas, the four plays called failed--obviously because O'Keefe was O'Throwing the O'Football game--and Northwestern walked away with college football's most stunning upset of 2008.

Karma rewarded Northwestern when lowly Missouri ran them out of the stadium in the Alamo Bowl later that year, while Iowa cruised against the far superior South Carolina.

2. Northwestern 2005: jNWU 28, Iowa 27

The sight of Kyle Schlicher pushing the field goal that would have made the game 30-14 late in the 4th quarter haunts us to this day. What ensued was an epic meltdown, with Iowa giving up a quick touchdown, an onside kick, and another quick touchdown.

Did the pain end there? No no, friends; no no. Drew Tate got the Hawkeyes moving after the fatal touchdown and had the ball inside Northwestern territory with under 30 seconds to play; two passes bouncing off Herb Grigsby's hands later, we all tried to kill ourselves.

3. Northwestern 1999: jNWU 23, Iowa 21

Some people may think of this as not being much of an upset, being that 1999 Iowa was the school's single worst team in the past 35 years, and Northwestern didn't win until a touchdown on the game's final play. Well, yeah, that's why this is #3 on the list of worst Iowa upsets of all time and not #1.

4. Northwestern 1990: Iowa 56, jNWU 14

Just Northwestern fought gallantly for upwards of four minutes (real time, not game time; that'd be ridiculous). Alas, Iowa was much too tough, and God's Team prevailed again. No, the real upset here that we didn't hurt their boys too bad. That usually happens.

5. Tulsa 1996: Tulsa 27, Iowa 20

AAAAGH AAAAGH AAAAGH AAAAGH KILL THIS MEMORY DEAD WITH A FLAMETHROWER. But it's not as bad as only beating jNWU by 42. They're just Northwestern.

Q&A with Lake the Posts.

John M (The Crimson Quarry) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:30:09 -0000

via www.sportslogos.net

Earlier today, I posted a link to Lake the Posts, where I answered some of LTP's questions in anticipation of tomorrow's game. LTP's answers to my questions are below:

1. Northwestern has typically been able to run the ball successfully, but> not this year. What's the problem? I expected Tyrell Sutton to be a big loss, but it must be bigger than that, right?

Much bigger. It has been a bizarro year to be understated. Essentially everything we thought would be a strength has been a weakness and vice versa, EXCEPT the ground game. We feared it was this potentially bad, however, our OL was solid last year albeit extremely green. The big assumption was they'd improve -many had our O-line picked as one of the better in the Big Ten - and thus, the ground game wouldn't be as bad as we thought. It's beyond bad. Our OL has been brutal and we have no one in the backfield with any degree of elusiveness which makes for a disastrous 1-2 combo. Kind of like Orange juice and toothpaste.

2. Given Mike Kafka's numbers, it's not surprising that the Wildcats have a number of receivers with impressive stats. Which Wildcat receivers should Hoosier fans worry about the most?

Andrew Brewer reawakened last week and can be a downfield threat. Zeke Markshausen is having a tremendous season and is coming off a 16 reception week vs MSU (not a misprint) and is our clutch receiver, although usually short yardage. We're loaded with great hands across the board including Sidney Stewart, but lack a true gamebreaker.

3. How about on defense? Which part of your defense presents the biggest problem for the Hoosier offense?

The secondary is our strength, but they're dinged badly. Preseason All-American Corey Wootton, our Greg Middleton (but better in '08) has not recovered well from the torn ACL and has yet to register a sack.It's been sad to watch him struggle so. Our DL has recently comealive, but Sherrick McManis, our CB is the clear difference maker on D. Both our senior starting safeties - Brendan Smith (out) and Brad Phillips (likely out) are huge losses. MSU exploited this once Phillips went out of the game after we pitched a 1st half shutout.

4. If there is any Big Ten fan base than can sympathize with Northwestern's
attendance woes, it's IU's. But over the last couple of years, despite
plenty of success and optimism, you guys have been making us look like Ohio
State. I know you have dedicated many posts to this topic, but what's the
problem in a nutshell?

NU is infamous for playing to the level of the opponent - both the very good and the very bad. For us to take the next step, we need to learn how to step on teams' throats when we get up. We almost emit a"nice guy" image and lack the OSU kick your ass instinct. This applies to IU. No offense, but we've actually had more talent most of this decade, but you always play us tough. We don't take IU lightly, although we did last year - as a fan base anyway. We both look at this as "W" every year the schedule comes out, but the confidence is clearly lacking in Wildcat Nation. I can't remember a more disappointing season since 2001 - our post Big Ten champion year when we returned most of our weapons.

5. And finally, what's your prediction for tomorrow?

Possibly wishful thinking but the revenge factor from 08 + homecoming+ must win for bowl hopes gives us the slightest of edge:NU 30 IU 27 (OT).

Thanks, LTP.

Northwestern vs. Indiana: Now with Bowl Implications!

Rodger Sherman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:14:28 -0000

That should say "now with major bowl implications."

Actually, it should say "now with major implications for minor bowls."

Coming into the year, someone who knew nothing about college football saw this matchup and was probably like "man, that game's gonna suck, a bunch of cellar-dwellers," and somebody who paid way too much attention to college football probably saw this matchup and thought "hey, two Big Ten darkhorses, I like it."

Well, they were both a little bit right, but primarily wrong. What I mean is, both of these teams are pretty bad. NU seems to be missing a different facet of their game every week, and Indiana couldn't defend an armless toddler in a game of pickup basketball. But on the other hand, both these teams are 4-3, a win away from .500 in-conference, and would be teeter-tottering on the edge of bowldom if they won. So in short, both these teams are terrible, but this is a big game. Lezz preview it.

Oh, and check out The Crimson Quarry. Do it. Or else.

I'd take Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell in a arm-muscle vein-off against most people, except maybe Wolverine from the Wolverine movie.

When we got the ball: If there's been one constant in NU's season thus far, it's our lack of a run game. I'd even take the Hoosiers anemic run defense against our backfield. Don't run. Pass. Luckily, Pat Fitzgerald appears to be committed to this revolutionary gameplan. You know, I didn't even notice Jacob Schmidt was out last week? I mean, maybe I did, but it's just so irrelevant at this point who we have available at running back. We shouldn't be running.

So the onus, once again, is on Mike Kafka. We best be double-teaming Jammie Kirlew, because knowing this year's o-line, one guy ain't gonna cut it, and I'd like to see Kafka recognize when he's a few seconds away from getting sacked by that huge dude, tucking it away, and going at the soft weak area of that Indiana defense, which as noted, ain't too great outsidea that Kirlew fella. He's got the speed, and if he uses it correctly, I'd be down for a mini-Minnesota 08.

Oh, and DON'T FUMBLE. It's comical how different a game that big l last week is if not for two mental lapses.

When they got the ball: I'll be real, I like what I've seen from this defensive unit in the past few weeks. Even though we let MSU drop 24 last week, I'm not disappointed with the showing, and Indiana is a considerably worse team offensively, and hopefully we won't be giving them fumbles on our own 22 this week.

The key is covering Tandon Doss. I think we all trust Sherrick McManis right now, even after the Blair Whitestravaganza last week, so, let's see him get to it.

People I'm watching:

Offense: Neil Deiters: Deiters has officially moved on up into the starting lineup and is listed as "OR" in the starting spot at left tackle. If you're not gulping just because we're starting a redshirt freshman at what's probably the most important position on the line with a righty quarterback, you should be gulping because we're starting a redshirt freshman who hasn't looked great, accumulating two holding calls back-to-back last week, at what's probably the most important position on the line with a righty quarterback, against a team with the best DE in the conference and Greg Middleton, who isn't too bad, at the other end spot. Whoever is there is in trouble and will be one of the keys to this matchup, let's hope Deiters, after starting his first game last week, can come up big, block out Kirlew and buy Kafka that extra second he might need in a pass-happy offense.

Defense: Not to be obvious, but Jared Carpenter. Last week, we saw Brian Peters step in at a safety spot and replace Brendan Smith, all things told, quite well, and was one of the best players on the defense. Now, Brad Phillips is questionable, and I'm not going to hold Carpenter to Peters' standard, because even I wasn't expecting that. But most likely, Carpenter will get his first start this week, and they'll be passing, and he'll have to make big plays, even though essentially none of us know anything about him. Tell us something, Jared.

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: Toughie. The wildcat has claws and paws, but the hoosier is about four times his size. If the wildcat can dig in deep, prevent himself from getting kicked or punched too hard, and climb up his opponent for a potentially winning headshot, he should have an easy win. Game, Northwestern. (mascot death fight records: NU, 3-5, Indiana, 2-6.)

Prediction:

Despues del jump!

Northwestern, 34, Indiana, 27. Northwestern's not much better, but they're better. NU has had games in which they've been great offensively, games when they've been great defensively, but none with both, and it's not happening this week. But I don't see Mike Kafka not wreaking havoc on Indiana's defense, and we might have ourselves a shootout.

Anyway, disagree or agree in the comments, and, if you ain't at the game tomorrow, a) what's wrong with you, you sick bastard and b) stop by in the comments section. I won't be commenting along, probably, but do it to it anyway.

Preview: Michigan State vs. Northwestern

LVS — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:36:02 -0000

[Sorry for the delayed posting. --LVS.]

Hey! Let's celebrate a big comeback which ended up meaning absolutely nothing in one of the worst MSU football seasons ever!

Your MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS vs. the NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
SPARTAN STADIUM, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
NOON, ESPN2
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, 42-45 DEGREES

After a tremendously disappointing start to the season, in the last two weeks your Spartans have effectively turned things around, and at least left open the possibility for this to become a successful season. What the 3-game losing streak does mean, though, is that there is no more margin for error, and a game like Saturday's -- at home, against a less-talented team -- has gone from "should win" to "must win," lest our rehabilitated 3-3 record become 3-5 by next Saturday night. Northwestern has had quite a bit of success recently in East Lansing; they've won the last two, including a game in 2007 which stands as our poorest performance under Mark Dantonio. Our upperclassmen will remember that game too clearly to be looking ahead to Iowa. The line on this game, I believe, currently has MSU giving 12.5 points; I think that's awfully generous, but for our purposes, fortunately, beating Northwestern is more important than beating the spread. While we may not do the latter, we will do the former.

NORTHWESTERN SO FAR:

1 blowout against an overmatched 1-AA opponent (Towson);
1 very close call against an overmatched 1-A opponent (Eastern Michigan);
1 sleepwalk-type win against an overmatched 1-A opponent (Miami);
1 halfway-decent road win (but against a team which seems to find new, heartwrenching ways to lose each week -- Purdue);
1 home loss to Minnesota, an understandable defeat to a team that's roughly equivalent to MSU in talent;
1 completely inexcusable close road loss to Syracuse (Syracuse!).

Normally, it'd be difficult to say that a 4-2 record for Northwestern is disappointing, but LTP certainly is, and with some justification:

On the heels of our 9-3 2008 season buoyed by a stellar D, all signs pointed to the best D since 1995 and it has been an adventure to say the least. Our O-line was expected to be the strength of the offense with question marks at the skill positions. Mike Kafka has been a pleasant surprise with his passing and our WR corps is stellar, yet we lack a true Dell or Cunningham-like gamebreaker. Our line play has been weak and our rushing game non-existent. Essentially everything we thought would be great is not and almost vice versa. 5-1 was what we expected as a realistic worst case scenario as fans through those soft 6 games. It has been disappointing to say the least.

Still, 4-2 after 6 games certainly puts Northwestern in a position to play in a good bowl if they're able to pick up a key win or two from here forward. Presumably, Saturday would be one of the games they've circled on their calendar; despite the rough start, this is not a team that has reason to throw in the towel.

Mein bratwurst has a first name, it's "Zeke," mein bratwurst has a second name, it's "Markshausen" . . .

WHEN MICHIGAN STATE IS ON DEFENSE: . . . hold onto your hat; Northwestern is going to want to play fast. The Wildcats ran 93 offensive plays against MSU last season, and will frequently forego huddling up between snaps. In that regard, it's fortunate that we've already played Michigan: while the offenses aren't exactly the same (Northwestern's much more of a passing team than Michigan is), the Wolverines' frequent no-huddle drives should have prepared us for the pace NU would like to play at.

Northwestern's run game has been a disappointment. Take it away, LTP:

We've stunk. The original starter Stephen Simmons has been out most of the season with an injury and true frosh Arby Fields early-on appeared to be the guy who would get the ball and become our next 4-year RB. However, our line has been horrid and our RBs have yet to show they can elude defenders. Jacob Schmidt, a short yardage back and walk-on turned schollie this year is a feisty guy, but good for 3rd and 2 and not much more. He's got great hands and turned heads with an amazing catch last week though. I can't remember our run game being so much of a detriment.

Sippin' on Purple reports that Simmons is listed first on the NU depth chart for Saturday, so they "might actually see some semblance of a running game this week." Simmons certainly seems to be an improvement over the other options:

RUSHING	GP	Att	Gain	Loss	Net	Avg	TD	Long	Avg/G
Fields, Arby	6	53	210	20	190	3.6	4	25	31.7
Schmidt, Jacob	6	45	161	2	159	3.5	1	13	26.5
Simmons, Stephen	3	33	153	0	153	4.6	2	14	51.0

Limited sample size, of course, but compared to the other two, Simmons has picked up an extra yard per carry. Furthermore, QB Mike Kafka is a threat with his feet; he has 229 positive rushing yards through 6 games, and exploded into the Big Ten consciousness with a 217 yard (!) rushing effort at Minnesota last year. He's obviously reined in the rushing a bit so far this year, but given MSU's historic difficulties with rushing quarterbacks, I wouldn't be shocked to see some designed keeper plays.

Kafka's been more average passing the ball: he's currently 8th in the conference in passing efficiency (130.04, well behind Kirk Cousins' 141.81, and against lesser competition, of course), and is completing 67% of his passes, with 5 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. LTP says that Kafka "has a great arm, yet we never stretch the field and really go deep"; in my mind, that reinforces the perception that Northwestern is a team which lives and dies on the short passing game. We had tons of trouble with that type of attack against CMU, but we seemed to learn from those mistakes against Michigan.

Not surprisingly, NU's wideouts don't seem to be the deep-threat type: the top receiver is Zeke Markshausen (but can he catch frisbees in his mouth?), who has 34 catches, but for only 348 yards (10.2 average) and no touchdowns. He's not big (5'11", 185), nor fast, and he is white and a walk-on, so I believe he fully qualifies to be called "gritty" and "Welker/Chrebet-like." Drake Dunsmore (sounds like he should be sailing off of Cape Cod, no?) is the second leading receiver, and has remarkably similar numbers: 25 catches for 270 yards (10.8 average) and one touchdown. He's bigger, though: 6'3", 235. LTP also says to keep your eyes on . . .

I think Sidney Stewart might be our biggest threat (had 7 rec last year vs Sparty mostly when game was out of hand). However, I'm a big fan of Jeravin Matthews a tweener WR/RB whoseemingly makes big things happen on every touch ,yet we don't use him NEARLY enough.

. . . so, yeah. Pay attention to those guys, too.

For our defense, expect to see us play a slew of different linebackers, in an attempt to keep fresh through Northwestern's breakneck pace. Chris Norman figures heavily in the plans:

Because the Spartans are expecting more of the same, players such as true freshman outside linebacker Chris Norman better plan to have an expanded role. [ . . . ]

"The other reason is we’re going to have to play multiple people. One of Northwestern’s goals is to wear you down. But when we have athletes like Chris, who can give guys like (starter Brandon) Denson a break, we’re going to use that."

Norman already has one start, against Notre Dame, to his credit, but only six tackles. Junior Jon Misch, who backs up Eric Gordon on the other side, also figures into Tressel’s plans.

Also worth noting: NU has allowed 14 sacks through 6 games against poor competition. Their offensive line is not good. We have 10 in the past two games. We could easily make that 15 or 16 through three games by tomorrow night.

YTMND.

WHEN MICHIGAN STATE IS ON OFFENSE: Kirk Cousins is your quarterback and Larry Caper is your running back. Sounds pretty nice, eh?

LTP says that the Northwestern secondary is the team's best unit:

Our secondary was banged up and still is. It is our strongest unit though. Sherrick McManis has made some incredible picks and is finally at the lockdown mode we expected him to be after missing a couple of games due to injury. Safety Brendan Smith left last week's game, but his replacement, Brian Peters played extremely well. Jordan Mabin at the other corner is the real deal and can hit hard and Brad Phillips has been up and down, but seemst to have regained his '08 form. It is a solid unit when healthy.

. . . but statistics seem to show that they're a very average unit, albeit one that forces a lot of turnovers. They've been giving up 218 yards per game so far this season (almost 12 yards per completion), and have allowed 10 touchdown passes. But, they do have 10 interceptions, including 3 in the past 3 games for the aforementioned Sherrick McManis (who got the fluffy treatment from Teddy Greenstein in yesterday's Chicago Tribune). I'll suggest the same thing that I did before the Michigan game:

But as to the ~~Donovan Warren~~ Sherrick McManis thing: yeah, given our depth at wide receiver, we should just write off whomever he's covering and go elsewhere.

Furthermore, LTP said that Northwestern is already worried about the deep threat posed by Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham (and I'll throw in Keshawn Martin for good measure); this can't help:

The degree of difficulty increased for Northwestern on Thursday night with the announcement that veteran starting safety Brendan Smith will not play at Michigan State because of a thumb injury.

Smith -- one of only eight players in NU history to be named a co-captain in repeat seasons -- has started 38 games, including the last 19. He also is the leading punt returner for the Cats with an average of 6.6 yards, fourth best in the Big Ten.

With Smith out, Brian Peters will likely make the third start of his career.

Yeah, let's try to take some shots downfield, plz.

Against the rush, Northwestern has been better: they've allowed 716 yards through six games (119 per game), and only 3.48 yards per carry. So, this shouldn't be like it was against Illinois, where (at least in the first half, when we were making a full effort) we could hand the ball off and pretty much be guaranteed somewhere between 6-8 yards. This should be a better test for the offensive line, and for Larry Caper; if we can get solid contributions from the running game, 1) we're going to win this game, and 2) it portends good things for next week, when Iowa will be an even sterner test.

Finally, even though Corey Wootton has been more or less a non-factor so far this year, Northwestern still has 19 sacks on the season, including 4 for linebacker Quentin Davie, and 2 each for LB David Arnold, safety Brad Phillips, and defensive linemen Vince Browne, Corbin Bryant, and Kevin Watt. (The substantial number of sacks from the linebackers and secondary suggest a blitz-happy defense.) We lead the league with only six sacks allowed, and this would be a good week to keep that up, given the Cousins' slight remaining injury, Nichol's injury, and the desire not to burn Andrew Maxwell's redshirt. Honestly, I think we should be all right: the only two players who have really hurt us consistently on the rush are O'Brien Schofield and Brandon Graham, and they're the two best defensive linemen in the conference. If Wootton was healthy, he'd be in that class too, but nothing suggests that he'll be a major threat on Saturday.

THE OBLIGATORY PREDICTION: Wherein I cheat by posting something that I've already written!

The team's play has improved, and Kirk Cousins' return should be a major spark for the team. One thing you didn't mention that may be a factor: I understand that NU's offensive line has been a problem, and that plays right into our hands. MSU had 10 sacks and 18 TFLs against Michigan and Illinois, and the interior of our defensive line has been blasting into the backfield right on the snap.

Honestly, I'm shocked that the line on this game is this high. Everyone remembers what happened the last time NU came to East Lansing, so I'm sure the team and the coaching staff aren't going to be looking past this game. (Many fans, on the other hand, may already have moved their thoughts onto the Iowa game, so the stadium atmosphere may be somewhat lacking.) I think it should be an entertaining game, like most in this series have been, but our defense has really stepped up the past two weeks and I think that trend will continue. 27-17, MSU.

Your thoughts?

Conversations with the Enemy: Talking Northwestern with Lake The Posts

LVS — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:12:54 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

2 months ago: Northwestern's Corbin Bryant, right, sacks Minnesota quarterback Adam Webber during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009.(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Browse more photos »

I traded a few questions about Saturday's game with Lake The Posts, the original (but no longer only!) Northwestern football blog. My answers to his questions will be posted on his site shortly.

Below, I'm in bold:

Despite its 4-2 record, Northwestern hasn't been receiving a whole lot of accolades for its performance in the first half of the season. The Wildcats lost to Syracuse, barely scraped by against Eastern Michigan, and didn't get the blowout most expected against Miami last week, but the win at Purdue clearly was huge for the team's bowl hopes. Generally speaking, how satisfied are you with the first half of the NU's season?

I'm not. Most of Wildcat Nation is not. We were missing four defensive starters in the Syracuse team and our lack of depth showed immensely. This has been the most bizarro season since 2001 at Northwestern. On the heels of our 9-3 2008 season buoyed by a stellar D, all signs pointed to the best D since 1995 and it has been an adventure to say the least. Our O-line was expected to be the strength of the offense with question marks at the skill positions. Mike Kafka has been a pleasant surprise with his passing and our WR corps is stellar, yet we lack a true Dell or Cunningham-like gamebreaker. Our line play has been weak and our rushing game non-existent. Essentially everything we thought would be great is not and almost vice versa. 5-1 was what we expected as a realistic worst case scenario as fans through those soft 6 games. It has been disappointing to say the least.

More, after the jump.

Corey Wootton was expected to be one of the best defensive performers in the conference, but many have said that it looks like he's still being hampered by his ACL problems. How has he looked this season, and how important is his play to your defense?

He hasn't been much of a factor. We all feel for the kid as he was a terrorizing gamechanger last season, and he played one series last week due to an ankle injury. When he was "healthy" he simply has seemed tentative. He's clearly not "back". He did draw some early season double-teams, but he's not the All-American he was expected to be. Not even close.

When most non-Northwestern fans last noticed Mike Kafka, he was busy rushing for about 874 yards in your wild win at the Metrodome last year. Is he still a major running threat? More generally, what can we expect to see from Kafka? ( . . .resisting the urge to make obvious literary jokes . . . )

Great question. Fans have been squawking about our lack of using Kafka as the RB. He's the best short yardage "back" we have, yet we're rotating a slew of RBs who haven't made much of a difference. We're at a loss as NU ALWAYS has a stellar RB. Mike has a great arm, yet we never stretch the field and really go deep which I believe hampers our rushing attack. You can expect to see 40+ passes from him and when he's on - watch-out. He makes much better decisions than CJ [Bacher --ed.] did, but he does tend to hold on to the ball a tad too long. He's slowly been running more each week. Most of us would be happy to have him throw 50+ this week and rush 10-12 times.

Northwestern, like MSU, has had to rework its running game this season after graduating a multi-year starter at tailback. It seems like NU has taken the running-back-by-committee approach, and statistics indicate that
the results have been fairly meh. Is that the case?

You're being generous. We've stunk. The original starter Stephen Simmons has been out most of the season with an injury and true frosh Arby Fields early-on appeared to be the guy who would get the ball and become our next 4-year RB. However, our line has been horrid and our RBs have yet to show they can elude defenders. Jacob Schmidt, a short yardage back and walk-on turned schollie this year is a feisty guy, but good for 3rd and 2 and not much more. He's got great hands and turned heads with an amazing catch last week though. I can't remember our run game being so much of a detriment.

Unlike in previous years, the current MSU offense is built around the passing game, and we've been fairly successful at it this season. How has the Northwestern secondary looked so far?

Our secondary was banged up and still is. It is our strongest unit though. Sherrick McManis has made some incredible picks and is finally at the lockdown mode we expected him to be after missing a couple of games due to injury. Safety Brendan Smith left last week's game, but his replacement, Brian Peters played extremely well. Jordan Mabin at the other corner is the real deal and can hit hard and Brad Phillips has been up and down, but seemst to have regained his '08 form. It is a solid unit when healthy. We've had a slew of INTs and fumble-inducing hits in the past two weeks and the 'Cats will need to win the TO margin game to beat Sparty in my mind.

Is there anyone on either side of the ball for Northwestern who MSU fans probably aren't aware of, but should keep an eye on?

Zeke Markshausen - a walk-on WR turned scholarship guy has become our clutch receiver. He's been fantastic. As mentioned, we've got 6-7 WRs that are solid. I think Sidney Stewart might be our biggest threat (had 7 rec last year vs Sparty mostly when game was out of hand). However, I'm a big fan of Jeravin Matthews a tweener WR/RB who
seemingly makes big things happen on every touch ,yet we don't use him NEARLY enough.

Finally, your score prediction please:

Michigan State 30 NU 24 - As usual, this one comes down to who has the ball last...

Thanks, LTP, and for the next three days, I hate you!