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In
a track meet of a game, which strangely resembled the 2000 Michigan
game with its free-flowing offense and lack of defense, Northwestern
outplayed, outcoached, and outgunned Michigan State for a thrilling
48-41 win in overtime. It was the biggest win so far in the Pat Fitzgerald era.
The
Northwestern offense showed flash and fire that resembled the best
moments of the 2000 and 2005 seasons. It was the best game so far
for NU's veteran offensive line; quarterback C.J Bachér was
given maximum protection. And Bachér made the most of it.
Bachér
brought back the skill and will he showed in the Nevada game and ramped
it up tenfold, throwing perfect screens and vertical passes and making
simply amazing decisions. His 520 passing yards broke the school record of 513, set by Brett Basanez against TCU in 2004, and his five touchdown strikes tied Mitch Anderson's record, set against Minnesota in 1973. Bachér's passing yards are the fifth-best performance in Big Ten history.
But Bachér
did not have to go it alone on Saturday. Omar Conteh, taking the
place of the injured Tyrell Sutton, continued to come into his
own. Conteh rushed for two touchdowns and caught a third, showing
power (blowing past MSU and delivering a few great blocks), finesse (on
one run Conteh tap danced over two defenders before executing an
incredible spin move to pick up several more yards), and speed.
The 'Cats had not shown this sort of speed in years; against MSU they
went into warp drive. Eric Peterman, on his touchdown reception,
absolutely torched the Spartan secondary, who looked like they lacked
the gear into which Peterman had shifted. Also finding the
Wildcat gear was Jeff Yarbrough, whose 78-yard reception threw the game
momentum squarely with NU. Yarbrough so separated from the MSU
defense that when he raced into the endzone there wasn't a green shirt
within 15 yards of him. Peterman caught nine passes for 141
yards, and Rasheed Ward caught eight-- both career bests. While
those widouts found extra gears, Ross lane was again a "clutch"
receiver, catching two touchdown passes and two more for critical first
downs.
A big round of applause must go to NU offensive coordinator Garrick
McGee, who called a nearly perfect game. Too often we worry about
the other team's preparation for us-- that opposing defensive coaches
have worked out our offense; that the opposing offense knows just where
to go to exploit our defense. Against MSU, even early in the
game, there was a sense that it was Northwestern's coaches who had the
better preparation, that the 'Cats had come into Spartan Stadium with a
war plan that was rock solid. McGee's use of the screen and
bubble passes, ineffective against many of NU's opponents, were lethal
against Sparty, who had no answer. The version of the spread that
NU employed sent MSU reeling, and the playcalling worked to perfection.
NU's defense, to be sure, did give up 41 points and 481 yards (an
average of 7.6 yards per play-- even larger than the vast chunks NU's
offense picked up per play), and tackling seemed to be optional for
both teams. But MSU was only four of ten for third-down
conversions (NU converted a ridiculous 13 of 19), and the Wildcat
defense did what was needed in the end to win the game: Adam Kadela's
third-down tackle stopped the final Michigan State drive in regulation
time at the MSU 40-yard line and set up NU's final possession.
And the Wildcat defense successfully shut down MSU's (inexplicable)
four shots at the endzone in overtime. The NU players' great
execution in the overtime drive, coupled with Michigan State's odd
playcalling, salvaged a defensive effort that mostly showed the same
deficiencies fans have witnessed for a number of years now: faulty
tackling and tremendous coverage cushions. After the game
Coach Fitzgerald said, "'There are points that we [need to address] and
coach not to repeat. If we repeat, we need to change. Either we
make a change in scheme or we make a change in personnel. That's how
you get better."
While the last play of the game in regulation-- NU's missed field goal
to win-- was the indelible moment for NU's special teams, it should be
noted that there were also moments of brilliance for the squad. A
blocked MSU punt, Corey Wootton's blocked PAT (which provided the
difference to send the game to overtime), and several great punts gave
NU the edge.
So, which is it to be for the second half of the season? Will it
be the Northwestern that was unprepared for Duke, the team that seemed
timid at Ohio Stadium, the one that had no sense of urgency going into
Northeastern, Nevada, or Duke? Or will the rest of the season be
marked by the Wildcat team that showed up in East Lansing: focused,
prepared, and hungry? The Tribune included in its coverage this
quote by Lane: "Before
the game, definitely, there was a huge sense of urgency,"
he said. "We had a major sense of urgency. … We really needed this.
Everyone knew it." They needed it, they played for it, and now
they have it: a renewed respect and another shot at the postseason.
It's now up to the team. They've showed the talent-- power,
speed, and finesse. But how will they press on? If they
fall back, back to how they played against Duke, they'll not win
another game. If, however, they come into each game like they did
against Michigan State, they could very well win every single game left
on the schedule. And the season could look just as wild as this
single game did against the Spartans.
McPherson loses his hat, but not his target.
Jones and Conteh celebrate in the first quarter. AP Photos
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