Game Preview: Northwestern (2-0) at Army (0-2)

Saturday September 17, 2011, 2:30 CST (CBS Sports Network)

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Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y.

Saturday’s game matches two of the top rushing offenses in the country, but that comes for two different reasons.  NU’s offensive line had been manhandling the front seven of its employees, allowing big pushes on runs – even when holes to not form. Army on the other hand runs the triple option, an offense designed to deceive rather than overpower.  Both teams’ leading rusher is their quarterback – Kain Colter for Northwestern and Trent Steelman for Army.  Meanwhile, questions remain about whether Dan Persa will play and how much.  The game is also a sellout (38,000), which is attributed primarily to the large amount of NU fans attending the game.

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This is the fifth meeting between the two programs.  The last time Army faced a Big Ten opponent was the only prior visit to West Point, which resulted in an Army win.  NU had won the three prior matchups, all in Evanston.  Interestingly, Army is 2-0 in its two bowl appearances against Big Ten opponents.  Army will be wearing patches honoring the 82 Airborne Division on Saturday.  Wearing a uniform patch such as this is a tradition for the Army football team.  Army is 1-1 all-time wearing the 82 Airborne patch, with both prior games coming against Duke.

Injury Report

For Northwestern, defenders Collin Ellis (broken finger) and Jack DiNardo (leg) remain out.  Meanwhile, Adonis Smith is listed as “out” at collegeinjuryreport.com.  Mike Trumpy is probable to play after his concussion last week, which should take some pressure of off Jacob Schmidt and Treyvon Green.  Dan Persa is listed as questionable and is a “co-starter” with Kain Colter on the depth chart.  He shared reps in 11 on 11 drills this week, for the first time this year.  EVR is guessing that Dan will see a drive or two just to shake off the cobwebs a bit.  Non-starters Tony Jones, Roderick Goodlow, Brian Arnfelt, and Jared Carpenter are all questionable with their respective minor injuries.

Jarrett Mackey (#94)
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Army quarterback and leading rusher Trent Steelman is probable to play, despite an unspecified injury.  Offensive linemen Derek Bisgard, Momo Kime, and Brad Kelly are also all questionable.  Finally, and maybe the most significant, is that defensive end Jarrett Mackey is questionable with a knee injury suffered last week.  Mackey is the Knights second leading tackler.

Weather Report: Tomorrow will be perfect football weather; high of 68 with a gametime temp around 65.  Partly cloudy with only a 10% chance of rain.  Check with the Weather Channel for updates on the weather.

Inside the Matchups

NU will march its suddenly resurgent running offense against the Navy “double-eagle” defense.  The double eagle is a variation on the famous Chicago Bear defense from the 1985 Super Bowl team.  Army has three true defensive linemen, along with a fourth hybrid player, who is more of a linebacker size, but often plays from a down stance.  Army will also play a linebacker and a defensive back close to the line of scrimmage on the strong side of the offense.  Behind the front 6 are another linebacker and a rover, which is an LB/DB hybrid and finally a single true safety – to go along with the two corners.  It will be curious to see how the double eagle will respond to the NU spread formations.

Erzinger
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Army is lead on defense by senior rover Steven Erzinger, who is the team’s leading tackler and one of the only players on the defensive 11 who is built anywhere close to the size that NU will see in Big Ten defenses.  Erzinger is a versatile player who will play both linebacker and in coverage.  He leads the team in tackles for loss with four, including one of the team’s only two sacks.  He will be a key player for the Knights, as the NU front five should simply overpower the Navy DL.

Army has given up a good amount of rushing yards, thus far, averaging 217 yards per game on six yards per carry.  And this was against Northern Illinois and San Diego State – two teams who do not have the size on the offensive line that NU has.  The three down linemen for Army are 225 – 260 – 220 across the board and are led by nose guard A.J. Mackey.  The defensive set is in part designed to provide speed up front to make up for the lack of size – something that the NU spread should be able to neutralize.  The Cats will certainly get their yards on the ground and look to see a lot more Treyvon Green as the Cats look to keep Mike Trumpy healthy and Kain Colter from getting hit as much. 

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NU should pass the ball more than they did against EIU, when the team only attempted 16 throws.  When they do, look for Colter to pick on freshman corner Lamar Johnson-Harris, who stands only at 5’9” 175.  When NU’s bigger receivers are matched up against him, Harris will struggle.  Free safety Tyler Dickson has the only Army interception of the season, so they are not exactly ball hawks.  The Knights have given up 183 yards per game through the air.

When Army has the ball they present a challenge that the Cats have only had five days to prepare for – the vaunted triple option.  This is the primary weapon for the Knights, who have only attempted 23 passes in two games – for 149 yards.  The option set is run by junior quarterback Trent Steelman.  Not only is he the team’s leading rusher, but he has almost more than twice the carries as anyone else on the team – quite the feat when you consider that six players have more than 13 carries already for Army.  This is indicative of Steelman being a cerebral quarterback, who knows how to read the defense and pitch the ball.  The Cat defense will need to be on guard and watch their pursuit angles.

Steelman makes a timely pitch
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Fitz admitted that Army is going to get its rushing yards tomorrow, which is a disconcerting thought given the recent history of the run defense.  But the Cats have gotten stingy so far this year.  While NU is giving up 4.5 yards per carry, if you remove two long runs, one from each game, the Cats gave up 1.2 per carry to BC and 2.1 to EIU.  This will certainly be a different attack for the Cats however.  Army’s front five are probably the strength of the team and are the most experienced unit with three seniors and two sophomores.  They are a little small for an O-Line, with the biggest being Center Will Wilson at 285.  If NU can use their size advantage to blow up the option plays before they develop, it will be a much easier day for the back seven.

When Steelman does not keep the ball, his best pitchman is junior tailback Malcolm Brown, who is averaging a scary 8.9 yards per carry.  Brown is backed up by freshman phemon Trenton Turrentine, the team’s third leading rusher.  Joining this crew in the backfield is junior back Raymond Maples and junior fullback Jared Hassin.  Army also rotates in their backups quite a bit, so expect to hear Jon Crucitti and freshman fullback Larry Dixon get their name called as well.

On the rare occasion when Army does throw the ball, Steelman will look primarily to Jared McFarlin, who has five of the nine Army receptions on the season – and the only receiving touchdown.  McFarlin is a large target at 6’5” 195 – so look for Steelman to try to find him matched up against Jaravin Matthews, who had so much trouble with BC’s big receivers two weeks ago.  Lining up across from McFarlin is sophomore Anthony Stephens.  Unless Army completely changes its gameplan, this game will be a nice reprieve for s secondary that has struggled a big through two games.  Look for the NU safeties, instead, to help with run support.

Final Analysis

Northwestern is clearly the more imposing team from a size and speed standpoint, an advantage that will see the most impact early, before Army can adjust, and late, once Army has been worn down.  NU will need to get their points here, as this could be a fairly even game otherwise.  Army’s sets are just quirky enough to give a better team fits – so the Cats will need to take care of the ball and avoid costly penalties.  Like Fitz said, Army is going to get their yards on the ground – NU will just need to hold in the end zone and avoid the big gainer.  Look for NU’s hurry up to drown Army’s defense as well.

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NU will get up 10-0 early and the game will exchange scores until the fourth quarter, when NU will take control for good.  Army, like NU, is a team that will never give up, but Fitz will instill that into the team and the Cats will stay on the gas, scoring a pair of insurance touchdowns late.  In the end the game will never truly be in question as the Cats win 37-17.

Go Cats!

NU Prepares for Army; Recruiting Update; Big Ten Power Rankings

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As NU prepares for its third game of the season, the team is well aware that Army presents a challenge despite being vastly undersized.  Army runs the always complicated triple option offense.  And Fitz knows that his front seven will be tested on Saturday.  Moreover, the defense lines up in at 46 set – made famous by the 1985 Chicago Bears.  The Cats outmatch the Army from a personnel standpoint, but this week the team will need to focus on execution because Army’s gameplan is so completely different than anything that NU sees.  Fitz even admits “You’re not going to stop the run this week. They are going to get their yards.”  The focus for NU will be containing the Army offense, instead.  This will be a tricky task to accomplish in one week.

Even though the Cats sit at 2-0, Fitz sees the problems in the team’s execution thus far.  Here are some of his comments at his weekly news conference:

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·         On Jeff Budzein’s missed field goal: “Would I like to see Jeff make that kick? Absolutely. But I also put him in a tough situation by design. Forty-five into the wind. Not a great situation. But I like how he responded to it and that's part of the whole process of the journey of a young kicker."

·         On EIU’s 76-yard touchdown pass against the starting defense: “It was a route we expected to see.  They ran it exactly the way we saw it and we just had a couple men break down and they made a big play. That happens. You'd prefer it didn't happen. But, like I said after the game, we've got to coach it better and that's frustrating."

·         On Kain Colter: "I really like the maturation of Kain, I think he's played really well. He's learning each week and doing the things young quarterbacks need to do to improve. He did some nice things Saturday taking what the defense game him. He checked it down, big first down with Jacob Schmidt and getting the ball to our backs a few times when they were playing two (down linemen) and really dropping everyone else off. That showed some maturity. Other guys'll force it and he didn't. I'm proud of him for that."

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Finally, for the second week in a row, NU linebacker Bryce McNaul will have some extra inspiration.  Bryce’s brother Austin is an Army Ranger stationed in Afghanistan.  Last week, with the American flag decal on the helmets, Bryce made an interception on top of the star spangled “N” at the 50 yard line.  Hopefully, Bryce can have a similarly inspired game against his brother’s comrades at West Point.

Recruiting Notes

NU commit Malin Jones had a monster night at tailback last weekend.  Jones ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns in Joliet Catholic’s 63-34 win over Peoria Richwoods.

Fitz often talks about the character of the players he recruits, and no one could be a better example than linebacker Jaylen Prater, who committed to NU last month.  Prater’s high school, Wellston high in southern Ohio, was recently featured on ESPN’s “Rise Up”, where ESPN and Chris Spielman help a run-down high school program to improve their athletic facilities.  Prater is featured in the program, where he speaks about choosing to stay in his hometown, even though his football talents might be better served if his family moved to a better situation.  His family also speaks about the importance of the academic part of his football scholarship.  Jaylen should be a great fit at NU and it is no wonder why he impressed Fitz and his staff.

Stud defensive end Faith Ekakitie has reduced his favorite list to six.  The Illinois prospect for 2012 is down to NU, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Oregon, and UCLA.  Here’s hoping for the hometown discount.  Finally, three-star CB Nana Kyeremeh has reduced his college list to three, which includes NU.

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Big Ten Power Rankings

Legends Division

1 Michigan State (+1): Michigan State will be tested by a Notre Dame team with a very dangerous offense – if it can hold on to the ball.  MSU is the most impressive team in the Legends through two weeks, and can solidify that role with a strong performance in South Bend.

2 Nebraska (-1): Every team has bad weeks, and maybe it is unfair to downgrade Nebraska after their performance against Fresno.  But they were losing in the fourth quarter – and their vaunted defense gave up 29 points at home.  There is plenty of time to see, but this was an early sign of chinks in the armor.

3 Northwestern: NU has been one of the most consistent teams in the conference so far, along with Illinois and Wisconsin.  While the running game is a pleasant surprise, the pass defense needs to improve in order to keep this ranking in the Big Ten season.

4 Michigan (+1): Without question, Michigan played in one of the most exciting game you will ever see on Saturday.  But it was also one of the ugliest – with penalties and turnovers plaguing both Michigan and Notre Dame.  Time will tell the story of these two teams, but at this point, EVR says buy Michigan only with extreme caution.

5 Iowa (-1): Losing to Iowa State is unacceptable, even if it is a rivalry game.  This game only goes to show that Iowa just does not have the talent that it has enjoyed over the last few years.  Iowa will get its wins, but it will not be a pretty year for them.  Saturday against Pitt is a must win.

6 Minnesota: First off, Jerry Kill is expected to be back on the sidelines on Saturday against Miami of Ohio; which is great news considering he suffered a seizure on the sideline Saturday while Minnesota was driving to tie the game.  Best wishes to Kill.  But the fact that the Gophers were driving to tie the game at that point earns them the 6 spot.

Leaders Division

1 Wisconsin: More of the same for the Badgers.  Wisconsin made another statement against a down-and-out Oregon State squad.  After two weeks, they are clearly the best team in the league.

2 Illinois: The Illini will finally be tested this week against Arizona State – in one of the most underrated games of the weekend.  If Illinois can continue to play at this level, they will have a lot to say in the Leaders Division race.

3 Ohio State: The Buckeyes narrowly escaped a historic loss to Toledo over the weekend, and it is not going to get any easier as they travel to Miami on Saturday.  But the lack of focus and execution in light of the off-the-field issues is something that Buckeye fans are going to need to get used to in 2011.

4 Penn State: No one expected that with Penn State playing at home the result would be worse than it was against Alabama last year – but it was.  The Lions are a team that needs an identity right now – and naming a starting quarterback will go a long way towards accomplishing that.  Surviving Temple this weekend will be no small task.

T-6 Purdue (-1):  Yes, EVR is not even giving either of the Indiana teams the 5 spot after their start. Purdue lost to Rice.  There is no excuse for that.  This is a program on the brink of disaster right now.

T-6 Indiana: The Hoosiers had their game in hand until a late meltdown gave Virginia the win.  Indiana needs a miracle to get bowl eligible at this point and four wins would have to be considered a success now in Kevin Wilson’s first year.

Go Cats!

Wildcats Roll 42-21; Yet Questions Remain

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Northwestern was in control of Saturday’s game from the fourth play of the game when Bryce McNaul stepped in front of a Jimmy Garoppolo pass and gained Northwestern’s first possession of the game.  What resulted was the first of six touchdowns – each of which was either scored, or set up in part, by sophomore sensation Kain Colter.  In fact, Colter’s play prompted EIU coach Bob Spoo to say "I don't know how good Persa is, but this kid is unstoppable."

The Cats don September 11 memorial helmets
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Now, a little levity here – NU dominated a team that it should have been able to push around.  It played a solid game with no turnovers – albeit two recovered fumbles.  The Cats accomplished their goal of surviving another game without Dan Persa – who was in pads on Saturday.  But there are a few concerns that are scattered among the positives from this game.

NU’s running game is clearly far beyond anyone’s reasonable expectations.  The team has almost 550 yards rushing in two games – spread over five primary runners, who each have over 50 yards.  Kain Colter leads the team with 180 yards, but needs to learn to protect himself a little more.  The Cats need him to survive at least one more week for the Dan Persa rehab project to work properly.  If NU can turn the team over to Dan in time for the Illinois game on October 1, then Kain has done his job.  But there is no question that he will be “the guy” in 2012 and beyond.  So in order to do this, the Cats will need him to take a game to learn how to protect the ball (he fumbled for the second time in two games) and more importantly protect his body.

True Freshman Treyvon Green
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True Freshman Treyvon Green saw significant action on Saturday after only one carry against BC.  And he made good use of it rushing 14 times for 70 yards and a second quarter touchdown.  As EVR suggested in its preview, Green will certainly be pressed into service because of NU’s lack of depth at tailback.  Mike Trumpy is still undergoing his concussion protocol and there is no word on his availability for Army.  Adonis Smith left the game with a leg injury – there have been no reports yet, but it looked as though it was serious enough to cause him to miss time.  Green looked good carrying the ball, averaging 5 yards per carry.  The offensive line continued to get great push, both for Green and the other ball carriers.  Whether this success will continue and translate to Big Ten opponents remains to be seen.

Cain Colter throws a pass

chicagotribune.com

The Cats did not need to throw the ball much Saturday. Colter was only 10 for 13 and Trevor Siemian only threw three more.  The Cats managed to spread the ball around still – to seven different receivers, including the first passing touchdown of the season to walk-on junior Tyris Jones.  The passing game is going to be the Cats secret weapon as they approach the Big Ten season.  While all of the publicity will be about the renewed running game, the efficiency of the air attack will be a key factor for the Wildcats – especially once Persa returns.

The Panthers Kenny Whitaker hauls in a touchdown pass
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Defensively, there are still major concerns with the pass defense, which is alarming considering the talent returning in that unit.  Jimmy Garoppolo was only 14-25 for 209 yards – 72 of which was on one play.  But the corners were giving the receivers a huge cushion, even on third and short.  And the long pass play was completely unacceptable.  This is going to need to tighten up.  The Cats have not yet seen a strong passing attack, but they have already given up more than 550 yards passing in two games.  It will not see much passing from Army, so it will need to get right on the practice field for the Illinois game in two weeks.

The NU defense celebrates
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The NU run defense has a similar line to the BC game.  They gave up one long run – a 76 yard scamper to Jimmy Lera, but otherwise allowed 2.2 yards per carry.  So while the general state of the run defense is vastly improved, the Cats still need to lock down the opponents’ opportunities for big plays.  One big play for the EIU Panthers might equate to three or four of them from a more proficient rushing attack like Illinois.  So while the Cats should be pleased with their progress, there is still work to do.

The special teams play was a mixed bag.  Jeff Budzien missed a 45-yard field goal – badly, short and right.  And the normally consistent foot of Brandon Williams shanked a 24 yarder as well.  But Venric Mark began to show signs of his skill, ripping off long kick returns of 49 and 63 yards.  Mark led the team with 127 all-purpose yards.

Overall, this was a solid performance by the Cats – nothing special.  There is still a tough Army team to play on Saturday before beginning the two-week preparation for an Illinois team that is already in mid-season form.  Hopefully the Cats can learn from their mistakes and put together another nice week of practice before facing the pesky Black Knights at West Point.

Go Cats!

Game Preview: Northwestern (1-0) vs. Eastern Illinois (1-0 – FCS)

Saturday September 10, 2011, 2:30 CST (BTN)

Ryan Field
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Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois.

Northwestern comes off its biggest non-conference road win in 16 years.  Eastern, last week, won a stirring come-from-behind victory against rival Illinois State in the 100^th playing of the Mid-America Classic.  Eastern is the seventh current FCS team that NU has played; and the Cats are 6-1 in those games.  Eastern and NU have never played.

It is generally very difficult to do an in depth preview of a game such as this.  Generally, the goal is to show where mismatches may occur and discuss key player match-ups.  But NU has so many mismatches in size, skill, and strength; it is difficult to narrow down the keys to the game.  Rather this post will focus on Eastern’s strengths and the spots where NU may have problems if the Cats do not come out sharp on Saturday.

Injury Report

Mike Trumpy - doubtful

Of course, Dan Persa is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game.  It is highly unlikely that he will play.  The big news, however, is that Mike Trumpy is doubtful for Saturday’s game after a concussion.  EVR has yet to find where the concussion was suffered, but can only assume that it happened at practice.  This will be something to keep an eye on.  Cat fans will see a steady dose of Adonis Smith and Jacob Schmidt.  Also, expect to be introduced formally to Treyvon Green tomorrow.  As reported yesterday, Jack DiNardo is out with a leg injury.  Collin Ellis remains out with his broken finger.  Tony Jones, Roderick Goodlow, Brian Arnfelt, Jared Carpenter and Mike Bolden all were unavailable for BC with various injuries and are questionable for Eastern.  Arnfelt is significant because he would have played tomorrow with DiNardo’s injury, leaving the Cats a little thin at DT.

Weather Report: The game-time forecast is mid-seventies with a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms.  Check with the Weather Channel for updates on the weather.

Inside the Matchups

When NU has the ball, expect to see a heavy dose of running the football.  NU was able to overpower the BC front seven for 227 yards last week.  The Eastern front has some experience, but is small – especially on the outside.  Eastern’s strength is at DT where they have two large tackles, in Jon Voytilla and Roosevelt Holliday.  If they can absorb their blockers at the line of scrimmage, it could allow small, but speedy senior linebackers Cory Leman and Gordy Kickles to make some stops in the backfield.  That said, Eastern gave up 152 yards rushing to ISU last week – recording only one tackle for a loss.

Kain Colter
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NU is not going to have quite the size advantage on the outside that BC had against the Cats last weekend, but expect Colter to attack sophomore corner Tavares Crawford, who at 5’10” 169, will be dwarfed by Rashad Lawrence or especially Christian Jones.  The key in the EIU secondary is senior rover Nick Martinez.  A big and strong safety, Martinez had two key interceptions last week.  He will be responsible for keeping NU from throwing the deep ball.  EIU gave up 240 yards through the air against ISU.

When it comes down to it, even without Persa and Trumpy, the Cats should simply overpower the Panthers with their size advantages on offense.  One other key mismatch to watch is Drake Dunsmore, who will have a huge size advantage if he is covered by one of the smaller Panther corners.

Jimmy Garoppolo
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When EIU has the ball, this is an offense that can move the ball through the air, which, of course, was a problem for the Cats against BC.  Sophomore QB Jimmy Garoppolo went 25-34 for 305 yards and 3 TD’s last week against ISU.  Coming off a week where NU gave up huge passing yardage to an otherwise overmatched Chase Rettig, this poses a potential problem.  Garoppolo, like Rettig, is not a running quarterback, so pressure will be key to stopping him.  Garoppolo was sacked twice last week.

The favorite Panther target is senior flanker Lorence Ricks, who brought in seven catches for 114 yards and a score in the ISU win.  Ricks stands 6’1” but only 176 pounds, so he will need to find himself open as he does not have a weight advantage over either Mabin or Matthews.  Eastern, like NU distributes the ball well in its spread offense.  So the depth of NU’s secondary will be tested more than it was against the more traditional pro-style offense of BC.  Junior split end Chris Wright and freshman tight end Sam Hendricks also pulled in scores for the Panthers in their week one victory.

Jake Walker
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EIU is not much of a running team and that will probably be the fatal flaw for the Panthers tomorrow.  Starting tailback Jake Walker managed only 18 yards on eight carries last week.  Actually, redshirt freshman AJ Woodson had a better game, managing 52 yards, but with only a long of 11 he is not a big play threat.  The Panthers ran an equal number of runs and passes at 35 each last week.  But with the Cats strength in the run defense, at least as exhibited last week, do not expect EIU to be as balanced tomorrow.

The Panther offensive line is small and starts two sophomores and freshman Collin Seibert.  Senior Eric Zink is the smallest of the bunch – the right guard is only 264 and will be charged with blocking the likes of Niko Mafuli at 305 and Will Hampton at 285.  The key for EIU is the opposite guard, Alex Pierce, who weighs in at a solid 307.  As it often happens in these games, the differences in the trenches will be obvious – and NU vs. EIU tomorrow should be no different.

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In the end, EIU’s passing game has to potential to make this game a little uncomfortable early.  But NU should be able to move the ball very effectively on offense and will not get stopped much.  Like most college games, this one will be decided in the trenches, and the Cats have a significant advantage in that area.  Look for an improvement in the secondary over last week and a 37-10 Wildcat Victory.

Go Cats!

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.

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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.

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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: Colter, NU Linemen Strong in Cats’ 24-17 Win at Boston College

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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 15^th 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!