Northwestern Wildcats
Big Ten Conference
The Wildcat’s have had a solid season despite the fact that stud quarterback and fan favorite, Dan Persa, missed the first few games from an injury dating back to last season. Although this injury punctured his Heisman hopes Northwestern still managed to have a decent season which ended with bowl eligibly. This is nothing new to Northwestern anymore as they have made a trip to a bowl game in three consecutive years. However wining a bowl game would be a different taste and one that this team has an enormous appetite for. The last time the Wildcats won a bowl was in 1948 when Northwestern trumped California in the Rose Bowl. With the beloved Persa in his senior year, this is the time for the Wildcats to make their mark and take home a bowl victory.
2011 Record: 6-6, 4-5
Last Bowl Appearance: 2010 Ticket City Bowl vs. Texas Tech (L 38-45)
Big Wins: 9/3 at Boston College (24-17), 11/5 at Nebraska (28-25)
Bad Losses: 9/17 at Army (14-21), 10/1 at Illinois (35-38)
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald (40-35 overall, 40-35 at Northwestern)
Bowl Record: 0-3 at Northwestern, 0-3 Overall
Offensive Coordinator: Mick McCall
Defensive Coordinator: Mike Hankwitz
Strengths:
Northwestern knows exactly how they are going to attack you going into each game. They are going to spread you out and pick your defense apart with their passing game. This potent passing assault led the Big Ten conference in yards per game. Quarterback Dan Persa is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the nation. He can make plays with his arm, his mind, and his legs. He always seems to have that ability to escape pass rushers and turn a disaster into a positive play. However it is just not their aerial assault that can strike fear into defenses, their rushing attack is also very dangerous and ranks 38th in the nation and finished fifth in the Big Ten in yards per game. If the defense is playing soft to defend the pass, Northwestern has no problem burning you on the ground. Defenses know coming into the game that this offense has a lot of firepower, and will beat you in any way that they can. They are not afraid to run the ball or throw the ball, so as a defense you have to just pick your poison. The Wildcats also have an outstanding punt return game, which finished second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally. This continually puts their already talented offense in good field position. When you play this squad, prepare for a shootout.
Weakness:
Northwestern’s defense leaves much to be desired. This unit struggles in every major defensive category and has more holes than an old pair of socks. Just about any offense in the nation can move the ball on them. They have break downs in coverages, do not generate a pass rush, do not tackle well, and cannot stop the run. After wrapping up Big Ten play, Northwestern ranked dead last in sacks, 11th in total defense, 10th in pass defense, 9th in rushing defense, and 11th in pass defense. This defense has been the sore spot for this team and the cause of their .500 record. This side of the ball will certainly be addressed during the bowl break, so do not be surprised if they have a few new looks or change up personal a little bit. To make matters worse for their defense, the Wildcats punt coverage team also struggles. They finished ninth in the Big Ten in net punting, so teams are already starting in advantageous field positions, making it even more difficult to prevent offenses from scoring.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Kain Colter, QB, 589 yards
Passing: Dan Persa, QB, 2,163 yards
Receiving: Jeremy Ebert, WR, 1,025 yards
Tackles: Ibraheim Campbell, S, 89
Sacks: Vince Browne, DE, 3.0; Jack Dinardo, DT, 3.0
Interceptions: Brain Peters, S, 4
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 176.17 (38th in nation, 5th in conference)
Passing Offense: 256.58 (36, 1)
Total Offense: 432.75 (32, 2)
Scoring Offense: 29.50 (51, 5)
Rushing Defense: 185.42 (88, 9)
Pass Defense: 222.17 (57, 11)
Total Defense: 407.58 (80, 11)
Scoring Defense: 27.25 (62, 10)
Turnover Margin: .17 (44, 6)
Sacks: 1.33 (100, 11)
Sacks Allowed: 2.83 (102, 10)
