Sept. 13, 2012
A Tale of Two Halves
Talk about your 180 degree turn-around. The Northwestern
Wildcats, playing in their 2012 home opener last Saturday evening and
hosting the Vanderbilt Commodes, were nothing less than ripe for the
picking. Truly, I was totally baffled and had absolutely no clue
what was going on in Q1 or why. However, from the ‘Cats’ initial
kick-off to the Commodes onwards, it appeared as if someone had
slipped the Wildcats a mickey in their pre-game meal. The ‘Cats weren’t
simply lackluster, they were either sleepwalking or just plain DOA, or
a good combination of both.
The Commodes took that opening possession and crafted a methodical 13
play, 77-yard TD scoring drive which included converting on a 3rd-&
10 and once again on a 4th-&-9 scenario for drive-extending first
downs. In the meantime, NU’s pass rush was non-existent and the
secondary’s field play was a replay of the pass coverage SNAFUs
witnessed throughout most of last Saturday’s season opener against the
Sorry-Excuse Orange Nerf Balls. Lord knows that Fitz and his
coaching staff focused on providing the appropriate due diligence to
mentor their defensive personnel regarding crucial corrections in
proper reads, reactions and techniques to reverse the all-too-frequent
and embarrassing shortfalls & pratfalls which were the foundation
for the inexplicable transition of the game from what had been a
22-point hand-ride to the finish line in mid Q3 into a veritable
shootout that required a last possession drive for the “W”-sealing TD
in the game’s final minute. Watching this contest unfold from my
seat in the East stands, I stood-up at the start of Q2 and did my best
Vince Lombardi imitation by blurting-out his infamous quote: “What the
hell is going on out there?”
Although not considered an offensive juggernaut by anyone’s
perspective, frankly stated, the Commode O was manhandling NU’s D in Q1
both at the LOS and in coverage zones via a balanced attack of
ground-n-pound and pitch-n-catch with equal simplicity. The
‘Cats’ defensive woes continued through the Vandy possession spanning
Q1 and Q2, whereupon the Commodes, starting from their own 5 yard line
and exercising that balanced attack model, moved the ball 80 yards
before the ‘Cat D finally stiffened and halted the series at the NU 15,
forcing a FG attempt.
No one among the Purple Populace had expected this type of putrid
performance from the ‘Cat D, especially considering all the ink and
interview breath invested by fans and media alike when describing how
NU’s defensive brain trust was singularly focused on its improvement
during this last week of film review and practice.
Then there was the somnolent ‘Cat offense that netted only 59 total
yards and a single successful 40-yard FG over the course of Q1.
Admittedly, there was some pre-game expectation regarding this
less-than-stellar output from the ‘Cat O due to the fact that , the
Commode D, in their season opener against 9th-ranked South Carolina,
had stoned the potent Game-Chicken offense in a similar manner.
However, this complete neutralization to NU’s yardage production
capabilities from their best, most experienced squad, the
offense, was another thing altogether. Q2 saw more of the same
from the ‘Cat O, even after ‘Cat OC Mick McCall subbed relief QB Trevor
Siemian in for the ineffective Kain Colter at the 6:22 mark.
Nothing but nothing was working for the ‘Cats on the offensive side of
the LOS, so much so that by halftime, NU had accumulated a paltry 85
total yards and 3 points off that lone FG.
So over the first 30 minutes of play, the Commodes had flexed their
offensive and defensive muscles and the ‘Cats reacted with a collective
yawn. The ‘Cats were in dire need of some overwhelming attitude
adjustment, and had the entirety of H-2 to prove that they had what it
takes to dig themselves out of a self-induced 7-point hole and get
their butts in gear to take finally control of a game that was well
within their reach to capture and seal for themselves and their rabid
fan base.
And to their credit, every player on Northwestern’s offense, defense
and special teams pealed themselves off the canvas, dusted themselves
off, returned to the middle of the ring to face their foe with a firm
resolve and completed an astounding about-face.
How the ‘Cats Flushed the Commodes
The Dark Knights Rise
Obviously, Doc huddled-up with his defense on the bench between the
first 2 quarters and read them the equivalent of some riot act,
essentially igniting a bonfire under their collective fannies.
Fitz often pontificates on a football coaching maxim:“It’s all about
how you respond”; and although the ‘Cat D gave-up a FG in the Commodes’
Q1-to-Q2 possession that padded their lead to 7 points, the NU defense
responded to this Vandy score in resounding fashion.
From that FG-scoring series in Q2 to the final gun, the ‘Cat D applied
a stranglehold to the Commode O that had dominated them in all
categories right up to this turning-point, limiting them to a very
commendable 31 yards rushing and 117 yards through the air - for a
total of 148 yards and a single FG over the final 42 & a half
minutes of the game. In that timeframe, Doc’s troops stoned the
Commode O for 3-&-outs on 5 of their last 7 possessions, gave-up
only 6 first downs, forced 3 fumbles with 2 recoveries, had 3 sacks and
harassed the Vandy QB on nearly every down he dropped back for the
pass. Talk about your lockdown, the ‘Cat defense looked motivated
and acted the part.
What a reversal.
In the mid-60’s, the Nebraska BugEaters’ football program adopted what
is now a time-honored tradition to acknowledge the depth chart status
for their starting defensive personnel – they wear black shirts for
practices. Only defensive starters wear these black jerseys and,
as a group, the players who earned the privilege to don them are called
“The BlackShirts.” Today, the black shirt is a symbol of personal
achievement in the BugEater locker room, confirmation to the individual
player for his long hours of blood, sweat & tears, personal
sacrifice, commitment to excellence and unheralded toil in the trenches
necessary to be identified by the coaching staff as one of the best
position defenders on the team.
Although NU does not have this tradition (yet), last Saturday, every
defensive player deserved and earned his black shirt. Period, end
of story.
Flush It
Apparently inspired by the total field play reversal from their
defensive team mates, ‘Cat OC Mick McCall and his O flushed their
underwhelming performance from H-1 and initiated a turn-around of their
own in H-2 - most of which I attributed to vastly improved play-calling
bolstered greatly by superior field play by the OL. On their first
possession, McCall & his offense came-out of the locker room and
employed NU’s well-known dink-n-dunk passing attack, as dual threat QB
Kain Colter completed 5 of 6 passes, mostly for single digit yardage
gains, balanced against 8 rushes, none of which netted more than 7
total yards. In the process, Colter & Co drove 54 yards
before a 3rd down holding penalty halting their progress at the Vandy
21, where the offense settled for a FG that cut the Commode lead to
4.
Over the course of this offensive series, the OL completed their own
about-face, dominating the LOS while affirming that the Commode D was
susceptible to a giving-up yardage with regularity via a controlled,
balanced attack.
However, the next Wildcat 3 possessions, played in a warm summer
evening rain, went 3-and-out, while the NU D stoned the Commode O for 2
of their own before the whistle sounded at the end of Q3.
Clearly, the Commode defensive brain trust had figured-out how to
defend the dink-n-dunk much more effectively since that first NU drive
of the 2nd half. Mick McCall needed to infuse something new and
unexpected into his offensive game plan to kick-start the forward
momentum of the ‘Cat O once more. So taking a cue from the
strategy he employed in last Saturday’s contest against Sorry-Excuse…
What a Relief
… He made a call to his bull pen for his new ace reliever, sophomore QB Trevor Siemian. And what a relief it was.
In addition to this critical switch in primary ball handlers, McCall
was astute enough to realize that Vandy had made the appropriate
adjustments to counter his standard short passing game, so he abandoned
it and opened his playbook to the chapter on his medium vertical pass
plays. And who better to execute this new passing attack wrinkle
than his pure drop-back QB Siemian. And once given the reins to
execute this more conventional downfield-oriented pass strategy, the
sophomore playmaker put on a remarkable show, similar to what he had
done during NU’s game-winning last possession against the Orange Nerf
balls. .
What a fantastic change-up by McCall and what a fantastic performance by Siemian.
With ball in hand and behind quality pocket protection from the ‘Cat
OL, Siemian went right to work on the Commode secondary, completing 4
of 5 pitch-n-catch throws to 4 different receivers. Coupled with
complimentary rushes from NU’s RB tandem of Venric Mark & Mike
Trumpy to keep the Vandy D honest, Siemian marched the ‘Cat O 86 yards
in 11 plays for the go-ahead TD, burning 4:30 off the game clock.
With the sophomore QB at the helm of the Good Ship Pokelboot, NU
captured Big Mo and a slim 13-10 lead.
After Vandy’s O answered with a game-tying FG off their next
possession, Siemian eagerly jumped back into the driver’s seat of the
‘Cat O with 5 minutes and change in the contest. And did he and his O
ever take complete charge. Ignoring the ball handling challenges
of executing a vertical passing game under what now was a full-blown
downpour, Siemian led the ‘Cat O on a time-consuming drive from the NU
25 to the Vandy 22, highlighted by a slick sprint off a pitch-n-catch
crossing pattern completion to speedy WR Rachad Lawrence for a nifty
32-yard gain. From there, McCall reverted back to his revitalized
ground game operating behind his now emotionally charged OL.
After 3 successive rushes by Venric Mark that moved the ball to the
Commode 2, the drive stalled. On 4th-&-1, ‘Cat PK Jeff
Budzien converted his 3rd consecutive FG of the contest, a chip-shot 18
yarder, to recapture a 3 point lead for the ‘Cats leaving 2:01
remaining on the clock.
That’s 10 points scored under the field generalship of ace reliever, Trevor Siemian in Q4. Suh-Weet.
Sealing the Deal
After dropping Vandy kick returner Brian Kimbrow at the Commode 28 on
the ensuing kickoff following NU’s last go ahead FG, the ‘Cat D
delivered the kill-shot to the Commode’s chances at mounting a frantic
come-from-behind drive to steal the “W” from the ‘Cats. In
defending this offensive series, NU’s DC, Doc Hankwitz, employed a new
twist to his standard 4-man DL composition and used 4 DEs in his
defensive line formation. On Vandy’s first play from scrimmage,
this 4-DE set cocked their ears back and sold-out on a full-bore,
red-line pass rush. ‘Cat DE Tyler Scott shed his pass blocker
almost immediately at the snap, got into the grill of Commode QB,
Jordan Rogers as he began to scan the NU secondary and stripped the QB
of the ball on his hit. NU’s true frosh DE Dean Lowry saw the
bean lying on the turf pounced on the French Pastry (aka: a turnover),
giving NU possession at the Vandy 20 and consequently sealing the game
for the Wildcats.
With time winding down on the game clock, OC McCall pulled another
personnel switch on the Vandy D, as he called-upon dual threat QB Kain
Colter once more to QB the ‘Cat O. The Commode D immediately went
into a total sell-out mode to attack the ‘Cat O in a bid to force a
turnover or quick 3-&-out possession. On 3rd down, Kain
Colter received the pigskin in his shotgun set, took 3 steps to his
left looking for a seam in NU’s left side OL, then spied a huge hole on
the right side of the LOS. Reacting to the play’s initial flow to
their right (NU’s left), Vandy’s backside OLB and the FS opposite flow
flew away from their standard cutback defense positions to give
inside-out run support to NU’s intended point of attack – the OT-TE gap
to the (right) side opposite their original set (on the Vandy
left). NU’s backside OT, Konopka, sealed his DE to the outside,
and coupled with the sell-out fly of the Vandy OLB and FS, a huge gap
opened in this vacated area inside this backside seal block.
Recognizing this seam, Colter made a neat cutback into this open space
and had an clear, undefended route to the Vandy goal line.
Sprinting the 29 yards, Colter crossed the Commode goal line with ease
for a gimme TD that closed the book on this contest for good.
‘Cats Win!!! ‘Cats Win!!!
Conclusion
Most college football analysts and media pundits made the Cats a home
dog prior to this contest, especially since Vandy nearly turned the
upset trick on their last opponent, the 9th-ranked South Carolina
Game-Chickens. And in H-1, it appeared that those pre-game
prognostications were going to come true. But then again, I guess
that’s why the teams play the game on the field rather than on paper.
The casual observer could say that the Vanderbilt Commode team blew
their lead and the game to the ‘Cats, but I beg to differ with a
counter-perspective. Simply stated, the ‘Cats weren’t given a
thing; they responded to their challenging predicament then took
control of the game both on the field and the scoreboard.
The final result of this game was no fluke. It was collaboration
between the game plan conceived by Fitz & his coaching staff and
buy-in by the players to trust themselves and their coaches enough to
execute that game plan. And what was even more important was the
seamless strategy adjustments and personnel changes made on either side
of the LOS. McCall’s replacement of Colter with Siemian at the
exact point needed to gain control & momentum of the game in Q3;
then returning his starter to seal the deal at game’s end was pure
genius. Doc’s deft replacement moves among his defensive Front 7
throughout the contest proved just as appropriate and effective.
The Wildcats are beginning to gel into that elusive entity called a
t-e-a-m. Every college football program aspires to get to this
point… and I believe NU is well on its way to solidifying themselves
into a unified team of their own making. The game underscored
that the ‘Cats are on that path
Next on the Wildcat’s 2012 dance card… The Bean-Town College
Beagles. It will a ‘Cats versus Dogs
furball.
The Waterboy
“Win with Grace and Lose with Dignity”
|
Sept. 5, 2012
Déjà vu: Another Season Opener--
Another Nail-biter
The 2012 season had an eerie sense of déjà vu, with the
‘Cats taking their season opener on the road to the Northeast once
more as they had in 2011 – this time to upstate NY to challenge the
Orange Nerf Balls of Sorry-Excuse in their home field sauna known as
“The Carrier Dome” (so named for the nationally-renown local air
conditioning company that somehow failed to include any kind of cooling
capacity into the blueprints of their own sports venue). That’s
some oversight, no? Then again, perhaps not. With indoor
temperatures hovering in the vicinity of the mid-90s, as was expected
for a sultry late-summer afternoon, Fitz trotted-out his eclectic mix
of young and old gridiron talent into that hostile environment and
played their rendition of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” And as game
unfolded, the ‘Cats’ overall field play resembled what I’ve described
in past commentary as a full Spaghetti Western, read: “The Good,
The Bad and The Ugly” with the Purple Gang fighting tooth & nail to
eke-out an improbable, come-from-behind-in-the-final-minute one point
“W” in a game that transitioned from a hand-ride on the final turn for
home to a veritable shoot-out as both contestants drove to the finish
line. As a card-carrying member of the Wildcat Nation, the best
antidote to restrain oneself from diving head-first, mouth open to the
bottom of a bottle of tequila when reviewing this passion play would be
simply to chalk this one up as yet another episode in the continuing
saga of “The Cardiac ‘Cats”
So saving the best for last, I’ll start with…
The Ugly
Much was expected from the revamped Wildcat D, especially regarding
improvements in both the woeful pass coverage foibles and pass rush
failures which were an all too common sight throughout the 2011
campaign. Unfortunately, this contest proved no different than in
the previous season. There were way too many field play
breakdowns, shortfalls and pratfalls, especially when defending the
home run pass from Sorry-Excuse’s very capable and competitive senior
QB, Ryan Nassib.
Exhibit A: NU’s pass rush;
…Or to be more on point, the lack thereof. Heading into this
opener, the ‘Cats’ collective pass rush personnel, were a great
unknown. Here is a squad peppered with faces both familiar and
new, most with vivid memories and increased experience garnered over
the 2011 battles upon which there was great expectation to build and
hone their pass rush skills. Much had been written and speculated
regarding how the ‘Cat defensive brain trust had been singularly
focused on driving this squad hard to exorcise past demons of failure
and ineptitude and forge a unified Front 7 that would get into the
grill of an opposing QB with abandon and bad intent on a regular
basis. Well after game 1, while it must be admitted that the jury
is still deliberating this one and its final verdict has yet to be
handed to the bailiff; early indicators underscore the point that this
defensive goal remains an enormous work in progress. 1 QB sack
over the 60 minute tussle. That’s right, a measly single sack…
and against a patchwork quilt OL unit populated with newbies &
retreads who had just lost the services of their All-Big East
conference tackle for this game to an inexcusable late-preseason
injury. As stated above, the efforts to reverse this pass
pressure-less D remains a work in progress, and could become dire in
short order. If NU’s somnolent pass rush doesn’t improve
markedly, and soon, the quality Vanderbilt pass attack will take them
to the shed for a wholesale drubbing this coming Saturday evening.
Exhibit B: NU’s deep pass coverage.
Midway through Q3, the ‘Cats appeared to have a firm stranglehold on
the game via a formidable 22 point lead. Although the Orange Nerf
Ball O had exhibited some ground-game punch mixed-in with timely pitch
& catch pass play capabilities, especially off completions to
receivers who found open creases in the ‘Cats’ short middle zone for at
least 6 double-digit yardage gains which contributed greatly to 13 SU
points, the ‘Cats were equal to the scoring challenge by converting on
their own playmaking abilities. Taking full advantage of a pair
of devastating miscues by the Sorry-Excuse O which ended in turnovers
deep in their own territory and one huge special teams gaffe, the sum
of which resulted in 3 relatively easy TDs for the opportunistic ‘Cats,
NU had weathered their opposition’s bid for game control. NU’s
scoring chances were augmented further by OC Mick McCall’s balanced
play selection and adept use of Kain Colter’s broad playmaking skills,
which were parlayed into another 2 critical TDs that inflated the
Wildcat’s lead to 35-13 with 22 minutes & change left on the game
clock.
That’s when the wheels came off NU’s pass coverage schemes as SU’s
5th-year QB, Ryan Nassib, weaved some offensive magic of his own.
Instead of settling for those short to medium pass routes, the
Sorry-Excuse OC decided to challenge NU’s DBs with deep hitch & go
routes down the sidelines. And were they ever effective against
the ‘Cat secondary. The Sorry-Excuse passing game served-up
heaping helpings of inside slant hitches or stop and go action, and to
a man, NU’s coverage personnel bit hard on every single initial fake
made by his coverage WR. With the cover techniques of their
defending DB compromised, the Nerf Ball wideouts collected themselves
after their initial move, left the out-of-position defender in his wake
and sprinted free & clear into the open beyond. To their
credit, the faked-out ‘Cat DBs often were able to regain their
composure and use their athleticism & speed to recover somewhat,
sometimes catching-up with their cover targets, however, the damage was
done. A simple over the shoulder toss from Nassib dropped the
ball into the WR’s waiting mitts. On at least a half dozen other
occasions, the ‘Cat cover DB didn’t necessarily bite on the initial
fake, but just hesitated momentarily in his route recognition; then,
when he figured-out that his coverage target was set to sprint beyond
him, the DB turned his tail to his cover and sprinted downfield in an
effort to “keep contact” with WR flying downfield. And
frequently, the WR just rolled-up onto the back or heels of the
desperate cover DB and when the ball was delivered in the vicinity of
the dueling DB-WR pair, there was little the DB could do but “cut-off”
the WR’s path to the ball. In other words, the DB interfered with
the WR’s pass route. Bang, out comes the yellow laundry – which
in the final analysis, is as effective as a completion.
With the NU secondary’s profound lack of coverage discipline exposed,
the ugly turned very ugly in short order. From the 7:30 mark of
Q3 to the final gun, Nassib & his receiver corps unleashed a
merciless aerial barrage on the befuddled ‘Cat DBs, leaving them
shell-shocked and searching for any shelter from the bombardment.
On 2 critical downs, the ‘Cat coverage DB got his feet tangled beneath
him in his bid to recover from his bite on his target WR’s fake only to
belly-flop to the turf, leaving the WR free & clear to complete the
reception and saunter into the end zone unchallenged for 2 quick-strike
TDs – the 2nd one a 50-yard explosion pass play. When the smoke
finally cleared, the Nerf Ball O collected 300-plus total yards &
28 unanswered points, most of which came via SU’s resurgent pass
attack, exonerating their earlier gaffes and re-capturing Big Mo and a
6 point lead with 2:40 left in the game. Things couldn’t have
looked worse for Fitz and his
troops.
The Bad
Inconsistent field play by both the OL and DL was the by-line to
describe the Bad for the ‘Cats. And it wasn’t as if the defensive
and offensive lines were getting their lunch stolen from them and the
bag thrown back into their mugs either. On consecutive downs,
‘Cat linemen would execute their individual assignments brilliantly,
only to follow that success with a brain fart on the next. And
virtually every lineman on either side of the LOS got into the
act. Needless to say, the afore-mentioned lack of pass rush
against Nassib was a telling failure, but to their credit, NU’s
defensive Front 7 would stone the Sorry-Excuse ground game in their
tracks often across multiple series in succession. However, in spite of
some fine field play execution at times, in the end, there simply
wasn’t enough consistency from quarter to quarter and it provided the
Nerf Balls, as a team, an opening to keep their competitive composure
intact and get themselves back into the game.
The right side of NU’s OL had a particularly up and down game. They’d
block their defenders off the LOS or pick-up & stone the crash of
the DE-LB or CB tandem off the defensive edge, looking like they’ve
been doing it with ease for years. Then on the very next play, they’d
look like they were operating in knee-deep muck & mire allowing the
same crash defenders to shed the token Ole’ block and gain an unopposed
route to the ball in the NU backfield. The final game stats prove
the veracity of this pressure point: 5 sacks allowed augmented by
another dozen TFLs. I’m certain that goat horns were passed
around liberally to many deserving OL during Sunday’s game film
review.
And now to the more uplifting segment of this commentary… The Good
How the ‘Cats Put the Squeeze on the Nerf Balls
Mark of Excellence
The most honest phrase to use when describing the crucial contribution
that NU’s starting RB, Venric Mark, had on the final game results could
be summed-up by the following pseudo-score :
NorthVenric Wildcats 21 – Sorry Excuse 13.
From the first moment Mr. Mark stepped onto a NU football field as a
true frosh, his lightning speed & eye-blink quickness was obvious
to Fitz and his OC Mick McCall. With such a versatile weapon at their
disposal, a plethora of offensive options had became available to
attack and overwhelm an opponent’s defense, especially when aligned as
counterpoint to the ‘Cats’ other multi-talented offensive alternative,
QB Kain Colter. However, early on, NU’s offensive brain trust
recognized that Venric’s immediate playmaking potential was greatest
when used as NU’s primary kick returner, specifically off punts.
And last Saturday, Mark’s punt returns were game-breaking.
Venric’s 1st punt return was a game-changer. Down 6-zip, the ‘Cats
stymied the Nerf Ball O for a 3-&-out drive and prepared to convert
on the change of possession off the ensuing punt. Little did
either team expect that this Wildcat possession would last a mere 12
seconds. Mark received the punted bean at the NU 18, shot a gap
between punt coverage defenders, turned on his afterburners up the
right sideline, then, as his downfield blocking shielded the last few
cover players, cut to his left into open space and a clear path to pay
dirt. Bang, an 82-yard punt return for TD. Big Mo found a
welcome home on the NU sidelines. At first glance, the burst into
space appeared effortless, even natural; but upon a closer inspection
one can’t help but notice this young man’s quick, efficient turn over
throughout his stride. He is working it Big Time. Coupling
this rapid turn of foot with his peripheral vision while on the run,
makes this player one exciting open field runner.
Venric’s 2nd punt return mirrored his 1st, where he collected the punt
at the NU 20 and busted again through the SU coverage for a 52 gallop
to the Sorry-Excuse 28. Facing a short field, Colter & Co.
went right to work. On the 4th play from scrimmage, the Kain
Train delivered a quick strike pass on target & in stride to some
WR named Jones running a crisp 14-yard crossing route for a TD,
increasing NU’s lead to 8 (21-13) - all set-up by Mr. Mark’s latest
return.
Sandwiched between these 2 breathtaking punt returns, the ‘Cat
secondary converted a nifty INT off a bobbled reception that gave NU
possession at SU’s 21. On the following down, Mr. Mark ran his
own disciplined pass pattern into open space in the Nerf Balls’ deep
middle 3rd zone, where Colter spied his open RB target and made an easy
pitch & catch connection for another precision TD.
Nobody in the Carrier Dome stands could doubt Venric’s value to the ‘Cat O. The Orange Nerf Ball D couldn’t either.
French Pastry
Although the ‘Cat D had their frequent self-inflicted wounds and
bone-headed miscues, they did manage to win the turnover (aka: French
Pastry) battle with the Orange Nerf Balls 3 take-aways to 1 - of which
one fumble and the only pick of the contest held game-altering
significance in favor of the Wildcats.
The INT was made via the quick reflexes of ‘Cat sophomore LB, Chi Chi
Ariguzo, when he cleanly snatched the above-mentioned bobbled sideline
pass in midair as the bean hovered above the target WR sprawled-out on
the turf. With ball in hand, Chi Chi leaped over the receiver and
rumbled 49 yards towards the Nerf Ball goal line only to be stopped
short at the Sorry-Excuse 21 setting-up the Colter-to-Mark TD
completion. Suh-weet!!!
The fumble, involving Chi Chi once more, was off a backwards pass that
was ruled a lateral by the line judge. When the pass was miss-thrown in
front of the target Sorry-Excuse WR, the wide-out simply misjudged its
path, reached-out and batted the thrown ball to the turf, thinking that
the pass was incomplete and the play over. However, the line
judge saw it differently and never did blow the whistle to signal a
stoppage of play. Ariguzo walked-up to the ball just lying there
and picked it up to hand back to the ref watching the action.
Once he realized that the ref made no move whatsoever to take the ball
from him, Chi Chi and his teammates knew that something other than an
incomplete pass was happening. Other NU defenders quickly and correctly
concluded that the play was still alive and practically pushed Chi Chi
in the direction of the Sorry-Excuse goal line. The light bulb in
Ariguzo’s head turned on and the sophomore LB turned and galloped to
the Nerf Ball goal line, ball still in hand.
Some LBs wait a lifetime for an opportunity to score a TD in a real
collegiate game, and Ariguzo was given a giftie TD for little more than
executing some courteous post-play house-keeping. You can bet big
$$$ that Chi Chi got some well-deserved ribbing in the film room the
next day. All good
stuff.
Well Received
A most pleasant surprise to be taken from this season opener was the
truth to the rumor that NU’s wide receiver corps could be among the
elite of the Big 10/12 conference; and through their collective field
play against the Nerf Ball secondary last Saturday, this squad lived up
to such lofty speculation. A casual observer exercising a modicum
of awareness easily would have noticed that, in general, Wildcat
receivers will catch the bean with regularity if delivered on
target. Quite frankly, I could only recall a few outright drops
over the course of the contest. The conclusion to this
observation: if Kain Colter or his understudy, Trevor Siemian, was
given to time to go through his receiver progressions and the pass was
delivered on target, it was caught, regardless of the defensive
coverage. Final game passing stats bear-out this assessment –
Colter was 14 0f 21 while Siemian went 8 for 11, producing a overall
completion percentage of 68%.
For a season opener, this statistic is commendable. In this
particular game, where NU’s scrappy opponent overcame a 22 point
deficit to take an outright 6-point lead with under minutes to go, the
‘Cats’ offensive production depended heavily on this squad maintaining
their poise and focus to make the grab when it was within their reach
and, most certainly, when it mattered most – as was the case in NU’s
final make or break possession of the game. And they came-through
in spades. Way to man-up, boys!!!
New Kid on the Block
OK, here’s the scenario –
2:40 left on the clock…NU down 6… The ‘Cats with the bean at their own
25 in what, most likely, was their final offensive possession of the
game… 75 yards of long green looming before them… Game hanging in the
balance… Pressure & intensity among both combatants red-lined and
at a fever pitch… Everyone in attendance standing and screaming
for all they are worth… And…
The ‘Cats’ all-everything QB and primary ball handler throughout the
entire contest, Kain Colter, is forced to watch from the sidelines,
nursing a heavily bruised shoulder following a haymaker shot to his
non-throwing arm 2 possessions prior.
No problem. Just make the call to the bullpen for Colter’s No. 1
reliever, sophomore Trevor Siemian, and place the ball and the game in
his hands - to win or lose. What, me worry?
I must admit, I was sweating bullets at the prospect. And I had much company among the Purple Populace.
Siemian, on the other hand, acts as if this move was little more than
some SOP (standard operation procedure) exercise. His shining
star composure burns brightly through the dark mayhem swirling all
around him.
He receives the plays selected by his OC; then coolly, calmly executes
them with precision that belies his youth and experience level, leading
the ‘Cat O on a methodical 9-play drive into the shadows lurking
beneath the Nerf Ball goal posts. First & goal at the
Sorry-Excuse 9; a minute & change left - for all the hard-fought
marbles.
Then, on the next snap, Trevor collects the ball from his center,
confidently stands behind his pocket protection and scans the zones in
the Nerf Ball secondary for an open WR, going through his receiver
progression. He identifies senior WR Demetrius Fields gaining
separation from his cover DB, sprinting to open space in the far corner
of the end zone, and deftly tosses an arching pass over the cover
DB. Fields reaches-out and snares the perfectly-thrown bean in
stride, feet in bounds.
Ka-BOOM!!! The Siemian-led ‘Cat O has just marched 75 yards in
less than 2 minutes for the go-ahead TD. Pandemonium erupts
throughout Wildcat Nation.
Conclusion
Despite all the negatives exhibited over the course of this game, I’m
still left with a Cheshire Cat-like grin on my face days after its
conclusion.
For all the travails of the nearly non-existent pass rush from the ‘Cat
DL; for all the ineptitude displayed by the ‘Cat secondary and their
enigmatic inability to trust themselves and execute correct pass
coverage techniques; or all the poor tackling, the missed blocks and
the bungled assignments, this “W” still feels quite satisfying.
It remains a “W”, even when all seemed to go south against the ‘Cats,
who held what appeared to be a commanding lead, similar to games of
recent past seasons, only to unravel like a cheap suit in H-2 - like
the epic collapse to MSU in 2006 and the loss to State Penn in
2010.
I tip my hat and give credit to the Sorry-Excuse team, who kept their
focus and continued with the good fight against the ‘Cats, in spite of
being thrown into a 22-point hole for the first 38 minutes of this
game. They will win more games than they lose this season.
IMHO, next Saturday’s foe, the Vandy Commodes, is a much better team
that the Nerf Balls - with more weapons and better coaching.
Tradition and history holds fast to the idea that the biggest
improvement made by a college football team in any single season is
made over the week between game 1 and game 2. Fitz and his
coaching staff have much to address and repair throughout this
week.
The Waterboy
“Win with Grace and Lose with Dignity”
|
The Waterboy is a former football player
and a Northwestern
alumnus. Aside from these facts, he has no affiliation with
Northwestern University. The commentary he posts here is his
own, and does not necessarily reflect the views of HailToPurple.com.
