Football

Northwestern needed something different.

2019 saw an anemic and injury-riddled offense take the field — they scored just six passing touchdowns all-season and averaged just 117 passing yards per game.

So when Northwestern announced the hiring of Mike Bajakian as offensive coordinator in December 2019, there was an inherent relief amongst fans of the program.

No more Mick McCall and, as a result, there was no longer a dated offense which emphasized superbacks and little else. Data from his years coaching at Tennessee, Cincinnati, Central Michigan and Boston College created optimism that the offense could make a jump.

Bajakian’s hire symbolized a commitment to trying something different — his teams are fast and adaptive.

In his first season as quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’d helped a previously stagnant offense to a top-5 finish in the NFL; Jameis Winston set team records for passing yards, touchdowns and passing rating. In Bajakian’s nine seasons as a college offensive coordinator, his offenses averaged 424 yards and 31.3 points per game. A year before joining Northwestern, he presided over a Boston College ground game that ranked third among Power Five teams.

Bajakian began introducing his scheme in the Spring, before Covid shut down regular collegiate football practices.

“We were somewhat fortunate at the beginning. We were able to get eight practices in during spring football. That’s as much as or more than anyone else in the country. Typically, in eight practices you’ll get as much as seventy to eighty percent of your offense in. We got in the bulk of it during Spring.”

From then, he’d check in with players over the summer on Zoom, showing his offense the scheme fits they’d practiced before. The team was ready when Big Ten play began.

It didn’t take long for Bajakian’s offensive philosophy to take shape. Senior wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman felt it on the first drive of the season opener against Maryland.

“It was our first drive of the game but we were playing like it was a two minute drill,” Chiaokhiao-Bowman said. “Just to be out there, catch even my second wind, and also see what that tempo does to the defense. The shots and the concepts we had going while we were holding that hot tempo, it’s hard to beat.”

Bajakian spent the weeks before that first game against the Terps honing in on specific plays, making last minute details in the hours leading up to kick off.

It showed. The Cats scored 43 points and accounted for four rushing touchdowns. Peyton Ramsey threw his first Northwestern touchdown pass and NU led by 27 at halftime.

“You can tell that he’s a veteran,” Fitzgerald said of Bajakian after the game. “He’s been through a lot of games. He’s got a very sound idea of what he wants to do offensively with our weapons. His philosophy is to get the ball into our playmakers’ hands in advantageous matchups.”

That’s what Bajakian did all season.

Senior quarterback Peyton Ramsey found Chiaokhiao-Bowman four times against Maryland, a career high at the time for the wideout. Against Purdue on Nov. 11, Chiaokhiao-Bowman would blow past that number, exploding for eight catches and three touchdown passes to help the Cats sink the Boilermakers. He’s continued to be the feature wideout in NU’s offense.

Cam Porter, another playmaker, went from a heralded commit to a starring back in the Cats’ win over Illinois. The team recorded 400 rushing yards for the first time in seventeen years.

Maybe Ramsey knew the offense “had a chance to be really special” early on in Fall Camp. That’s when he started bonding with Bajakian. Things just clicked.

“I think it’s the relationship piece,” Bajakian said. The way that we connect with each other and the way that he communicates the game.”

Bajakian’s commitment to pace is how the Cats took control in the first quarter against Wisconsin on Nov. 21. The Cats almost jumped out to a 14-point lead just six minutes into the game, when Ramsey handed the ball off to senior wideout Riley Lees in the backfield. Lees launched a 36-yard moonshot to Kyric McGowan, leaving the Cats at the one-yard line.

And it’s how they jumped off to a lead over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 19. They scored 10 points on two first-half drives, on the field for just eight minutes of play combined.

When the Cats scored, it was out of the Wildcat, a play call Bajakian has paired with Porter since a game at Michigan State on Nov. 28.

“He’s like a mad scientist,” Chiaokhiao-Bowman said. “Thinking of the best ways to get us in positions to succeed. And that’s not just actual plays, but just how is he gonna teach us the plays, as fast as possible and as efficient as possible. We have a system and it’s been working.”

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Twitter: @gsvirnovskiy