By Chris Gentilviso
The Daily Northwestern
DETROIT – For most of this season, the offense has been the motor for Northwestern.
Revving the engine with timely touchdowns in its victories. Running out of gas in the fourth quarter in its defeats.
But in the Motor City on Friday, it was the defense that provided the fuel NU needed to reach its third consecutive victory.
The Wildcats forced four turnovers – their highest output since the 2005 Sun Bowl – en route to a 26-14 victory over Eastern Michigan at a near-empty Ford Field.
“They played with physicality,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said of the Cats’ defense. “I think it was the most physical we played on defense in about month and a half. I was very encouraged by that, and we’re going to need to bring that for the rest of the year.”
NU’s offense started off on the wrong foot, with an early interception by junior quarterback C.J. Bacher. Eastern Michigan took advantage of the turnover, streaking 58 yards down the field in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead.
After a 25-yard field goal by junior Amado Villarreal cut the lead to 7-3, the Eagles again drove deep into NU territory, standing five yards from another touchdown. But sophomore safety Brad Phillips would have none of it, stripping Eagles’ running back Dwayne Priest on 1st and goal.
“I just read that the hole opened up,” Phillips said. “Reggie (McPherson) made the same read. We just came downhill and popped him pretty good.”
That pop led NU (5-3) to its offensive rhythm – a 13-play, 96-yard drive that ended with junior running back Omar Conteh scampering 12 yards into the end zone.
With a 13-7 advantage leaving the halftime locker room, the offense reverted to sleep mode. Eastern Michigan (2-6) dominated time of possession in the third quarter, holding the ball for more than 10 minutes.
Seeing how well Phillips’ play worked in the first half, the defense decided to do it again.
Working from another short field, freshman quarterback and first-time starter Kyle McMahon led the Eagles deep into Cats’ territory with five minutes left in the third. Rolling off to the right, senior linebacker Adam Kadela tipped McMahon’s pass into the arms of Deante Battle, who tiptoed along the sideline to stay in bounds. The Eagles finished the game 2 of 5 on red zone scoring chances.
“When you get momentum, guys start playing a little bit extra,” Kadela said. “We have to make sure we do it from the beginning of the game. It’s infectious.”
The “infectious” play of NU’s middle linebacker has injected a new sense of action into the entire defense. Kadela has moved into a tie for second in the Big Ten in tackles (82) after recording 27 stops in his last two games. Both Phillips and Fitzgerald described the Cats’ veterans as being amped in practice all week with the season beginning to wind down.
“They know the sand is running out of the hourglass,” Fitzgerald said. “We talked about having five football games left as a football family. There’s a tremendous sense of urgency.”
But while the defense negated several solid drives by the Eagles, the endemic trend of the Cats’ contests being decided in the fourth quarter did not go away.
With 2:41 left in the game, NU’s offense was on the verge of running out of gas with a 19-14 lead, facing a 3rd and 6 in its own territory. The offense had one last gasp, as Bacher found senior Kim Thompson over the middle, for a 71-yard touchdown strike.
The offense may have been sluggish. The defense may have made plays on its heels. But Fitzgerald’s immediate assessment after the game pointed toward the final score, which left NU one win away from being bowl eligible.
“Wins are wins,” he said. “When you’re fighting and clawing and scratching in football games, it doesn’t matter how you win. It matters that you win.”
Reach Chris Gentilviso at [email protected].
