LAS VEGAS – It was billed as the scoring showdown in the scorching sun, a game full of points and prestige. The over-under of 58 appeared low and an easy winner at the casinos only miles from Sam Boyd Stadium.
But at halftime, that figure appeared unattainable. It was as if someone pulled the plug on Northwestern’s and UNLV’s electric attacks – the two teams managed a mere 16 points and 320 yards of offense combined. The No. 16 Wildcats prevailed 37-28 when the desert dust settled – but this was no ordinary NU win.
Before the game, the team gathered near a goalpost to observe a moment of silence for Rashidi Wheeler, a starting safety last year who died Aug. 3 during a conditioning drill. But the play on the field made this game nearly as unique as the tumultuous month leading up to it.
Dazzling Damien Anderson, a Heisman Trophy favorite by many accounts, was shown up by a dominating NU defense that showed vast improvement from last season’s doormat-like performances. The Running Rebels’ 453-yard offensive total was misleading, as the Cats’ defenders made several game-breaking plays.
There were plenty of big plays and NU’s defensive backs have yet to master the art of knocking down passes, but Friday night’s performance was a quantum leap from what fans have been accustomed to.
“The attitude was the main thing,” said defensive end and former linebacker Napoleon Harris, who appeared at ease with his new assignment on the defensive line. “Guys really came out tonight with the attitude that we’re not going to give up, we’re not going to die.
“I think if we continue with that attitude we’re going to get better.
The usually potent Cats’ offensive attack limped out of the gate, netting only 59 yards of total offense in the first half. Determined to put up points through the air, NU avoided Anderson like the plague in the first half, giving him a few carries to interrupt the passing press.
The Cats’ scheme fizzled, forcing the defense to keep UNLV from cashing in. This was more than apparent in an important goal-line stand early in the second quarter. After the Rebels converted a key third down conversion to NU’s 5-yard line, they could not reach the end zone on four consecutive plays.
“We had something to prove as a defense, just coming out,” linebacker Kevin Bentley said. “I think we did a real nice job first half, got a goal-line stand on 4th-and-1, held them out, got a few turnovers and came out in the second half and got a few more turnovers.”
The defense took its lumps in this game, but not in the quick-strike manner of 2000. And just when Rebels’ quarterback Jason Thomas appeared to find his game, the Cats came up big. After both offenses put up quick touchdowns in the second half, the game appeared to be another typical NU scoring slew. Down only 16-14, UNLV was marching toward another touchdown when Harris made the play of the game.
On a first down hitch, Thomas winged the ball to the left and Harris managed to wedge the ball between his mitts. He took off down the sideline, showing no letup despite an ailing hamstring that bothered him throughout the game. Only Thomas stood in the way of a touchdown, and he brought Harris down at the UNLV 43. Seven plays later Kustok found Eric Worley for a 3-yard score.
“I just read it,” Harris said. “I read the three-step drop, I saw him throw it to my side, went for the ball and luckily he threw it right to me.
“Hey, I’m a former receiver and I think I was his favorite target.”
Joking aside, any doubt about the Harris transition was quelled in this game. And when NU’s defensive wall started to tremble, their offense got back on track.
After leading the Cats through a first half with only one major mistake – a fumbled exchange with Anderson – Kustok was masterful after the intermission. NU abandoned the no-back sets, rollouts and receiver screens and reverted back to its usual bread and butter of misdirections, fakes and improvised plays that put up points last season.
The push-you-back attack needed only 1:50 in the third quarter to march 79 yards. NU returned to its usual rushing onslaught, getting the ball in Anderson’s or Kustok’s hands seven out of eight plays. Kustok capped the drive with a shifty keeper to the short side, culminating with a leap into the end zone.
“Whatever ‘it’ is, he’s got it,” coach Randy Walker said of his signal caller. “I don’t know what ‘it’ is – if I did I’d write a book and I’d make a lot of money – but he just has it and he finds a way and he found a way tonight.”
Kustok’s line shows his impact on the Cats’ win – 224 yards passing, 79 yards rushing and five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing). While Walker’s commitment to passing did not go smoothly in the early going, Kustok took control in the second half.
His favorite target was senior Sam Simmons, who totaled a personal-best 161 yards receiving and one touchdown, a perfectly thrown post corner late in the third quarter to give NU a 30-14 lead.
And while defensive mishaps hampered the Cats down the stretch, ball control and smart football closed out their opening win. Anderson finished with a quiet 113 yards and no touchdowns. He even quietly made history. On a two-yard lunge early in the third quarter, Anderson became the school’s all-time leading rusher, surpassing Darnell Autry’s record of 3,793.
It was the one more notch on Anderson’s impressive belt of honors and while the carries came gradually, the end result was all that mattered for the Heisman hopeful.
“I think any guy in his right mind, especially myself, wants the ball,” he said. “But I’d rather rush for 100 yards and win the ballgame than rush for 200 and lose.”
