The wait is over, the secret is out, and the shot has been heard around the country.  On Saturday Northwestern played with the attitude of true Wildcats, the hearts of warriors, and the savvy of a big-time football program, as the team shocked Wisconsin, edging them 47-44 in double overtime.  ESPN named Zak Kustok the player of the game before the game was decided; in fact, it appeared Wisconsin would pull the game out.  Kustok deserved the accolade-- his performance was a defining moment of the last three years of NU football.

'Cats Look Good Early
NU struck first, when Kustok kept the ball and ran 28 yards for a touchdown.  One would have thought that the Camp Randall announcer had just declared the reinstatement of prohibition-- 75,000 hostile screaming voices went wonderfully still.  Somewhere in the distance a dog barked and a brat began burning to a cinder on an unwatched grill.

Wisconsin claimed the next three scores, and the 'Cats trailed 16-7 at the half.  However, NU blew two additional scoring chances: after Michael Bennett ran 16 yards for a TD, the point after kick was blocked and was run back for what appeared to be a Wildcat two point conversion.  Unfortunately, the 'Cats were called for a block in the back on the run-back, and the play was declared dead.  Tim Long also missed a field goal that sailed wide right.  Even though it was a nine point game rather than just a four point deficit, there was definitely an electricity at halftime, a feeling that the other shoe was about to drop (as it were...) for the Badgers.

Tim Long: The Kick of His Career
Wisconsin appeared to have itself back on track at the start of the third quarter, and then Dwayne Missouri introduced himself to Brooks Bollinger and politely explained to him that the track went the other direction.  Missouri smacked Bollinger from the side, sending the ball into the eager and nurturing arms of Kevin Bentley.  NU was poised, two points from the lead.

After a Badger TD strike and a 22 yard FG by Long, NU entered the fourth quarter down 23-17.  Damien Anderson ran 69 yards into the endzone, and NU enjoyed a 24-23 lead.  The Anderson run was simply a perfect play.  The Wildcat O-line was textbook in its execution.   Just over a minute later, Bennett ran wild on our secondary, Wisconsin converted yet another third down, and-- a two point conversion later-- Wisconsin was up 31-24.

Northwestern answered with one of the most spectacular touchdown passes in recent memory.  Kustok found Derrick Thompson wide open in the endzone and connected for 28 yards.  The game became knotted at 31 each, and the Camp Randall faithful became uglier than Barry Alvarez after an eight-day doughnut bender.  With 51 seconds left, Wisconsin kicked what seemed to be a game winning 47 yard field goal.

Zak Kustok proceeded to show what a championship quarterback looks like.  Kustok remained calm and poised as he guided the 'Cats to two first downs and put them into field goal range with two seconds and no time outs left.  As the clock dribbled down, Tim Long kicked the ball from 46 yards.

Tim Long had never hit from 46 yards.  Never.  He has been the subject of relentless abuse from NU fans, who expected him to lose most of his kicking duties to the spectacular freshman Huffman. 

Tim Long hit from 46 yards.  Northwestern swapped TD's with Wisconsin in the first overtime and found itself a field goal down in the second overtime.  Damien Anderson then gave NU its biggest win in over three years, running 13 yards into a barely guarded Badger endzone.

Let the Fifth Quarter begin!

Anderson puts in the game winner!
(photo cleverly swiped from the Associated Press)
(PS:  check out the new BLACK pants!!)

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An Incredible Game!

Among the superlatives of Saturday's game: the last time NU scored 47 points against a Big Ten opponent was the 48-0 pounding of Illinois in 1970.  NU had never before scored so high against Wisconsin.  NU's 17 point explosion in the fourth quarter was the best output by the Wildcats in a fourth quarter since the 1997 Penn State game.

The game snapped Wisconsin's 11 game winning streak and effectively ended their dreams of a Rose Bowl three-peat.

This was NU's first double overtime game, and its second overtime game ever.  NU is now 2-0 in games that move past regulation.

Kudos in this game go to just about every single player, and to the entire coaching staff.  Anderson was truly special, and had 174 yards.  Roger Jordan, Sam Simmons, and Teddy Johnson got the job done.  Bentley, Harris, Silva, Missouri, Covington, Huffman and Long were fantastic.  Zak Kustok had 76 yards... rushing.  Kustok had 278 yards passing and no picks. 

Finally, what can you say about Randy Walker and his staff?  His game plan was brilliant, an incredible feat considering the previous week's plan and execution.  Walker, Wilson, and Brown were cool, collected, and methodical all day.  Walker is on his way to taking his place alongside Thistlethwaite, Waldorf, Voigts, Parseghian, and Barnett.

Yeah, I predicted a low scoring game on this site: obviously I underestimated the offense.  But at least I nailed the crucial prediction: NU by 3!  Also, I wrote last week:

"Keep this in mind, NU players: Fletcher got to choose which games to sit out (the NCAA never ceases to amaze!), and he chose to play Oregon and skip Cincinnati and NU.  'I just felt that Oregon was a tough team, especially on offense.'  We'll see how wise that choice was very soon." 

I think we found out Saturday.

   W  NIU     35-17
   W  Duke   38-5
   L TCU     41-14
   W Wisc 47-44(2O)
   @MSU     Sept. 30
   Indiana     Oct. 7
   Purdue  HC  Oct. 14
   @Minn.     Oct. 28
   Michigan     Nov. 4
   @Iowa     Nov. 11
   Illinois     Nov. 18

Their freshman quarterback, Jeff Smoker,  turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter against ND.  He fumbled at MSU's 12 yard line and was picked minutes later.  He also launched the game winning TD pass, a 68-yard fourth and ten monster to Herb Haygood with less than two minutes in the game.  If Smoker (or Ryan Van Dyke, who was the starting QB at the beginning of the season.  Van Dyke is out with a bruised thumb and might be back this Saturday) is consistent, MSU might not miss Plaxico Burress all that much, and the Wildcat secondary might encounter its greatest test so far.  Expect our cornerbacks to be pushed to their limits.

That's not to say that Michigan State's running game won't be a problem.  T.J. Duckett had 26 carries for 141 yards and one touchdown vs. the Irish.  The sophomore running back will push our D as much as Tomlinson and Bennett did, but NU's linebackers will definitely be up to the task.  Our wide receivers looked good versus Wisconsin; MSU corner back Reynaldo Hill will be better than any coverage they've encountered yet.

Bobby Williams is 4-0 as head coach, and Michigan State has won nine consecutive games at home.  Prediction:  MSU should extend that streak to 10 games in a very close match.  MSU 34, NU 31.  However, I'm less confident of predicting this game than any other this season.  MSU could very well come into this game riding high from the Notre Dame win and looking past NU.  A quick NU lead might completely deflate the Spartans.   If the first quarter ends with NU having even a one point lead, then my prediction is moot, and NU will win
 

This week's question:
What is the greatest number of seasons in a row that NU has taken the Sweet Sioux Trophy?
Send in your guess...

Bonus question:
NU and Illinois played for a trophy even before the Sweet Sioux.  What was the original prized object between the schools?
Send in your guess...

Bonus Bonus question:
Illinois is not the only school with whom NU has shared a football trophy.  What other school did NU fight for a (now defunct) prized object?
Send in your guess...

Last week's question:
Before the Sweet Sioux Trophy was a tomahawk, it was represented by what object?
The answer: A cigar store Indian.  FarEastWildcat (2 wins) enjoys a two-week winning streak!

(Sweet Sioux was originally a six and a half foot tall oak statue of an Arapahoe Indian, carved in the early 1840's.  It was given as a trophy in 1945 and first went to the Wildcats.  The following season it was replaced with the Tomahawk.)
 

I have added last Saturday's Wisconsin game to my list of what I think are the greatest, most significant games the Wildcats have ever played: NU's Greatest games!

Do you have criticism, comments, or  suggestions?  Want to rank something on a scale from one to ten?  Please let me know: GoUPurple@aol.com. Thanks to all who have sent feedback so far!

Go 'Cats! Sack Sparta!
GoUPurple
(Quite unaffiliated with Northwestern University and the NU Athletic Dept.)