The Great, The Good & The Disappointing
By Lake The Posts on
The ‘Cats laid an egg after halftime (yet again), yet the season is not completely lost just yet. We’re on the ropes and in desperate need of a season saving victory. Thankfully, we’ve got Iowa on tap. Let’s get through this recap and move on quickly, shall we?
Go ahead and call me out if you want, but I’m disappointed by the loss, but have not give up on the team. Why? Well, after four games we finally played to our strengths and brought the proper gameplan to the table. Simply put, we gave Robinson too much time to pass in the second half and didn’t “bring it” like we did in the first half, so of course our adjusting in game is still suspect, but the two uncharacteristic turnovers by two of our most reliable players were complete momentum changers. Michigan made more athletic plays on several jump balls, just like they did against Notre Dame, but the storyline was lack of pressure on 3rd down situations. Let’s get in to it.
THE GREAT
Gameplan & Scheme – Kudos to Fitz and Mick McCall, and Mike Hankwitz for bringing a great gameplan to the table. As we have been pleading for all season, we played to our strengths and had a pass first mentality all night. We integrated our best athletes – Colter and Mark in to the gameplan and it paid off big dividends. Kudos to the creativity. We dominated the tempo of the first half and consistently had Michigan in obvious passing situations by stuffing the run and containing Robinson, thanks in large part to Tyler Scott. The disappointing parts we’ll get to down below, but I was fearful we’d try to run against Michigan. Persa threw 42 times which was what I had longed for, but you also have to give credit to Denard Robinson who is a men among boys out there.
Jim Phillips’ Character – On the program’s senior prom night, if you will, Phillips rushed off to the hospital at the side of an 83-year-old member of Northwestern’s chain gang who suffered a heart attack 45 minutes before kickoff. Phillips remained at his side in the hospital during the game. Class act, Mr. Phillips.
THE GOOD
Dan Persa – Persa again scuffled a little early, but quickly gained his mojo. His pass to Christian Jones was a thing of absolute beauty. The telltale sign that things are different this year is when he had a guaranteed first down with 10-15 yards of space in front of him and he pulled up for a pass on the run which was incomplete. Persa’s stat line once again read like one of a winning QB – 32/44, 331 yds, 0 TD, 1 INT. He commanded an offense that posted 438 yards of offense and 26 first downs. We all realize he should have had 1 TD pass and 0 INTs, but those are the types of things that separate good teams from great teams.
Secondary In First Half – After getting embarassed a week ago at Illinois, it was clear that Al Borges is no dummy and was dialing up the Illinois approach. Ibraheim Campbell picked off two passes and had two great INT run backs (even though one was called back for a terrible block in the back that wasn’t) and Brian Peters had a gift thrown his way for three first half picks by the secondary. Yes, Robinson still had a couple of huge pass plays, but NU was in position on each one and simply did not execute. Campbell barely missed a PBU by inches and Michigan hauled in a pair of circus catches that you just have to tip your cap to. The second half, well, we’ll get there.
Kain Colter – Colter was fantastic and showed just how athletic he is with 3 rec for 37 yards but also he was a great twist at QB including his athletic 15-yard TD run to open NU’s scoring. He ran the option in swift fashion a few times including a pitch for a TD to Adonis Smith that put us up in the 2nd quarter.
Venric Mark – Mark was everywhere. Fitz utilized him as a RB/WR in motion, a PR, KOR and even a quasi-LB who was designated as the Denard spy on defense. I love the idea of putting your most athletic players on the field as much as possible. Venric’s only flaw was his reverse attempt on a KOR down 18 that saw him lose 9 yards, but I can’t fault him for trying to make the electricifying play. His eight yard rushing gain after being in the grasp for a five yard loss shows you just why we need the ball in this guy’s hands more.
Fitz’s Fire – Many could point to this as a “disappointing”, but Fitz’ 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty after we turned it over on downs on the play where Jordan Kovacs ripped Persa’s helmet off (the replay showed he indeed did grab the mask as he flew by) was well warranted. It’s the type of play that SHOULD be reviewable as the refs seemed shocked by the speed of the occurrence, but the only way the helmet comes off in that situation is by the defender and it would’ve kept our sliver of hope alive. Fitz acted the way we all felt and for that I was happy.
Christian Jones – He was fantastic again hauling in some dynamite catches going 3 rec for 68 yards on the night. The only knock here is that he was wide open on multiple plays and could’ve had more, but it wasn’t his fault. He’s simply one of the few guys we’ve had in memory that can win any jump ball we throw his way.
THE DISAPPOINTING
Second Half Pass Defense – Again, give some credit where it is due and that is to Michigan’s superior offense. But, our three man rush reared its ugly head again and even when we rushed four, or even five, we could not get any pressure on Denard. He had ALL DAY to pick us apart and he did, correcting his errant passing and being, well, Heisman-esque in the second half.
Failing to put up 7 on final drive of first half – You knew a 10-point lead was nothing against this type of explosive offense. However, our final drive of the first half had us 1st and goal, but we completely botched our time management, letting 30 seconds tick off between plays and we had a timeout in our pocket. Regardless, Persa threw a PERFECT strike to Rashad Lawrence who dropped a gimme TD forcing us to settle for a FG. It might not have made a difference, but being up 28-14 on that team sure would’ve have helped psychologically.
Two Bad Playcalls – This is actually a positive in my mind. The 4th and 1 in the first half was the first one. I love going for it there and please do again and again. However, Persa on a gimpy leg running the option to the short side of the field doesn’t make sense to me there. I think most would agree. Even if we get that first down I’m not liking that call. After Campbell’s second INT we started at our own 10 and got completely out of our offense reverting to Captain Conservative. I understand understanding field position, but they could NOT stop our passing game so why is that end of the field any different. To run a draw to Jacob on third and 18, well, you might as well as punt on third down. Other than that I had no beefs all night with any offensive playcalling.
2nd Half Errors – There are so many to list but Drake Dunsmore’s botched catch which richocheted for an INT and Jeremy Ebert’s fumble after one of his 11 receptions on the day were the drive killers. We were in Michigan territory three times and came up empty in the second half. You can’t do that against this type of an athletic offense.
2011 Season Momentum – We’re knocked down to the canvass. I said all week that this was our Super Bowl and we downright appled, getting outscored 28-0 in our own house, which is just embarassing. The program is in major wobble phase, but has a chance to salvage its pride with a favorable schedule the rest of the way. I said before the season that anything less than 8-4 would be a major disappointment and I don’t see us going 6-1 from here on out. However, I do see us potentially winning our next three. We are in the middle of a 2001-like freefall and its’ up to the seniors to use our annual Iowa game as a way to slowly regain some momentum.
No Calls On Michigan Holding Receivers – The Maize and Blue got away with at LEAST two holds on our receivers on critical third down plays. Jeremy Ebert was twice seen on replays with a Michigan defender literally grabbing his jersey just as plain as day. That doesn’t include the trip up of Ebert on 3rd and long in the third when he was wide open down the middle. Boo to the refs on those calls. However, the refs did not lose that game, we did.
3rd Down Defense – Awful. Just pathetic. Michigan was an eye-popping 14/17 on third down conversions which again speaks to the lack of pressure we were able to get on Robinson in what were so many third and long situations that were obvious passing downs. If you can’t get to the QB when you know it is a pass, you don’t really stand a chance.
THE DOWNRIGHT SHAMEFUL
Northwestern Season Ticket Holders – You know who you are, but you sold out this program. Sure, Michigan bought every single game ticket available, but the season ticket sections were infiltrated with Maize and Blue and it was a downright embarassment to the program. I had multiple requests from Michigan friends for tickets and I turned them all down. I don’t know how you can feel like you have a right to criticize the program or the team when you Benedict Arnold the very team you allegedly support. The sellout was actually 200+ capacity at 47,330, making it the single largest crowd since Dyche Stadium was renovated to Ryan Field in 1997. Shame on you folks.
OK, on to Iowa week, which once again becomes the salvage the season game like it has so many times in recent years. After watching every Big Ten game there is not one team that strikes fear in me the rest of the way. Zero. Iowa looks very beatable as does Penn State. However, our defense is so inconsistent right now against the pass, you can’t count on any one game as a win. Zero.
I wasn’t in attendance, but the crowd looked and sounded great on TV. Sure, there were lots of Michigan fans (there always are), but there was an obvious purple majority. I think you’re being too hard on our fans. The focus of our ire should be on the defense, and especially a few of its coaches.
NJcatsfan I agree 100 percent. @LTP don’t call out season ticket holders for selling out on this team when they have consistently underperformed this season. The most important thing to get purple butts in the seats? Win games, and this team clearly can’t do that.
I completely disagree. @LTP, I’m with you. There were Michigan people in places they had no business being in. I’m used to flocks of visitors, but not between the 30s in large numbers. Also, we got to the West Lot around 3pm, so our three car wide tailgate was near Central. However, we backed up to FOUR SEPARATE all Michigan tailgates. Our season ticket holders do not have the right to blatantly sell away their tickets or their parking passes to visitors. Unacceptable. The: “they are losing, so we’re allowed to abandon ship” excuse is not flying.
I know I yelled at the TV to get those Michigan fans out of our student section. I realize the tickets to get to the games are free, but students have to police that better. But the students looked pumped and excited for this game. Led to a great atmosphere it seemed.
We don’t have the right to sell what we own to visitors? We can see to whoever we want to. You’re all idiots for those comments.
@knickelbein5 I agree with you totally. Who wants to see this team under perform. I got better things to do in life. I sold all my November tickets since sitting in the cold watching this team is a waste of time.
Apparently, the NCAA won’t allow student-athletes to sell what they own… so…
First, recognize that (legally speaking) not everything you own can be legally sold by you. I don’t know if the season ticket contract actually forbids resale, or not.
Second, and much more to the point, nobody’s actually saying that you can’t sell your tickets. We’re just saying that you’re an asshole, if you sell them to Michigan fans.
Asshole.
We don’t have the right to sell what we own to visitors? We can see to whoever we want to. You’re all idiots for those comments.
@knickelbein5 I agree with you totally. Who wants to see this team under perform. I got better things to do in life. I sold all my November tickets since sitting in the cold watching this team is a waste of time.
@LTP Get off your high horse.
I am sure I speak for the majority here when I say please do not renew. Good riddance.
Nobody is saying you can’t sell your tickets if you can’t make it to a game. The point is that every serious Wildcat supporter should have the decency to sell tickets ONLY to other Wildcat supporters to ensure that the season ticket holder section remains solidly purple. Your comments indicate a lack of commitment to the team, and I strongly suggest that you do not purchase tickets for next season. We are all better off without traitors like you!
“Good riddance” is right!
@byebyefitz: people like you hurt these universities and these kids. You don’t have to support them if that is your wish, just don’t work to throw them under the bus and create a larger obstacle for them to overcome. If you abandon ship because they are under-performing, you are not a fan. You are weak-minded for thinking it is ok to only support an institution when it excels.
@byebyefitz look you gotta stop attacking people personally this is getting ridiculous. @LTP we can have friendly disagreements but this clown has been insulting people since yesterday night can you please ban him.
@Byebye Fitz:
The anonymous nature of the Internet affords protection to someone like you.
If you behave this way in public, you will probably be on the receiving end of a knuckle lullaby or, at a minimum, being escorted to the exit by Ryan Field security.
Grow up or go away.
LTP is perfectly within his rights to monitor comments posted on his own blog.
Haha. This guy cracks me up. An idiot, but still cracks me up.
I must agree byebyefitz cracks me up to…….When does he start writing articles for LTP………………..easy on wishing death on people young man…..Instead of being negative can you give me your ideas what needs to change? offensively and defensively? Ready go……
@byebyefitz……i find it hard to believe you sold your november tickets…..Rice and Minnesota can’t be in that high of demand. But I am sure you sold them for $150 each…
No. I can’t go along with that. It’s not the Bears they bought a season ticket to, and most likely, the people who bought tickets, especially in the East/Center sections, are alumni.
It’s not like season ticket holders bought the tickets with the expectation that it would be a profit-making venture; NU season ticket holders are used to throwing tickets away if they can’t go to the game. So why was it acceptable to put tickets on stubhub this week?
I put my tickets on stub hub. I was out of town for a wedding. I bought them, why can’t I sell them? Why would someone throw them away? I would not throw money away, so why would someone throw tickets away. Who cares what people do with their tickets. It is their tickets.
+1 I agree 100 percent. As much as I want to see 40,000 purple fans that’s not gonna happen for reasons that have been expressed at length (non-state school, small alumni pool, etc.) and the fact that THIS TEAM IS NOT VERY GOOD!
It’s not always about the money. If you’re an alum and you want to get rid of tickets, why not offer them to cat fans on the Rivals wildcat report message board, or donate them back to the school. Geez
Sorry, no. Criticize the playcalling, sure. Be angry at the coaches, sure. But poor performance is no reason for season ticket holders to sell out the program.
When it comes to your tickets, you stand by the ‘Cats no matter what. You don’t look to make an easy profit off of them just because you don’t feel like attending the game.
Not to pile on, but one more thing about season ticket holders – they don’t cheer! I can’t tell you how disappointed my wife (not an NU grad but a fan nonetheless) and I were that in our section (albeit it was in the “family” section), nobody was cheering! No fight song, no claws on 3rd down, no noise, nothing. While there was pretty big infiltration by Michigan fans, there should have been enough NU fans to get behind the team. I just can’t help but think of all the fans with the polite golf clap when the Cats do something right.
I know this starts with the students, and I was downright impressed with the student section at this game. So current students and those who were hanging with them, well done! But to the rest of the fans there, make some noise! I would love to see it turn into a Soldier Field-like experience where everyone is on their feet for the big plays, everyone’s cheering, and the team gets some support when they need it (like, let’s say, a big 3rd down which Michigan converted almost all the time).
Go Cats!
I agree with you totally. I always get my seats in section 131 near the student section since the rest of the place is dead. If you go to games in other stadiums like Florida or PSU…EVERYONE STANDS!!! This makes me sick and the older alumni are worthless. Most people aren’t alumni but Evanston residents who treat this like a family trip to a game. I am always embarrassed when I bring friends to games.
I couldn’t agree more! I am constantly frustrated with our section for not getting into the spirit of things, especially when the players and coaches are trying to get the fans to make some noise. Of course, lack of energy on other people’s part doesn’t deter me from cheering, but it is annoying to not get the enthusiasm level that the team deserves!
Speak for yourself. I haven’t missed a home game in almost 20 years, and usually lose my shouting power in the 3rd or 4th quarter. I have the privilege of sitting near the players’ parents section, down around the south 20, and it’s plenty loud in there. But of course it gets quiet when the game goes badly.
AntiqueCat, we need more fans like you. I’m aware that I’m generalizing but it was disappointing to see the general lack of fan support in our section. I saw something similar at the bowl game last year – many people cheered, but many don’t. I’d love if everyone got in on a Go U NU chant but mostly attempts to get chants started fall flat. Same thing with singing the fight song after we score – I think my wife and i were the inly ones singing after we scored. Compare that to Go Blue yesterday and you’ll see what I mean.
I do need to point the blame back at my generation, too. Of all my friends from school, only a handful even went to games when we were in school, much less now. I’m hoping the future generations of alumni keep the tradition alive once they leave the student section.
Maybe I’m hoping for too much. Or maybe not…
Michigan converted 14 of 17 3rd attempts. I got tired of standing up and cheering. When the Cats D starts to show that they can make a stop, I’ll stand up again. To paraphrase Cuba Gooding Jr.” Show me the stop!”
I second (or third, or fourth) this. I am an East Coaster and don’t get to go to the home games, but I did make sure I went to the closest game to me, which was Army. Sailgate was terrific, and my only gripe (aside from what happened on the field) is how it seemed like most of the NU fans thought they were at a golf game. It negated our huge presence numbers-wise. The few times I’ve been able to go to NU games post-graduation I have greatly missed the enthusiasm of the student section back at Ryan Field, which seems to be the only place that feels like you’re watching football. It’s not Wimbledon! Noise is encouraged and helpful!! Anyway, I am just venting and admittedly preaching to the choir, but it makes me feel like we have a big hill to climb not just in terms of attendance, but passion and atmosphere as well. Those issues are interrelated and reinforce each other, for good and for ill. The number of ‘Cats fans matters less right now than the passion of the ones who are there. If you build the latter, the former will come along. No one will do it for us…it’s not about the stadium announcers or the video screen. Stand up and make some goddamned noise!
Was a season ticket holder for 15 years on the east side, 40-yeard line(what some NU fans would disparagingly call the “visitors” side). Gave ‘em up after moving away. I was constantly frustrated by our fans’ tendency to give or sell tickets to the enemy, and lack of passion, fire or even interest. Over the years I had the pleasure of sitting with loud-mouthed jerks from OSU, Wis, Pur, MSU and PSU, if not every other B10 school. I cannot count the number of times I was told to sit down by our own fans. There is a block of NU “fans” that are among the lamest in D1 football, and it does not help the program.
I agree totally with the “Sit down” comment. I am being tired of told to sit down when we make a big play. It pisses me off. Makes me want to sneak into the student section. It is not lame…but pathetic.
As for selling tickets to the enemy I am okay with that. Sell to who you want to. Some of these people who are Penn State alum cannot always see their team play so if this is a chance then oh well. If I ever move to Lincoln Nebraska I would hope someone could sell me a ticket to see NU play and not sell it to me just because I am a Northwestern Alum. Also those fans you mentioned aren’t all jerks…they are beating us 9 times out of 10 and are bragging about it. We ALL do the same when we win. Stop acting like we are classy and never rub wins in…ALL FANS DO.
’95, I agree with most of your comment, and I was not suggesting that EVERY opposing fan is a loud-mouthed jerk. HOWEVER, over the years I can cite specific situations involving those fan spewing non-stop profanities throughout the game and hurling invectives at our players and coaches despite being told to shut up. It is especially annoying given that there are many kids around, including sometimes my own. Granted the people in question were most likely hammered, but it certainly takes away from the “home field” enjoyment. My personal experience was that OSU, Wis, and sadly MSU in 2010 were the worst.
I do not fault opposing fans showing up to cheer, but stick ‘em in the EZ. When they park it in season ticket spots and act like the own the place it is very troubling.
YEP. Shame on both fans who give away their tickets to the enemy and fans who sit there like its a night at the theatre. can’t wait to beat up on io_A again though
Does anyone think problems in the Secondary MIGHT be because all the players there have not played in the secondary in HS?
Mabin – Amazing Running back in Ohio, converted to CB.
Jeravin – Converted to CB after RB
Ibraheim – Converted RB
Mark(ok he played spy but just to emphasize point) – WR
Q Davie(ok yeah hes not on team) – Wide Receiver in HS
Nwabuisi – Played O and was listed as 2 star athlete on rivals.
Scott – Converted from LB.
Why can’t we get some guys that actually played the position in HS???
that’s not unusual, most guys who get recruited to play Big Ten football are offensive players in high school because they’re by far the best athletes on their team and thus the best RBs/WRs
Because high schools don’t play their best athletes in the secondary. I don’t have a problem with converting kids out of high school, but it seems we’re doing a poor job of either a. identifying the best players to convert, or b. teaching them the position.
I’m not sure how much Venric figures into the offensive plans in the future, but he does a great job on kick coverage. I’d love to see him see the field more, even if it’s defense. And you could still toss him into a few offensive plays too (watching Chris Gamble right now).
Adding on top of that. A good many high school players play both sides of the ball. So they are doing both and don’t have time to commit to the technique. Maybe the problem is that Jordan Mabin and Brian Peters are the only cornerbacks with more than one year of experience in the secondary.
This group is also not as deep as we thought. And, as I mentioned on the live chat, the prospects NU is looking at for cornerbacks and safeties is not fantastic. Still some talent, but they will need to be coached up.
My season tickets are in the upper deck and I had big positive surprise on my walk up the ramp to our seats. There were probably a couple hundred students lined up in the ramp cheering NU fans and relentlessly booing all the UM fans making the trek upstairs. Not sure if they were the freshmen that later ran across the field before the game? I hope they do that for every home game!
I’m starting to wonder if maybe those visitor’s fans in the “season ticket” sections are, in fact, the season ticket holders themselves. I bet that about 2,000 to 5,000 of our season ticket base is made up of Wisconsin, Ohio State, Michigan, and Iowa fans who buy these to see their team play and dump the rest of games.
What is truly despicable is the large number of yellow-clad fans in the student section. What? You can’t root for your own school?
I think what you’re referring to as the student section includes section 135 (the northern most corner) which is not part of the student section.
From what I understand, it’s been called the “young alumni” section which is a euphemism meaning “the worst section in Ryan Field”. Students are not allowed in this section and tickets are usually up for grabs.
The student section was FULL last night, which is better than most other weeks. Not sure how many freshmen would return after that loss though…
It’s also where grad student season tickets are. I’m sure there are a lot of Northwestern grad students who went to Michigan undergrad and maintain that loyalty, and maybe brought some friends.
add Morty to the list of the good. He is trying to get school spirit going with the undergrads, was very popular for doing this when he was the Pres. at Williams. he is a non stop spirit on the sidelines, reveling in the good and hurting about the bad. I loved his appearance for the 4th Q Hands in the Air. (yes, this may feel ill timed when the team is about to score on us, but this on the fly creation by Fitz and Phillips is very fun.)
this leading of undergrads will translate later to alums. but something more must be done with alums. in the nifty season ticket package this year, the Game Day traditions listed are Walk With Us and Wildcat Alley.
Huh? what does this do for the action during the game? the brochure is the perfect place to list traditions, but list the things the players care about….cheering, standing up and yelling for the defense on 3rd down, the words to the fight song, Rise Northwestern (which, sadly, we had to hear often when the other team scored), singing the Alma Mater, whatever we need to prompt the brains of the young and old who are boring in spirit and need instruction.
I am happy to receive the rules on what and what not to do per the NCAA. Our crowd is pretty good with that. what we need is a giant jolt of spunk and spirit. since they look at lists and words, give it to them early and often. Coach up your season ticket holders.
I disagree with LTP in saying the game plan was excellent. The defensive game plan was awful. How many times did Denard Robinson get sacked in the 2nd half? How many times did he fire off a pass under pressure?…..HE DIDN’T. Our team can not adjust on defense. This was also our problem last year. It’s time for Fitz and Phillips to realize that the Hankwitz/Brown combination isn’t getting through to our guys and they are not getting better. We have a stronger front 7 this year (versus last year) but the pass defense is putrid.
A good friend of mine is an Illinois alum, who does not like Ron Zook. He said it best to me last night “when you get out-coached by Ron Zook, you have a pretty big problem.” Of course, he was referring to last week’s game, but he said it again last night. All I could do was shrug my shoulders and say “can’t argue (sadly)”.
I agree in part there. The gameplan was to contain Robinson on the ground and have him throw those jump ball plays. Northwestern did that perfectly in the first half and got three interceptions.
Then Michigan adjusted. They started using shorter passes and with little pass rush Robinson had all day to throw. They also got the running back involved more and he just wore down NU’s d-line.
Again, a failure to adjust from the basic gameplan hurt in this one. But Michigan’s offensive line also played really well. The few times NU sent a blitz, Michigan picked it up pretty easily or Robinson evaded the rush and got some yards on the ground.
I will add this: it will be nice playing a quarterback who is not a threat to run. I think that will help the entire defense tremendously.
I believe the game plan was excellent. Once again as I mentioned in the disappointing it was our inability to adjust that cost us. We are good at scripting first half but stink at adjusting
O.K. but isn’t part of an excellent game plan the ability to adjust and adapt? It’s no different in my business world. You can never anticipate everything that can/will go wrong. The most effective leaders are the ones who can figure that out quickly and adjust without losing control or the vision.
I’m not trying to be argumentative, but I have to tell you that I’m having a hard time agreeing that a game plan that fails to adjust is a good one.
I also have a comment on the “this is not the Persa of old” in regard to his pass instead of run for a 1st down which went incomplete…
The only reason it was incomplete was because the receiver dropped the pass! It was a great throw by Dan and we know he is a pass-first QB. we only harp on it because it was incomplete.
Crap … DP drilled the guy in the middle of the chest. It bounce off him … he wasn’t looking and simply missed the ball.
@CEBP – agreed – the pass was great. The point was he had a guaranteed first down run and hesitated and decided to pass. Last year he makes that run for the guaranteed first down. I thought DP was money passing all night long. WRs made several drops.
Totally agree! A year ago, Persa would have taken the open lane and run for the first down. He seemed hesitant to do so and committed to the pass.
Our group included thirteen people, but were separated in different seating sections during the game. Afterwards, during discussions, several people expressed surprise at Persa not running for the first down on this particular play.
As I mentioned on the other thread. 4 of NU’s 5 second half drives ended on bad calls by the officials. It is one thing when ref’s blow a call on first or second down and you have a play or two to compensate. But when a bad call ends a drive…let alone 3 drives (I am not too worried about the final decision by the officials not to stop the clock for a 1st down….because it would have been a meaningless score) it has a tendency to make an offense look ineffective. That officiating team should be sidelined for a few weeks. It should be an embarassment to the B10 to have the announcers pointing out missed calls by the officials in the B10 Network primetime game.
That said, Persa did not seem completely comfortable last night…his timing was a bit off. Matthews was abused again last night. We are getting very limited pressure on QBs. Who knows what is going to happen the rest of the season. I still feel that we have enough talent to win enough games to go bowling this season…but rather than concerning myself with our season ending record, I am only concerned with beating Iowa this week.
I agree with most of LTP’s points. I have a weird feeling of optimism for the rest of the year. Here’s why:
1. The staff adjusted by changing the plans throughout the game. For once, I agree with Fitz that it was execution in the end (bad calls or not).
2. Despite the numbers, the secondary was not horrible. Two jump balls lost and three picks. The guys that were open were due to lack of pressure.
3. Speaking of pressure, the D did blitz more and rarely went three man rush (but it killed them when they did — so STOP that!). A lot of the blitzes were on the opposite side of the play Michigan called, so a bit of great reads or luck for Michigan.
4. Persa will learn to trust himself more when he sees the mistakes he made and my guess is our receivers will not have dropsies again.
Michigan right now is where our defense was in 2008. A new coordinator changed the plan and they are playing with attitude. That’s all that’s missing on NU’s defense. Michigan’s talent is not leaps and bounds above NU. Hank needs to look at whatever he did in 2008 and repeat it. I still think Brown should go at the end of the year though, for no other reason than we’ll only have on returning starting in the secondary and a new voice is needed.
I am optimistic about Iowa because NU sits 2-3 and Iowa with think we’re “just Northwestern” again. If NU was 5-0 I could see Iowa upping their game like they did against Michigan State last year.
Also, NU has one horrible loss this year and two where they lost leads against solid competition. Live and learn and see what happens.
I guess we saw the same game in different ways. I think the secondary was very awful! how many third downs did Michigan convert? How many times did Michigan punt in the second half or not get some sort of score in the second half?…….yea, that’s what I thought. After watching the secondary’s collapse against Penn State and Michigan State last year, and seeing it happen again this year against Illinois and Michigan, I think the secondary is our Achilles’ heel (no pun intended towards Persa). Hankwitz and Brown should be in the hot seat. And if no improvement by the end of the season, they should be gone.
I respect your view point on the secondary. I have been saying Brown should go at the end of the year as well. Hankwitz should be on on notice too. However, no secondary can cover forever. The lack of pressure killed them and some of that was scheme and some of the was Michigan. Against Illinois it seemed it was all scheme. Just a reason for some slight optimism. If Vandeburg lights them up despite pressure, then it’s the secondary (and Brown’s) fault. If Vandeburg lights them up because of three man fronts, then it’s Hank’s fault.
This was my first NU game. I have season tix in 127. The sound system is terrible. It was a great first half and a disappointing 2nd half. I dont understand the comments here about fans, we stood for great plays and big plays. Michigan fans were all around us and they stood too for the same plays. As for the older fans as we qere walking out , two older blue hairs were cussing up a storm mf’n the NU players and coaches. The blue hairs swore they were not giving anymore money to Wildcat? I take this as a time for younger alumni and fans to step up support to the program.
To the fans:
We are 15 year season ticket holders on the East side. Our side needs a major pep-talk on how to be fans.
1-EX: The defense is struggling, but we make a great stop on a 1st or 2nd down. The crowd is SILENT. Yes, I know that we are all thinking, “we probably can’t hold them three straight”…but my lord, make some noise!!!
2-THIRD DOWNS. I might have been the only one standing on third downs within a 50 foot radius of myself. I’m at midfield. The heart of the purple presence on the east side. Yet, no standing, no yelling, just mild clapping from those around me.
I will say that this is much less of a problem than byebyefitz. After all, he blatantly sells to visitors, and abandons NU simply because they are under-performing. All teams under-perform at some point, and with the help of FANS, they recover. But as for the TRUE FANS, we do need to step it up on gameday. Go Cats! Beat IO_A! (We’ll be there!)
@LTP I am sorry, but I have to totally disagree with you about Coach Fitz 15 yard penalty. I think this should be under your THE DOWNRIGHT SHAMEFUL category . I love that Fitz is very enthusiastic coach, but he is in his 6th year as the head coach and needs to act like it. He needs to show COMPOSER!! I’m not going to disagree with his argument , but he needs to have composer in crucial situations. After that situation he needed to settle his team down and get his Defense to step-up and get a 3-and-out, but instead he went crazy (like a 2 year old that can’t have chocolate before dinner), gave Michigan additional 15 yards and sucked the life out of the team and their fans. I am sorry to say this, but he really embarrassed himself out there. It’s one thing to get out coached; it’s another to look like an out of control coach. After that game I have really lost confidence in Fitz’s ability to turn around this season and we will most likely end up 4-8 or 5-7. I really hope I am wrong, but unfortunately I don’t think I am.
P.S. U can say all you want about the refs mistakes, but they weren’t the ones that gave up ANOTHER big 1st half lead and loss another game. We have no one to blame but ourselves.
I believe you mean COMPOSURE. Not the people that create music.
Anyway, I disagree. It was a mood point. The emotional level was low and the team needed any spark they could get. Not to mention, Fitz had already sucked it up through bad officiating the whole game. I’m not for unnecessary penalties, but that was a coach sticking up for his guys. And it was warranted.
You are right, I meant to say composure. Thanks for the correction. I also totally agree with you that the team needed any spark they could get, but doesn’t that tell you something about the team’s leadership if that spark has to come from the HC. Ur also right that Fitz was sticking up for his guys, but did he help his team or hurt his team by is reaction? I believe that it hurt his team.
I think the penalty was legit and I don’t criticize Fitz for doing it. The defense need a boost, and 15 yards weren’t really going to matter with the way they were playing. I love his intensity and desire to get the defense to step up.
I am a huge Fitz fan but he went over the line and hurt the team. He acted like a fan, not a coach out there. I understand that he was rightly upset about his QB nearly getting his head ripped off and yes the refs blew the call but he needs to keep it together. He deserves whatever fine the Big 10 levels on him.
Was it worth a almost sure TD for the opponent?
That was high schoolish!
I know its early, but according to Brad Edwards espn 2011 BOWL PROJECTIONS – WEEK 6
Northwestern vs. Washington State @ Kraft Fight Hunger
(Army vs. Pac-12)…it’s ironic, Army beats us but we go to their bowl!!!!
That bowl game is in San Francisco on New Years Eve…
Also Mark Schlabach and Adam Rittenberg have NU at Pizza Bowl against Temple.
Assuming that season ticket holders couldn’t attend the game but didn’t want to eat the tickets, I suggest posting that you have tickets available on this site. I’m pretty confident an NU fan on this site would give them a loving home. Also, I think LTP would be willing to see they stayed purple. Of course, I am assuming that the season ticket holder will take face value. If not, then they aren’t being sold to break even, but to make a profit.
On a different topic, in the great, or at least good category, I would nominate Tyler Scott.
Finally, I think it is a little early to jump ship. Whatever we think of the quality of Illinois and Michigan, they are both ranked in the top 20. NU nearly (and should have) beat Illinois. NU led Michigan in the 2nd half, and but for a disputed turnover (the INT) and some other questionable calls (helmetgate, missed false starts, etc.), the game would have been extremely close at the end. Yes, the Army loss was unacceptable, but even that situation involved an unusual offense and no Dan Persa.
Based on the current rankings, Illinois and Michigan are the two best teams NU will play this year other than Nebraska. I’m not saying that NU will go 7-0 or 6-1 the rest of the way, although it is possible. But 7-5 or better is still likely.
Is 7-5 or 8-4 great? No, but it is not “sky is falling” worthy. I am still waiting for someone to name a coach that would do better than Fitz (which at this point would require a consistent 9 wins or better per season) AND would stay assuming that were accomplished for 2 or more consecutive seasons. A few posters have thrown some names out there of coaches they think would be better, but no one has even attempted to claim that those coaches would actually stay.
However, it wouldn’t be too much to ask that the corners be taught to look for the ball once the receiver goes 20+ yards down the field, especially against a QB like Robinson whose long passes are typically underthrown jump balls. Frankly, this rule applies for all but the best college QBs. Will you get burned on the perfect pass that leads the receiver? Yes, but you are probably toast anyway. I would rather intercept or at least defend the poor to average passes and force the QB to make a great throw.
I don’t care about attendance, I don’t care about marketing campaigns, and I don’t care about stadium plans. But the one area no one is talking about is that 3 years ago, we beat this program on their home turf 21-14. Most of us Cats fans felt that we were at parity with Michigan. UM is our benchmark (academics, brand and fan support) in the BIG and last night we lost a once in a half century opportunity to surpass them. This loss is much bigger than we can imagine. It’s time to back the truck up and either get serious about our commitment or resign ourselves to mediocrity. This is the losing of Ara back in the early 60’s, the 1950’s slide and the late 1930’s swoon all in one. We will not get a second chance…
So if we won last night NU passed Michigan in recruits minds? I don’t think so. Things ebb and flow. NU has gotten out of the dark ages, but have a long way to go. Can you think of any program that has a bleak history that has come out ahead and made better strides for 15-20 years? Virginia Tech is now a power without history. Florida State was not a power until the late eighties. Oregon has turned a corner. Anyone else you can think of? Teams with tradition like Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame can handle a few bad years and recover quickly. It’s a shame NU missed Michigan in the last two years. It would have been nice to potentially get a mini streak of three games of wins. What this game probably meant to recruits is the NU is legit and if you want to play big ten football NU is a great choice. If they have an offer from Michigan as well, they might take it. It’s hard to say as so much more for a recruit might come down to what they think of the coaches and their comfort level there.
@Lord Willie – I was at Neb-Wisc two weeks ago for work. The atmosphere at a big game in Madison is something that we can’t replicate right now. Add in all the peripherals that come along with being a great athlete on campus in Madison/Ann Arbor/Columbus vs being a great athlete on campus in Evanston, and we are quite obviously at a major disadvantage with the typical recruit. UM’s brand has 100 years of football history behind it a 100k fans every home game. How are they are benchmark? Because they had a down decade?
If you care about bringing in recruits, you should care about both attendance and the stadium plan. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be successful in the meantime. We are just playing at a different table when it comes to most of the peripherals that matter to most 18-year-old high school football players.
Northwestern has to compete against several professional teams for the fans. WGN Radio 720 routinely preempts the Wildcats to broadcast either the Cubs or the Blackhawks. This is an obstacle that needs to be overcome as Northwestern needs to develop its own “Subway Alumni” base to fill seats.
It is not an impossible task as Northwestern has good crowds from Chicago in the past. Large local crowds were the norm throughout the Sixties and into the early Seventies.
Only the Minnesota Golden Gophers face similar professional competition in their immediate marketplace. It is a simple matter for most people in Michigan to transfer their football allegiances and energies to the Wolverines or the Spartans or a Mid American Conference program. The fact that the Detroit Lions have been totally irrelevant since Eisenhower was president also helped college football attendance in Michigan. The Lions may finally post a respectable record this year.
Northwestern is posting modest gains through its marketing. I am not completely sold on building a new stadium until the Wildcats add much more hardware to their trophy case.
Is it only me, or do others see that “it is not working”. Our program needs a real jolt or we will fall back into the bottom hole of the BIG. Michigan beat us with Rich Rod’s players, a guy who they said could not coach. Michigan is better off now than we are and its not about the size of the band, the brand name or the college town. 16, 17 and 18 yrs olds could care less. We lost a great opportunity to become elite.
You are certainly not alone, Lord Willie…
Lord Willie has several good points. When you cut through all the hype, this team isn’t any better then those mediocre Randy Walker years between 2001 and 2005. We aren’t gaining ground despite the marketing hype because the brand doesn’t match what happens on the field. If Fitz were at any other school or in the SEC, his job would have been on the line after last year’s collapse. At a minimum, he better shake up his defensive coaching staff or we are about to slide into mediocrity.
I really get miffed when I hear people say “we could have beat Michigan if……blah, blah blah……had happened.” Or, “that Illinois game was really an exciting finish, we hung tough until the end.” That’s B.S.!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you think Stanford got good because “the kids hung tough for three quarters”? NO! The learned how to WIN!
When all of these NU grads were applying to school would they have been happy with a mediocre SAT or ACT score? Would you have been happy to “almost” get into NU? I don’t think so. So why does a school with that level of academic standard accept this level of inconsistency out of its sports teams? Especially out of the coaches who are well paid and should be smart enough to not get outcoached by the likes of Ron Zook!
I am not making excuses for NU. I am only looking at these games as there are some bright spots. There are clearly some really bad dark spots that have to be addressed. And by no means and I am happy with the losses, I am despondent. I feel this group of seniors has a lot more talent than is showing. I’m not sure if it’s chemistry, heart, confidence, etc… but something is missing. I am hoping that comes together and they make a run. To your point, no one should be satisfied with anything that has happened the last three games.
Lets see what Stanford does after Luck graduates. Prior to 2009 they’d had 7 straight losing seasons.
I think you’re on the money here. We’re going to really be kicking ourselves at the end of this year. We’ve had leads on our first two B1G opponents – both ranked! – and squandered them. We’re easily capable of being 5-0. It’s been 11 years since we had a shot at the conference title, and I think it’s going to be a long time before we sniff it again.
Fitz and Hank might want to consider giving Matthews instructions to tackle McNutt whenever there is a ball in the air..heading in McNutt’s direction (unless of course it is in the endzone). Giving up 15 yards per play would be superior to giving up 50. If we had employed that strategy against IL we would have won that game.
I’ll respectfully disagree………along with those fifteen yards comes four new downs for our defense to give up big plays. Does the secondary need to step up…..hell yea, but not in this way.
I don’t know…50 yard bombs come with a new set of down or a TD.
Not this, but how about turn around and look for the ball? Had Matthews down that in the endzone PI against Illinois it might have been a pick for him.
About the poll:
Why do you think Iowa’s actually a bigger threat that PSU? I think we beat Iowa, Minny, IU, and Rice to end up in Detroit.
if you noticed, Iowa lost to the freakin’ Cyclones (as well as PSU just this past week).
PSU still has a defense, and their only loss is to a team that very well could play in the national title game. No one else has scored more than 10 points on the Lions.
When are they going to start selling the Black Alternate Uniforms to fans? We can have a “black out” game against Penn State!
I have never posted on here before, but here goes. I have been trying to get a parking pass in the East or West Lots for 8 years and it kills me when I see opposing team’s tailgates week after week. I had to settle for Golf Course parking this year. NU needs to set up a system where Alums or NU fans can buy parking passes from other Season Ticket holders. NU fans have no spine. Can you imagine going into the Big House, or Camp Randall and treating the fans the way our fans our treated at Ryan Field? Stand up for yourself and NU. Shout them down. I can’t tell you the amount of times I heard the UM fight song this week. Pathetic!
As for the game itself this week – Mike Hankewitz has to go. There is a reason he was fired from Wisconsin. The only way to beat that team was to dial up the pressure and force Robinson to make mistakes. I would rather lose being more aggressive than sitting back and letting him pick us apart. Same goes for the week before against Illinois.
Schematically – If you are only rushing three how do you end up with so many one on one battles where we are getting outplayed. Your are playing 8 on 5 and even if you keep a spy in to stop a scramble from the quarterback you still should be able to cover the deep ball with more that a first year starter at safety.
Bobby:
Agree with you. To beat Michigan last Saturday, the defense had to take a few risks. We can debate the strategic point, but man for man Michigan’s offense was better than our defense. Robinson was the best athlete on the field but mistake prone in the passing game when under pressure. We should brought blitzes then entire night. Likely, we would of burned by Robinson’s feet as opposed to his arm, but the game would as theatre would hve been more entertaining.
As I blogged before, I believe in the principle that any team or team within a team (offense and defense) is as good as its weakest link. When Michigan converts 14 of 17 third down opportunities NU is in for a long night, you have to question the talent in your defensive backfield and take a long look at your defensive coordinator.
It was painful to watch them convert time after time on 3rd down. Bielema fired Hank after two seasons at Wisconsin and one of them he had pretty highly ranked defense. They are too predictable and they play soft. If you get burned because you are too aggressive I can live with it, but to get beat time and time again because you give the QB all day to throw is what kills you as a fan and kills the crowd.
I will challenge any ‘Cats fan on here to not sell their tickets to PSU fans. Post them here and we should be able to find buyers for them. Also, if a Lion fan gets a little too loud or lippy come get me I’m in Row 72 Section 127. I’m sick of opposing team’s fans coming into our stadium and treating it like it’s a home game. I’ve been to games and OSU, UM, UW, UIL, and Iowa and would never think of saying some of the crap that comes out of the mouths of opposing teams’ fans in our home stadium.
brilliant idea about the parking passes. there is NO excuse for putting the opposition in our lots right by the stadium. it would not happen elsewhere.
Fitz needs to have a sit down with Kelly Amonte-Hiller and learn her secrets to playing with focus for 60 minutes. Our lacrosse team plays with a killer instinct, something our footballers lack. Even when KAH owns a big lead, she does not let up on the opposition.
So I’m a little confused…maybe the regulars can help me here. I’m not an NU alum, but a local with an interest in college football overall, and appreciative and supportive of Chicago’s Big Ten team. (Nice slogan!) After hearing the drumbeat all summer about buying season tickets, I did. So did others, apparently, because the season-ticket count is up. I went to the game Saturday night; great atmosphere. But in the 36 hours since, I’ve come to discover that buying those tickets wasn’t enough. We are also supposed to be as rabid as the True Purple: to yell loud all the time, and stand on third down, and not even think of selling any of those tickets (even, or especially when, Michigan fans are willing to pay up to 4x face), because NU fans don’t need the money; and if we don’t do all that, we’re turncoats and wimps and sellouts. You know, I’m happy for your passion; every school and team needs its most loyal supporters, and maybe NU more than most because of the small fan base. And I can live with getting yelled at by opposing fans at the game; that’s football. But getting ripped by my own team’s fans after the game because I didn’t measure up to their standards? Well, I hope that’s a strategy that works for you all. See you at the Penn State game; I’ll try to do a little better.
thanks for coming to the game. and for buying season tickets. in general, we are ripping our own alums. you might already have some idea how boring some can be. we need a jolt. sorry you felt ripped in the wake of our anger over the game and the fans, but we need the jolt. our fans need to wake up and heed the towel waving of the D on 3rd down.
Thanks for coming to the game Scott. Forget those comments, most of which were aimed at NU alums, or were just dumb comments. We had big crowds in the sixties, many many of which were college football fans like you, and had adopted NU. Thank you for your support, from an NU fan for 47 years. Go Cats!
NU football does not have the wiggle room of others….look at Michigan defense last year..they couldn’t tackle “willie the wildcat” running down the field with …. let’s say.. an adult beverage in his hand..sat on my couch and laughed at them…did the Blue fan base leave…NOT…..that’s just the way it is folks !….we have a stellar team this year all things considered…but in football and life..things just don’t always work out !…all but one of the last games are possible…..be a little more patient
The unofficial tavern of a select number of Northwestern fans and friends who are in the know on home game days is at the Evanston American Legion (Post 42). The lounge is located in the clubhouse above the 18th hole of the community golf course, immediately South of the parking lot opposite the Central Street elevated station, between Central and Lincoln.
On most game days, the golf course leases a portion of its property to raise funds for the not for profit corporation that manages the small golf course along the canal banks (the course occupies a remnant of the original site of the former Evanston Country Club). Usually, the visiting fans wander upstairs to the lounge on game days and purchase a few cocktails and mix with the Northwestern fans in a polite manner. Fans of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin have all climbed the stairs to the Legion Post, but the cheapskates from Michigan’s alumni gathering did not spend a penny last Saturday. The free beer provided at their party proved more inviting than spending $3.25 for a mixed drink at the Legion Post! In fact, some of the Michigan organizers were telling their fans that the Post was closed during the pregame tailgate.
I wanted to mimic Lawrence Tierney in his best scene from “Reservoir Dogs” and tell the Wolverine fans to “Throw in, you cheap bastards” and buy a few drinks to support the veterans and their local charities.
Such miserly behavior is unbecoming.
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