The Northwestern football team lost its first two games of the season and, most recently, its last two. But the Wildcats (2-4, 0-2) are a different — and better — team now, according to head coach Randy Walker.
“From the debacle at Fort Collins to this point, we have gone a long way,” said Walker, referring to the 52-3 season-opening loss at Air Force. “But we need to take the next step and start finishing.”
The Aug. 31 Air Force defeat and Saturday’s 27-16 loss to No. 5 Ohio State both tally in the loss column, but Walker said the team’s efforts in the games were very different.
In the Cats’ first two losses, they never came within three touchdowns of the opposition in the second half. The last two weeks, against two of the Big Ten’s best teams, NU had chances to take the lead in the third quarter.
“For the second straight week, we put ourselves in a position late in the game to make some plays to win,” Walker said. “But we didn’t make those plays.”
Against the Buckeyes, the Cats failed to score from the 1-yard line on 2nd-and-goal, and they put the ball in the endzone only once in six drives deep into Buckeye territory.
“I told the guys they showed everyone on national television that they can play with anybody,” Walker said. “That was a pretty good football team, and we played with them. But there’s a big difference between playing and winning.”
Walker’s players have gotten his message.
After scoring only three points off five turnovers in the past two games, offensive players said converting turnovers — and other scoring chances — into points is critical.
“We need to do a better job of taking advantage of our opportunities,” NU wide receiver Jeff Backes said. “We need to make the plays when they are there, and our offense needs to execute better in the red zone.”
Despite the scoring struggles, Walker was pleased with wide receiver Jeff Backes and the rest of his team’s play Saturday. Entering the game as 25-point underdogs, the Cats grabbed an early 6-0 lead and never trailed by more than two touchdowns.
“I was awfully proud of how we played,” Walker said. “I think we played hard, and our effort was very good. We played a physical game, and we’re more assertive and confident than we were at the start of the season.”
The Cats’ defense didn’t back down from the Buckeyes’ power running attack and Heisman candidate Maurice Clarett. The defense held the true freshman to 43 yards in the first half and forced him into three fumbles.
“As the season is going on, we are growing up and getting more physical,” said cornerback Raheem Covington, the only starting senior on the defense. “We’re … trying to get an attitude going.
“We feel we can beat anyone when we step on the field now.”
It’s time for the team to show it can convert.
“I think we’re becoming a pretty good football team,” Walker said. “I see a lot of the right things in place, and we just need to find a way to make some of those plays. That is what we will emphasize this week in practice.”
