Northwestern’s top-ranked lacrosse team lost its first game since 2008 on Sunday. The women’s tennis team, formerly No. 1 in the nation, has uncharacteristically lost six matches and dropped to ninth in the rankings. The softball team that started the season ranked 15th is no longer in the top 25.
While it’s not time to give up on NU’s spring sports, Saturday will provide a sneak peek at what to expect come fall. That’s right, the weather is warming up and the football team’s spring scrimmage is just around the corner.
No more than a few thousand fans watched last season’s spring game. If more fans had showed up at Ryan Field, they could have seen a team that would ultimately make it to the Outback Bowl and play an unforgettable contest. Any member of the sparse crowd last spring could have told you Mike Kafka was going to be a star in the Big Ten, both passing the ball and using his legs. They also could have seen some of the defensive struggles coming that the Wildcats dealt with during their 8-5 campaign in 2009-10 .
The 2010 NU squad has several questions to answer, and the spring game will shine some light on most of them. Can Dan Persa lead NU’s spread offense? How are the Cats going to replace both their starting safeties, No. 1 cornerback Sherrick McManis and star defensive end Corey Wootton on defense? Will Stefan Demos return to form after missing the game-winning field goal at the Outback Bowl?
Ohio State had more than 95,000 fans come to its spring football game last season. Alabama had more than 91,000 faithful show up to its game this spring. Northwestern is not Ohio State or Alabama, and it doesn’t pretend to be. But NU football is on the rise. Coach Pat Fitzgerald has moved the program forward since stepping into the head coaching role.
It’s only a matter of time before the Cats get their first bowl win in more than 50 years.And if that doesn’t get you fired up about the upcoming football season, get this: As first reported in the Chicago Tribune, NU and Illinois are set to face each other at Wrigley Field in 2010. The NU Athletic Department confirmed to THE DAILY a deal is in the works, and all that remains is finalizing and signing the documents.
Ohio State has Michigan. Purdue has Indiana. NU’s rival is supposedly Illinois, but the new Land of Lincoln trophy did little to fuel the fire between the two teams. Add a venue with the history and ambiance of Wrigley Field, and the game’s significance skyrockets. Plus Chicago residents will get a chance to experience Big Ten football first-hand, and NU will make a pitch to the city-dwellers to make the trek to Evanston on Saturday mornings. The Cats will be the center of the football universe for one day (even though Notre Dame will be playing at Yankees Stadium), bringing attention to a program that doesn’t get the recognition it should.
Not many schools have strong academics and athletics. NU has the opportunity to place itself among the perennial contenders in the Big Ten. Will the Cats seize that chance? You could read THE DAILY’s Spring Football Guide to find out.
Or you could enjoy a day at Ryan Field and see a football oasis in the pigskin-less spring.
Assistant Sports Editor Brian Chappatta is a Medill Junior. He can be reached at [email protected].
