From Bush To ‘Baz

Man.  It’s tough to get a word in edge-wise with headline breaking news like Mayor Daley calling it quits and Reggie Bush’s potential Heisman strip.  We’ll touch on the latter in a bit.  The “short” week has Saturday seemingly arriving so much quicker so it is time to turn our focus to Illinois State.   You may have read this LTP preseason preview of the Redbirds, but I’ll crib some of that info and update it in the wake of their week one 55-54 victory of DII Central Missouri. 

There is an NU connection on the coaching staff – former NU assistant Jay Peterson (at NU from ’99-’03)is now on the ISU staff under former Purdue assistant-turned-ISU-head-coach Brock Spack. Spack, who earned his wings under Joe Tiller, is obviously no stranger to Northwestern and candidly both in name and look is out of central casting as a head coach.  Spack’s season-opening win has him at 7-5 overall at the Missouri Valley football school and  you know this game is the highlight of their schedule since it is the annual FCS team playing up to try and shock the FBS opponent.

Spack has somehow converted ISU in to a Big Ten back-up All-Star team.  As I mentioned in my preview this past season he bolstered an FCS roster with the following transers:

Nickcaro Golding – DE (from Purdue)
Leonard Hubbard – LB (from Wisconsin)
Shelby Harris – DE (from Wisconsin)
Otis Merrill (from Wisconsin)
Erik Smith – RB (from Wisconsin)
EJ Jones – DB (from Minnesota)
Andre Tate (from Minnesota)
Ashton Leggett – RB (from Michigan State)
Marvon Sanders – WR (from Eastern Michigan)
Xzavier Stewart (from Kansas State)

Many of the above prepped for NU’s offense just a year ago either on the 2-deep or practice squads of their respective programs.  Add in the fact that QB Matt Brown, the reigning Missouri Valley Freshman of the Year, opened up the season earning Missouri Valley Offensive Player of the Week honors and you know this team has some talent.  Brown had a stellar day posting 298 yds and 3 TDs on 23/30 passing including a game-winning come-from-behind drive late in the fourth quarter.  The Redbirds conference features some top tier FCS talent including the likes of Southern Illinois who may give the Illini a run for their money on Saturday, along with Northern Iowa who nearly upset Iowa last season and of course North Dakota State who pulled one of the biggest opening week shockers with a 6-3 win at Kansas on Saturday.  ISU entered the season just on the outskirts of the FCS Top 25.

Not even Lou Holtz can rally up the scare card here on defense though.  The Redbirds were gashed for -get this – 547 passing yards – against DII Central Missouri.  ISU gave up only 58 yards on the ground, but when a team throws at will like that it is more of a function of going with success than credit to ISU’s rush defense (UCM’s leading rusher had 7 carries).  This is where I hope we don’t outhink ourselves on Saturday.  Now that Dan Persa has his game legs under him, it is time to pass – pass -and pass again.  I fear we’re going to approach this game with “overthink” and try to use it to prove we’re a run team.  You can almost see us forcing the run and not worrying about exploiting the ISU weakness.  Look, I’m all for improving from week one in game situations.  Our line must improve and our RBs must get in better sync with timing, running north-south and reading their gaps.  It’s a must to work on, however I don’t want it to distract from the gameplan of winning a game and doing so in impressive fashion.  It is equally important to try and build a big lead and get Evan Watkins some reps.  Our “D” will be tested by Brown, and ISU, though so this is by no means going to be a cakewalk.  They’ll put up points.  I want us to approach it like any other game where we play to win the game first and then work on the priority points like the run game.  Persa should have 15-20 pass attempts in the first half of this game. Period.  Anything less and we’re not gameplanning effectively. 

It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd the Redbirds bring.  The undergrad population of 20,000+ and a healthy Chicago alumni base should bring some numbers, albeit my expectations are very managed.   I’d be encouraged if we eclipsed 30,000 but am expecting more in the 25,000 -range.  Perhaps we should borrow the Cubs ticket takers who claim that last night’s attendance was in the 32,000 range.  Uhhhh…don’t think so.  My post yesterday on cranking up the volume RIGHT NOW is even moreso after attending that deadbeat game.  Rick Telander – a disgruntled ‘Cat – took the same angle today consciously overlooking NU in his Sun-Times article claiming the Sox are “The Only Game In Town” (he even mentions the Chicago Wolves, but not NU).  Putting up some big time points in a landslide win is exactly what the doctor ordered as we traverse through our “must go 4-0″ non-conference schedule.

Did (N)U Know?
NU DC Mike Hankwitz coached ISU head coach Brock Spack during part of Spack’s undergrad LB days at Purdue. According to the NU game notes (Mike Wolf) Hankwitz was the linebackers coach in West Lafayette from 1977-81, while Spack’s Boilermaker playing careerspanned 1980-83. Also Bob Heffner, NU’s superbacks coach was a line coach at ISU in the 80s.

Stats To Stew On

• Somewhat lost in my postgame analysis was the remarkable upgrade in NU’s punting thanks to Brandon Williams’ stellar debut. Willliams’ 42.6 ypp is currently ranked 18th in the nation.
• While Dan Persa’s 90.5 cmp% offers NU some top-ranked Big Ten billing in several categories (pass comp, pass efficiency), there are some not-so-good rankings as well.  The 422 total yards given up to Vandy put NU dead last in the Big Ten  and 89th in the nation.  We’re ranked 10th in both run defense (192 ypg) and pass defense (240 ypg). 
• I find it amazing that since 1995 our overall record (including bowl games) is now 92-90. You’d think it’d be better than that, but you realize how much the bowl losing streak hurts our regular season record which is 92-83 during that span. 

Coming up in a bit…From Bush to Baz…

“This is the most apathetic the city has been toward the Cubs that I’ve ever seen” – Brixen Ivy Owner Mark Schlenker (AP)

We can spend all week wringing our hands over the lack of run game and making 2010 vs 2009 comparisons and we likely will. However, as I head to a Cubs game tonight with phenomenal seats  – the kind you dream about – I was unable to GIVE away one to any colleagues, friends etc…It is a sign of the unique times.  Northwestern has a rare opportunity to gain some sports market share from Chicago sports fans.  The 0-4 preseason has the most ardent Bears fan on the ledge.  The Cubs are irrelevant and there isn’t a whole lot of buzz around the Bulls. Granted, the Hawks are the hot ticket, but we’ve still got some time before people are in hockey mindset (yes, I realize they raise the banner at the same time we’re playing Purdue).  If not for the Sox recent run at the Twins it would be a sports wasteland around here.  But before I get delusions of the Chicago sports fan recalibrating the epicenter towards Evanston it is worth noting the media buzz Notre Dame’s opening win has created.  TV ratings are up 77% and the Trib and Sun-Times are falling overthemselves to praise thou Sir Kelly.  NU has kicked-off the Monday of win number one with front page football advertisements and continues to get the message in the marketplace. The time is now folks.

Tonight, The Pat Fitzgerald Show debuts on Comcast Sports Net Chicago at 11 pm ct and will be replayed on Thursday on the BTN.  I understand the show is mostly produced by students and while no NU show has ever so much as made a ratings blip, it is just another outward-bound messaging channel that I hope will be cut, parcelled and re-used online and elsewhere.  Additionally I read NUBears – the beloved NU YouTube guru will be hosting a call-in show tonight on 88.1 FM or WCRX.net (call 312-663-3512) from 7pm ct – 9pm ct tonight. 

It is time we take advantage of the opportunity to really try and start filling seats for Saturday and 9/25 against CMU.  If the Bears lose to Detroit on Sunday, I’d be cranking the jump on to our bandwagon approach.  I realize Chicago sportsdom is not mutually exclusive, but if we continue to win in a very down cycle in Chicago sports, it will make a difference.  Start spreading the word and rallying your friends.  Say what you want about the Vandy game, but we definitely know how to keep fans on the edge of their seats, no?

I do need to send a note to NU and Mike Polisky here.  We realize your staff is brand new to the job, but a MUST on the 2011 to-do list is to create a solution for bonus ticket redemption that does not involve people getting to Evanston during weekday business hours to redeem their non-conference ticket.  Who can possibly do that? There has to be a workaround as my inbox continues to trickle in with the “you’ve lost five potential fans” type emails. 

Speaking of attendance I caught part of the Stanford home opener against Sacramento State. YIKES.  If Fitz wanted to try and use one image to negatively recruit, the wide shot would have done the trick.  The stadium was one-third full AT BEST.  Let’s ensure Ryan Field does not look the same on Saturday against Illinois State. And yes, I must come clean.  I will NOT be attending the home opener on Saturday – and worse – will have no access to communication tools to know the score or comment on the game (rest assured I’m making back-up plans for the site).  You know me well enough to know this is a big deal, but let’s just say I live up to commitments to family and friends.  We’ll be turning the page big time in the morning to discuss Illinois State on a weekend filled with great Big Ten games. Here’s to hoping ours is not one of them and that we go for the jugular early and work out the kinks.

The new look Lake The Posts is very much like the 2010 ‘Cats.  We both have new looks – uniforms and personnel if you will – but the on-field performance is very familiar.  For LTP, that means the same in-depth consistent coverage on a daily basis. For NU, that means continued heart-racing wins that don’t necessarily need to be as close as they are.  Before we get in to all of the breakdowns for the Illinois State home opener this Saturday, I figured I’d give you a quick tour and the back story on the new LTP. 

The Improvements:

• Easier to navigate: There are all sorts of improvements here.  Multiple and recent posts are visible on the home page so you can “catch-up” on older posts easier.  We’ve installed a navigation bar that enables you to instantly access the LTP Flag Project, Game Highlights from every win from this year back through 2008 (more coming soon!), and the NU Bar network which is a work-in-progress way for you to share TV viewing pleasure on Saturdays regardless of where you are in the US.  We’ve added a “Ryan Field Renovations” section which is geared towards stadium improvement suggestions and a dedicated Purple Mafia Profiles section to catch-up on some great interviews with ‘Cats fans/alums/former players. The “History” section is an easier to navigate page that has a drop-down menu to help you get to “Did (N)U Know?” tidbits, Welsh-Ryan Arena History and other goodies.  Please be patient as each sub-page will be upgraded in the coming weeks.

• Back-end fun – You don’t get to see the guts of this site, but I can tell you from a publishing experience it is 100X better.  That is the crux of the switch.  Easier to import photos, update standings, add/subtract sub-pages, text boxes and a host of other things behind the curtain that make my life easier and more efficient.

• Work In Progress – NU has its running game woes and fumbling issues, LTP has its issues as well. The Google RSS feeds seem to have taken a hit, there are a host of spam commenters, and I’m having trouble with the placement of the new post headlines and text being placed too low.  Please continue to send me other tidbits/issues/likes and dislikes of the new site so we can address them and make the LTP experience that much better. 

Now, let’s get on to the real stuff.  The Northwestern 2010 home opener against FCS opponent Illinois State on Saturday. Skip Myslenski confirmed what I had deduced simply from watching  on TV – the ‘Cats were flat on the sidelines (Fitz included).  I’m amazed that both Dan Persa and Nate Williams actually admitted it (but thankful they were honest about it).  Here’s what Nate said to Skip:

I think there was some lack of enthusiasm on the sidelines. It has to really come from within and sometimes you’ve got to bring someone else with you. So we’ve got to get on the younger guys this week and definitely get them prepared to be excited.”

Wow.   I never thought I’d see a Pat Fitzgerald team struggling to find energy and excitement on the sidelines – especially in a season-opening night game.  I’m not sure I know what to say other than the fact Fitz also admitted he believes he might have over-prepared his team and had too much “on their plates” or as he said “paralysis by analysis”.  Teddy Greenstein took this same angle on Monday (I realized this after I finished this post) as he took Dan Persa’s post-game comment of:

 “Passion. We definitely have to have more passion.” 

Huh? What in the good name of Darnell Autry is going on here? Fitz is the single most passionate coach in all of college football.  His halftime interviews to reporters make you think they’ll follow him in the lockerroom and don a ‘Cats uni.  Yet, we’re lacking passion from the players?  Perhaps he needs to rewind to last year’s Wisconsin game and bottle that energy.  I’ve never seen a sideline having more fun. Players dancing, bouncing and chest bumping to the music out of the PA system that was seemingly wired with a tin can and rope (note: the new PA system will be in full effect THIS Saturday).  If you can’t get up for a season-opening game in front of a near packed house in SEC territory – at NIGHT – what is it going to be like at 11 am against an FCS team in front of a sparse golf crowd this Saturday?  THAT concerns me.

There are a myriad of commenters and emailers claiming a lot of reasons for the lack of ground game.  All I know is that we’re going to rinse, lather, repeat this weekend as Fitz and McCall are going to use this game to try and prove – once again – “no, really we CAN run the ball”.  Personally, we’d better start figuring out ways to put the ball in playmakers hands.  Drake Dunsmore getting two touches? Really?  Jeremy Ebert getting five passes thrown his way (all of which he caught)?  I’ll be ticked if we don’t put up at least 30 passes in this game.  Ideally 35 passes with 35 rush attempts and most of those rushes being north-south and not east-west.  I get it. You need to mix it up on offense with the combination of QB runs on blitzes, RB options and passing, but let’s not kid ourselves.  This is a two-step deal that involves the OL opening up some holes and moving the line while our RBs find seams and their timing.  Even if we finally crack the code against ISU that isn’t a fair barometer of translating how we’ll rush in Big Ten play. 

I know I speak for all of us when I say 17 carries a game by Dan Persa is a recipe for the Evan Watkins experiment to begin.  Persa’s moxie – which is Zak Kustok-esque – will for certain put him in harm’s way at some point this season if he plays as spirited as he did on Saturday. Don’t get me wrong – I love the “passion” – but he took some licks and will continue to as the season progresses.

STATS TO STEW ON

Kudos to The Daily Herald’s Lindsey Willhite for offering up the stats I was seeking late Saturday night. They involve Dan Persa’s performance.  Consider this:

• Persa’s 1st career start and his 90.5 cmp % (19/21) set an all-time record for NU QB completion percentage with 20 or more attempts.
• Persa ranks #1 in the nation in pass efficiency (226.42) for QBs who faced FBS opponents. If you include all games – including QBs who faced FCS opponents, he ranks 8th in the nation.

We’ll check back later today with more fodder for Saturday – that is, if I can muster up the passion.

Happy Labor Day everyone! Now that week one’s win is in the rear view mirror, I thought a day or two of emotions under the bridge might provide some clearer insights as we prep for week two and the clearly potent Illinois State offense. There are several tangible and intangible notes of interest I picked up after going back and watching the second half again (yes, I did) last night. Wildcat Nation’s mindset is somewhere teetering back and forth between “take the road win in SEC territory and run” and “man, if we don’t course correct our line play and RB play it’s going to be a loooong season”.

Let’s get into it:

• New Approach Fitz? Our feisty leader was a mellow presence all night long.  At one point, as Vandy was driving for what turned-out-to-be a missed 46-yard FG drive, he looked downright Lou Holtz-esque, squatted over picking grass likely as some sort of supertitious activity.  Overall, the fist-pumping, in-your-face approach was squelched perhaps as he finds a modified approach. 

• Pass/Run Mix: My playcalling fear came to fruition as we continued to try and prove to ourselves that we’re a running team.  Despite the fact Fitz went on record saying his belief in our OL and run game improvement will be there b/c they focused on it all off-season, it was clear we’ve got some issues here.  Look, you simply can’t pass every down and expect to win, but the fact we had 26 NON Dan Persa rushing attempts (Persa had 17) is inexplicable when you consider Persa’s completion percentage (19/21).  If you’re doing something successful 90% of the time, keep doing it. 

• Keep It Tight: One no-brainer improvement is to not pitch to Arby Fields on the option.  Fields repeatedly went the wrong way when faced with no holes on the option to the outside.  After reviewing the tape NU clearly had more success – again, all relative – keeping it between the tackles.  I didn’t break down the option runs vs the between the tackles runs, but it was a significant plus for keeping it tight. 

• Persa On The Run: It’s quite amazing looking back and seeing all of the throws Persa made while rolling.  The announcers mentioned it and you can tell, Dan feels more comfortable when rolling than staying in the pocket.  His impressive game was even more impressive when you go back and break down these plays. 

• Under Wraps: It’ll be interesting to see how Fitz handles Jacob Schmidt this week.  The veteran RB had two fumbles on the day both recovered by NU. One came deep in our own territory that would’ve been disaster on the final drive. 

• OL Improvement:As a unit the OL was a major disappointment.  Yes, they blocked well on Persa keepers, but they did a poor job of opening holes and got beat time after time on  assignments on option plays.  We also surrendered four sacks on the night. 

• Most Amazing Play: Dan Persa’s fake handoff and scramble on the 4th quarter TD drive.  He simply made Vandy player after Vandy player whiff as he bolted, bounced and juked his way to a 20+ yard scramble.

• The Play That Was Huge That You Won’t Remember: Sidney Stewart’s grab on third down that he went up and got.  I love this kid as he makes the acrobatic and difficult seem so easy. 

• TV Coverage: I thought the Comcast Sports Net South coverage was brutal.  The down and distance info was almost never right, often times on the wrong down.  The camera angles were poor and Matt Stewart repeatedly had the wrong NU player including Drake Dunsmore’s TD catch which he attributed to Demetrius Fields.  Moreover, the SEC propaganda about speed and how much faster Vanderbilt was was nonsense.  It was hilarious as he was giving the speed “win” to Vandy, Persa blitzed several “fast LBs” on that very play to secure a key first down. 

BREAKING…

Just received the BTN notification that Pat Fitzgerald was named Big Ten Icon #41.  He will be profiled along with Penn State’s Curt Warner sometime in September after the show launches on September 18.  Also, the Big Ten named Denard Robinson as the offensive player of the week.

Non-Conference Opponents:

We’ll be spending most of the week breaking down Illinois State, but as usual a top-level look at NU’s 2010 non-conference opponents in week one:

Illinois State

The good news for ‘Cats fans is our next opponent – ISU – gave up 54 points to a Division II school – Central Missouri State.  The bad news is that Illinois State put up 55 points so you know they can move the rock.  The Redbirds got gouged for 605 yards of offense, but managed to win thanks to QB Matt Brown’s (Marion, IL) 303 yd, 3 TD, O INT day. Brown was an efficient 24/31 on the day. 

Rice

The biggest non-conference news of the weekend was our September 18 opponent Rice and their stingy play against #5 Texas.  Yes, they lost 34-17 and also gave up 24 2nd quarter points, but they played tough and raised a few eyebrows that they won’t be an easy out.  Rice mustered only 88 rushing yards as the Sam McGuffie era began with a 14 carry, 47 yard day. 

Central Michigan

The Chippewas pounded Hampton 33-0 as Ryan Radcliff looked OK passing for 242 yds and 1 TD on 20/34 passing in his debut. 

As usual, our YouTube guru NUBears came through with customized NU highlights of the ‘Cats 23-21 win.  Enjoy.

Persa Carried The ‘Cats Vs Vandy

Well. On a day when LTP launched a brand new website look, Northwestern provided comfort in knowing it is the same-old, same old Fitz program that seems stubborn to reinforce the Cardiac ‘Cats moniker.  LTP Prediction? NU 23 Vandy 20.  OK, so I was off by one total point, but tonight was a game that I actually envisioned with one major difference.  I expected a slow start.  Instead, Dan Persa was everything I dreamed of and more and threw me a curveball leading NU to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter. No worries, the ‘Cats disappeared for two quarters thanks in part to one major game-changing moment (Persa’s fumble).  Let’s break it down with The Great, The Good and The Disappointing.  The Vandy fans are still booing over the final key play of the game – a personal foul helmet-to-helmet hit on Persa that seemed relatively cut and dry.  I’m shaking my head after chewing off my nails saying this is EXACTLY what I expected.   A road win in SEC territory? Take it and run.  We’ll have highlights up in the morning.  But man, do we have issues at RB. Our biggest fear just became a horror show.

Quick Hit Stats
NU Total Offense – 365 yds (222 passing, 143 rushing)
Vandy Total Offense – 432 yds (240 passing, 192 rushing)
Passing: Dan Persa – 222 yds (19/21, 3 TD, O INT, 82 rushing); Larry Smith 240 yds (19/33, 1 TD, 1 INT)
Rushing: Dan Persa – 17 car, 82 yds; Zac Stacy 9 car 69 yds 1 TD
TOP: NU – 30:54, Vandy 29:06
Turnovers: NU – 1 (Persa fumble); Vandy 1 – Smith INT (Vaughn)
Leading Tacklers – NU – Nate Williams (12); Vandy J. Fullum (12)
Sacks: NU – 1 (Ben Johnson); Vandy 4

Gamechanging Plays
Northwestern seemingly had Vandy on the ropes up 10-0 and driving in Commodore territory when Dan Persa promptly got stripped on a scramble and the crowd and Vandy turned up the heat dominating from that point through most of the third.
Momentum swung back to NU when Justan Vaughn picked off Larry Smith late in the third which NU promptly transformed in to a TD drive capped by Drake Dunsmore juggling TD.
Most underrated play – Demetrius Fields catch on Jacob Schmidt’s fumble.

THE GREAT

Dan Persa – First career start for the heir to the seemingly endless stream of firepowered NU QBs and man was he impressive.  You could tell on the camera close-ups how ready he was for the moment.  He was explosive running in the 1st and seemed on pace to shatter  Mike Kafka’s QB rushing record considering it felt like he posted a C-note in the 1st quarter (he accounted for 112 of NU’s 118 yards in the first).   Persa’s stat-line on the night is eye-popping – 19/21, 222 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, 82 rushing yds – but that line actually doesn’t give justice to how much he carried Northwestern.  Gutsy play after gutsy play where he created magic on the run and created and took punishing hits to the point where we all are wondering how the heck he’ll make it through an entire season. 

Mick McCall’s 4th Quarter Playcalling

If you’re going to criticize, you have to praise when appropriate.  The ‘Cats sputtered for the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but finally found their groove when they went up-tempo and put together two great drives in the 4th to pull out the win.  The combination of spreading the wealth through the air and then mixing up the run while mixing the tempo was the difference and was sorely missing earlier in the game.

NU Receiving Corps

You wonder why we only threw 21 times especially with that God awful rushing attack.  Our receivers were money all night long. Jeremy Ebert paced the field with 5 rec, 99 yds and a beautiful 1st quarter 33-yd TD catch, but everyone came up big regardless of their catches – Stewart and Fields in the 4th, Dunsmore’s TD, Rooks’ TD and Brendan Barber even getting in on the action.  McCall missed the boat by not getting these guys more touches.  Even when they weren’t receiving they were coming up big like Demetrius Fields’ unsung play of nabbing Jacob Schmidt’s near fatal fumble.

Venric Mark

Holy smokes. Was that the single fastest Wildcat you’ve ever seen? He was on the screen for all of one play – a KOR with 2-minutes to go, but his 25-30 yd return was in a gear I’ve never seen on our side of the ball.  PLEASE PLAY VENRIC!!!

The Good

Jack Dinardo.  Vanderbilt gashed our “D” for 192 yards and a terrible 5.1 ypc so its hard to give props to any DL member, but Dinardo came up huge when we needed him to as each of his 5 solo tackles were statements.

Composure. As fans, we were all saying the same thing.  “God, why do we have to play to the EXACT level of our opponent every week? Can’t we just put a team away?” Regardless, the ‘Cats withstood huge momentum swings to hang on for a road win in SEC territory.  You felt danger zone several times, but if nothing else we should resiliency to play half a game and escape with a win.

Brian Peters

The guy was everywhere. He was making big plays to stuff RBs when needed and also smothering other’s mistakes on pass plays. I thought he played a great game.

Punting/Punt Coverage

An Achillees heel in year’s past, we had good hang time and solid coverage on punts all night long.  Brandon Williams had some beauties and got the rolls and Jeravin Matthews’ hit was  a highlight.

The Disappointing

Demos/PATs

Granted, Vandy’s missed PAT turned out to dictate the game in many ways, but on the heels of the disappointing Outback Bowl, Stefan had a key FG blocked and Brandon Williams botched what would’ve been the game-sealing PAT late in the 4th.  Simply can’t happen.

RB Play

To be nice, it was awful. Arby Fields clearly is not recovered from an injury as he posted an embarassing -7 yards on 10 carries and it looked worse.  Dan Persa was brilliant on the ground netting 82 yards in impressive fashion. However, we’ve got MAJOR problems among the rest of the crew.  The rest of the team – Jacob Schmidt, Stephen Simmons, Arby Fields and company mustered a paltry 61 yards on 29 carries. So much for concentrating it all off-season.  Persa can’t carry us here all season and stay healthy. Oh yeah, that was one of the worst rush defenses in the entire nation last season that had few hopes for improving. 

Insistence on Running Early

Persa was masterful in the air going 12/13 in the first half. As I feared, NU tried to show “we can run!” despite the fact we couldn’t.  Throw in the usual draw play on 2nd and 20-something and you really get me fired up and frustrated.  I’m all for balance, but I’m also a big fan of being real and playing to your strengths.

STATS TO STEW ON:

• Fitz is now 5-0 in season openers.
• NU is now 25-7 in their last 32 games decided by 7 points or less.
• The NU-Vandy game is one of only two Big Ten-SEC match-ups this year (PSU-Bama) in the regular season.
• Jeremy Ebert’s 99-yard receiving game is a career best.

What They’re Saying:

Teddy Greenstein offers up an early recap here.

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM TODAY AROUND THE BIG TEN:

• I’m glad we don’t play Michigan. Denard Robinson looked Heisman-worthy today in the dominating victory over a solid UCONN team today.
• Illinois played mighty well for a team that had no stats to show for it. Their new QB, Nathan Scheelhaase is a winner and despite his 3 INTs today, gives me fear for later in the season.
• Iowa finally learned how to put an early season team away and scared Hawkeye Nation with Ricky Stanzi’s brief injury.
• Michigan State surprised me with the amount of rushing stats they accrued and nothing has changed my mind that they’re the most underrated team in the Big Ten.
• How about that UNC game? Game of the day. 
• OK, maybe that honor belongs to Jacksonville State in the 2OT win over SEC’s Ole Miss

N Flag Flying On ESPN

Thanks to William for emailing me this screen grab of the Northwestern flag flying high in the background of today’s ESPN College Gameday. Keep ‘em coming!

Man, oh, man.  How ’bout that? We’re now 1-0 and pretty much every offseason thought came to roost in Northwestern’s white knuckle 23-21 road win over Vanderbilt in the season opener.  Persa has the Kustok-factor and was gritty and accurate in his 19-21, 3 TD performance.  Our RB game is absolutely atrocious and the secondary is still a big question mark. The bottom line is we are 1-0 as Northwestern played two quarters of solid football on offense, but there is a ton to improve on.  We’ll be back with a full breakdown within the hour.

In a game filled with question marks at RB for both teams, NU fans will have to wait and see on Arby.

>OK, as the mind officially wanders and starts locking in to “gameday mode”, here are a few thoughts for tomorrow’s game.

What I DREAM To Happen:

• Simmons busts a huge KOR and sparks a great opening drive with Persa marching us in for a quick seven to take control of the game.
• Our “D” serves up a 3-and-out.
• Venric Mark on his very first PR takes one to the house for the first PR for a TD since Marquice Cole in 2005.
• Arby Fields actually plays and breaks 100 yards. We haven’t had a 100-yard rusher since the 2008 Alamo Bowl (Tyrell Sutton). Arby busts at least one 25+ yarder – something NO ‘Cat did in all of 2009.
• We contain Norman and hold Vanderbilt to less than 100 yards total rushing.
• We build an early lead and put Vandy away by stepping on the jugular early in the third.
• Evan Watkins gets 4th quarter reps and we spread the wealth on offense.
• Brandon Williams averages over 40 yards per punt.
• We come to play from the very first snap and take care of business like we should.
• We don’t playcall too conservatively in hopes that we shield future opponents from anything.
• We don’t try and force the run if it isn’t productive.
• I’d love to see Venric Mark get at least one deep ball attempt from Persa at WR.
• Vince Browne and Kevin Watt bring the heat all day in the backfield.
• ‘Cats go 5-0 in openers under Fitz.

At the end of the day, I’m happy with a win – ANY kind of win, but as a fan there is such a thing as a style points win. Here’s to a great Saturday night!!!