The running game has worked just enough to not be embarrassing.
The Wildcats won’t use late-season surprise Evan Hull – keeping him out so he can redshirt – but Drake Anderson will get the workload for an O that hit Purdue for 251 yards on the ground and UMass for 334.
It struggled against Minnesota, but the team kept on pushing, came up with a few decent drives, and it at least didn’t get totally wiped out.
Illinois isn’t exactly lighting it up offensively.
It can’t convert on third downs, it doesn’t do much to control games, and the production is just erratic enough that the Northwestern defense that hasn’t stop trying should be able to keep this mediocre attack and bad ground game in check.
Yeah, the Northwestern passing thing has gone from totally miserable to a whole other sub-level of yuck.
It’s not for a lack of trying, and freshman Andrew Marty really did give it a shot last week – completing 8-of-12 passes for 95 yards and a score – but it was the second game in a row with fewer than 100 yards through the air for the O.
Northwestern is failing to hit 50% of its passes, it only has five touchdown throws on the year with 14 picks, and it’s not going to start winging it around the yard now against an Illinois that’s really, really good at taking the ball away.
How is Illinois surviving with such a mediocre offense? A nation-leading 27 takeaways helps the cause.
What’s Going To Happen
Illinois is already bowl eligible, and it’s going to break a three-game losing streak as it gets to seven wins in the regular season for the first time since it went to the Rose Bowl in the 2007 campaign. Northwestern’s defense will keep this rom getting out of hand, but the O that didn’t show up this season won’t make the bus for the ride to Champaign, either.
EVANSTON, Ill. — There’s no trophy to distinguish the Northwestern-Minnesota series. If there was one, what would it be, a mitten? A mini-snowblower? An icicle?
In the absence of an official trophy, there was one that appeared to unofficially change hands between the two teams after the conclusion of Saturday’s game: the Big Ten West crown.
The Wildcats, coming off a nine-win season that took them to the Big Ten Championship Game, have taken a significant step backward this year, and have failed to win a single conference game this season. While Northwestern has been mired in the basement of the West, the Golden Gophers have stood atop it, soaring to unprecedented heights in P.J. Fleck’s third season at the helm of the program.
Undefeated for nine weeks, Minnesota fell at Iowa last week, a loss that has likely doomed their outside bid at a College Football Playoff berth. But their postseason ambitions aren’t completely dead in the water, as a two-loss Wisconsin team has made it increasingly likely that Minnesota will represent the West Division in the Big Ten title game.
Minnesota head coach PJ Fleck leads his team onto the field against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field. (Photo credit: David Banks — USA TODAY Sports)
Powered by an excellent performance from quarterback Tanner Morgan, and a near-perfect day from receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman, the No. 11 ranked Gophers (9-1, 7-1 Big Ten) never trailed in a commanding 38-22 win over Northwestern (2-9, 0-8 Big Ten), and are one win closer to Indianapolis, a capstone to a once-in-a-generation season.
Morgan, whose status for Saturday’s game was in question heading into the week, was cleared to play in the days leading up to the contest after entering concussion protocol, assuaging concerns that Minnesota would have to start a redshirt-freshman quarterback in his place.
Morgan, who has been first-rate all season, threw for four touchdowns and 211 yards, tying his season-high in touchdown passes in a game. The sophomore led a torrid passing attack that evenly targeted Johnson and Bateman with seven receptions apiece.
The Gophers blitzed out to a quick 21-0 lead in the first half, and with Northwestern’s offense generating just 88 yards of total offense, it looked like the rout was on.
Bateman jump-started the Minnesota offense on their first drive, snagging a perfectly-placed throw over safety Travis Whillock on a post route for a 19-yard score. The redshirt-senior topped that impressive catch in the second quarter with an arguably even better play, beating Trae Williams on a double move before extending his arms to make a toe drag catch near the front left pylon.
Running back Shannon Brooks practically walked-in a nine-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Minnesota is now 19-1 under Fleck when they lead after the first quarter.
To their credit, Northwestern finished the first half strong, denying the Gophers any more points. A 67-yard boot off the leg of punter Andrew David pinned Minnesota inside their five-yard line with nine minutes to play in the half. On the first play of the Minnesota drive, senior defensive lineman Joe Gaziano scored a safety by pressuring Morgan in the end zone, forcing a throw out-of-bounds that sailed short of the first-down marker. After it was ruled a sack, Gaziano became Northwestern’s all-time leader in the category with 28.5, a proud moment for the senior.
“It was a big momentum play, because our offense gets the ball back and we scored a nine-point swing in the game,” said Gaziano. “I was really excited for the guys to be able to grasp momentum like that.”
The safety ignited a 14-play, 69-yard drive that ended with an Andrew Marty connection with sophomore Jace James in the endzone to make it 21-9.
While Morgan was predictably reliable, Northwestern’s quarterback carousel continued to be unpredictable heading into Saturday’s game.
After sustaining an injury in last week’s game against UMass, Aidan Smith was listed as doubtful in Thursday’s injury report, leading many to make the assumption that Andrew Marty would make the start for the ‘Cats.
Except, he didn’t. ESPN’s Rece Davis revealed a couple hours before kickoff on College Gameday that Johnson would be the starter.
Oh, Pat Fitzgerald and his depth chart shenanigans.
Northwestern quarterback Hunter Johnson (15) being sacked during the first half at Ryan Field. Johnson (Photo credit: David Banks — USA TODAY Sports)
Johnson, who had not played since the team’s Nov. 2 loss at Indiana, has battled a myriad of injuries and off-the-field issues this season. To say the least, this year has not gone as planned for Johnson. Unfortunately, his misfortunes continued in Saturday’s game.
Johnson was rendered unable to complete a single pass and subject to relentless pressure thanks to poor offensive line play. The redshirt sophomore was sacked three times, the third of which knocked him out of the game with concussion-like symptoms as characterized by the ABC broadcast.
That meant the quarterbacking duties fell to Marty.
Despite the short notice, Marty played the most complete game by a Northwestern quarterback all season, throwing for 95 yards and one touchdown on 8-of-10 passing, while punching into two rushing touchdowns at the goal line.
“I was proud of Andrew for stepping up and getting his first real experience,” said Fitzgerald of Marty’s performance. “I’m just happy for him. He’s worked really hard and he’s a great young man. My hope is that he gains confidence through the experience and it’s great fuel and motivation for him as he moves forward in his career.”
Any momentum the ‘Cats had from the end of the first half failed to carry over in the second half, as Minnesota continued to keep pace with Northwestern, despite Marty’s best efforts.
Minnesota wide receiver Tyler Johnson (6) catches a pass as Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Trae Williams (3) defends him. (Photo credit: David Banks — USA TODAY Sports)
Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson each caught a touchdown pass, and Michael Lantz contributed a 37-yard field goal to end a clock-killing fourth-quarter drive.
Bateman’s three touchdown receptions were the most in one game in his career.
The Gophers’ endless depth on both sides of the ball choked a banged-up, inexperienced Northwestern team. The Gophers split 217 rushing yards on 39 carries among three running backs
Northwestern, on the other hand, was forced to rely on two freshmen running backs against a top-30 rushing defense.
To say Northwestern never had a chance to upset Minnesota would be an overstatement. But without a deluge of unforced errors, it’s hard to see how the Wildcats could have ever overcome such a severe talent disparity.
As the sun sets on Northwestern’s reign as Big Ten West champions, a new insurgent team stands in the wings, ready to assume the title.
“If you want to be a Big Ten West champ, you got to beat the Big Ten West champ,” said Fleck.
What’s Next:
Northwestern at Illinois (Saturday, Nov. 30 @ TBD)
Minnesota at #12 Wisconsin (Saturday, November 30 @ 2:30 p.m. on ABC)
Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game. @PeteFiutak Michigan State 27, Rutgers 0 It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too …
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Quick thoughts and takes on every Week 13 Big Ten game.
It was only a win over Rutgers, but Michigan State really, really, really, really needed that. It wasn’t perfect, the running game was stuffed a bit too much and the offense stalled a bit, but Cody White went off for 11 catches for 136 yards and three scores, and it was a shutout over a team that was supposed to be shutout. The program can exhale for a moment – it hit the putt.
Rutgers just doesn’t have the offensive talent. Johnny Langan completed 8-of-20 passes for 57 yards with a pick, led the team with 49 rushing yards, and Isaiah Pacheco was held to 36 yards. It didn’t help that the Scarlet Knights were playing a team that cared.
The Spartans owned this game by more than the final score. They didn’t allow a third down conversion and held the ball for almost 38 minutes. There wasn’t any drama whatsoever.
Michigan State did what it needed to do, and now it closes out with Maryland for a shot at a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Rutgers’ season will come to a brutal but merciful end at Penn State.
Iowa 19, Illinois 10
Iowa played a typical Iowa game. It battled hard, played good run defense, and did enough to keep things moving through the air. It wasn’t easy, and it was a grind to do anything on the ground, but it was the eighth win of the season with just Nebraska to go. A shot at a ten-win campaign is still there.
The Hawkeyes couldn’t get any push up front – the Illinois D line did a nice job. Iowa ended up with just 79 rushing yards, and Nate Stanley wasn’t all that sharp, but he connected on a few bit pass plays with Ihmir Smith-Marsette catching four passes for 121 yards.
Nate Stanley went for 308 yards through the air as @HawkeyeFootball gets the win against Illinois.
Illinois played relatively well despite only scoring ten points. The running backs didn’t get the ball enough – QB Brandon Peters led the team with 76 rushing yards – but the O averaged close to five yards per carry. The passing game didn’t cluck – Peters threw two picks – but it was an okay performance despite the final score.
It was a good fight, and now Illinois gets to go for a seventh win when it finishes up against Northwestern. If a 19-10 loss on the road to Iowa was okay, a loss of any sort to this Wildcat team would be totally unacceptable.
UMass has the worst defense in college football by a mile.
New Mexico currently has the second-worst D in the country, and it’s allowing 492 yards per game. UMass is giving up 555.
Everyone is getting stat-fat on the Minutemen, with Army finally getting its offense going for 63 points right after Liberty hung up 63. Conn – easily in the team Worst Team In College Football team photo – put up 56.
Louisiana Tech scored 69, Coastal Carolina put up 62, and Charlotte scored 52.
With 14 minutes to play last week, Northwestern was up 24-6, and six of those points came on a blocked field goal for a score.
The Wildcats ended up winning 45-6, but the offense continues to be really, really, really bad. How bad?
QB Aidan Smith completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards and two interceptions against a historically bad defense. Northwestern is dead last in the nation in yards per throw, averaging just 8.8 yards per completion.
Minnesota is going to still need to be hyper-focused. It can still make the College Football Playoff by winning out, and it can win the Big Ten West with a win and a stunning Wisconsin loss to Purdue.
For now, it’s all about taking care of business and not giving the Wildcats anything easy. Turnovers haven’t been a problem for the Gophers, and they don’t commit penalties. Get up early, don’t screw up, and all will be fine.
There might not be any passing game, but the Wildcats have a few excellent young running backs to get excited about for the future. Out of the blew against UMass, Hull – a Minnesota native who ran eight times for 15 yards on the year – ripped off 220 yards and four scores on 24 carries.
Drake Anderson hasn’t had a game like that, but he did run for 141 yards earlier in the year as part of a ground attack that hasn’t been all that bad.
The Northwestern defense has done what it can considering it’s not getting any help from the other side of the ball. The D is giving up well over 200 yards through the air on regular basis, but few offense are ripping it up against this group through the air.
Ohio State had fun, and so did Michigan State, but the secondary doesn’t give up a whole slew of big plays. Minnesota’s new-star QB Tanner Morgan suffered a concussion against Iowa and is still questionable to play. The offense should be able to at least run the ball well without him, but the Wildcats could use all the help they can get.
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What’s Going To Happen
It’s going to take a little bit.
Minnesota won’t suffer a hangover from the Iowa loss, but this is the game of the year now for a Northwestern team in its home finale – it’s going to play at a whole other level.
For a quarter.
The Gopher running game will take over, the defense will settle in, and there won’t be any problems over the final 45 minutes on the way to a showdown for the Big Ten West against Wisconsin next week.
Adrian Martinez was fantastic. He was fast, decisive, and he looked like the star for the Husker offense everyone is hoping he’ll be. He threw for 220 yards and a score, ran for 89 yards and a touchdown, Dedrick Mills ran for 188 yards and a score, and Nebraska gained almost 500 yards …
Wisconsin got shoved around too much, struggled against the Nebraska running game, and gave up too many big plays, but Jonathan Taylor ran for 204 yards and two scores, QB Jack Coan was fine, Aron Cruickshank retuned a kick for a score, and the D came through when absolutely needed.
The Badgers need to win out and get a loss from Minnesota before they play on November 30th. Nebraska has to beat both Maryland on the road and against Iowa to go bowling.
Northwestern 45, UMass 6
Leave it to Northwestern to be the only team that couldn’t hang a gajillion points on the worst defense in college football. One of the scores came on a blocked field goal.
This was the game to have a whole lot of fun with the passing game. Aidan Smith completed 7-of-13 passes for 76 yards with two interceptions. Wheeeeee!
Evan Hull?! The freshman had four carries all year for 15 yards, and he ripped through the Minutemen for 220 yards and four scores on 24 carries. The Wildcats ran for 335 yards and five scores.
It’s going to take something amazing for the Wildcats to win another game with Minnesota and at Illinois to close. 2-10 would be the worst season since going 2-9 in 1993.
NEXT: Michigan 44, Michigan State 10; Penn State 34, Indiana 27
What does the nation’s worst defense desperately need? One of the nation’s worst offenses.
Northwestern has the nation’s second-worst scoring attack – averaging just 11 points per game – has the least-efficient passing game in college football, and makes things a whole lot worse with a whole bunch of turnovers.
Even last week when the offense did move a bit and the running game worked against Purdue, the offense still only managed 22 points. The Wildcats can dink and dunk a little bit, but there’s nothing for the UMass defense to worry about deep.
For all of the problems the Minutemen defense might have, it’s not bad at taking the ball away, coming up with three turnovers in four games, They’re going to need at least three to make this a wee bit interesting, because …
This thing is next-level bad, allowing 500 yards or more in every game but the win over an Akron team that’s the worst in college football.
You want to throw the ball? Everyone is able to fire at will for yards in bulk, unless they want to run at will. UMass has allowed 240 rushing yards or more in every game but two, and 300 yards or more in three of the last four games.
Northwestern’s Drake Anderson has been running just well enough to get the ball more, Kyric McGowan tore off 146 yards last week against Purdue as the receiver changed up his roles a little bit, and this week …
Everyone gets to eat.
And …
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What’s Going To Happen
The Northwestern defense will have something to do with this.
The focus will be on an offense that’s done next to nothing all season long, but the D will make this a laugher. The UMass defense will get hit for big, big yards against a team desperate to have a little bit of offensive fun, but the offense will be just as big a problem with no running game whatsoever against the Wildcat defensive front.
