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More
than a few Wildcat fans had the same reaction last week to the news
that Northwestern was a 19-point favorite vs. Illinois: uh-oh.
Would this, the final game of the regular season, be NU's "trap game,"
the one game the 'Cats should win that they do not? Would this be
like last year's Army game?
Fans needn't have worried. This was not like last year's Army
game, nor the trap games of previous recent seasons. And this
time, there would be no letting off the gas, no playing "not to lose"
until the job was truly done.
Last Saturday, the job was truly done midway through the third quarter
as Northwestern took a 48 to 14 lead over woeful Illinois, en route to
a righteous 50 to 14 destruction of the Illini. Fueled by the
humiliation at Wrigley Field in 2010 and last year's depressingly close
loss in Champaign, Northwestern's killer instinct kicked in, and the
'Cats poured out an offensive and defensive spectacle early in the second half.
The first half, however, began sluggishly. Northwestern's defense
had problems stopping Illinois early, allowing a methodical opening
drive to give Champaign County's Big Ten team a 7-0 lead. Colter
and Mark responded by driving into Illini territory, but got no further
than the 27-yard line. From there, Jeff Budzien kept his nearly
flawless season at its stellar level by drilling a 44-yard field goal
(That Budzien is not being considered for the Lou Groza Award this
season is borderline criminal. Among the finalists is a Tulane
kicker who has missed an extra point and a Florida kicker who is 20 for
24 for FGs.).
On the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats rocked returner Justin Green,
popping the ball directly into the arms of Cameron Dickerson.
Colter took advantage of the turnover by streaking into the end zone in
two plays, putting the 'Cats into the lead for good.
Illinois's next drive was shut down, in part due to one of several
personal fouls that the Illini would commit during an exquisitely
sloppy performance by the Orange and Blue. Colter then sought to
extend the Wildcats' lead, but was injured at midfield. Trevor
Siemian's first throw was picked off, but the favor was returned on the
very next play by David Nwabuisi. Nwabuisi's monster game on
Saturday climaxed with his pick at the Illinois 38-yard line, which was
brought closer to the Illinois goal thanks to a bizarre Illinois
coaching sideline interference penalty. Coach Beckman ended up suffering through two sideline penalties, including this:
A
Colter pass to Tony Jones gave NU a brief 10-point lead. However,
Illinois was not yet done. The Illini burned through a
four-minute drive, mixing up passing and ground attacks, to score and
come within three. The Wildcat defense was playing some of its
worst ball of the season. Within minutes, however, the defense
would turn itself around dramatically, going from flat to fabulous,
playing some of its best ball of the season.
The offense also stepped up, as Colter, Mark, and superback Tim Riley
churned out a ground-based assault for a touchdown and a return to a
double digit lead. Within minutes of the beginning of the third
quarter, NU's lead stretched to 20 with a Colter air strike to Tyris
Jones, and the rout was officially underway. Illinois's next
drive ended with the highlight of the game, an Ibraheim Campbell
interception during which Campbell shook off the intended receiver and
broke loose for a 40-yard return. The following play was a wild
one: a grouped formation leading to a spread, and Colter throwing a
touchdown lob to a wide-open Paul Jorgensen. Colter's three
passing touchdowns for the day were a personal best for #2.
Another Illinois interception led to Northwestern's final scoring drive
of the day, coming with more than two minutes to go in the third
quarter. The Wildcat defense slammed the door shut on Illinois,
which raised the white flag when it punted to begin the fourth quarter.
And so began NU's drive to kill the quarter, an eleven minute and ten
second drive that could very well be the longest single drive in NU's
entire history. The drive included two fourth downs that NU
converted to keep possession. At the end, the 'Cats had a first
down at the Illinois three-yard line. What to do?
What to do, indeed! Coach Fitzgerald put in defensive lineman, punt team blocker nonpareil
Bo Cisek to serve as tailback! While some saw the move as an
insult to Illinois, nothing could be further from the truth. The
'Cats did not want to crack the 50-point mark, kicking a field goal
would have been ridiculous, and Bo Cisek-- a senior-- had not seen the
field: Northwestern had not, and would not, punt against
Illinois. So Bo ran two rushing plays, fumbling on the second
one, and giving the ball to Illinois. And two plays later, NU
cracked the 50-point mark, despite efforts to avoid it, when Max
Chapman took down Dami Ayoola in the end zone for a safety.
Forty seconds later, Coach Fitzgerald received his second Gatorade bath
as NU's head coach. The first time his players had given him the
Gatorade treatment had been in 2008, when the 'Cats defeated Illinois
in the final Sweet Sioux game that gave NU nine wins for the first time
since 1996. Saturday's win against Illinois also gave NU nine
wins, for the first time since the 2008 season. However, it also
gave Fitzgerald his 49th win, tying Pappy Waldorf for the most wins in
NU history.
Congratulations to Coach Fitzgerald, this year's seniors, and the rest
of the Wildcats. Enjoy #9, enjoy the LOL Hat, and brace yourself
for the challenge that awaits you in Florida this January.
ATTENDANCE UPDATE
Saturday's game vs. Illinois was NU's final home game of the season,
and 32,415 fans were in attendance, less than September's Boston
College game. However, the Illinois game was held on the Saturday
after Thanksgiving (with few students on campus), and against a
suffering opponent with no local buzz. Still, the average attendance for 2012
at Ryan Field came to 35,697, nearly 7% better than last year.
Taken with 2010's huge boost in attendance, the last three seasons
represent the best attendance for Dyche / Ryan since the last three
years of Gary Barnett's tenure. NU's on-field performance, taken
with the new and effective marketing efforts by the school, will
continue to reap benefits.
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