Northwestern Wildcats football: Difference between revisions
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==The Gary Barnett Era== |
==The Gary Barnett Era== |
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It was during the 1995 season, under head coach [[Gary Barnett]] and the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back [[Darnell Autry]], and linebacker [[Pat Fitzgerald]], when a dramatic turnaround was accomplished. "Expect Victory" was the motto, even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over the heavily favored [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] Fighting Irish, along with other unbelievable wins over [[University of Michigan|Michigan]] (19-13) and [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]] (21-10), catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and |
It was during the 1995 season, under head coach [[Gary Barnett]] and the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back [[Darnell Autry]], and linebacker [[Pat Fitzgerald]], when a dramatic turnaround was accomplished. "Expect Victory" was the motto, even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over the heavily favored [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] Fighting Irish, along with other unbelievable wins over [[University of Michigan|Michigan]] (19-13) and [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]] (21-10), catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and their first Big Ten Championship since 1936. The span of 59 years between titles is the longest in the history of the Big Ten Conference. They faced off against [[University of Southern California|USC]] in the Rose Bowl. The [[Cinderella (sports)|Cinderella]] season came to an abrupt halt with the Wildcats losing 41-32. |
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The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations, with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions (Co-Champions). The team was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" for many dramatic, last second victories, including a 17-16 comeback over the University of Michigan. Down 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, culminating with heart-stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback. They earned an invitation to the [[Citrus Bowl]], only to come up short against the [[Peyton Manning]]-led [[University of Tennessee]], 48-28. |
The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations, with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions (Co-Champions). The team was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" for many dramatic, last second victories, including a 17-16 comeback over the University of Michigan. Down 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, culminating with heart-stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback. They earned an invitation to the [[Citrus Bowl]], only to come up short against the [[Peyton Manning]]-led [[University of Tennessee]], 48-28. |
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Revision as of 18:59, 31 October 2009
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| Northwestern Wildcats football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1876 | ||
| Head coach | 4th season, 24–21 (.533) | ||
| Stadium | Ryan Field (stadium) (capacity: 49,256) | ||
| Field surface | Natural grass | ||
| Location | Evanston, IL | ||
| All-time record | 458–600–44 (.436) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–7 (.125) | ||
| Conference titles | 8 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
| File:Big10-Uniform-NWU.PNG | |||
| Colors | Purple and White | ||
| Fight song | Go U Northwestern | ||
| Mascot | Willie the Wildcat | ||
| Marching band | Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band | ||
| Rivals | Illinois | ||
| Website | NUsports.com | ||
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876. The mascot is the Wildcat, a term coined by a Chicago Tribune reporter in 1924, after reporting on a football game where the players appeared as "a wall of purple wildcats." Northwestern achieved an all-time high rank of #1 during the 1936 and 1962 seasons, which has thus far not been duplicated. Northwestern has won one bowl game, the Rose Bowl, in 1949. The team achieved notoriety with a 34-game losing streak from 1979-1982, the longest in Division I-A college football. Upon setting the new record in 1981 (thanks to a 61-14 home loss to Michigan State), students rushed the field to "celebrate," and chanted "we're the worst!" A win over Northern Illinois University finally broke the losing streak, and the students again celebrated, rushing the field, tearing down the goalposts, and throwing them into nearby Lake Michigan. Recent years have been far kinder to the Wildcats; they were conference champions in 1995 and co-champions in 1996 and 2000.
Northwestern's woes are in part due to the talent level, which typically is not like that found at larger, public institutions. It is the lone private school in the Big Ten, and at 8,200 undergraduates it is by far the smallest (by comparison, the second smallest school, Iowa, has almost 21,000 undergraduates). However, Northwestern consistently is among the leaders in graduation rate; it is consistently in the 90th percentile and graduated 100% of its players in 1998 and 2002. Despite the stricter academic standards, Northwestern has produced notable athletes, such as former first-round draft picks Luis Castillo and Napoleon Harris (who was valedictorian of his high school class).
Northwestern holds the all-time records for Division I-A losses, points allowed, and negative point differential (amount opponents have outscored them by). They are also on the losing end of the greatest comeback in Division I-A history, blowing a 38-3 lead in the third quarter of a 41-38 loss to Michigan State on October 21, 2006.
The team spends its preseason at Camp Kenosha in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Wildcats have also been nicknamed the "Cardiac 'Cats" after several seasons with highly contested games, with victories in the final seconds or in overtime. The team first earned the nickname during the 1996 season, and would go on to apply during the 2004 season, when four of the Wildcats' games went into overtime.
Traditions
The students and the Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band generally sit in one section near the goal line. The cheerleaders and marching band lead the students with certain cheers, such as "Go U, NU," and "Let's go 'Cats!" In a tradition called the "Growl", started by the marching band in the 1960s, the students extend their arms and make a claw with their hands like that of a wildcat while screaming to intimidate and confuse opposing teams' offenses.
Cheerleaders, along with Willie the Wildcat and the marching band's "Spirit Team", perform push ups after every touchdown, equal to Northwestern's cumulative score. The student section will follow suit, usually hoisting selected fellow students up into the air while in the stands, counting out the number of NU points on the scoreboard. Northwestern students also sing the fight song after scoring. The "Alma Mater" (the traditional school song, different from the fight song, "Go U Northwestern") is usually sung at the end of the game and played by the marching band at halftime.
Other notable traditions include the jiggling of keys before every kickoff. This action plays on Northwestern's academic rigors, and is meant to symbolize that regardless of how the game turns out, the opposing team will eventually be parking the cars of the Northwestern students. The generic "State School" chant is also employed.
The Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini meet annually for an in-state rivalry game. From 1947 through 2008, the teams competed for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy, since retired as part of a ruling by the NCAA requiring Illinois to purge Native American imagery from their athletics. The trophy will remain in Evanston, IL.[1] Starting in 2009, the schools will compete for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.[2]
Northwestern and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish once played for a shillelagh until the early 1950's. The trophy game was created at the behest of Knute Rockne, who wanted a rivalry in the Chicago area to help build Notre Dame's fan base in the area.[3][4]
The Gary Barnett Era
It was during the 1995 season, under head coach Gary Barnett and the trio of quarterback Steve Schnur, running back Darnell Autry, and linebacker Pat Fitzgerald, when a dramatic turnaround was accomplished. "Expect Victory" was the motto, even as Northwestern began the season as 28-point underdogs. A shocking 17-15 season-opening win over the heavily favored Notre Dame Fighting Irish, along with other unbelievable wins over Michigan (19-13) and Penn State (21-10), catapulted the team into the national spotlight and made them media darlings. Northwestern achieved a ranking of #3 in the nation and their first Big Ten Championship since 1936. The span of 59 years between titles is the longest in the history of the Big Ten Conference. They faced off against USC in the Rose Bowl. The Cinderella season came to an abrupt halt with the Wildcats losing 41-32.
The subsequent 1996 season lived up to expectations, with the Wildcats repeating as Big Ten Champions (Co-Champions). The team was nicknamed the "Cardiac Cats" for many dramatic, last second victories, including a 17-16 comeback over the University of Michigan. Down 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored 17 unanswered points, culminating with heart-stopping fourth down conversions and a last second field goal to complete the comeback. They earned an invitation to the Citrus Bowl, only to come up short against the Peyton Manning-led University of Tennessee, 48-28.
The Randy Walker Era
After Barnett was signed away by the Colorado Buffaloes following the 1998 season, Coach Randy Walker (formerly of Miami University in Ohio) was called to lead the team. Coach Walker, a former standout tailback at Miami University, placed special emphasis on developing Northwestern's offense, especially at the running back position. The 2000 season, fueled by Damien Anderson, saw the Wildcats emerge with an exciting "spread offense." The spread offense employed many wide receivers to spread out the defense, thus allowing more cracks in the defense for running or passing plays. A 54-51 shootout victory over the University of Michigan led commentators to dub it "basketball on grass." That game became an ESPN Instant Classic and was representative of the season, which saw frequent high scores and dramatic finishes. The high-scoring offense usually was enough to overcome the porous defense, and the Wildcats earned their third Big Ten title in six years (co-champions). Anderson also finished second nationally in rushing yards (behind LaDanian Tomlinson). However, the Wildcats were blown out by the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Alamo Bowl 66-17. The Wildcats did not make the postseason again until December 26, 2003, when they lost to Bowling Green by a score of 28-24 in the Motor City Bowl. In 2004, the Wildcats beat then-ranked #6 Ohio State in double overtime to garner their first win over the Buckeyes since 1971, but that victory was the season's only national highlight. The 2005 season was Northwestern's best since 2000, finishing 7-5 and ending up ranked #25 in the BCS poll. The team appeared in the AP and Coaches' polls for the first time since October 2001. The Wildcats earned an invitation to the Sun Bowl, only to lose to UCLA, 50-38.
Northwestern University record
| Year | Overall | Big Ten / place | Bowl Game |
| 1999 | 3-8 | 1-7 / 10th | None |
| 2000 | 8-4 | 6-2 / 1st (T) | Alamo Bowl |
| 2001 | 4-7 | 2-6 / 10th (T) | None |
| 2002 | 3-9 | 1-7 / 10th (T) | None |
| 2003 | 6-7 | 4-4 / 7th | Motor City Bowl |
| 2004 | 6-6 | 5-3 / 4th | None |
| 2005 | 7-5 | 5-3 / 3rd | Sun Bowl |
| Total | 37-46 | 24-32 |
The Pat Fitzgerald Era
2006
Randy Walker died unexpectedly on June 29, 2006 of an apparent heart attack at the age of 52. Pat Fitzgerald (seen by many before the tragedy as Walker's eventual successor once his contract expired) was promoted from linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator to head coach on July 7, 2006. Walker's death was not the team's only loss; the Wildcats also had to replace their offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and Brett Basanez, the team's former four-year starter at quarterback and holder of dozens of school records. Hence, the 2006 season was a departure from the previous years' successes. The season began with a win at Miami University, Walker's alma mater, an emotional game that featured several tributes to the late coach[5]. However, the season went downhill from there. The low point was the October 21 home loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans staged the largest comeback in Division I-A history. A win against Illinois in the final game gave the Wildcats a 4-8 record for the year and saved them from finishing last in the Big Ten.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 31, 2006 | Miami (Ohio) | Yager Stadium · Oxford, OH | W, 21-3 |
| September 9, 2006 | New Hampshire | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 34-17 |
| September 16, 2006 | Eastern Michigan | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 14-6 |
| September 22, 2006 | Nevada | Mackay Stadium · Reno, NV | L, 31-21 |
| September 30, 2006 | Penn State | Beaver Stadium · University Park, PA | L, 33-7 |
| October 7, 2006 | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium · Madison, WI | L, 41-9 |
| October 14, 2006 | Purdue | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 31-10 |
| October 21, 2006 | Michigan State | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 41-38 |
| October 28, 2006 | Michigan | Michigan Stadium · Ann Arbor, MI | L, 17-3 |
| November 4, 2006 | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium · Iowa City, IA | W, 21-7 |
| November 11, 2006 | Ohio State | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 54-10 |
| November 18, 2006 | Illinois | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 27-16 |
2007
Before the beginning of the 2007 season, Northwestern showed potential for improvement upon last year's record. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach stated that Northwestern has the 7th-easiest schedule in college football, [6] and SI.com's Steve Megargee claimed that Indiana is the only Big Ten school with an easier schedule.[7] Running back Tyrell Sutton was one of 64 players in college football to be put on the Maxwell Award watch list for the nation's best college football player.[8]
The Wildcats began the season with their first shutout since 1997 in a 27-0 win against the Northeastern Huskies.[9] On October 7, quarterback C.J. Bacher broke Brett Basanez's school record for single-game passing yards by throwing for 520 yards in a victory over Michigan State. Bacher went on to be named the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week.[10] Another strong performance in a win against Minnesota earned Bacher Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row.[11]
| Date | Time (CST) | Opponent | Site | Result | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2007 | 11:00 am | Northeastern | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 27-0 | Big Ten Network |
| September 8, 2007 | 11:00 am | Nevada | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 36-31 | BTN |
| September 15, 2007 | 7:00 pm | Duke | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 20-14 | BTN |
| September 22, 2007 | 2:30 pm | Ohio State | Ohio Stadium · Columbus, OH | L, 58-7 | ESPN |
| September 29, 2007 | 11:00 am | Michigan | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 28-16 | BTN |
| October 6, 2007 | 11:00 am | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium · East Lansing, MI | W, 48-41 (OT) | BTN |
| October 13, 2007 | 11:00 am | Minnesota | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 49-48 (2OT) | BTN |
| October 19, 2007 | 6:00 pm | Eastern Michigan | Ford Field · Detroit, MI | W, 26-14 | ESPNU |
| October 27, 2007 | 11:00 am | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium · West Lafayette, IN | L, 35-17 | BTN |
| November 3, 2007 | 11:00 am | Iowa | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | L, 28-17 | ESPN2 |
| November 10, 2007 | 11:00 am | Indiana | Ryan Field · Evanston, IL | W, 31-28 | ESPN Classic |
| November 17, 2007 | 11:00 am | Illinois | Memorial Stadium · Champaign, IL | L, 41-22 | ESPN |
2008
08/30/200811:00 AM [12]Syracuse*
ESPN2 [12]W 30-10 09/06/20086:00 PM [13]at Duke*
W 24-20 09/13/200811:00 AM [12]Southern Illinois*
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL
BTN [12]W 33-7 09/20/200811:00 AM [12]Ohio*
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL
BTN [12]W 16-8 09/27/200811:00 AM [14]at Iowa
ESPN Classic[15]W 22-17 10/11/20082:30 PM [15]No. 19 Michigan StateNo. 22
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL
ESPN2 [15]L 20-37
10/18/200811:00 AM [14]Purdue
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL
ESPN2 [14]W 48-26 10/25/200811:00 AM [14]at IndianaNo. 24
- Memorial Stadium
- Bloomington, IN
BTN [14]L 19-21 11/01/200811:00 AM [14]at No. 20 Minnesota
ESPN2 [15]W 24-17 11/08/200811:00 AM [15]No. 12 Ohio StateNo. 25
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL
ESPN2 [15]L 10-45 11/15/200811:00 AM [15]at Michigan
ESPN2W 21-14 11/22/20082:30 PM [15]IllinoisNo. 24
- Ryan Field
- Evanston, IL (Sweet Sioux Tomahawk)
BTNW 27-10 12/29/20087:00 PMvs. No. 23 MissouriNo. 20
ESPNL 23-30 OT
2009
September 511:00 a.m.Towson*
BTNW 47-14 17,857 September 1211:00 a.m.Eastern Michigan*
BTNW 27-24 19,239 September 196:00 p.m.at Syracuse*
Time Warner Cable SportsNet (New York only); (also ESPN GamePlan and ESPN360.com)L 34-37 40,251 September 2611:00 a.m.Minnesota
BTNL 24-35 22,091 October 311:00 a.m.at Purdue
BTNW 26-21 October 1011:00 a.m.Miami (OH)*
BTNW 16-6 October 1711:00 a.m.at Michigan State
ESPN2L 14-24
October 2411:00 a.m.Indiana
BTNW 29-28 October 313:30 p.m.Penn State
ESPN November 7at Iowa
Bowl games
| Year | Game | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Rose Bowl | California | W, 20-14 |
| 1996 | Rose Bowl | USC | L, 32-41 |
| 1997 | Citrus Bowl | Tennessee | L, 28-48 |
| 2000 | Alamo Bowl | Nebraska | L, 17-66 |
| 2003 | Motor City Bowl | Bowling Green | L, 24-28 |
| 2005 | Sun Bowl | UCLA | L, 38-50 |
| 2008 | Alamo Bowl | Missouri | L, 23-30 (OT) |
Individual award winners
Players
- Pat Fitzgerald - 1995, 1996
- Pat Fitzgerald - 1995, 1996
- Tim Lowry - 1925
- Otto Graham - 1943
- Art Murakowski - 1948
- Mike Adamle - 1970
- Lee Gissendaner - 1992
Coach
- Gary Barnett - 1995
- Gary Barnett - 1995
Notable alumni
Current NFL Players
- Brett Basanez: Chicago Bears quarterback
- Kevin Bentley: Houston Texans linebacker
- Luis Castillo: San Diego Chargers 2005 1st Round Draft Pick
- Barry Cofield: New York Giants defensive tackle
- Marquice Cole: New York Jets cornerback
- Trai Essex: Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle
- Napoleon Harris: Oakland Raiders linebacker
- Noah Herron: Cleveland Browns running back
- Ikechuku Ndukwe: Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard
- Nick Roach: Chicago Bears linebacker
- Zach Strief: New Orleans Saints offensive tackle
- Tyrell Sutton: Carolina Panthers running back
- Jason Wright: Arizona Cardinals running back
Other alumni
- Mike Adamle: Chicago sports radio personality; former NFL running back
- Dick Alban: Defensive back
- Damien Anderson: NFL running back
- Doug Asad: (Oakland Raiders)
- Darryl Ashmore: Offensive lineman
- Adrian Autry
- Darnell Autry: former NFL Running back; former Heisman Trophy finalist
- Louis Ayeni: football player (Indianapolis Colts)
- Ralph Baker: halfback
- Cas Banaszek: (San Francisco 49ers)
- D'Wayne Bates: former NFL wide receiver
- Hank Bruder: (Green Bay Packers)
- Ron Burton: former New England Patriots Running back
- Woody Campbell (football player): Houston Oilers AFL All-Star
- Bob Christian: (Atlanta Falcons) Fullback
- Steve Craig: (Minnesota Vikings) Tight End
- Irv Cross: (Philadelphia Eagles) Defensive Back
- Casey Dailey: Linebacker
- Randy Dean: NFL quarterback
- John L. "Paddy" Driscoll: football player and coach
- Curtis Duncan: (Houston Oilers) Wide Receiver
- Pat Fitzgerald: current Northwestern Wildcats football head coach
- Paul Flatley: Wide Receiver (http://www.pal-item.com/article/20090910/NEWS02/909100328)
- Barry Gardner: (Philadelphia Eagles) linebacker
- Brian Gowens: football player (Chicago Bears)
- Otto Graham: Cleveland Browns: quarterback; member, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and NFL Hall of Fame
- Chris Hinton: 7-time NFL All-Pro offensive tackle
- Luke Johnsos: (Chicago Bears)
- Mike Kerrigan: Former NFL and CFL Quarterback
- John Kidd: Punter
- Jim Lash: Wide Receiver
- Edgar Manske: 1933 All-American
- Tim McGarigle: (St. Louis Rams) Linebacker
- Matt O'Dwyer: Offensive Guard
- Ara Parseghian: legendary football coach of numerous programs, most notably Notre Dame; former NFL player
- Ron Rector: Running back
- Pug Rentner Halfback and Quarterback, 1931 All-American, 1932 Team MVP
- Jeff Roehl: offensive tackle
- Jack Rudnay: Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl center
- Mike Stock (football coach)
- Steve Tasker: (Buffalo Bills) wide receiver, seven-time NFL Pro Bowler, considered one of the great special teams players in NFL history
- Rob Taylor: Offensive tackle
- Rick Telander: Chicago Sun-Times Columnist
- Dick Thornton: former CFL Quarterback
- Matt Ulrich: football player (Indianapolis Colts)
- Mike Varty: Linebacker
- Rick Venturi: coach
- Ray Wietecha: center, former Green Bay Packers Offensive Coordinator
- Fred "The Hammer" Williamson: Former AFL All-Star
References
- ^ Associated Press (November 21, 2008). "Illinois abandons tomahawk trophy for football game". The Detroit News.
- ^ Northwestern University Athletic Department (April 25, 2009). "Illinois and Northwestern Announce Football Series Trophy". NUSports.com.
- ^ Latourette, Larry, "Northwestern Wildcat Football," pg. 26
- ^ http://hailtopurple.com/features/trophyhistory.html
- ^ Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, NCAA Football, Northwestern Wildcats - CBSSports.com
- ^ ESPN - Easy schedules should help these teams succeed - College Football
- ^ SI.com - NCAA Football - Big Ten schedule rankings (cont.) - Thursday June 21, 2007 1:32PM
- ^ Tyrell Sutton Named to Maxwell Award Watch List :: Sutton one of only 10 Big Ten players on list
- ^ NCAA Football - Northeastern Huskies/Northwestern Wildcats Recap Saturday September 1, 2007 - Yahoo! Sports
- ^ C.J. Bachér Named Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week :: Fans can also vote for C.J.; one of four nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award
- ^ Big Ten Honors Quarterback C.J. Bachelor Again With Offensive Player of the Week Award :: Bachér also one of four nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award; fans can vote for C.J.!
- ^ a b c d e f "Kickoff Times Announced For NU's First Three Home Games". Northwestern Sports Information. 2008-07-02. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
- ^ "Kickoff Times Set For Duke's First Three Football Games". Duke Sports Information. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b c d e f "Big Ten Announces Start Times for 2008 Homecoming Games". Northwestern Sports Information. 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Northwestern Official Athletics Site". Northwestern Sports Information. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-29.