They crushed Illinois 61-23, earned a share of the Big Ten title and shattered numerous school records, but several Northwestern football players needed one final act Saturday to cap their unforgettable season.
While event security pushed enthusiastic students back in the stands and Illinois coach Ron Turner met a soaked Randy Walker at midfield, four Wildcats took off sprinting toward the south end zone of Ryan Field. They were heading for Hannibal, the Wildcat statue located behind the goalpost.
After Illinois’ 13-10 victory two years ago, some Fighting Illini players put a helmet on Hannibal’s head and danced around him, mocking NU in its own stadium. The roles reversed Saturday, as Cats wide receiver Derrick Thompson crowned the statue with his purple helmet and celebrated with his teammates while downtrodden Illinois players trudged to their locker room.
“We felt like Hannibal looked a little sad after the first time, so we decided to cheer him up,” cornerback Harold Blackmon said. “We tried to make Hannibal happy today.”
While Blackmon joked about the incident at the postgame news conference, the word printed on his T-shirt exemplified what NU did — “Finish.” It was a theme Walker preached when he first met the players nearly two years ago, and it resurfaced last week in practice.
“I said, ‘Men, you remember about two years ago we talked about finish. Well that’s what this week is all about,'” Walker said. “All the things we do, all the things we pay attention to, it’s about how you finish and how you do the job.
“I think we’ve learned how to finish.”
NU needed little time to dismantle its opponent and claim just the eighth Big Ten championship in school history, abusing the Illinois defense for 28 first-half points. The offensive flow continued after the intermission, as the Cats (8-3, 6-2 Big Ten) racked up 61 points, their highest total since 1944 and the most allowed by an Illinois (5-6, 2-6) team since 1986.
Saturday’s scoring explosion was a fitting end for a season of NU offensive domination. A preseason pick to finish last in the conference, the Cats implemented a spread offense prior to the 2000 season. And fueled by tailback Damien Anderson, the Cats offense accumulated 476 yards versus Illinois and ended the season ranked third nationally in total offense.
“When the offense is rolling the team is rolling and we have to put up points,” Anderson said. “It was a great achievement by us to get out there early and, like coach Walker says, keep the pedal down and continue to score points.”
Anderson carried the ball a whopping 39 times for 179 yards and four scores Saturday, rounding out his season with 1,914 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, both school records. Anderson’s rushing average of 193.6 yards in Big Ten games broke the previous conference record of 183.7 yards, set by Michigan State’s Lorenzo White.
“He’s the star of the team, I think the best back in the country and he’s working as hard if not harder than anybody out there,” quarterback Zak Kustok said. “He works hard in the weight room and that’s really a credit to him and his work ethic.”
Though Anderson likely will earn several offseason awards, Saturday’s victory brought another accolade to Evanston — the Big Ten co-championship trophy.
NU’s third Big Ten title in six years is shared with Rose Bowl-bound Purdue and Michigan. Though all three teams finished 6-2 in conference play, Purdue heads to Pasadena because it beat both NU and Michigan during the season.
After the game, players and coaches remained on the field and carried a Big Ten championship banner over to a raucous smattering of students. Several players leapt into the stands while students chanted “Big Ten Champs” and “Ran-dy Walk-er.”
“One familiar scene that came to me was when (then-Tennessee quarterback) Peyton Manning was leading the band,” said Anderson, who wore a Big Ten championship shirt designed with a suspicious amount of Purdue’s black and gold. “The Big Ten is an awesome conference, one of the better-known in the nation, and to have that part of history, to be a part of that celebration with your fans, you can’t really describe it.”
With Purdue heading to the Rose Bowl, the Cats’ postseason destination will be decided this week.
The Florida Citrus Bowl has the second choice of Big Ten teams, but even though NU beat Michigan in the regular season, the Cats appear likely to be passed over. Both the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News reported Sunday that the Wolverines will likely head to Orlando.
“If I find out that we were thought to go somewhere and we ended up going to a lesser bowl, I’ll be a little upset because I can’t understand why they want another team over us,” defensive end Dwayne Missouri said. “It matters as far going to the best situation possible, but if somebody feels that we’re not in a good situation, then so be it, we’re still going to play.”
But while they celebrate the title, Missouri and his teammates can’t help but think back to last week’s 27-17 loss to Iowa and what might have been. In retrospect, a win against the Hawkeyes would have sent NU to Pasadena.
Said Missouri: “I’m obviously upset because we had it in our lap right there and we just kind of tossed it aside and said, ‘You know, we don’t want the Rose Bowl.'”
