LAS VEGAS — Casinos are everywhere on the Las Vegas strip.
The crowded buildings filled with laughter, grunts of frustration, background music and a smothering cigarette-like smell are at nearly every corner. The atmosphere’s dimmed lights yet well-lit slot machines embody the strip’s adventurous yet overwhelming feeling.
Just minutes away from the neon soaked strip, Northwestern’s bowl victory against Utah (8-5 overall, 5-4 Pac-12) played out just like a successful night at the casino — bumpy at times, but fulfilling in the end.
As head coach David Braun hoisted the bowl trophy minutes after the clock expired, in a good way, the Wildcats (8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) didn’t hold true to Sin City’s signature saying of everything staying in Vegas.
The program and Las Vegas Bowl MVP sixth-year quarterback Ben Bryant left with hardware.
“I told the guys in (the locker room), we can talk about eight wins, we can talk about one win to eight, we can talk about bowl victories, we can talk about awards and accolades…but at some point, that stuff fades,” Braun said. “What doesn’t fade is the way you remember your student athlete experiences.”
‘Cats senior defensive back Jaheem Joseph was the first to cash in. With less than five minutes left in the first quarter, he ranged across the field to intercept Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes’ pass intended for wide receiver Money Parks in the end zone.Afterwards, the Florida native quickly bounced up, called over his sky room companions and raced to the end zone’s bottom left corner.
As soon as each player settled in, Joseph and his fellow ‘Cats executed the ‘make it rain’ celebration — a tribute to their time in Las Vegas and excitement for the game’s forced turnover.
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Joseph said the group nicknamed the gesture ‘cash out.’
“When they announced we were coming out here to Vegas, it was like ‘bro, anybody that celebrates or catches a pick we got to hit the slot machine — cash out,’” Joseph said. “We’ve been screaming cash out for the past three, four weeks because we knew (in) a lot of those games the ball was going to be in the air for us to go make some plays.”
Joseph and the secondary didn’t go back to the celebration on the following possession where he secured his second interception, but they nearly cashed in. Joseph returned Barnes’ pass that sailed over his intended target to the Utes’ seven-yard line.
The defense did give ‘Cats fans an encore in the third quarter, though. Senior linebacker Xander Mueller popped the football loose during Jaylon Glover’s rush leading to a recovery by senior defensive back Rod Heard II. The bunch’s third and final forced turnover of the game upped the ‘Cats turnover margin to +13 — currently the third-most in FBS.
NU’s defense had gained strength as the season continued, forcing three or more turnovers in the final two regular season contests. And when the lights were brightest in Saturday’s bowl game at Allegiant Stadium, figuratively and literally, it was no different.
“When bringing in (Braun’s) new system, it was always a heavy emphasis on eyes on the ball,” Joseph said. “We work on it in practice drills, turnover circuit every Thursday before practice…it’s drilled into our mindset of find ball, get ball.”
But like gambling’s high and low bravado, the ‘Cats offense faced the good and the bad in the defensively dominated affair.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and the bunch bet the max in the second quarter,letting the offense go for it on fourth down at Utah’s one-yard line. Still tied at zero apiece, it was a chance for NU to break the ice in the most important game of the season — high-risk, high-reward.
The offense crashed and burned, though, unable to get across the pylon at the one-yard line on both third and fourth down. Including senior kicker Jack Olsen’s missed field goal in the first quarter, NU failed its first two attempts at getting on the scoreboard.
However, even when the chips weren’t falling the offense’s way, Bryant was unfazed.
“You’re going to get stopped, that’s just a part of the game,” Bryant said. “But, it takes a whole offense to come back and say ‘we’re going to get it next time’ and not hang our heads.”
The ‘Cats hit the jackpot two possessions later, as Bryant found sixth-year wideout Cam Johnson wide open in the middle of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown reception.The even bigger payout came in the fourth quarter, as Bryant connected with senior wide receiver Bryce Kirtz on a 19-yard receiving touchdown, solidifying the purple-and-white’s victory.
The duel’s final score didn’t reflect Las Vegas’ flashy atmosphere — a shootout would’ve been more fitting. But, from the big play celebrations, the stadium’s atmosphere, and NU’s win, it’s clear that the ‘Cats hit the jackpot.
And with the 2023 season coming to a close, Braun and Bryant’s sentiments proved there couldn’t have been a better place or way to cap off the campaign.
“Every single team in the country, if they’re not getting into the college football playoffs, they should be begging to get into the Las Vegas Bowl,” Braun said. “(The team) had a really special week and it would’ve been a big time bummer not to cap this thing off the right way.”
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