CHICAGO — Northwestern had all the momentum.
Its opening drive was everything coach David Braun could have hoped for. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch completed 3-of-4 passes for 37 yards. Graduate student running back Cam Porter churned the Ohio State front for 19 yards on the ground. The Wildcats were lined up in the red zone.
But on third and seven from the 18-yard line, Lausch scrambled to his left. He was hit from behind by a Buckeye defender, who punched the ball out. It bounced once right into the chest of junior cornerback Davison Igbinosun.
Turnover. No points.
“It’s hard to make those mistakes and beat a team like Ohio State,” graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz said.
In NU’s 31-7 loss against No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in Wrigley Field, first half turnovers killed momentum that the ‘Cats could never regain. The Buckeyes capitalized on two game-changing NU errors to cruise to their eleventh straight win against the ‘Cats.
Taking care of the ball is the quarterback’s number one job. Lausch knows that.
He has struggled with ball security in big moments this season. On Oct. 19 against Wisconsin, Lausch fumbled the ball in a two-minute drive at the end of the first half. What could have been a 7-point halftime deficit turned quickly into 14 points — a mistake NU could not overcome.
Braun said he’s talked to the quarterback about the issue. He said Lausch has habits in the pocket that are concerning and need to be cleaned up. In particular, he said Lausch needs to keep two hands on the ball and protect it when he’s scrambling.
Lausch agreed, saying ball security is something that he works on every day in practice.
“I’ll be better,” Lausch said. “That can’t happen.”
But the quarterback is proud of the way his team responded to this adversity. After NU’s defense stopped the Buckeyes from scoring, Lausch led a 13-play, 92-yard drive that ended in the end zone.
The ’Cats found themselves ahead in the game, 7-0, in the second quarter.
But the impact of the fumble was felt quickly. Ohio State stormed down the field in 5:29 for a touchdown. Instead of the ‘Cats being up at least a field goal, the game was tied just like that.
“There were some things in the first half that gave us an opportunity to be in the game — be in a position that we wanted to be,” Braun said. “But then (there were) some things that unraveled there in the second quarter.”
Any momentum that was left on NU’s side vanished on its next drive. Back-to-back bad snaps handed the Buckeyes a lead that they would never relinquish.
On third and four from their own 31-yard line, redshirt junior center Jackson Carsello snapped the ball into the ground. A fellow NU lineman was able to jump on it, but the damage was done. The ‘Cats went three and out.
Despite issues with the snap in NU’s previous game against Purdue, Braun said he isn’t considering making a change at center.
“We have to clean up the snaps,” Braun said. “But, no, we are not evaluating that position right now.”
But the ’Cats would completely unravel on the next play. Redshirt junior long snapper Will Halkyard snapped the ball over redshirt junior punter Hunter Renner’s head. Renner picked the ball up at the one-yard line, and the subsequent punt was blocked. Two plays later, the Buckeyes ran it in for the lead.
Another unforced error. Another mistake capitalized on.
“There’s no one else in the country I’d rather have snapping for us than Will Halkyard,” Braun said. “I’ve never seen Will make a snap like that, either in a game or practice.”
With the ‘Cats now sitting at 4-6 on the year, there is no more room for error. As the calendar comes to the end of November, the time for learning closes with it. All that matters is the result on the field.
A Bowl appearance is the expectation, according to Braun, but if NU doesn’t clean up the mistakes, the ’Cats will continue to kill the momentum of the season.
And with just two games left, it may be too late to regain it.
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