Big Ten Wednesday; News and Notes

This was actually a pretty slow news week for NU; which is why EVR waited for Thursday, in hopes that some additional tidbits would come down the pipeline.  There is no recruiting news to report so this post will focus on updating the NU injury report.

allstatesugarbowl.org

The primary story out of Evanston is that there is no timetable set for Dan Persa’s return to action for the Wildcats.  While, officially, Fitz said Tuesday that Dan is day-to-day – and even then simply said that everyone other than injured DT Jack DiNardo is day-to-day – no one believes that Persa is going to expedite the timeline to play against Eastern Illinois on Saturday.  The idea situation for Persa would be to get in a little work against Army and then have two weeks to really strengthen up for Illinois on October 1^st.  Effectively buying another month of rehab.  Whether anyone wants to risk Persa’s health for the Army game will depend on his progress in the next week.  EVR would like to see him get in to some game action in West Point to shake off the rust before going into battle in Champaign. 

Fortunately, NU fans now know that they have an efficient, productive backup in Kain Colter.  Colter did a number of things on Saturday.  He stood up in front of one of the best defensive fronts in the country and picked them apart.  He allowed Cat fans to collectively exhale, confirming that NU is going to be “OK” until Persa is back at 100%.  He also demonstrated that the Cats potentially have a very special talent on their hands for the next two years.  What he did not do is get injured.  Despite missing post-game interviews in order to get an x-ray; both Fitz and Kain confirmed that he is OK to play against EIU.  No one has disclosed what part of Colter needed the x-ray.

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As mentioned above, starting DT Jack DiNardo will miss the EIU game with a leg injury that he suffered on a play when he sacked BC quarterback Chase Rettig.  There is no indication of how serious the injury is, or how long DiNardo will be out.  Given Army’s quirky offense, it will certainly be helpful to have all hands on deck next Saturday – so hopefully Jack will heal quickly.  Sophomore Will Hampton is expected to start instead.  The team does have a lot of depth at the DT position – at least according to the coaching staff.  But injuries to starters are always an issue.

Other notes on the depth chart: Ben Johnson will start again in place of Collin Ellis.  David Arnold is listed as the starter at safety – despite earning an injury timeout after a brutal hit against BC.  There are a handful of non-starters who are listed as questionable on the injury report.  More on that tomorrow.

detnews.com

Finally, Fitz was apparently pretty disappointed with the team’s handling of the football on Saturday, both offensively and defensively.  He said that there were some opportunities to strip the ball -- which is something that the Cats worked hard at in camp.  NU also fumbled twice – although recovered both times.  He also called out the Cats’ backups for not being spirited enough on the sidelines.  Expect them to be loud and proud on Saturday.

Big Ten Power Rankings

Here is how EVR sees the Big Ten after week one:

Legends Division:

1 Nebraska: Nebraska did not show much in their week one thrashing of Chattanooga.  But Taylor Martinez looked sharp and the Huskers took care of business, so they get to keep the top spot.

2 Michigan State: Sparty was less than impressive in their Friday night debut against YSU.  While the game was never really in question, they came out flat and never really put the pedal to the floor.  They get to keep their spot for now, but they have been warned.

3 Northwestern: If quality of opponent is taken into consideration, it is hard to argue that NU was not the most impressive team in the league on Saturday.  Not only were they the only team to win on the road, but the Cats were the only team to beat a BCS opponent.

4 Iowa (-1): Iowa controlled this game from the beginning.  Not much to say here.  They lose their “T-3” status because of NU’s big win at BC.

5 Michigan: Michigan stumbled out of the gate and then got the benefit of not having to worry about a fourth quarter comeback.  In one of two lightening shortened games this weekend, Big Blue took care of business in the end.

6 Minnesota: The Gophers certainly had the opportunity to pull off a huge upset in LA, but their performance proved, unquestionably, that the power division in the Big Ten is the Legends.

Leaders Division

1 Wisconsin: Welcome to the Big Ten Russell Wilson.  The Badgers QB pitches a near perfect game as the Badgers cruise to a victory over UNLV.

2 Ohio State: Ohio State did play one of the worst teams in the FBS.  They will be tested a little more against Toledo next week.  Either way, the Buckeyes looked solid and may not have to worry so much about losing Pryor.

3 Illinois: Illinois set the bar high with a convincing win over Arkansas State.  By avoiding Missouri, they have to potential to have a 4-0 start before Big Ten play October 1.

4 Penn State: Penn State, like Wisconsin, scored early and often.  But they were playing Indiana State.  And Indiana State is no Alabama.  Good luck guys.

5 Purdue: EVR was all ready to downgrade Purdue to the 6^th spot alone after barely beating MTSU.  This could be a long year for the Boilers.

6 Indiana (-1): The Hoosiers lost to Ball State.  Not much else needs to be said there.  The Kevin Wilson Era does not start well.

Game Preview tomorrow!!  And then GameDay.

Go Cats!

Sunday Morning Superback

Northwestern Defeats Chippewas in 30-25 Slop-fest

Photo Credit: dailyherald.com

Twenty penalties; five turnovers; four blocked kicks; a plethora of replay reviews -- yet in the end the only numbers that matter for the Wildcats is 4-0.

Despite the final score there was never really a feeling that the Cats were in any danger.  But there was certainly some discomfort, probably just from how disjointed the game appeared.  

The fact is that this was a nice win against a pretty good opponent.  NU scored more points than CMU had allowed in its previous three games combined and became the first team this season to score against the Chips in either the first or fourth quarters.

Ordinarily, there would not be a lot to take from a game such as this.  But a lot of the trends that have developed in the first three games were confirmed against CMU.  As NU prepares for its next two games, against the weakest two opponents in the Big Ten, continuing these trends should result in continued success.

More than anything, this version of the Northwestern Wildcats has proven to be very opportunistic.  Of the Cats 120 points scored this season, Northwestern has scored 13 in its first drive of the game and 55 points directly off of turnovers.  The defense needs to figure out how to keep up the intensity for the entire game, as they have now given up a later touchdown against each of its FBS opponents.  But overall, the Cats have been very consistent and very successful in a number of different aspects of the game.

Dan Persa continued his fabulous season and is developing into the conference's best passing quarterback -- and he can run a little bit too.  He finally proved human by throwing his first interception, but still has only thrown one in 106 passing attempts.  Most of all, he has engineered the opportunistic Wildcat offense.  Every time in the first four games that the Cats needed a score to make a statement, Persa has delivered.  Remember too that the offensive performance would have been even more impressive in the last two games were it not for two Arby Fields fumbles.  NU is certainly happy that it has not needed to make a come-from-behind drive yet (the Cats have not trailed all year), this team will feel confident with Persa at the helm.

Mike Trumpy and Jacob Schmidt were the unlikely heroes of the second half and may have solidified themselves as the feature running backs for this team.  The Wildcats still only averaged 3.2 yards-per-carry (again) but Trumpy picked up 4.4 on 12 carries and Schmidt ran for 5.3 on six runs.  Arby Fields continued to struggle to pick up yards and for the second time in as many weeks fumbled in the red zone on a drive that would have put the nail in the coffin.  Minnesota has a pretty feeble run defense, so the Cats should have more opportunities than they have seen so far.  But Fitz has no tolerance for fumbles and Arby's touches may be very limited going forward.  This is a passing team, and all it needs is a competent run game to keep defenses honest.  Right now, Trumpy and Schmidt look like they will be able to carry that weight where Arby has been unable.

Jeremy Ebert is becoming the Cats play-maker.  Another five catches and 83 yards, but most importantly the two touchdowns.  But once again, Persa spread the ball around to seven different receivers.  Meaning that Ebert and Persa's favorite target, Drake Dunsmore and going to continue to see opportunities to score.

The Offensive Line had its weakest performance of the year.  It gave up 4 sacks and continued to be impaired in its run-blocking.  The holding penalties were also too plentiful.  Again, Minnesota should give the Cats some opportunities to shape up this front line.  But the O-Line continues to be one of the biggest disappointments.

Jack DiNardo did not record a tackle, an assist, nor did hear appear anywhere in the defensive box score.  But he was credited with all three blocked kicks and continues to be a quiet play-maker for the Cats.  (Niko Mafuli was given partial credit for the third block, in his first game back from injury).  DiNardo is a very athletic lineman and is a great asset on this team.

The Defense as a whole continued to play with emotion the entire game.  Fortunately, they were able to overcome the early penalties with an interception on the Chips first drive.  Some other highlights included the continued strong play of Hunter Bates.  While you never want to see a defensive back be the leading tackler (Brian Peters was second with 7), his 11 take-downs will continue to get him some more playing time.  Quentin Williams only had one tackle but also knocked down a pass and recorded his first career interception when he dropped back into coverage on a nice zone blitz.  Browne, Davie, and Bryant all recorded sacks.  The D has players all over that can step up and make a big play when necessary.  But they need to avoid the late lapses that have led to late opponent scores.

The Wildcats are starting to develop their personality.  And Cat fans should be happy about what they are seeing.  The running game and the ability of the defense to play 60 minutes will continue to be concerns until further notice.  But if the Cats can continue to play consistently, they should be 6-0 going into the October 23 showdown with MSU.

Go Cats!

Game Preview: Illinois State (1-0) at Northwestern (1-0)

Saturday, September 11, 2010 11:00 CST

Photo credit: hailtopurple.com

Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern is coming off a nail-biter in Nashville, and showed some great offense (at times) and poor defense (at times).  Illinois State had a shootout on their hands against Central Missouri, but prevailed in the end 55-54. This is the first time that NU and ISU have met.  Illinois State is 0-5 all time against the Big Ten Conference, including last year’s 45-17 loss to Illinois.  The Redbirds hail from the Missouri Valley Conference, which is well known for its basketball. ISU was picked to finish third in the conference this year, and they are “receiving votes” in the FBS poll.  Northwestern’s only prior match up against a MVC school was its 33-7 victory over Southern Illinois in 2008.  The Cats look to start their season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season. 

Injury Report: For Northwestern, backup Defensive Tackle Niko Mafuli will miss the game with the knee injury that he suffered against Vandy.  Safety David Arnold is listed as doubtful, while Linebacker Bryce McNaul is questionable. Collegeinjuryreport.com reports that Linebacker Roderick Goodlow is out for the season.  For the life of me I cannot find any injury information on ISU.

Weather: Not looking good as thunderstorms strike the Midwest.  Probably not a repeat of the SIU game two years ago, but not pleasant either. Check for updated weather from weather.com here.

When Northwestern has the Ball:

Players to watch…

Dan Persa: Dan showed us against Vandy that Cat fans do not need to worry about him.  He showed great poise and leadership, made all the good passes, and run like wild.  We will see how he reacts to the weather, which may limit some of this throwing.  Hopefully, the Cats can get out to an early lead and not have to rely on the pass if the weather gets bad.  But if the weather holds off, Persa should have a field day; this defense gave up 547 yards passing against Division II Central Missouri last week.  There are three seniors in the defensive backfield, but every backup on the two-deep is a freshman.  This means that when the Cats go four wide, ISU will have freshmen DBs or LBs covering our slot receivers.

Photo credit: goredbirds.com

Josh Howe (LB): The Redbirds’ junior middle linebacker is the leader of this defense.  Last week he was all over the place with eight tackles, 1.5 tackle-for-loss, and his first career interception.  NU was able to neutralize Vandy’s star LB last week.  But if NU has to rely on the run, Howe will be a big factor to contend with.

Arby Fields: Arby needs to figure things out in order to keep his starting job.  He still has the best talent in the backfield, but he needs to trust his blockers and run north-south.  If the weather requires the running game to be productive, he will be counted on.  The Redbirds’ front seven is young and small, relative to what the Cats are used to.  There is no reason that the running game should not succeed.

In the trenches: ISU’s defensive ends, Shelby Harris and Nick Broome are smaller and less experienced than the Vandy ends that gave NU such a hard time last Saturday.  Even if Arby, falls into his old habits, he should be able to break outside a little easier.  According to the game notes, Harris wears a size 18 shoe, for what that’s worth.  NU’s pass protection should be able to give Persa all day to throw.

Overall impression: The weather will be a major factor for the Cat offense.  Obviously the ISU defense gave up big yardage and big points to a far inferior team last week.  But the Cats need to be able to run the ball in case the ball gets wet and the wind picks up.  Scoring early will take a lot of pressure off, and chances are, the Cats will take care of it.  Expect to see Evan Watkins by the third quarter.

When Illinois State has the Ball:

Players to watch…

Matt Brown (QB): ISU’s sophomore signal-caller is well on his way to being the school’s all time leader in everything (think Brett Basanez’ career at NU).  Brown stands at 6’4” and is a nice size for a QB. He was very efficient last week going 23-30 for 298 yards and 3 TDs.  But he is not much of a runner, which could be his downfall against NU.  NU’s blitz packages will have Brown guessing all day and he is going to need to be able to get rid of the ball quickly to have any success.

Jack DiNardo: Northwestern’s junior D-Lineman had his coming out party.  He put Vandy’s QB in duress on many occasions, although that enabled him to run quite a bit.  The NU defense shouldn’t have that problem with Brown, which means DiNardo and he cohorts should have a big game.

Marvon Sanders (WR): Sanders was a high school state long jump champion and was the leading receiver for the Redbirds last week.  The sophomore from Indianapolis is small but fast.  The NU defensive backs need to make sure that they do not lose him running around, because he can cause some problems in the open field.  Mabin will have his work cut out for him.

In the trenches: No matter what the level, a team that scores 55 points is a team that a defense needs to be concerned with.  But with the exception of a 57 yard run, most of the offense was through the air.  If the front seven can put pressure on Brown, they should be able to force sacks and turnovers.

Overall Impression: NU’s offense will score enough points that the defense will not be called upon like they were last week.  But NU cannot afford to get into a shootout against this team.  Scoring early will be critical.  NU should not have the tackling issues that it had last Saturday as they face a much smaller foe this week.

Intangibles: I hate to keep railing on the weather, but this could be an issue.  NU needs to get back its fire, which was obviously lacking in Nashville.  NU has lost to a FBS team in the Fitz era, so they will not be looking past this team.  This does not mean that the Redbirds will not be able to get themselves up for the upset.

Bottom Line: Jacksonville State reminded everyone last week, including NU, that the FBS teams are not to be ignored.  But there is a chasm between the talent on this team and NU.  If Persa is a fraction of what he was last week, this should be over quickly.  The Cats will not keep the Birds down completely, but the score will never be close.

Cats win 40-17.

Go Cats!

See my blog post, and blogs for other teams at Phil Steele.com