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For
the second straight week, Northwestern claimed a Big Ten victory by
taking an opponent into overtime, mounting a thoroughly outstanding
offensive performance, and providing a key defensive stop at the moment
that it was needed to stave defeat. This week's opponent was
Minnesota, and Northwestern's 49 to 48 double overtime win required the
greatest comeback in NU history. Down 21 points, Northwestern's
offense kicked into the now-standard Wildcat Gear, and began the
business of winning a game.
If last week's offense-laden win over Michigan State seemed at times
strangely similar to the 2000 Michigan game, the win Saturday over
Minnesota seemed like-- well, the 2000 Minnesota game. In 2000 in
Minneapolis, the 'Cats found themselves down 35 to 14 before Zak Kustok
and company launched their comeback. So, too, NU seemed to bow to
Minnesota at Ryan Field, down 35 to 14, before the 'Cats scored 21
straight. From there, however, the game seemed like a
photo negative of the earlier win over Minnesota: in 2000, having
evened the score at 35 all, NU forced a Minnesota punt and got the ball
back near midfield. After two running plays, the 'Cats had a
third down with eight seconds left and a running clock. Kustok
spiked the ball with just three seconds on the clock, and the 'Cats
then executed Victory Right, ending the game with a win.
Fast forward to 2007. After NU had again erased a 21-point
deficit, it was Minnesota that found itself with the ball, decent field
position and eight seconds left. So naturally, being on the road
and wishing to avoid overtime (the Gophers had sported a 1-3 Big Ten OT
record), they pull out a creative Hail Mary variant and try for the
win. No? They take a knee? Yes...
Fast forward to double overtime. NU has scored a touchdown and
kicked for a 7-point lead. Minny answers with a touchdown of its
own. So naturally, the Gophers play the odds and kick, relying on
their defense to make a stop that is statistically more likely than
making a two-point conversion. No? They go for it?
Yes, they went for it, by throwing to the right side of the
field. And in the 2007 "Anti-Victory Right," the ball sailed
harmlessly to the grass, and NU dodged a bullet and claimed its fourth
win of the year and a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten.
By the numbers, this comeback equaled the 2000 Minnesota game, but
because of the recent rule changes to clock management, this one was
more difficult and therefore more impressive. Kudos must go to
Coach Fitzgerald and his staff, who were masters of clock management
during the fourth quarter of the game.
What is there to say about the Wildcat offense right now and its expert
use of the Wildcat Gear? All positions on offense were brilliant
on Saturday. C.J. Bachér piled on more gaudy stats onto
his performance from last week: 470 passing yards, four passing
touchdowns and another touchdown on the ground. Combined with
last week's torching of the Spartans, Bachér's
990 yards are the second-best two-game performance in Big Ten
history. His performance Saturday was also error-free: no
fumbles, no picks.
And again, Bachér was aided by a revived offensive line. The line gave Bachér
a solid pocket from which to slice and dice up Gopher meat for most of
the afternoon. And the block leveled by Trevor Rees (which was
actually called out by the Big Ten Network broadcasters) during the
first Wildcat scoring drive was almost comical: as Roberson catches Bachér's
pass and begins to lunge forward, Rees has already streaked down the
field, slamming into the Gopher defender and grinding him about 20
yards back and toward the sideline. Peterman finished the day
with 114 yards and a touchdown, Lane also caught for over 100 yards and
had two touchdowns, Conteh had a 51-yard reception to supplement the 81
rushing yards he picked up, and Tonjua Jones turned in a spectacular
28-yard touchdown catch.
The defense again was troubled for much of the day, giving up 580 yards
to Minnesota. However, it's not that the Wildcat defense was
uniformly bad: it was just very inconsistent.
One need only look at the tremendous goal line stand by the 'Cats at
the end of the first quarter to see the squad's talent and
potential. Malcolm Arrington and Corey Wootton both notched
momentum-shifting interceptions, and Adam Kadela had 15 tackles for the
day.
Wootton normally doesn't carry the football;
he did against Minny.
The 'Cats celebrate their double overtime win. AP Photos
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