For many students, Saturday’s contest was game No. 1 of the season. For some, it was game No. 1 as Northwestern students.

Now it’s time for lesson No. 1 of the 2006 season.

The stifling, turnover-forcing defense might have looked impressive from Section 132 in NU’s 14-6 win over Eastern Michigan. The touchdown drives to open each half also brought promise.

But unsuspecting – and new – NU fans shouldn’t be fooled.

Even though the Wildcats are 2-1, even though there still is hope for a third bowl game in four years, it’s time to admit something.

It’s time to use that dreaded word.

The “R” word.

Rebuilding.

Not reloading. Not retooling.

This team is rebuilding. A lot.

Nobody likes that word. It’s usually a euphemism for “not going to be any good this year.”

But what other word can you use with this squad?

Here’s what the Cats face:

A new head coach in Pat Fitzgerald, who happens to be 31 years old and never served as coordinator before his promotion.

A new quarterback. Or quarterbacks, as Fitzgerald started a controversy by replacing redshirt freshman Mike Kafka with fellow redshirt freshman Andrew Brewer at the beginning of Saturday’s second half.

Also: a new offensive coordinator, a new offensive line coach, a new offensive philosophy, a new defensive philosophy and a whole slew of players still searching for the leadership of several 2005 stars.

And all of this comes in the shadow of Randy Walker’s untimely, saddening death.

How many wins can be expected of a team facing all this? Six? Eight?

Or will it be more like the first seasons of now-legendary NU quarterbacks Brett Basanez and Zak Kustok, each of whom guided their respective teams to just three wins?

It was easy before the season to expect big things – what with the iron-fisted Fitzgerald leading a large group of returning starters, including star sophomore running back Tyrell Sutton.

Even now, it’s easy to put a positive spin on the first three games. One could claim that Saturday’s win – along with a season-opening, 21-3 victory at Miami (Ohio) – shows the defense is far beyond last season’s.

And the 34-17 loss to Division I-AA New Hampshire sandwiched in between? Nothing but an overlooked game against an overlooked opponent – a fluke.

But here’s the other side of the argument:

Miami appears to be dreadful. The once-proud RedHawks are 0-3, having just lost at home to Kent State, which went 1-10 last year.

Eastern Michigan, too, seems pretty bad. Its defense allowed 45 points per game before facing NU. Its two quarterbacks – Tyler Jones and Andy Schmitt – constantly overthrew receivers Saturday, and the running game was virtually nonexistent.

Yet NU struggled with both. And it did lose to New Hampshire, overlooked or not.

Fitzgerald and the rest of the team claimed Saturday that they are very close to being special.

But they’re obviously still learning as coaches, individuals and units, with the coaching staff babying its quarterbacks and struggling to adjust after successful touchdown drives, being confounded by that questionable Eagles defense for most of the game.

Sure, the problems are correctable. But soon the Cats won’t be facing Eastern Michigans and New Hampshires, where errors are forgivable. After a trip to Nevada, an unusually tough Big Ten schedule kicks off.

So what happens when Kafka or Brewer takes a hit from Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny, or when Marquice Cole has to deal with Michigan receiver Mario Manningham?

It could get ugly. It could bring back memories of that 49-0 loss at Penn State four years ago, the one Walker and his senior class loved to cite during their seven-win run last year.

But, if it does get ugly, NU must treat it like that gloomy October day in State College, Pa.

Because there really is potential with this team. It just might not be realized until the calendar hits 2007.

Football editor Patrick Dorsey is a Medill senior. He can be reached at [email protected]