DEARBORN, Mich. — When filling out their nonconference schedule, many coaches always
make sure to add a “tune-up” game or two to the schedule. Nationally recognized teams will often bring in a school from a lower conference, pay them for coming, and usually blowout them out.
The Mid-American Conference was one of those conferences getting beat up by the power conferences. But recently, the tide seems to be turning. Northern Illinois started its season by knocking off then-No. 23 Maryland and Alabama, Toledo upset Pittsburgh, Marshall defeated then-No. 8 Kansas State on their home turf and Bowling Green beat then-No. 12 Purdue in their home opener.
Northwestern received an early glimpse of the MAC’s upset potential on Nov. 17, 2001, when Bowling Green upset the Wildcats 43-42 at Ryan Field. Winning by two touchdowns with 3:44 left in the game, the Cats seemed to have locked up the victory. But Bowling Green scored a then-NCAA record 29 points in the fourth quarter to steal the win.
The loss for NU was the rock bottom for a team coming off an Alamo Bowl appearance the previous season and one in which the Cats started 4-1 but finished with six straight losses. The win for Bowling Green was a turning point for a team that finished with a 2-9 record in 2000 and followed it up with an 8-3 record in 2001 under first-year head coach Urban Meyer, currently holding the same position at Utah.
The game also vaulted quarterback Josh Harris into the spotlight as an outstanding playmaker. Harris threw for 402 yards with three touchdowns and ran and received for another 91 yards with two touchdowns on the ground and one TD reception.
At the Bowling Green press conference Tuesday at their hotel in Dearborn, Mich., Harris talked about meeting up with NU again Friday at the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.
“Northwestern is a completely different team, but so is this Bowling Green team,” Harris said. “You can’t depend on a good performance from two years ago to get you through a game. I am sure Northwestern is going to remember that game, and they are going to try to prevent that from happening again.”
In addition to giving NU the chance to exact some revenge, the Motor City Bowl also is a homecoming of sorts for Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon. Brandon was the wide receivers coach at NU from 1992-98 and the recruiting coordinator from 1996-98 under former NU coach Gary Barnett.
“(Facing NU in the Motor City Bowl) is kind of cool,” Brandon said. “It doesn’t really have anything to do with the game, but I still know a good deal of people there.”
“We’ll say, ‘Hi,’ and then go play the game,” he said.
Bowling Green’s defense will have a bit of an advantage coming into the game, since they practice against an offense very similar to NU’s every week. The Falcons and the Cats have similar styles particularly in the running game.
“Going against this type of offense everyday in practice is great preparation,” junior linebacker Jovon Burkes said. “Through two-a-days and the entire season going against Josh Harris and the offense, it’s just great preparation to go against Northwestern’s offense.”
The X factor in the contest will ultimately be Harris. The senior has racked up 3,427 yards passing with 24 touchdowns this year along with 762 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns on the ground. Harris has also been rated as high as third by NFL scouting on the list of the top quarterbacks in college football.
In order for NU to have a chance in this game, the Cats must catch him on a bad day, Brandon said. “Just look at our season. … In the games we’ve won he played great. In the games we lost he wasn’t great.”
“Josh is the leader of this group,” Brandon said. “As he continues to do that and manage this offense, hopefully we’ll get the victory.”
