Northwestern’s deep passing attack in the past two games has mirrored its postgame celebrations. If last week was its coming out party, reflected in the team’s festivities with the band and Land of Lincoln Trophy, then this game was a riot, and the fans appropriately charged the field and mobbed the team at the end of the game.
The win solidifies the Wildcats’ position in the upper-middle tier of Big Ten teams, on par with Wisconsin, behind Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa, and ahead of Michigan State and Minnesota. Not to discount the rest of the team, but NU relies on a single player more than any other team to keep them in football games – quarterback Mike Kafka.
“I don’t think there is any player in this conference that means more to his football team than Mike Kafka,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “To me, that’s what an MVP is. Obviously, there are a lot of great players in this league, a lot of talent in this league, but at the end of the day, I think Mike Kafka is not only our MVP, but an All-Big Ten quarterback and the MVP of the conference.”
Fitz may be biased, but his view is far from far-fetched. After throwing for 326 yards in the 33-31 win against Wisconsin, Kafka is averaging 241.5 yards per game in the air, which is third-best in the conference. Factor in his rushing yardage, and Kafka is second only to Purdue’s Joey Elliott in total offense. Andrew Brewer and Zeke Markshausen were virtual unknowns heading into the season, and now Kafka’s top two receivers are both top-10 Big Ten receivers in receptions per game and receiving yards per game.
The stats prove Kafka is at least deserving of being the All-Big Ten First Team quarterback. Elliott is on a 5-7 Purdue team that isn’t bowling, so to give him the nod over Kafka seems unlikely. In terms of the conference MVP, Fitzgerald said Saturday “was a battle for the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, between John (Clay) and Mike (Kafka).”
Clay didn’t have a bad game, rushing for 100 yards on 23 carries, but his yardage was below his season average. Kafka, on the other hand, eclipsed his average passing yards and got the most important stat at the end of the day – a win.
Take away Clay, the Big Ten rushing leader, and the Badgers would surely experience a drop-off, but their power running scheme would make another runner serviceable. Take Kafka out of the Cats’ spread offense, and they go from spread to dead. For proof, look at NU’s inability to get any semblance of its former offense going against Penn State once Dan Persa replaced Kafka. Whether it’s with his legs or his arm, Kafka is NU’s offense. And that’s Fitzgerald’s whole point. There’s no player whose team depends on him more than NU depends on Kafka.
This makes breaking the 61-year drought and winning a bowl game even more urgent for the Cats this season. While Persa should evolve as a passer in the years to come, he is not gifted with the physical traits that make Kafka a complete quarterback. While Persa and Kafka are a lot alike – both filled in after the starting quarterback got injured, both depended heavily on their legs when stepping in – Kafka started in NU’s first four games as a redshirt freshman before getting injured. If he had stayed healthy, Kafka might have been a four-year starter. Who knows what else would have happened. In other words, he was a starting-caliber signal-caller from the outset.
“Mike Kafka is an excellent quarterback,” Brewer said. “It’s not just the tangibles that you see statistically … but the poise that he has, the leader that he is. He’s a great guy, and he’s done such a good job.”
It’s fitting that in Kafka’s final season, he’s getting an opportunity to showcase his talent as the unquestioned star of this team. The future looked rocky in the middle of the season, but Kafka and his teammates never gave up. With a 3-0 November record, the Cats set the stage for a trip to a Florida Big Ten bowl, most likely the Champs Sports Bowl.
Winning a bowl game is Kafka’s and NU’s priority, and would be a source of jubilation for Cats fans. But giving a deserving Kafka the Big Ten MVP award would be cause for celebration as well.
