Through six games, the Wildcats have accomplished several things on their to-do list for 2007.
Fourth quarter come-from-behind win? Check. First Big Ten victory? Check. Big offensive plays? Check.
After an offensive slugfest that had Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald alluding to newly sprouted gray hairs, this week’s game brings the new test of carrying momentum forward.
Enter the Minnesota Golden Gophers – losers of four straight contests, ranking next-to-last in NCAA Bowl-Subdivision play in total defense.
But with Duke still lingering in the Cats’ memory bank, Minnesota will be viewed just like every other opponent.
“They are very similar to the last three weeks that we’ve seen,” Fitzgerald said. “They’re going to pressure us, they’re going to do some things, try to overload a side, try to play man against us, and be multiple in their looks.”
While both teams have shown various looks in getting the ball into the end zone, the same can’t be said for stopping it. Turnovers and sacks have been almost non-existent this season. NU and Minnesota are tied for last in the Big Ten in sacks with five. Additionally, only three teams in the nation have fewer picks than the Cats: North Texas, Marshall and Fresno State.
But Fitzgerald and his players have stressed that the technique and strategy will not change. Minnesota has turned the ball over a conference-worst 20 times in six games.
“If you can tip the ball, getting it moving around in the air, you have an opportunity to intercept the pass,” Fitzgerald said. “If you’re in man coverage and you get good pressure and you get the quarterback to throw out of rhythm, you get guys before they’re out of their break and a chance to make a big play. All those things kind of feed into each other.”
Minnesota’s defense has yet to hold an opponent under 30 points this season. The Gophers’ explanation for their defensive futility was similar to NU’s analysis after the Ohio State loss.
“Defensively, we’ve just got to try to continue to eliminate the explosive plays,” Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said. “What is an explosive play – a run over 12 (yards) and a pass over 18 (yards) – we’re giving up too many. Explosive plays have overtaken turnovers as the number one indicator of wins and losses in football today.”
With two high-powered offenses and struggling defenses, special teams is likely to play a crucial role in a game where field position will be important. The Cats hope last week was an aberration for a unit that had been a bright spot all season, yet entered a rough patch: two botched field goals, a missed extra point and a kickoff out of bounds.
Redshirt freshman Stefan Demos has dealt with adversity in his first full season adjusting to college kickoffs, with three kicks sailing out of bounds to give opponents a gift start at the 35-yard line. Demos labeled the mistakes as nothing more than bad kicks.
“That’s on me,” he said. “That’s not anything about squib kicks. We’re doing the best job we can to get the ball placed into corner and give them little room to run.
“For the most part we’re doing a good job of that.”
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