Rest In Peace: OL Joseph Villavisenscio, #67 for the Aggies. He died in a freak car accident after spending quality time visiting some children who really needed some cheering up just before Christmas. By all accounts he was a quality man who will be missed. Both the Aggies and the Wildcats will be wearing #67 stickers in his honor at the game. My condolences go to his family, friends, and teammates.
Texas A&M Aggies Make The Wildcats Underdogs (Again)
First, Northwestern did make it into a bowl - the Meineke Car Care Of Texas Bowl (MCCOT Bowl).
Second, Northwestern did *not* jump Ohio State in the bowl order - which I predicted.
Third, Northwestern *did* jump Purdue and Illinois - which I predicted.
Fourth, Northwestern *jumped* Penn State in the choices. I’m a bit surprised.
So, here’s where we are: instead of playing a 6-7 UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco (like Illinois is doing), we’re playing a 6-6 Texas A&M football team that was ranked in the preseason Top Ten. They are considered far better than their 6-6 record would indicate. Thus, the Wildcats are 10 point underdogs.
10 point underdogs might sound low considering the Aggies’ reputation. But their head coach got fired a few weeks ago, they have an interim coach who is headed elsewhere after the game, and the aforementioned tragedy.
Northwestern is sick of losing bowl games. Making it into a bowl game is no longer enough - the Wildcats must seal the deal.
Everyone is expecting an offensive performance by both teams. They both have high powered offenses and iffy defenses. To a large extent, the game will be decided by whose defense shows up just enough to trip the other side’s offense a few times.
Cue the scenarios:
The Good:
Both teams show up ready to play. On paper, the Aggies should win on sheer superior physical talent. But Northwestern has heart and really wants this badly. They also have the superior intellect. Sometimes football is more chess than checkers…
During the bowl break, the Wildcats install some trickerations. The Aggies are larger and little faster. But they aren’t smarter. Coach Fitz uses a trick play to perfection to get a quick seven. The Aggies respond with sheer force. The game stays close through the half, with the Wildcats taking a three point lead into the lockers.
Recall the trickerations I mentioned above.
The Wildcats fall behind in the third quarter. The Aggies get a four point lead. But the Northwestern defense remembers what they accomplished against Nebraska. Their heart carries them beyond their physical abilities. The offense gets the ball back and scores a couple of times, establishing a lead. The Aggies are once again stopped with a 3-and-out. The offense comes out and starts to grind out a long drive. They make very slow progress. But when it appears that NU will be halted, Coach Fitz pulls another rabbit out of the play hat. The lead is extended. The very next NU offensive series shows that there are yet more rabbits in the play hat.
Northwestern does something they haven’t done in a long time...they run up the score just a little bit. The killer instinct that has been missing is found with a vengeance. The final score: Wildcats 48 - Aggies 28. And the game was not as close as the score would imply. Monkey #63 is finally off the Wildcats’ backs and receives a permanent home in the Cats’ trophy case. The Northwestern faithful are delirious.
The Bad:
I’m cutting to the chase. ANY loss is BAD. There are no more “moral victories.”
The Probable:
Both teams show up ready to play. On paper, the Aggies should win on sheer superior physical talent. But Northwestern has heart and really wants this badly. They also have the superior intellect. Sometimes football is more chess than checkers…
During the bowl break, the Wildcats install a couple of trickerations. The Aggies are larger and little faster. But they aren’t smarter. Coach Fitz uses a trick play to perfection to get a quick seven. The Aggies respond with sheer force. The game stays close through the half, with the Wildcats taking a one point lead into the lockers.
Recall the trickerations I mentioned above.
The Wildcats fall behind in the third quarter. The Aggies get a six point lead. But the Northwestern defense remembers what they accomplished against Nebraska. Their heart carries them beyond their physical abilities. The offense gets the ball back and scores a couple of times, establishing a lead. The Aggies are once again stopped with a 3-and-out. The offense comes out and starts to grind out a long drive. They make very slow progress. But when it appears that NU will be halted, Coach Fitz pulls another rabbit out of the play hat. The lead is extended one more time.
Northwestern turns a little conservative, much to the consternation of the NU fans. But like the Nebraska game, they manage to hang on by sheer force of will. The final score: Wildcats 35 - Aggies 28. Monkey #63 is finally off the Wildcats’ backs and receives a permanent home in the Cats’ trophy case. The Northwestern faithful are delirious.
Let’s get the win!
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
Michigan State Post Mortem and Indiana Look Ahead
I’ll Admit It, I Sulked
I am slow about posting the post Michigan State game results. I sulked that it was a loss.
Without belaboring the issue, Michigan State just gradually crushed the life out of Northwestern. I think the turning point, as in 2010, was a NU fumble in the red zone. Given that MSU took the ball down the field and scored, it was a 14 point swing. Add in the MSU punt return just before the half and that was the difference between a 14 point loss and a 7 point win.
Looking back at the scenarios, this would be The Bad:
The Bad:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ are living in the moment - meaning they are in Evanston to play a tough game. The Spartans storm out and put up a quick 7 against NU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Michigan State is here to play. The Wildcats are down by two scores into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is much better than the first. And it isn’t...
Final Score: NU 21 - Michigan State 42. Michigan State commands the entire game. They establish themselves as a power to be reckoned with, no matter who represents the Leaders Division in the BTCG. Northwestern must wait to see if Purdue loses...and Illinois, Ohio State, and various other teams around the country. The result leaves NU sweating bullets for the next couple of weeks to see if they will get any sort of bowl game. It isn’t a good feeling.
The actual results were not as bad as the scenario; Northwestern was more competitive than that. But a loss is a loss. And 6-6 is much worse than 7-5. It means that Northwestern must sweat bullets seeing if they will make the bubble and get into a bowl.
I think there is a 90+% chance that the Wildcats are bowl bound. But where? Well, that depends on factors like:
Which 6-6 team is most appealing versus Northwestern? Ohio State? Likely. Illinois? Not likely. Purdue? Maybe.
How far will Penn State fall? The horrific miasma of child abuse allegations seems to be a free bleeding wound. Penn State’s good name has been trashed well and thoroughly. So is a 9-3 Penn State team less appealing than a 6-6 team? Might be versus Ohio State. Doubtful versus Illinois and probably Purdue. I’m not so sure that Penn State is less appealing than Northwestern. But given the psychology and media coverage, who knows?
Northwestern has really good pull with the various bowl committees. (That’s the value of cranking out powerful and rich alums.) It could get NU a slightly higher bowl than their record would indicate.
Bottom line: I think all 10 Big Ten teams will get a bowl - even if it means someone goes “at large” outside of the B1G bowl contracts. But if someone gets kicked off the raft, I think it will be Illinois. If two get kicked to the sharks, I think it is more likely that the Wildcats claw their way into the raft than the Boilermakers.
We’ll find out Sunday...
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
I am slow about posting the post Michigan State game results. I sulked that it was a loss.
Without belaboring the issue, Michigan State just gradually crushed the life out of Northwestern. I think the turning point, as in 2010, was a NU fumble in the red zone. Given that MSU took the ball down the field and scored, it was a 14 point swing. Add in the MSU punt return just before the half and that was the difference between a 14 point loss and a 7 point win.
Looking back at the scenarios, this would be The Bad:
The Bad:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ are living in the moment - meaning they are in Evanston to play a tough game. The Spartans storm out and put up a quick 7 against NU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Michigan State is here to play. The Wildcats are down by two scores into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is much better than the first. And it isn’t...
Final Score: NU 21 - Michigan State 42. Michigan State commands the entire game. They establish themselves as a power to be reckoned with, no matter who represents the Leaders Division in the BTCG. Northwestern must wait to see if Purdue loses...and Illinois, Ohio State, and various other teams around the country. The result leaves NU sweating bullets for the next couple of weeks to see if they will get any sort of bowl game. It isn’t a good feeling.
The actual results were not as bad as the scenario; Northwestern was more competitive than that. But a loss is a loss. And 6-6 is much worse than 7-5. It means that Northwestern must sweat bullets seeing if they will make the bubble and get into a bowl.
I think there is a 90+% chance that the Wildcats are bowl bound. But where? Well, that depends on factors like:
Which 6-6 team is most appealing versus Northwestern? Ohio State? Likely. Illinois? Not likely. Purdue? Maybe.
How far will Penn State fall? The horrific miasma of child abuse allegations seems to be a free bleeding wound. Penn State’s good name has been trashed well and thoroughly. So is a 9-3 Penn State team less appealing than a 6-6 team? Might be versus Ohio State. Doubtful versus Illinois and probably Purdue. I’m not so sure that Penn State is less appealing than Northwestern. But given the psychology and media coverage, who knows?
Northwestern has really good pull with the various bowl committees. (That’s the value of cranking out powerful and rich alums.) It could get NU a slightly higher bowl than their record would indicate.
Bottom line: I think all 10 Big Ten teams will get a bowl - even if it means someone goes “at large” outside of the B1G bowl contracts. But if someone gets kicked off the raft, I think it will be Illinois. If two get kicked to the sharks, I think it is more likely that the Wildcats claw their way into the raft than the Boilermakers.
We’ll find out Sunday...
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
Wildcats To Attack Spartans
Northwestern Tries To Get To Lucky Seven
Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. Right now I’m thankful that I have great health insurance and an iron constitution - but this blog is about Northwestern football, not my personal travails. Anyway...
Northwestern is riding a four game winning streak - which is actually a sign that they’ve turned a corner after a disastrous five game losing streak. NU is now bowl eligible and can lock in a postseason with a win against Michigan State. This is a very important game for the Wildcats.
Michigan State is already the Legends Division rep to the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. They are going to a decent bowl at the very least...and possibly to the Rose Bowl. The game against Northwestern...not terribly important except for the need to keep their stars from getting banged up.
So when you look at this game, the Wildcats have a lot more riding on the results of this game than the Spartans. And with that, let’s get to the scenarios:
The Good:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ heads are anywhere but Evanston. The Wildcats storm out and put up a quick 7 against MSU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Northwestern is here to play. Michigan State is phoning it in during the first half. The Wildcats take a two score lead into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is a repeat of the first. And it is...
Final Score: Wildcats 35 - Michigan State 20. Northwestern commands the entire game, surprising the Spartans. The result gives NU some hope of a decent bowl game.
The Bad:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ are living in the moment - meaning they are in Evanston to play a tough game. The Spartans storm out and put up a quick 7 against NU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Michigan State is here to play. The Wildcats are down by two scores into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is much better than the first. And it isn’t...
Final Score: NU 21 - Michigan State 42. Michigan State commands the entire game. They establish themselves as a power to be reckoned with, no matter who represents the Leaders Division in the BTCG. Northwestern must wait to see if Purdue loses...and Illinois, Ohio State, and various other teams around the country. The result leaves NU sweating bullets for the next couple of weeks to see if they will get any sort of bowl game. It isn’t a good feeling.
The Probable:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s a battle. The Wildcats storm out and put up a quick 7 against MSU. The Spartans follow up with their own 7. It becomes clear that both teams are here to play. But the Wildcats take a one score lead into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is a repeat of the first. It is a titanic battle until mid-fourth quarter when it is clear that the Wildcats are not folding. At that point, the Michigan State coach decides that he’ll save his top guns for the BTCG. When the Spartans start to ease back, the Wildcats pour it on just to make sure that MSU can’t mount (another) epic comeback.
Final Score: Wildcats 42 - Michigan State 28. Northwestern wins a tough game. The result gives NU some hope of a decent bowl game.
More later.
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. Right now I’m thankful that I have great health insurance and an iron constitution - but this blog is about Northwestern football, not my personal travails. Anyway...
Northwestern is riding a four game winning streak - which is actually a sign that they’ve turned a corner after a disastrous five game losing streak. NU is now bowl eligible and can lock in a postseason with a win against Michigan State. This is a very important game for the Wildcats.
Michigan State is already the Legends Division rep to the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. They are going to a decent bowl at the very least...and possibly to the Rose Bowl. The game against Northwestern...not terribly important except for the need to keep their stars from getting banged up.
So when you look at this game, the Wildcats have a lot more riding on the results of this game than the Spartans. And with that, let’s get to the scenarios:
The Good:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ heads are anywhere but Evanston. The Wildcats storm out and put up a quick 7 against MSU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Northwestern is here to play. Michigan State is phoning it in during the first half. The Wildcats take a two score lead into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is a repeat of the first. And it is...
Final Score: Wildcats 35 - Michigan State 20. Northwestern commands the entire game, surprising the Spartans. The result gives NU some hope of a decent bowl game.
The Bad:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s clear that the Spartans’ are living in the moment - meaning they are in Evanston to play a tough game. The Spartans storm out and put up a quick 7 against NU. And then another 7. It becomes clear that Michigan State is here to play. The Wildcats are down by two scores into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is much better than the first. And it isn’t...
Final Score: NU 21 - Michigan State 42. Michigan State commands the entire game. They establish themselves as a power to be reckoned with, no matter who represents the Leaders Division in the BTCG. Northwestern must wait to see if Purdue loses...and Illinois, Ohio State, and various other teams around the country. The result leaves NU sweating bullets for the next couple of weeks to see if they will get any sort of bowl game. It isn’t a good feeling.
The Probable:
The Spartans show up in Evanston looking ahead to representing the Legends Division in the very first, very historic Big Ten Championship Game. It would be hard to blame them if they looked ahead to that game and took the matter at hand very lightly.
The game starts and it’s a battle. The Wildcats storm out and put up a quick 7 against MSU. The Spartans follow up with their own 7. It becomes clear that both teams are here to play. But the Wildcats take a one score lead into the locker room.
The Wildcat faithful hold their breath, hoping that the second half is a repeat of the first. It is a titanic battle until mid-fourth quarter when it is clear that the Wildcats are not folding. At that point, the Michigan State coach decides that he’ll save his top guns for the BTCG. When the Spartans start to ease back, the Wildcats pour it on just to make sure that MSU can’t mount (another) epic comeback.
Final Score: Wildcats 42 - Michigan State 28. Northwestern wins a tough game. The result gives NU some hope of a decent bowl game.
More later.
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
Gopher Hunt Successful - Wildcats Exterminate Rodents
Northwestern Gets Critical Sixth Win
The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ season got a little worse last Saturday. Northwestern’s season got a ton better at the same time. It was Wildcats versus Gophers, and just as one would expect in the wild, the Wildcats won. The Northwestern Wildcats chewed up the Minnesota Gophers 28 - 13. The scenario was slightly closer to The Good scenario from the preview (vice The Probable):
The Good:
The Golden Gophers pop up in Evanston, hoping to surprise the Wildcats. For their part, the Wildcats realize that this is the last game of the season in which they will be favored. (The spread is 15+ points.) One team wants to play the spoiler. The other wants to achieve bowl eligibility a record fifth straight year.
Minnesota is playing for pride. Northwestern is playing for a bowl.
Northwestern comes out of the gates hot. The Wildcats put up a quick six points (plus the conversion). The Gophers struggle to get the offense out of the blocks. Before the end of the first half the Wildcats are mauling the Gophers by three scores.
The second half begins much the same way that the first half did - the Wildcats in total control of the game. Coach Fitz pulls the first team early and starts to give the substitutes valuable game time. Somewhere between the Wildcat second and third teams, the Gophers start gaining some traction. The game seems more evenly matched. However, the Gophers cannot overcome a four score lead. But they make the end of the fourth quarter more competitive.
Final Score: Wildcats 42 - Gophers 20. It could have been much worse, but once again Coach Fitz shows class and allows the Gophers an honorable defeat. Northwestern finally makes it to bowl eligibility. Some of the partisan Wildcat fans grumble that Northwestern should have really run up the score to make the team more attractive to the bowls, especially if they drop the final game of the season. But that final game (against Michigan State) is looking more manageable.
Minnesota didn’t go down without a fight despite falling behind 21 - 7 in under a quarter. The Gophers fought back to 21 - 10 in the 4th quarter, but the Wildcats finally applied the coup de grace to go up by 18. Minnesota needed three scores with 11 minutes left. They got one - a field goal. Northwestern kept the pressure, not going conservative. (Earlier in the year I think the Wildcat coaches were too focused on not losing, which meant that they were not focused on winning. But that’s history.)
In the end, the Gophers were playing for pride. I think that they played hard and played fairly well - but not well enough to win. The largest single Gopher lapse was getting a third quarter pass intercepted in the end zone - by Brian Peters...who was essentially playing 1-handed (his other hand was in a cast).
Sometimes you’re the windshield. Sometimes you’re the bug.
The Wildcats’ close call/interception seemed to wake the Cats from a two plus quarter slumber. They charged down the field to get their final score, making a critical 4th and 6 in Gopher territory along the way. That was a 14 point swing - the Gophers getting intercepted in the end zone and then giving up a touchdown. It was the back breaker of the game.
This was a huge victory for Northwestern. It was expected - the Cats were favored. But the Wildcats have been favored before, and then lost. I’ve learned that being a Wildcats fan means you don’t take anything for granted. The win was their 4th in a row and their 6th overall. Getting to 6 wins gets you bowl qualified. But it doesn’t insure a bowl.
Getting a 7th win gets you an “insured” bowl. And to get that insurance will require beating the Michigan State Spartans - who happen to be the Pirate’s Division...err...Legends Division rep at the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. This will be a challenge to say the least.
And that will be tomorrow’s preview.
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ season got a little worse last Saturday. Northwestern’s season got a ton better at the same time. It was Wildcats versus Gophers, and just as one would expect in the wild, the Wildcats won. The Northwestern Wildcats chewed up the Minnesota Gophers 28 - 13. The scenario was slightly closer to The Good scenario from the preview (vice The Probable):
The Good:
The Golden Gophers pop up in Evanston, hoping to surprise the Wildcats. For their part, the Wildcats realize that this is the last game of the season in which they will be favored. (The spread is 15+ points.) One team wants to play the spoiler. The other wants to achieve bowl eligibility a record fifth straight year.
Minnesota is playing for pride. Northwestern is playing for a bowl.
Northwestern comes out of the gates hot. The Wildcats put up a quick six points (plus the conversion). The Gophers struggle to get the offense out of the blocks. Before the end of the first half the Wildcats are mauling the Gophers by three scores.
The second half begins much the same way that the first half did - the Wildcats in total control of the game. Coach Fitz pulls the first team early and starts to give the substitutes valuable game time. Somewhere between the Wildcat second and third teams, the Gophers start gaining some traction. The game seems more evenly matched. However, the Gophers cannot overcome a four score lead. But they make the end of the fourth quarter more competitive.
Final Score: Wildcats 42 - Gophers 20. It could have been much worse, but once again Coach Fitz shows class and allows the Gophers an honorable defeat. Northwestern finally makes it to bowl eligibility. Some of the partisan Wildcat fans grumble that Northwestern should have really run up the score to make the team more attractive to the bowls, especially if they drop the final game of the season. But that final game (against Michigan State) is looking more manageable.
Minnesota didn’t go down without a fight despite falling behind 21 - 7 in under a quarter. The Gophers fought back to 21 - 10 in the 4th quarter, but the Wildcats finally applied the coup de grace to go up by 18. Minnesota needed three scores with 11 minutes left. They got one - a field goal. Northwestern kept the pressure, not going conservative. (Earlier in the year I think the Wildcat coaches were too focused on not losing, which meant that they were not focused on winning. But that’s history.)
In the end, the Gophers were playing for pride. I think that they played hard and played fairly well - but not well enough to win. The largest single Gopher lapse was getting a third quarter pass intercepted in the end zone - by Brian Peters...who was essentially playing 1-handed (his other hand was in a cast).
Sometimes you’re the windshield. Sometimes you’re the bug.
The Wildcats’ close call/interception seemed to wake the Cats from a two plus quarter slumber. They charged down the field to get their final score, making a critical 4th and 6 in Gopher territory along the way. That was a 14 point swing - the Gophers getting intercepted in the end zone and then giving up a touchdown. It was the back breaker of the game.
This was a huge victory for Northwestern. It was expected - the Cats were favored. But the Wildcats have been favored before, and then lost. I’ve learned that being a Wildcats fan means you don’t take anything for granted. The win was their 4th in a row and their 6th overall. Getting to 6 wins gets you bowl qualified. But it doesn’t insure a bowl.
Getting a 7th win gets you an “insured” bowl. And to get that insurance will require beating the Michigan State Spartans - who happen to be the Pirate’s Division...err...Legends Division rep at the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. This will be a challenge to say the least.
And that will be tomorrow’s preview.
Go Cats!
BJ Mitchell (Former NUMB Spirit Leader)
NUMBSpiritLeader@gmail.com
Twitter: @nuspiritleader.
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