Trick or treat?
Northwestern enjoyed both the weekend before Halloween.
A fake field goal and an outstanding defensive performance allowed the Wildcats (4-4, 2-2 Big Ten) to grab their sweetest win in more than two seasons — a 16-7 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin (6-3, 3-2) in front of a Homecoming crowd of 36,233 at Ryan Field.
“It was hard finishing that game, and I was trying to fight back (tears),” NU coach Randy Walker said. “I was pretty choked up about how the kids hung in there with us, and I can’t say enough about them continuing to believe in the plan.”
“This is an awfully good feeling, and I’m thrilled for our kids.”
After the game, senior linebacker Pat Durr jumped into the student section to belt out the NU fight song. Sophomores Loren Howard and Tim McGarigle agreed that the win was the best of their college careers.
“I’ve only been here two years, and we’ve only won three Big Ten games,” Howard said. “Indiana (the other team NU beat) is not too good, so it puts this game right up there.”
On Saturday, the play that grabbed national attention was Noah Herron’s pivotal 20-yard run on a third-quarter fake field goal attempt. The trick play overshadowed the Cats’ perseverance in a close game in which the two teams combined for three interceptions, three missed field goals and more than a handful of dropped passes.
But despite the sloppy play, the win had special meaning for the team’s veterans.
“We finally beat somebody we were not supposed to beat,” running back Jason Wright said. “We had a different attitude out there.”
Wright, who had two X-rays taken after the game to determine if his left ankle was bruised or sprained, epitomized the Cats’ determination against Wisconsin.
In the fourth quarter, Wright ran into a defensive wall on a second-and-nine and had three defenders draped all over him. It looked as if he would go down, but after what seemed like an eternity Wright suddenly burst free for a 17-yard gain.
Wright then headed to the sideline because he said he could not run more than one play at a time.
“When he made the run it was hard to keep from crying,” coach Walker said. “What a tremendously gutsy performance.”
Wright caught a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter, plunged into the endzone for the game’s final score and rushed for 97 yards. He combined with fellow running back Herron to carry an NU offensive attack — literally — that racked up 245 of its 421 yards of total offense on the ground with a combination of draws, options and quick hitters.
Wright wouldn’t go down in the fourth quarter, and the NU defense wouldn’t surrender any points in the final 36 minutes of the game.
It was the first time the Cats’ held a Big Ten opponent to a touchdown or less since blanking Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl season of 1995.
“Our defense really came to play today, ” Walker said. “Boy, we threw the defense out there in some bad field position situations and they stepped up in a big time way.”
The Badgers came in averaging 196 yards rushing a game, but the Cats held them to 136 yards on the ground and only 43 yards in the second half. McGarigle came from his outside linebacker position to lead NU with 14 tackles and an interception.
Wisconsin starting tailback Anthony Davis left the game with a right ankle injury in the first quarter, but the Badgers’ coaches credited NU defense.
“We knew going in they were the biggest and strongest front we’ve faced,” Wisconsin offensive coordinator Brian White said. “They deserved to win and they were a more physical football team.”
NU constantly pressured Wisconsin backup quarterback Matt Schabert, who started in place of an injured Jim Sorgi. Howard led the pass rush from the right end, and he blindsided Schabert in the fourth quarter after beating the Wisconsin tackle off the ball.
The linemen applied the pressure and the NU defensive backs didn’t allow Wisconsin’s wide receivers to slip behind them. NU corners Marvin Ward and Jeff Backes allowed the Badgers’ Lee Evans and Brandon Williams the eight- to 12-yard out patterns, but nothing deep down the filed.
After been victimized by big plays the past two weeks, NU didn’t allow the Badgers to have a play of more than 30 yards.
“We were having some bad misses,” Walker said. “When you make bad misses in the Big Ten they go for touchdowns. We took the misses out today.”
The Cats’ eliminated the big plays, and didn’t suffer from a sustained drop in their play as they had after quick starts in the previous two games.
“We came to play today and you could feel it in the locker room before the game and you could feel it at halftime,” Walker said. “There was some juice.’
The team wasn’t treated to any witches’ brew or candy after the game, and the victory was sweet enough for the players and the coach.
“I’m not going to minimize that we beat an awful good football team,” Walker said. “I think our kids will have a chance to gain some confidence off this.
“To me this was a big step.”
