NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a game of botched snaps, missed kicks and fumbles, Northwestern got out to a 10-0 lead and scrambled its way out of Nashville with a 23-21 win.
The Wildcats were aided by a key personal foul call on a 3rd and 4 play with less than two minutes remaining, allowing NU to maintain possession and run out the clock.
NU quarterback Dan Persa rolled out to his right towards the sideline, and was hit close to the 1st down marker.
“It was a helmet-to-helmet call,” NU coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “It’s an emphasis. We went over it last week with a representative from the Big Ten, and they do everything they can to take the helmet-to-helmet contact out, and it was the right call.”
Vanderbilt coach Robbie Caldwell felt differently.
“I’m very anxious to see it on tape,” Caldwell said. “They said it was a high hit. The boy was a foot off the ground. What’s a high hit? We were just trying to stop him from getting a first down.”
Persa completed 19 of 21 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns. He also scrambled for 75 yards and was by far, NU’s most effective runner.
“We tried to take advantage of scrambling,” Persa said. “I made a couple of mistakes. A couple of times I should have pitched the ball, a couple of times I should have kept the ball. I’m going to learn from that, but a win is a win.”
NU wide receiver Jeremy Ebert had a huge game as well, with 99 receiving yards and 12 yards rushing. His 33-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter gave NU a 10-0 lead, its largest of the game.
“He threw me a great ball and led me to where I needed to be,” Ebert said. “It was easy after that.”
While Persa ran the ball effectively, the NU tailbacks were not so successful. Jacob Schmidt, Stephen Simmons, and Arby Fields combined for 50 yards on 25 carries.
The Cats also struggled to hold onto the ball, fumbling the ball four times, including a key one by Persa that turned a productive drive for NU into an eventual Vanderbilt touchdown.
“It was pathetic,” Fitzgerald said of the Cats’ fumble troubles. “End of discussion.”
NU’s defense gave up 432 yards of total offense, but came up big on several plays, including stuffing Vanderbilt twice on two-point conversions. Justan Vaughn’s interception and Ben Johnson’s hit on Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith in the backfield halted two potential scoring drives.
Vanderbilt kicker Ryan Fowler missed a field goal and an extra point in a game ultimately decided by two points.
Sophomore Vanderbilt tailback Warren Norman, who was questionable for tonight’s game with a knee injury, ran for 46 yards and a touchdown, and also had 31 receiving yards.
“I knew last week,” Caldwell said, referring to whether Norman would play tonight. “I just didn’t want to say anything about it. He’s a very tough individual and the doctors approved him. We just wanted to make sure the swelling stayed down and it did.”
Commodore tailback Zac Stacy was also effective, running for 72 yards, and overall Vanderbilt rushed for 192 yards, averaging more than five yards a carry.
“It was a physical battle,” NU defensive tackle Jack DiNardo said. “They were emphasizing the run and we pride ourselves in stopping the run. Vanderbilt was a great challenge for us and we did a pretty good job. There were some mistakes but we’ll clean it up.”
Check back later for more analysis.
