Nov. 9, 2009
Play It Again Sam
What a difference a week makes. Then again when it comes to NU’s
3rd consecutive I-Away City-bound road game against the I-Away HogEyes,
maybe it’s a good thing that things simply stay the same. Perhaps it’s
the laughable familiarity of the infamous pink visitor’s locker room at
Kinnick Stadium, or the gorgeous Indian Summer weather that has graced
all 3 of these most recent contests, or maybe it’s just that the
HogEyes have been the Wildcats’ undeclared, blood feud rival since the
mid 90’s. Whatever the motivational factors might be, real or
contrived, it’s a fact that, while both teams may respect one another,
the NU football team dislikes the HogEyes with a fundamental passion
that is unparalleled when compared to the relative subdued emotional
investment that Fitz and his ‘Cats have against any other team from the
Big 10/11 conference, including traditional cross-state foe,
Ill-Annoy.
Both combatants knew this was going to be a monumental
mêlée where all the clichéd competitive euphemisms
would apply. Forget the fact that the undefeated HogEyes had
compiled a very impressive 9-0 record, one that had never been achieved
before in their storied gridiron history. Or that they were
seeking their first undisputed conference championship in recent
memory. Or that they were scheduled to play Da Big Bad BuckNuts
on the following weekend, with the victor scheduled to be summarily
anointed the conference’s grand representative for one of five
available 2009 Mega-Bucks BC$ Series Bowl bids. No, there was
something more basic to be achieved: sweet revenge - for two straight
humiliating losses at the hands of “Lowly Northwestern,” at home, in
front of huge throngs of fanatical HogEye Faithful both of which had
stuck in their collective craw over the last 2 years. In HogEye
Land, their football team can be forgiven if they lose the occasional
game to a Michigan or daBuckNuts, and even to the State Penn Inmates,
but lose to NU (or as they refer to our beloved ‘Cats,” NW”)...
NEVER!!! Falling to “NW” is the nadir, the absolute lowest level
that their football team can go. And last Saturday, Kaptain Kirk
Firentz’ team and everyone within the HogEye Nation were salivating at
the prospect of giving the ‘Cats the sound thrashing that would
exorcize all the fetid demonic spirits of those mortifying losses to
“NW” over the past couple seasons.
“Throw-out the record books!” “Tighten you chinstraps!” “Payback time, baby!” “This Time, It’s WAR!!!”
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, they walk
into mine... Play it again, Sam...
How the ‘Cats Reigned On the HogEyes’ Parade
What’s Past is Prologue
The single most significant play made by the ‘Cats’ in their game
against the HogEyes last season was the colossal collision between NU
SS Phillips and the Hog’s premier offensive weapon, RB Shone Greene on
what was a garden-variety dive play into the LOS. At the time,
NU’s D was struggling against the HogEye O which employed their
prolific rush yardage generating machine to ground and pound the ‘Cat
defense into submission while they collected scoring opportunities and
kept the ‘Cat offense riding pine and off the field. HogEye QB
Stanzi received the snap from center then handed the bean, as usual, to
his RB Green, who sprinted headlong into a seam at the right B Gap and
was met head-on and stopped dead in his tracks with extreme prejudice
by the afore-mentioned Mr. Phillips. At the time, many HogEye
observers cried foul on the smack, citing that it was a blatantly
intentional helmet-to-helmet blow. Later, replays showed that Mr.
Phillips, in fact, had turned his head away from the blow, and used his
shoulder, albeit a Full Monty shoulder blow, that gave Mr. Greene a
one-way ticket to Palooka-ville, with a subsequent escort to the HogEye
bench by the I-Away medical staff, where he sat, head spinning, for the
remainder of the contest. This “slobber-knocker” blast eliminated
the HogEyes’ No. 1 offensive threat for the afternoon, and consequently
became the Great Equalizer between the ‘Cat defensive front 7 and the
powerful HogEye rushing attack, allowing NU QB C.J. Bacher and the ‘Cat
offense to capture momentum of the tooth-&-nail battle which
subsequently led to the ‘Cats escaping Kinnick Stadium with the
surprising, yet well-deserved “W.”
Last Saturday’s titanic tussle was eerily similar to the 2008
game. The HogEyes steamrolled over the ‘Cats through the first 7
minutes, this time, off the accurate passing arm of QB Stanzi, who
exploited the ‘Cats’ injury-depleted secondary to score a 70-yard
explosion TD pass to a wide open WR behind NU’s bewildered cover-2
safeties on the game’s 3rd play from scrimmage, that was followed-up
promptly by a 30-yard aerial strike from Stanzi to another speedy WR on
the Hogs’ next possession that was converted into a subsequent
FG. Only 5:10 had ticked-off the game clock and the ‘Cats, once
again, were thrown deep into yet another hole, a 10-point one on this
occasion, with little chance of reprieve from the jacked-up Children Of
The Corn.
After an exchange of punts spanning Q1 and Q2, Stanzi pulled his first
gigantic gaffe of the game when he severely underthrew his intended
receiver and dropped the pill into the waiting mitts of ‘Cat CB, Jordan
Mabin, who returned it swiftly to the Hogs’ 48, completing I-Away’s
first tasty turnover of the tilt. When NU’s following drive
stalled, P Stefan Demos punted the ball deep towards the HogEye goal
line, and the cover team downed the ball at the HogEye 6.
Something remarkable was beginning to happen for the ‘Cats. On
the 2nd down of the Hogs’ next possession, Stanzi dropped back into his
own endzone looking to pass when ‘Cat DE Corey Wootton crashed hard off
the edge of the left defensive corner, unblocked, straight into the
grill of the HogEye QB, where he wrapped-up the cringing Mr. Stanzi and
collapsed on him in a rolling heap to the turf, trapping the QB’s left
ankle underneath in a very awkward angle in the process.
Mr.Stanzi dropped the bean which was scooped-up immediately by the
observant ‘Cat DT, Marshall Thomas, for a fumble-recovery TD.
Afterwards, Stanzi remained crumpled in fetal position on the green
grass of Kinnick’s gridiron in obvious pain. The Black & Gold
clad crowd of 70K-plus fell silent as death, watching the I-Away
medical staff attend to their stricken QB. This was serious, both
for the young man personally and for the HogEyes’ chances to run the
‘Cats out of I-Away City on a rail with their tails clipped and ears
bitten off. Stanzi gingerly got to his feet and slowly limped to
the I-Away sidelines then on to the locker room, his competitive day
through. Meanwhile NU’s competitive day had just been
resuscitated back to life via this crucial 2nd HogEye French pastry of
Q2, offered to the hungry ‘Cats, who gladly gobbled-up the
powered-sugar dessert and converted it into a game-changing
TD.
That devastating 2008 reversal-of-fortune injury to the HogEyes’
primary offensive weapon was reprised once again with Stanzi’s
departure in 2009. From that point on, Kaptain Kirk’s HogEyes
were never the same team, and neither were the ‘Cats.
HogEyes - Penned
With their primary weapon down and out of the picture, the HogEyes’
offensive quiver held only a few poison-tipped arrows. Throughout
the course of the 2009 season, the Hogs faced a minimum 4 games whose
outcomes hung in the balance, where prior blunders resulting in
substantial late-game deficits had been overcome by the shear grit and
determination of their unflappable QB Ricky Stanzi and his pixie dust
passing game. This time around unfortunately, there was a hole in
the pocket purse that held that pixie dust. With his rushing
attack relegated to a secondary status by injuries through his roster’s
3-deep RB corps, HogEye HC, “Kaptain Kirk” Firentz, now was completely
dependent on his lightly-used backup QB, J. Vanderberg for virtually
any and all offensive production; and this QB’s prodigious lack of real
game-time experience displayed itself Big Time. And similar to
the game time adjustments made by Joe Pa’s State Penn Inmates when
newbie 2nd string QB, Dan Persa, was pressed into service suddenly as a
sub for NU’s fallen No. 1 QB on the previous Saturday, DC Doc Hankwitz
baited his rabid DL for the kill and unleashed them against whatever
ball carrier toted the bean for the HogEyes, and, in particular, the
wide-eyed Mr. Vanderberg.
Sparked by their coach’s newly installed “go get ‘em” directive, NU’s
front 7 went bananas against both the HogEyes’ rush and pass attack,
keeping its RB Branden Wegher penned-in & bottled-up in his
backfield and its ineffectual QB Vanderberg consistently pressured by
Doc’s swarming D. Subsequent pass yardage production stats for
the HogEye O underscore the substantive effect that this amplified
attack paradigm had on Vanderberg - zero points on 9-for-27 pass
attempts, for 82 net yards. Similarly, the HogEyes’ ground game
got stoned for a paltry 39 yards on 19 rushes. The HogEye offense
went nowhere, fast; completely opening game’s momentum and its
scoreboard to the walking wounded QB scenario that was NU’s own cross
to bear.
Just what the Doctor ordered.
Tough Enough
I cannot praise the gutsy contribution of NU’s tandem “walking wounded”
QBs enough. Whereas Dan Persa was hit or miss against State Penn
as he came-in off the bench to pick-up and carry NU’s offensive load
after starting QB Mike Kafka went down with his debilitating hammy
pull; this weekend, when called-upon, Mr. Persa was generally on his
game against the HogEyes. Without a doubt, Persa‘s marked
improvement in quality QB field play was due to the considerable
increase in practice reps he had with NU’s No. 1 offense as its primary
ball handler during the previous week’s preparation for this
game. And more obviously still, Dan made the most of this time
and opportunity, and it showed in spades, especially when compared to
the HogEyes’ struggling replacement QB, Vanderberg. This was the
game-clinching factor, to be sure.
Although OC McCall called Kafka’s number as his opening whistle QB of
choice, once he saw that Mr. Mike’s mobility behind his pocket
protection resembled a traffic cone, McCall wasted little time in
shifting to Persa as his go-to field general. And Persa
immediately confirmed why he was selected the Pennsylvania State High
School Player of the Year following his senior football season - calmly
going through his WR progressions on pass plays, setting his feet
correctly prior to his throwing motion to deliver the bean on target
and recognizing when to abandon the pass and tuck-n-run to open space
when no open receivers showed. He did an admirable job connecting
on 5 of 9 passing attempts for 37 yards and what proved to be the
go-ahead TD to superback Dunsmore in Q2. He also displayed his
Tim Tebow-like quickness as NU’s versatile, dual-threat QB-RB hybrid,
gaining 75 yards on 17 designed and improvisational rushing
attempts. What a difference from last weekend!
However, Persa wasn’t the end to the feel-good story regarding the NU
patchwork offense. When he busted-up his throwing hand, clanging
it hard against the helmet of a HogEye DL as he got pancaked during a
Q3 pass attempt, Kafka re-entered the game, bad hammy and all, then
efficiently drove the ‘Cat O into position for a critical 47-yard FG,
which Demos deftly booted center-cut through the uprights to extend the
‘Cat lead to 7. From there, the remainder of the action on
the field was relegated to a battle of field position in which neither
team mounted anything approaching a serious scoring threat, as the
HogEye Faithful watched the minutes tick down on the game clock in
stunned silence.
Sweet music to my ears!!!
Conclusion
‘Cats Win!!! ‘Cats Win!!!
Broadcast pictures showed the blank-faced, shell-shocked HogEye Nation
as they slinked out of Kinnick Stadium scratching their collective
heads and openly muttering to themselves on what could have been.
● An undefeated season - gone.
● A storybook season as 2009’s “Destiny’s Darling” - evaporated.
● An automatic Mega-Millions BCS Series Bowl bid - shattered.
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch of hayseeds and rubes.
And now to the Wildcats...
With their 6th win of the season, the ‘Cats became bowl game eligible
for the second consecutive season. However with only 6 “W’s” in the
books, half of which came against inferior teams, NU is no lock to be
among those anointed for post-season bowl bid consideration. Sad
but true, the ‘Cats’ “W, or more accurately the “HogEyes’ “L,” throws a
big ol’ monkey wrench into the whole Big 10/11’s dream machine where
the conference’s high expectations to capture 2 BC$ Bowl Bonanza Bids -
the first via the conference champion’s automatic tie-in; and the
second as an attractive at-large candidate team sporting a single loss
record - have all but vanished. Now that delusion is “dust in the
wind” horse hockey because the 1-loss HogEyes will play the 1-loss
BuckNuts next Saturday for all the conference marbles - and the loser
gets shackled to a rank 2nd loss albatross that essentially eliminates
them from consideration for that prayed-for at-large BC$ Bowl Bid.
Talk about your Bowl Buster scenario. Believe me, once the
initial euphoria surrounding the national media’s frenzy regarding NU’s
unpredictable win over the then-undefeated HogEyes has dissipated, the
Big 10/11 powers-that-be will be nothing less than extremely pissed-off
at the Fitz and his ‘Cats. The clunker thrown-in by I-Away,
coupled with State Penn’s weak-sister, no-show “L” against daBuckNuts,
consequently removes that second projected $5-7 million payday from
conference coffers because there will be only one 1-loss record team
from the Big 10/11. However, NU can bask in the bright sunshine
emanating from the East, in or around Columbus, Ohio, because this
improbable victory by the ‘Cats has resurrected daBuckNuts’ high hopes
to capture the coveted automatic tie-in Mega-Millions BC$ Bowl Bid as
conference champion. I’m wondering if Coach Sweater Vest will
send Fitz a dozen reds with an attached perfumed greeting card that
reads: “To Fitz - with Love & Kisses - JT.”
The Waterboy
“Win with Grace and Lose with Dignity”
p.s.: The ‘Cats MUST win one more game in 2009 to ensure themselves
this post-season bowl bid. This 7th “W” will be particularly
daunting since both of Fitz’ “walking wounded” QBs together wouldn’t
make a whole fully-healthy signal caller. Time to “Flush It and
Respond.”
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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.
