Pat Fitzgerald coached his team to one of the most significant wins of his young coaching career on Saturday – and the Cats did it in the most unlikely of ways. All of the team’s questions were answered (although some new ones arose), in a sound win that, while coming down to the last play, never had the feeling that NU had lost control of the game.
For Fitz, this has to rank up there with the last three wins against Iowa and the 2009 Wisconsin game as the biggest wins of his career. His team went on the road to a pretty good BCS opponent and punched them in the mouth. The team was well-prepared and played with intensity throughout the game. But for the ill-advised interception thrown by Colter and the touchdown overturned by a holding penalty – this game could have been a Cats blow out.
The key to the game on the offense was the offensive line. While Colter’s play was nothing short of fantastic, the O-Line gave him plenty of time to throw and provided push for the running game on every play. The big guys deserve a lot of credit as they paved the way for 227 rushing yards against a front seven that gave up less than 85 per game last season. The Cats line appeared bigger, stronger, and in much better shape than an Eagle line that did not appear ready for Big Ten football.
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| Trumpy finds the end zone trb.com |
Trumpy lead the way with 15 carries for 85 yards. And did so fairly quietly. He had the long 34 yard run, but otherwise simply picked up 3 yards here; 5 yards there. In the end he was at almost 6 yards per carry, well above his 2010 average. Adonis Smith seemed to have re-earned his number two position with a solid 11 for 53 effort. Smith continued his unlikely role as the run-up-the-middle guy and often was able to move piles and stretch for the extra yard. True Frosh Treyvon Green also saw the field and got one carry.
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| Colter evades Kuechly washingtonexaminer.com |
Colter’s day on the ground was about what we expected, 23 carries for 71 yards. There were a few more designed quarterback runs than the fans would have liked. But Colter was much more effective when he pulled the ball down and scrambled. He rarely looked like he was looking to run – as he would go through his progression or read the pass rush before tucking and burning.
But his passing game was the biggest treat. 17-24, 197 yards, and the one interception is a pretty solid debut. He was able to spread the ball to 8 different receivers – no small task when you only complete 17 balls. This included 4 to Ebert and 2 to true freshman Christian Jones. There were some balls thrown high, and a few just behind the receiver – but the clutch throw downfield to Ebert in the fourth quarter showed that he has the ability to make the big throw when necessary. The interception was just a poorly thrown ball. Most of all, fans in the stands were impressed with his composure and decision-making. He never appeared rattled, even after the pick or the sacks. Colter did get a precautionary x-ray after the game. He was clearly limping after he scored his second quarter touchdown and was guarded in jogging on and off the field at halftime. His mobility did not seem to be hampered in the second half; but the coaches also clearly called fewer quarterback runs. Overall, Cat fans a relieved by the performance – both knowing that there is another solid QB in the queue, and that Persa can continue to rest up for the Big Ten season.
Defensively, yes this was the same unit that got thrashed by Illinois, Wisconsin, and Texas Tech last season. While BC’s offense was not great last year, they had a competent running game and large big play receivers – all of which NU basically kept at bay. After giving up the 69-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, NU gave up only 1.2 yards per carry the rest of the day. And it was the defensive stand after that run which set the tone for the day. NU made stop after stop – every time it was needed. The D gave up a lot of yards – but often stalled out the BC drive around mid-field.
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| Rettig arises while the Cats celebrate a sack bcinterruption.com |
One of the most noticeable changes in the defense was the amount of pressure that the Cats put on Chase Rettig. For most of the game, Rettig was under pressure with well-timed blitzes and strong D-Line pressure. The Cats recorded three sacks for Rettig as well.
The secondary was disappointing, primarily because they gave up some many yards to a quarterback that had accuracy problems all day. But overall, this unit played decent and made some big plays when they were needed. This is especially the case for Jordan Mabin, who made the Cats only turnover and broke up a key pass in the fourth quarter.
The only major weakness in the secondary was Jaravin Matthews – although you can hardly blame him for being unable to cover Momah, who stood 7 inches taller than him (and it certainly seemed like more in person). Late in the fourth, NU moved Mabin over to cover Momah, and that appeared to neutralize him a little.
The special teams were solid as expected. Budzien drilled his only field goal attempt – and after seeing the BC kicker struggle, Cat fans were reminded how valuable a good kicker can be. Mark never really had a good chance to make a big return, although brought his two returnable kicks to around the 25. Brandon Williams was consistent as ever with turning the field around.
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| Adonis Smith into the end zone bostonherald.com |
The play-calling on offense was creating and really worked well. Although there were a few too many designed Colter runs (especially given how proficient everything else was working), everyone knew that was going to be part of the gameplan. BC really had problems with the hurry-up – especially in the drive at the end of the half. And that was really where Colter showed his swagger. At the end of the game on fourth-and-one, EVR would have preferred to see Adonis get the call – or for Colter to take the snap under center. But overall, McCall called a winner. Defensively, the Cats attacked throughout most of the game and kept pressure on Chase Rettig. Would have like to see more pressure during the final drives, however.
Overall, there were far more positives than negatives to take away from this game. And Cat fans should not underestimate the significance of this win. BC is one of the most consistent programs in the country – ranking 15th nationally in total wins over the last 8 years. Obviously, they had some injuries that changed the tone of the game. But NU still went on the road and beat a solid opponent. Nice job Cats!
Go Cats!
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