Game Four: Ohio State vs. Northwestern (Sept. 22)
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3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
Recent News ...
Game 4 - Northwestern Wildcarts
Official Northwestern Wildcat Athletic Site:
Wildcats Reach Midway Point of Spring Ball; 'Cats Run 60-Play Scrimmage on Saturday 4/7/07
'Cats Return to Full Pads for Day Seven of Spring Practice 4/5/07
'Cats Brave the Cold for Day Six of Spring Practice 4/4/07
Fitzgerald Tabbed One of the Ten Outstanding Young People in Illinois 4/3/07
'Cats Move Indoors for Fifth Day of Spring Practice 4/3/07
Northwestern Conducts First Spring Practice in Full Pads 3/31/07
'Cats Don Shoulder Pads For Day Three of Spring Practice 3/29/07
2007 Spring Roster
Spring Season Gets Underway March 26; Coaches' Clinic Set for April 13-14 3/7/07
2007 Spring Guide (PDF) 3/7/07
Fitzgerald Inks 2007 Signing Class 2/7/07
News from CSTV/The Sports Exchange ... "Inside Slant":
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/03272007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/02082007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/01182007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/01022007/m-footbl/nw.html
POD: And Early Impression about 2007 4/10/07
By EvanstonCat
Purple Reign Board Poster
Posted Apr 10, 2007
So how are the Northwestern Wildcats shaping up this spring? EC has been watching, and files this report in answer of those who are worried about NU's progress towards next Fall.
One man's impressions after the first football Scrimmage:
OL could be deeper, but we should be fine barring injury.
Should be quite strong with Rees, Crum, and Belding and Thiry. Add in one Tackle in Mattes.
QB, we'll be fine. Based on the scrimmage, Mauro will be plenty ready and Persa IS the real deal. I am not comfortable with Kafka. Anyways, no one is going to start over CJ barring injury, or we should fire Fitz.
RB, when has Tyrell Sutton last missed a game in his last 12,000 yards of rushing? He's a tough bugger, and if he goes down, I say you put in Jordan Mabin. He may or may not make a great CB, but he's proven what he can do with the football.
LB, we are better than you and everyone thinks. I too was a bit nervous about this unit, but after initial reports from the spring, I think this unit will surprise in a huge way. Simpson and Arrington are more than solid, have great athletisim and playmaking potential, and could have breakout years.
Dinard and Kadela have starting experience, although their play leaves something to be desired thus far if you ask me, and I look forward to them getting beat out by the youth. Where I think we'll really see a surprise is in the youth. Davie and Williams are my bets to grab huge amounts of time.
Just about everyone is raving about Williams, and his film was impressive. Remember, no one ever heard of Pat Fitzgerald before 1995. Then you have Jeske, who is probably worlds away, but there's a lot of time between now and the Fall and that he's practicing in a black jersey is great news.
And it is definitely within the realm of possibility that one of the frosh could step up -- McNaul, Watt, and Browne are all big enough for the Big 10. Time will tell, but could they be like another 3 star LB who wore the hated Scarlet and Grey? I think LB will be the surprise of the year for us this fall (I'm betting on the talent and the youth).
CB, you are high. We have never been deeper. We have never had two CB's as talented as Battle and McManus. They could be lock down this year and we could put them on islands. We have highly ranked talent in Justan Vaughn, Michael Bolden, and Jordan Mabin who could push. Mabin for sure will burn his shirt -- you don't sit talent like that. Dave Oredugba brings excellent size and athleticism for the position and could ruin Fitzcat's secret squirrel assessment.
Overall, you are probably right that our OL, QB, and RB depth are questionable, although I don't think are bone frail. But our D is as deep as it has ever been. The talent and depth at DL is sick.
That you think we are playing Hawaii already discounts your predictions, which are far, far too pessimistic.
This team is shaping up to being possibly the best we have ever, ever fielded. The D is going to be sick and will remind us of 1995, only more aggressive and playmaking. OL does make me a little nervous, and as Fitzcat has pointed out, all bets are off if CJ or Sutton are hurt. Otherwise, I predict a Big 10 championship and an epic mauling of the Buckeyes in front of a shocked and weeping crowd in the Shoe. Nothing short of 10 wins and a Big 10 title will be satisfying this year.
Senior Has Redemption On His Mind (Football) 4/4/07
By Patrick Dorsey
The Daily Northwestern
Kim Thompson limped off the practice field Saturday, then spoke about his battles with adversity during his four years at Northwestern.
"You take your lumps playing this game," the wide receiver said. "You definitely take your lumps."
And how. Turns out that limp was from a broken leg, which will keep Thompson out of the rest of spring practice.
Thompson was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but an NU spokesman said the fracture is not severe, meaning Thompson should be back in time for August camp in Kenosha, Wis.
But it'll be yet another fight for the senior who has missed time due to injuries, a suspension and a leave of absence - and who now is taking advantage not of his second chance with the team, but his third.
"(Just because) you make a mistake," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, "I'm not going to turn my back on a guy."
Long the philosophy at NU, few recent players have needed this treatment more than Thompson.
After a mildly productive redshirt freshman season, the 6-foot-4 speed receiver seemed poised for a breakout in 2005. Right away, he didn't disappoint, catching five passes for 99 yards in the Wildcats' season-opening win over Ohio.
A broken finger sustained in practice the following week slowed his season - until he caught a career-long, 52-yard touchdown pass in NU's fifth game, against Wisconsin.
But it wouldn't get much better. Thompson was suspended for the Cats' final two games, including the Sun Bowl. NU explained it as a "violation of departmental policy."
Thompson called it "a little legal trouble," but declined to elaborate.
A second chance allowed him back in 2006, but Thompson missed the first four games with a broken foot. Then, after three unproductive weeks and what Thompson called academic issues, the receiver and the coaching staff agreed a leave of absence was necessary.
But only a temporary one.
"Last year he started going in the wrong direction - he was coming off injuries and some attitude things," Fitzgerald said. "We worked to a common place where now he can come out and compete to play."
Back on the field this spring, Thompson showed off his unique skill set. The senior has the size to make catches over smaller defenders and the speed to stretch the field. This, fellow senior receiver T.J. Jones said, allows him to cause matchup problems all over the field.
Also, once troubled by dropped passes, Thompson said his hands are "the best they've ever been."
As is his passion for the game, rekindled by getting another chance to play for NU.
"It feels great," Thompson said. "I can't tell you how it feels. I love playing football. It's not my life, but it's a big part of my life. So this is really exciting.
"It was hard being away from it."
Now, with the broken leg, Thompson must be away from it again. But if he takes full advantage of his third chance, it likely won't be for good.
INCHES TO GO
Along with Thompson, sophomore walk-on receiver Zeke Markshausen (broken ankle) will miss the rest of the spring. Markshausen also is expected to return in time for August camp. ? Junior quarterback C.J. Bach?r (toe) missed his sixth straight practice, meaning sophomore Mike Kafka and redshirt freshman Joe Mauro were NU's only quarterbacks during Tuesday practice.
Senior football writer Patrick Dorsey can be reached at
[email protected]. Read his spring practice blog at wildcatswatch.blogspot.com.
Spring Practice Questions: Northwestern Wildcats 3/30/07
Posted Mar 30th 2007 2:18PM by Brian Cook
Filed under: Northwestern Football, Big 10
Last Year: 4-8, unranked.
Fans Are: Still in shock over the untimely death of Randy Walker and adjusting to the Pat Fitzgerald Era. Results on the field won't really start mattering until next year.
Expectations: Low, unless you're Fitzgerald:
"I expect to win a Big Ten championship and go to the Rose Bowl every year," Fitzgerald said. "We could have some success and go to bowl games, but if we don't do that, the season is a loss. When I look at last year, it was as much adversity as a football team can go through, and we left three or four victories on the field."
A more reasonable goal is one of the rinky-dink bowls at the bottom of the Big Ten ladder.
1. Can CJ Bacher stay healthy?
Northwestern was two different teams last year: a trainwreck without Bacher and an almost mediocre team with him. The California quarterback was anointed the starter last spring after four-year starter Bret Basanez (finally) graduated, but a stress fracture in his leg held him out for the first half of the season. In his stead, Andrew Brewer -- now a starter at wide receiver -- and Mike Kafka -- now a beetle -- took turns driving the Northwestern offense nowhere except into the ground. When Bacher returned, Northwestern suddenly rejoined the ranks of teams able to use the forward pass and the offense ground to life, most notably in a turnover-plagued but impressive game against Ohio State. Northwestern racked up a ton of yards but no points, presaging the Buckeye D's collapse in the last two games of the season when the yards came but the turnovers didn't.
So that would all be well and good, except that Bacher is missing spring practice with a toe injury suffered during that OSU game. He's coming dangerously close to the dreaded "injury-prone" tag. Northwestern's already proven that there are no good options behind him; any bowl hopes they have rest squarely on Bacher's arm... and his glass legs.
2. What happened to Tyrell Sutton and can they fix it?
Sutton's freshman year was a smashing success: nearly 1500 yards rushing, nearly 400 receiving, 18 touchdowns, and the admiration of dwarves across Middle-Earth. But the loss of Basanez and the early-season muddle hurt Sutton badly. Yardage and touchdowns plunged, as did Sutton's carries. This was not entirely his fault. With Kafka or Brewer in the game, opposing defenses were free to bring eight or nine guys into the box and key on Sutton. Even Bacher's return didn't do a whole lot to loosen things up, as he had but 15 attempts coming into the season and finished the year with more interceptions than touchdowns. Teams will once again force Northwestern to beat them through the air; Sutton's season depends more on Bacher ability to do so than any wild swings in his already-proven ability.
3. Defense awful as per usual?
Yep. Even in a year when Northwestern featured a couple decent secondary players (Marquice Cole is the first NFL prospect from the Northwestern secondary since the Jurassic), the defense was below average all-around, finishing 85th in total yardage and 69th in pass efficiency defense. Cole's off to the NFL and the traditional Achilles heel of the Wildcats figures to return with a vengeance. The Wildcats' decade-long resurgence has been built on many thing, but wild athleticism was not one of them and in the secondary is where it's shown most consistently. One thing on Northwestern's side: other than Chad Henne, the Big Ten has few returning quarterbacks who look like a threat to anyone other than their own teams, unless you're being really generous and including Anthony Morelli and Curtis Painter in your evaluations.
Game 4 - Northwestern Wildcarts
Official Northwestern Wildcat Athletic Site:
Wildcats Reach Midway Point of Spring Ball; 'Cats Run 60-Play Scrimmage on Saturday 4/7/07
'Cats Return to Full Pads for Day Seven of Spring Practice 4/5/07
'Cats Brave the Cold for Day Six of Spring Practice 4/4/07
Fitzgerald Tabbed One of the Ten Outstanding Young People in Illinois 4/3/07
'Cats Move Indoors for Fifth Day of Spring Practice 4/3/07
Northwestern Conducts First Spring Practice in Full Pads 3/31/07
'Cats Don Shoulder Pads For Day Three of Spring Practice 3/29/07
2007 Spring Roster
Spring Season Gets Underway March 26; Coaches' Clinic Set for April 13-14 3/7/07
2007 Spring Guide (PDF) 3/7/07
Fitzgerald Inks 2007 Signing Class 2/7/07
News from CSTV/The Sports Exchange ... "Inside Slant":
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/03272007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/02082007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/01182007/m-footbl/nw.html
http://www.cstv.com/tsx/01022007/m-footbl/nw.html
POD: And Early Impression about 2007 4/10/07
By EvanstonCat
Purple Reign Board Poster
Posted Apr 10, 2007
So how are the Northwestern Wildcats shaping up this spring? EC has been watching, and files this report in answer of those who are worried about NU's progress towards next Fall.
One man's impressions after the first football Scrimmage:
OL could be deeper, but we should be fine barring injury.
Should be quite strong with Rees, Crum, and Belding and Thiry. Add in one Tackle in Mattes.
QB, we'll be fine. Based on the scrimmage, Mauro will be plenty ready and Persa IS the real deal. I am not comfortable with Kafka. Anyways, no one is going to start over CJ barring injury, or we should fire Fitz.
RB, when has Tyrell Sutton last missed a game in his last 12,000 yards of rushing? He's a tough bugger, and if he goes down, I say you put in Jordan Mabin. He may or may not make a great CB, but he's proven what he can do with the football.
LB, we are better than you and everyone thinks. I too was a bit nervous about this unit, but after initial reports from the spring, I think this unit will surprise in a huge way. Simpson and Arrington are more than solid, have great athletisim and playmaking potential, and could have breakout years.
Dinard and Kadela have starting experience, although their play leaves something to be desired thus far if you ask me, and I look forward to them getting beat out by the youth. Where I think we'll really see a surprise is in the youth. Davie and Williams are my bets to grab huge amounts of time.
Just about everyone is raving about Williams, and his film was impressive. Remember, no one ever heard of Pat Fitzgerald before 1995. Then you have Jeske, who is probably worlds away, but there's a lot of time between now and the Fall and that he's practicing in a black jersey is great news.
And it is definitely within the realm of possibility that one of the frosh could step up -- McNaul, Watt, and Browne are all big enough for the Big 10. Time will tell, but could they be like another 3 star LB who wore the hated Scarlet and Grey? I think LB will be the surprise of the year for us this fall (I'm betting on the talent and the youth).
CB, you are high. We have never been deeper. We have never had two CB's as talented as Battle and McManus. They could be lock down this year and we could put them on islands. We have highly ranked talent in Justan Vaughn, Michael Bolden, and Jordan Mabin who could push. Mabin for sure will burn his shirt -- you don't sit talent like that. Dave Oredugba brings excellent size and athleticism for the position and could ruin Fitzcat's secret squirrel assessment.
Overall, you are probably right that our OL, QB, and RB depth are questionable, although I don't think are bone frail. But our D is as deep as it has ever been. The talent and depth at DL is sick.
That you think we are playing Hawaii already discounts your predictions, which are far, far too pessimistic.
This team is shaping up to being possibly the best we have ever, ever fielded. The D is going to be sick and will remind us of 1995, only more aggressive and playmaking. OL does make me a little nervous, and as Fitzcat has pointed out, all bets are off if CJ or Sutton are hurt. Otherwise, I predict a Big 10 championship and an epic mauling of the Buckeyes in front of a shocked and weeping crowd in the Shoe. Nothing short of 10 wins and a Big 10 title will be satisfying this year.
Senior Has Redemption On His Mind (Football) 4/4/07
By Patrick Dorsey
The Daily Northwestern
Kim Thompson limped off the practice field Saturday, then spoke about his battles with adversity during his four years at Northwestern.
"You take your lumps playing this game," the wide receiver said. "You definitely take your lumps."
And how. Turns out that limp was from a broken leg, which will keep Thompson out of the rest of spring practice.
Thompson was unavailable for comment Tuesday, but an NU spokesman said the fracture is not severe, meaning Thompson should be back in time for August camp in Kenosha, Wis.
But it'll be yet another fight for the senior who has missed time due to injuries, a suspension and a leave of absence - and who now is taking advantage not of his second chance with the team, but his third.
"(Just because) you make a mistake," coach Pat Fitzgerald said, "I'm not going to turn my back on a guy."
Long the philosophy at NU, few recent players have needed this treatment more than Thompson.
After a mildly productive redshirt freshman season, the 6-foot-4 speed receiver seemed poised for a breakout in 2005. Right away, he didn't disappoint, catching five passes for 99 yards in the Wildcats' season-opening win over Ohio.
A broken finger sustained in practice the following week slowed his season - until he caught a career-long, 52-yard touchdown pass in NU's fifth game, against Wisconsin.
But it wouldn't get much better. Thompson was suspended for the Cats' final two games, including the Sun Bowl. NU explained it as a "violation of departmental policy."
Thompson called it "a little legal trouble," but declined to elaborate.
A second chance allowed him back in 2006, but Thompson missed the first four games with a broken foot. Then, after three unproductive weeks and what Thompson called academic issues, the receiver and the coaching staff agreed a leave of absence was necessary.
But only a temporary one.
"Last year he started going in the wrong direction - he was coming off injuries and some attitude things," Fitzgerald said. "We worked to a common place where now he can come out and compete to play."
Back on the field this spring, Thompson showed off his unique skill set. The senior has the size to make catches over smaller defenders and the speed to stretch the field. This, fellow senior receiver T.J. Jones said, allows him to cause matchup problems all over the field.
Also, once troubled by dropped passes, Thompson said his hands are "the best they've ever been."
As is his passion for the game, rekindled by getting another chance to play for NU.
"It feels great," Thompson said. "I can't tell you how it feels. I love playing football. It's not my life, but it's a big part of my life. So this is really exciting.
"It was hard being away from it."
Now, with the broken leg, Thompson must be away from it again. But if he takes full advantage of his third chance, it likely won't be for good.
INCHES TO GO
Along with Thompson, sophomore walk-on receiver Zeke Markshausen (broken ankle) will miss the rest of the spring. Markshausen also is expected to return in time for August camp. ? Junior quarterback C.J. Bach?r (toe) missed his sixth straight practice, meaning sophomore Mike Kafka and redshirt freshman Joe Mauro were NU's only quarterbacks during Tuesday practice.
Senior football writer Patrick Dorsey can be reached at
[email protected]. Read his spring practice blog at wildcatswatch.blogspot.com.
Spring Practice Questions: Northwestern Wildcats 3/30/07
Posted Mar 30th 2007 2:18PM by Brian Cook
Filed under: Northwestern Football, Big 10
Last Year: 4-8, unranked.
Fans Are: Still in shock over the untimely death of Randy Walker and adjusting to the Pat Fitzgerald Era. Results on the field won't really start mattering until next year.
Expectations: Low, unless you're Fitzgerald:
"I expect to win a Big Ten championship and go to the Rose Bowl every year," Fitzgerald said. "We could have some success and go to bowl games, but if we don't do that, the season is a loss. When I look at last year, it was as much adversity as a football team can go through, and we left three or four victories on the field."
A more reasonable goal is one of the rinky-dink bowls at the bottom of the Big Ten ladder.
1. Can CJ Bacher stay healthy?
Northwestern was two different teams last year: a trainwreck without Bacher and an almost mediocre team with him. The California quarterback was anointed the starter last spring after four-year starter Bret Basanez (finally) graduated, but a stress fracture in his leg held him out for the first half of the season. In his stead, Andrew Brewer -- now a starter at wide receiver -- and Mike Kafka -- now a beetle -- took turns driving the Northwestern offense nowhere except into the ground. When Bacher returned, Northwestern suddenly rejoined the ranks of teams able to use the forward pass and the offense ground to life, most notably in a turnover-plagued but impressive game against Ohio State. Northwestern racked up a ton of yards but no points, presaging the Buckeye D's collapse in the last two games of the season when the yards came but the turnovers didn't.
So that would all be well and good, except that Bacher is missing spring practice with a toe injury suffered during that OSU game. He's coming dangerously close to the dreaded "injury-prone" tag. Northwestern's already proven that there are no good options behind him; any bowl hopes they have rest squarely on Bacher's arm... and his glass legs.
2. What happened to Tyrell Sutton and can they fix it?
Sutton's freshman year was a smashing success: nearly 1500 yards rushing, nearly 400 receiving, 18 touchdowns, and the admiration of dwarves across Middle-Earth. But the loss of Basanez and the early-season muddle hurt Sutton badly. Yardage and touchdowns plunged, as did Sutton's carries. This was not entirely his fault. With Kafka or Brewer in the game, opposing defenses were free to bring eight or nine guys into the box and key on Sutton. Even Bacher's return didn't do a whole lot to loosen things up, as he had but 15 attempts coming into the season and finished the year with more interceptions than touchdowns. Teams will once again force Northwestern to beat them through the air; Sutton's season depends more on Bacher ability to do so than any wild swings in his already-proven ability.
3. Defense awful as per usual?
Yep. Even in a year when Northwestern featured a couple decent secondary players (Marquice Cole is the first NFL prospect from the Northwestern secondary since the Jurassic), the defense was below average all-around, finishing 85th in total yardage and 69th in pass efficiency defense. Cole's off to the NFL and the traditional Achilles heel of the Wildcats figures to return with a vengeance. The Wildcats' decade-long resurgence has been built on many thing, but wild athleticism was not one of them and in the secondary is where it's shown most consistently. One thing on Northwestern's side: other than Chad Henne, the Big Ten has few returning quarterbacks who look like a threat to anyone other than their own teams, unless you're being really generous and including Anthony Morelli and Curtis Painter in your evaluations.
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Final scores of the two games before their 2004 upset of us:
Ohio State 27, Northwestern 16
Ohio State 20, Northwestern 0
Final scores of the two games after their 2004 upset of us:
Ohio State 48, Northwestern 7 (48 unanswered)
Ohio State 54, Northwestern 10 (including a Pittman fumble on the NU 1-yard-line...should've been 61-10)
I hope Northwestern fans enjoyed their once-a-quarter-century victory, because JT won't ever hold back against Northwestern after being the first coach to lose to Northwestern in 33 years and 24 games.
Ohio State 27, Northwestern 16
Ohio State 20, Northwestern 0
Final scores of the two games after their 2004 upset of us:
Ohio State 48, Northwestern 7 (48 unanswered)
Ohio State 54, Northwestern 10 (including a Pittman fumble on the NU 1-yard-line...should've been 61-10)
I hope Northwestern fans enjoyed their once-a-quarter-century victory, because JT won't ever hold back against Northwestern after being the first coach to lose to Northwestern in 33 years and 24 games.
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mstevmac;896380; said:
Could possibly be anytime on the 22nd, but it's still "TBA" according to the official web site. The thread title will be updated with the start time once it's announced...
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No, Tyrell...your win against us in 2004 was a fluke. Your going 7-5 in 2005 after going 4-7, 3-9, 6-7, and 6-6 the previous four was a fluke.
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OSU SPORTS
All-American
Wow, this game is not on the BTN, I wonder which conference game will be on the BTN now, maybe Illinois BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Game time set for OSU-Northwestern
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Time to get this on the front page I guess.
Lets not forget '04 and go exact some revenge. Much like '04 we are coming off of what could be a hollow win if UW turns out to be as much a dud as NCSU was that year.
I don't think thats the case but I read somewhere (CPD I think) that JT was saying the very same thing immediately after the game to the team.
Anyway, much like YSU and Akron, tough to talk this one up too much. We have better players, better depth, better coaching and are playing at home.
NU's only shot is if we come out flat as paint and play like we did vs Akron but even then, that will just keep the score closer.
Name the spread, OSU covers.
Lets not forget '04 and go exact some revenge. Much like '04 we are coming off of what could be a hollow win if UW turns out to be as much a dud as NCSU was that year.
I don't think thats the case but I read somewhere (CPD I think) that JT was saying the very same thing immediately after the game to the team.
Anyway, much like YSU and Akron, tough to talk this one up too much. We have better players, better depth, better coaching and are playing at home.
NU's only shot is if we come out flat as paint and play like we did vs Akron but even then, that will just keep the score closer.
Name the spread, OSU covers.
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SanAntonioBuck
RIP Our Friend and Hero
They lost a home game to DUKE, 20-14.
Coach K had his team ready to play!
Coach K had his team ready to play!
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