Check back Saturday morning for live coverage from Ryan Field, with the kickoff scheduled for 11 a.m.
In last week’s season opener at Vanderbilt, Northwestern came out strong, controlling the game early on to the tune of a 10-0 lead.
After junior quarterback Dan Persa’s fumble in the second quarter, the momentum swung to the Commodores, but the Wildcats hung on for the 23-21 win.
The Cats came into practice this week with a surplus of energy as they prepare for Saturday morning’s home opener against Illinois State, and the physical play sparked a skirmish at one point.
“It was frisky,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said of the practice. “We’re not very pleased with the way we played last week. Guys are working and straining to improve fundamentally and technically.”
“We expect a lot more out of ourselves and each other,” senior linebacker Nate Williams said. “We’ve been working hard to try and get a little swagger back in our step
Last weekend, the Redbirds put up 55 points in a thrilling last-minute victory over Central Missouri State.
They come into Evanston with a few familiar Big Ten faces. Coach Brock Spack was defensive coordinator at Purdue for 12 seasons before heading to Normal, Ill., in 2009. Spack lured away two running backs, Erik Smith, a Wisconsin transfer, and Ashton Leggett, a Michigan State transfer.
“Brock has been in our league for a long time, he has a great attitude, he’s a great football coach and they have tremendous players across the board. You add the distraction of it being the home-opener and it will be a huge challenge.”
Illinois State quarterback Matt Brown put up Dan Persa-like numbers last week, completing 23-of-30 passes with three touchdown and no interceptions. He led the team to an electric start, as they scored touchdowns on four of their first six possessions and notched points on eight of their first 11.
NU will be without a few key defensive players, including safety David Arnold and linebacker Roderick Goodlow, and Goodlow is done for the season. Linebacker Bryce McNaul is doubtful after missing the season opener, and backup defensive tackle Niko Mafuli is out after he injured his right knee in Nashville.
True freshman defensive tackle Will Hampton, a Houston native, will take Mafuli’s place in the depth chart.
“We need to get another guy into the rotation and Will’s ready to step into that role,” Fitzgerald said. “(Defensive line coach) Marty Long visited with him last night and I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger smile on a guy’s face so he’s chomping at the bit.”
Hampton joins several young players who made their debuts last weekend in Nashville, including true freshman wide receiver Venric Mark.
“I shook a lot of guys hands Saturday and it was their first time in the arena and their eyes were about as wide as a kid on Christmas,” Fitzgerald said. “At the end of the day, a lot of our young guys are just going to continue to improve. Our young group is pretty talented. They’re just green as grass.”
Quarterback Dan Persa will be among those making their first home start after he went 19-of-21 passing for 222 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions last Saturday.
“He’s a real humble guy and one of the hardest-working guys there is,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m not worried about Dan getting a big head, I promise you that.”
The running backs will look to play up to Persa’s level, after the quarterback out-rushed all of them in Nashville. Arby Fields, Jacob Schmidt and Stephen Simmons combined for 51 yards on 26 carries, while Persa rushed for 82 yards.
The general consensus from the team was that the lack of a rushing attack was simply a question of execution, not talent or preparation.
“We had a great plan going in,” offensive tackle Al Netter said. “The execution just wasn’t there. It’s got to be the entire offense on the same page. We found that multiple times, one or two guys just were not doing the right thing and it hurt us.”
Fields thinks the running backs are close to getting it right.
“If the offensive line would have got to this guy, that play could have popped,” Fields said. “If the running back would have been a little more patient, that play would have popped. Little stuff like that. It’s all easy fixes. First game, it was a lot of adrenaline. We’ll get it fixed.”
This week, the Cats will take whatever offense they can get.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to win the game,” Fields said. “It’s a gameday decision. Going into the game, we have a gameplan, and whenever you get in the game, you’re going to use whatever is hot, whatever is working, whether it’s running or passing.”
