Inside NU - Northwestern vs. Stanford GamedayRoll Damn 'Catshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52532/insidenu_fav.png2015-09-07T14:54:09-05:00http://www.insidenu.com/rss/stream/90292162015-09-07T14:54:09-05:002015-09-07T14:54:09-05:00Fitz: We were "very average" on Saturday
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<p>Fitzgerald was particularly frustrated with the offense.</p> <p>EVANSTON — Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald labelled his team's performance "very average" in the Wildcats' upset of No. 21 Stanford Saturday.</p>
<p>Speaking Monday at his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/7/9273331/pat-fitzgerald-northwestern-stanford-press-conference-video-shuler-mertz-godwin-igwebuike-queiro">weekly press conference</a>, Fitzgerald sounded frustrated, perhaps even exasperated, despite winning as a 12-point underdog.</p>
<p>"After watching the video, there aren't too many big heads around here right now," Fitzgerald said. "The eye in the sky doesn't lie. </p>
<div class="pullquote">"I'm tired of being average."<span>- Pat Fitzgerald</span>
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<p>"I'm tired of being average. And average comes from being inconsistent. I thought we had a very average performance as a football team on Saturday. I think we can be much better in all three phases."</p>
<p>Fitzgerald was especially displeased with the offense. "We've got a long way to go," he said. "We've got a long, long way to go offensively.</p>
<p>"I thought we had too many one-man breakdowns that left a lot of yards and a lot of opportunity out there."</p>
<p class="p1">The biggest issues, according to Fitzgerald, were on the offensive line. "They were very average," he said of the unit. "We've got a long way to go there. Very inconsistent. I thought our body language at times was very poor."</p>
<p class="p1">"When we started going with some tempo, the last group to get lined up was the o-line. The last group to make a call was the o-line. The last group to do what was right was the o-line. That's not acceptable. They've got a lot of work to do. They are far, far from being a finished product."</p>
<p class="p1">Fitzgerald said he and offensive line coach Adam Cushing came into the game with a plan to rotate offensive linemen in and out, but didn't stick to that plan. And Fitzgerald regrets it.</p>
<p class="p1">"We didn't play enough guys," he said. "Right now, we don't have a consistent five, we're not there yet. We're not even close to being there yet. So a lot of work for that group. A lot of work...That was the group I was probably most disappointed with."</p>
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<p class="p1">Fitzgerald also singled out the center position, which was manned by Brad North and, when North went down with an injury, Ian Park. He was particularly frustrated with the several high snaps.</p>
<p class="p1">"It’s unacceptable," Fitzgerald said. "You can’t snap the ball, you can’t play. Unacceptable. Cannot happen. Cannot happen."</p>
<p>With loads of sarcasm in his voice, Fitzgerald said, "we're going to have an <i>awesome</i> week of practice. It is going to be a <i>joy</i>."</p>
<p>It wasn't just the offensive line though. Fitzgerald called out the offense as a whole. Superbacks Dan Vitale and Garrett Dickerson, in his mind, were "not very good," and "really had no impact on the game."</p>
<p>Fitzgerald also downplayed Clayton Thorson's performance. "He walked out of the film room today going, 'Whoa! I got away with some... I better not do that again,'" Fitzgerald said. "He didn’t walk in this morning [saying] 'wow, I’ve arrived.' He walked in [saying] "wow, I’ve got a lot of work to do."</p>
<p>Fitzgerald was even somewhat critical of Jack Mitchell, who nailed a clutch 49-yard field goal to put the Wildcats up 16-6 in the 4th quarter.</p>
<p>One area in which the Wildcats had problems was the red zone. "Our inability to run the ball, 1st-and-goal at the 5. Some decision making with the ball in the red zone at the quarterback position. Those are things that will get you beat," Fitzgerald lamented. "We were fortunate on some of those plays." </p>
<div class="pullquote">"I'm ecstatic that we won. I'll never be upset about a victory. But when you see what we potentially could be... I'm done with potential. I want to see production. Period. Production." <span>- Pat Fitzgerald</span>
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<p>That Fitzgerald was unhappy with the offense was no surprise. After all, the Wildcats averaged just 4.18 yards per play, not a good mark. But at the same time, they did move the ball <i>enough </i>against what many expect to be a very good Stanford defense.</p>
<p class="p1">Using phrases like "we've just got to move on and move forward," Fitzgerald appeared to be challenging his team to not get caught up in the positive end result. Players like Miles Shuler and Shane Mertz confirmed that Fitzgerald's message to the team was the same as his message to the media.</p>
<p class="p1">Coaches have a tendency to downplay both success and a lack thereof. After a loss, when most are critical, they tend to be more positive, and after a win, vice versa. After a win, from a public relations perspective, they can afford to be critical. But Fitzgerald's words Monday seemed at least somewhat genuine. He was not happy.</p>
<p>"We're just not there yet," he said. "I love the attitude, and I love the energy, and obviously defensively, if we hold people to six points, we're going to win a lot of football games. But to think we're going to do that every week...we'd be sadly mistaken.</p>
<p>"I'm ecstatic that we won. I'll never be upset about a victory. But when you see what we potentially could be... I'm done with potential. I want to see production. Period. Production. If you can't produce, you are going to be replaced."</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/7/9272977/pat-fitzgerald-northwestern-stanford-unhappy-very-averageHenry Bushnell2015-09-07T11:00:05-05:002015-09-07T11:00:05-05:00Inside The Play: Thorson sprints for six
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Clayton Thorson electrified Ryan Field with a 42-yard rushing touchdown against Stanford. How did it happen?</p> <p><i>Every week, our Ian McCafferty will go back and critically review one or more plays from the past Saturday's game. These are the plays that, more than any others, were crucial in determining the outcome of the game. He'll check the film, and breakdown the how and why of those decisive few seconds.</i></p>
<p><i>This week, we go in depth into the play on which the future of Northwestern football truly arrived: Clayton Thorson's 42-yard rushing touchdown.</i></p>
<p><i>(All videos via ESPN)</i></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>***</i></p>
<p>Mark down 6 minutes and 27 seconds left in the first half of Northwestern's Week 1 game against Stanford as the exact moment that the Clayton Thorson hype train officially left the station.</p>
<p>Up until then, Thorson had played well, but had not blown anybody away. He had a couple shorter runs and had only completed five passes. In fact, he had already made some ill-advised decisions throwing over the middle, and was lucky to see those throws fall to the turf. It seemed like it was going to be same old, same old for Northwestern. Great defense, a good run game and shaky quarterback play.</p>
<p>With the ball in Thorson's hands, you could sense excitement in the stadium, but also a distinct air of caution. Fans had no idea what to expect... <span>And then this happened:</span></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nr65gaM3Anw" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m-lFZEfrfzM" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Clayton Thorson is <i>fast</i>. On paper, he boasts a 4.51-second 40-yard dash time, but it's easy to be skeptical of that without seeing it on the field. Saturday, we saw it on the field, and it was just as advertised. But this play was about more than just that 40 time.</p>
<p>Many coaches like to use the phrase, "you can't teach speed." And yes, that is true. However, you can teach how to use that speed effectively and build a play around it. It's that knowledge that sprung Thorson for a touchdown.</p>
<p>Now, after the game, Thorson wouldn't say whether or not the play was a designed run, but it pretty clearly looks like it was. Thorson tucks the ball and decides to run in less than a second, as as we'll soon see, other players on the offense are setting up for a run play all the way.</p>
<p>So let's give credit where credit is due: Mick McCall called a really good play here. He combined Thorson's speed with a quarterback draw to confuse the defense, and it worked to perfection. Here's how:</p>
<h3><b>The Breakdown</b></h3>
<p>Let's begin with the pre-snap alignments, which are always important. Northwestern lines up spread out wide, with four wideouts. Thorson is in the shotgun with Solomon Vault. This formation almost screams passing play, especially on 3rd-and-7.</p>
<p>Stanford is in their nickel package, with only two linemen, four linebackers (two of them edge rushers), three cornerbacks, and two deep safeties. The two outside linebackers are playing up near the line, and the two inside linebackers are about five yards back.</p>
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<img alt="Thorson TD 1" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UDHKK75UoLdPOmVZqfeha2hFw5k=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4037350/Screen_Shot_2015-09-07_at_10.09.50_AM.0.png">
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<p>The first important part of the setup is that Northwestern has three wide on the right side — also known as the opposite side of where the play is designed to go. Stanford responds by dropping one of its outside linebackers into coverage in the slot, and compensates by blitzing one of its two middle linebackers. Left guard Ian Park (No. 63) recognizes the blitz though, and picks it up, leaving Thorson essentially one-on-one with Stanford's other inside linebacker, sophomore Jordan Perez: <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Thorson TD 2" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uxdJ9E_g7mkTEPWk9yOrQmSKqDg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4037432/Screen_Shot_2015-09-07_at_10.16.24_AM.0.png">
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<p>The second important piece here is that this is, in essence, a trick play. Northwestern is acting as if it is going to pass, and on 3rd-and-7, Stanford has every reason to fall for the bait. That trickery, combined with Northwestern's alignment, causes free safety Dallas Lloyd to shade toward the offensive right side of the field when the play begins. This leaves him ill-prepared for when Thorson eventually pulls the ball down and takes off.</p>
<p>Let's take another, wider look at the above frame:</p>
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<p>The high safety is vertically in line with Thorson at the hash marks. But immediately following the above moment, he begins to move to his left (the offense's right) because he is keying on the receivers rather than Thorson.</p>
<p>Here's the play again. You'd think the safety would be able to meet Thorson at the second level, but he woefully misreads the play, and never re-appears in your screen until Thorson is a few strides away from the goal line:</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nr65gaM3Anw" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>The other important pieces occur on the play side. Stanford outside linebacker Peter Kalambayi runs an inside stunt, while one of the two defensive linemen loops around to set the edge. Northwestern left tackle Geoff Mogus pushes the lineman wide enough though, and Kalambayi gets stuck too centrally. That leaves a gaping hole at the first level:</p>
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<p>At the second level, Thorson simply beats Perez, who it appears had been spying on the NU quarterback. This is the point that all the playcalling and preparation go out the window. The rest of this play is shear athleticism taking over. Thorson runs a 4.51 40, Perez runs <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/combine/_/id/176542/jordan-perez" target="_blank" style="background-color: #ffffff;">a 4.77 40.</a> There's your difference right there.</p>
<p>Let's also give some credit to wide receiver Mike McHugh though. McHugh is lined up to the short side of the field, and has one-on-one coverage. He knows his responsibility — not to beat the cornerback, but to seal him off. However, he initially feigns as if he's running a go route, getting an outside release (top of the picture):</p>
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<p>Once he gets the cornerback moving toward the sideline though, McHugh cuts back to the inside of the defender, and engages. He doesn't exactly pin the defender to the sideline, but he seals his side of the field for the necessary amount of time. That increases the width of the lane that Thorson has to beat Perez one-on-one, and thus increases the probability that Thorson is able to do so. And that's exactly what he does:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nr65gaM3Anw" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<h4><b>Takeaways</b></h4>
<p>This was a well-executed play by Northwestern, but with a slower quarterback, it might not have even been a first down. That's the first and most important takeaway here. Thorson's speed allowed this play to transpire as it did.</p>
<p>However, speed wasn't the only thing in play. As <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/8/20/9180941/northwestern-football-matt-alviti-quarterback-film-breakdown" target="_blank">we saw last year with Matt Alviti</a>, you can have all the speed in the world, but you still need room to run. Offensive coordinator Mick McCall drew up a beautiful play, and the offensive line executed.</p>
<p>This play worked because Thorson provided the threat to throw, and the formation told Stanford that Northwestern was going to throw. But Thorson used his other potent weapon to score the only touchdown of the game.</p>
<p>That's the definition of a dual-threat quarterback.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/7/9271305/clayton-thorson-touchdown-rushing-stanford-highlight-film-breakdownIan McCafferty2015-09-06T13:16:46-05:002015-09-06T13:16:46-05:00Player Grades: Northwestern 16, Stanford 6
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<figcaption>Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This week's team GPA will be on the Dean's List.</p> <p><i>Every Sunday after a Northwestern win or loss, we'll be handing out player grades as a way to analyze the Wildcats' performance from an individual perspective. Rather than rush out the grades on Saturday, we'll sleep on them, and wake up Sunday ready to accurately evaluate NU's players, coaches and opponents.</i></p>
<p><i>Today, after Northwestern's upset of Stanford, it's all players:</i></p>
<h3>Offense</h3>
<h5><b>Clayton Thorson</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: B+</b><br>Stats: 12/24, 105 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 8 carries, 68 yards, 1 TD</i></p>
<p><b></b>I don't want to ruin all the fun with this grade. I want to grade him higher because he had <i>zero</i> turnovers and scored the only touchdown of the game. But looking at that passing stat line, it's tough to grade him higher than a B+. Thorson threw several risky passes and could have had two or three interceptions. But Thorson also made a lot of big-time throws, especially on third down.</p>
<p>It was an impressive debut from Thorson, who did pretty much what he had to while taking some shots downfield, a welcome sight. Plus, his legs are the reason Northwestern won this game. Last year, Trevor Siemian couldn't make that touchdown run, nor some of the throws Thorson made. There are areas to improve, surely, but Thorson solidly passed his debut.</p>
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<h5><b>Justin Jackson</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A+</b><br>Stats: 28 carries, 134 yards</i></p>
<p>If you're a Wildcat fan and you don't absolutely adore Justin Jackson, I'm not exactly sure what you've been watching for the past 13 games. Jackson is tough between the tackles, quick enough to get outside and agile enough to make guys miss when he gets there. His skills were on full display against a Stanford team that has been terrific against the run in recent years. It seems like every play, he fell forward, too. He gets the tough yards and he gets the flashy yards. Thorson had the biggest highlight of the day, but the threat of Justin Jackson was the reason Thorson had so much room to run.</p>
<p><b>Warren Long and Solomon Vault</b></p>
<p><i><b>Grade: B</b><br>Long: 7 carries, 21 yards<br>Vault: 6 carries, 25 yards</i></p>
<p>Long and Vault saw a decent amount of action when Jackson needed a breather, and they both performed solidly. Long showed toughness and power between the tackles and really good vision on his longest run of the day (a nine-yarder), but I still don't know why he gets called on to carry it outside the tackles so much. His speed has undoubtedly improved, but he's not as quick as Vault, who saw the carries we expected Auston Anderson to see. Vault showed good speed outside, held onto the ball and was overall solid.</p>
<h5><b>Christian Jones</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A-</b><br>Stats: 5 receptions, 52 yards</i></p>
<p>Christian Jones is exactly what Northwestern missed last year. He has great hands, runs great routes — albeit sometimes he and Thorson were on different pages — and is as reliable a third down target as anybody NU has had in recent years. Of Jones' five catches, four went for first downs — three on third down, and one on fourth down. He was great, especially as a go-to guy for a young quarterback.</p>
<h5><b>Offensive line</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A</b></i></p>
<p>Paving the way for 225 rushing yards is very impressive. Giving up zero sacks AND paving the way for 225 yards rushing is terrific. The offensive line got it done all game long. Ian Park earned an individual A+, playing both left guard and center. He's a 6-foot-4, 305-pound road grader. Outstanding job all around by what was a major question mark coming into the game.</p>
<h3>Defense</h3>
<h5>Defensive line</h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A</b></i></p>
<p>On the defensive side, Dean Lowry, Deonte Gibson, Tyler Lancaster, Max Chapman and C.J. Robbins were stout against the run, and got pressure against Kevin Hogan fairly often. The play of Lowry and Gibson on the outside took a lot of pressure off of the tackles in the run game. But the only defensive lineman to pick up a sack was...</p>
<h5><b>Ifeadi Odenigbo</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A</b><br>Stats: 3 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks</i></p>
<p>This was the Ifeadi Odenigbo Northwestern has been waiting to see. He showed great quickness and athleticism — which we know he's always had — but improved power and presence against the run is really what impressed me. This was his best game since Penn State and Wisconsin last year.</p>
<p><b>Anthony Walker</b></p>
<p><i><b>Grade: A</b><br>Stats: 10 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 0.5 sack, 1 fumble recovery</i></p>
<p>This was one of the most impressive linebacking displays I've seen at the college level in a while. Walker was everywhere, showed outstanding speed and play recognition, and was generally everything you could have possibly wanted in a middle linebacker. This would have been an A+ if it weren't for two dropped interceptions. Phenomenal display from the redshirt sophomore.</p>
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<h5><b>Secondary</b></h5>
<p><i><b>Grade: A</b></i></p>
<p>This grade — and Northwestern's hopes of winning — might have plummeted if Michael Rector had caught the perfectly-placed bomb from Kevin Hogan. But he didn't, and that was really the only time anyone got behind Northwestern's secondary. Matt Harris (who registered five tackles) and Nick VanHoose (who had a huge third-down pass breakup) were solid in coverage, as were Keith Watkins II and Kyle Queiro. Queiro's game-sealing pick was the highlight, but the group was solid all day long. Traveon Henry was his typical solid self against the run and even got a sack, and Godwin Igwebuike was good too (except for that Rector drop). When you limit Kevin Hogan to 155 yards on 35 attempts, you're doing something right.</p>
<h4><b>Special Teams</b></h4>
<p><i><b>Grade: A-</b></i></p>
<p>Yes, he missed one field goal, but Jack Mitchell was great when it mattered, nailing a career-long 49-yarder. If Mitchell had missed, Stanford would've had the ball, down one score, at the spot of the miss. Instead, Mitchell made it a two-possession game.</p>
<p>Hunter Niswander had a 38.8 net average-- a huge improvement from Chris Gradone last year-- and punt coverage was very good. While kickoff coverage wasn't great, there were no breakdowns.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p>Sometimes, in the future, we'll give grades to opposing players or units. And if we did today, they would not be pretty. Stanford's underperformance was certainly a factor in the outcome of the game. But for now, this is all about Northwestern.</p>
<p>Show this report card to mom.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/6/9269253/northwestern-16-stanford-6-player-grades-from-northwesterns-upsetZach Pereles2015-09-06T09:19:28-05:002015-09-06T09:19:28-05:00How should we adjust our season expectations?
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<p>The first college football Saturday of 2015 has come. And it has gone. And <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266083/northwestern-stanford-final-score-clayton-thorson-christian-jones-jack-mitchell-kevin-hogan" target="_blank">oh, what a day it was for Northwestern</a>. It took the Wildcats all of three hours to <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/4/9261321/inside-nus-northwestern-stanford-predictions" target="_blank">make us look stupid</a>, and to render at least some preseason doubt foolish.</p>
<p>As is always the case on the Sunday of that first weekend, the speculation is now behind us. The reaction has begun.</p>
<p>But the start of football does not mean the end of forward-looking statements, nor the end of the discussion of season expectations. In fact, Northwestern's win over Stanford makes that discussion just as, if not more, pertinent.</p>
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<p>Northwestern entered the 2015 season with <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/8/30/9228227/northwestern-football-2015-season-predictions" target="_blank">already-tempered expectations</a>. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year, 12 or 13 games to break in a new quarterback, for young talent on both sides of the ball to develop and blossom. And it still might be.</p>
<p>But after 60 minutes of actual football evidence, perhaps it won't be. That evidence was a dominant defensive performance against a ranked team, and one that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9267617/people-picked-stanford-to-go-to-the-college-football-playoff">some even thought could make the College Football Playoff</a>.</p>
<p>The difficulty now is in deciding how to balance those preseason expectations with the loftier ones generated by Saturday's game. And there's not a clear solution.</p>
<p>On one hand, Northwestern's defense <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266225/anthony-walker-northwestern-stanford-defense" target="_blank">looked like one of the best units in the Big Ten</a>. We knew the Wildcats would be stronger on the defensive side of the ball than the offensive side, but we didn't believe them to be this strong.</p>
<p>A few developments potentially push expectations for the defense to new heights. Anthony Walker played like an All-Big Ten middle linebacker, ruling over the middle of the field against both the pass and the run. His immediate emergence helped hide what many suspected would be a shortcoming, the outside linebacker position. Even if the likes of Jaylen Prater, Drew Smith and Nate Hall are eventually exposed, Walker could be good enough to make Northwestern's linebacking corps above average.</p>
<p>The other presumed weakness was... well, not a weakness at all. Northwestern's defensive tackles, after getting pushed around on the opening drive, were formidable. Tyler Lancaster, in his first career start, looked the part, and even backups Max Chapman and freshman Jordan Thompson held their own against a very good offensive line. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald called it a dominant performance, and opined that his team <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266449/northwestern-beats-stanford-postgame-press-conference-notes-pat-fitzgerald" target="_blank">"controlled the line of scrimmage on every single play."</a></p>
<p>Fitzgerald <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266449/northwestern-beats-stanford-postgame-press-conference-notes-pat-fitzgerald" target="_blank">also called it</a> one of the best defensive performances he's seen from his team in his 10 years on the job. And it's darn near impossible to disagree with him. It was the first time NU kept a ranked opponent out of the end zone since the Rose Bowl season in 1995.</p>
<p>With above average units at all three levels now, Northwestern's defense seemingly has a very high floor, and a ceiling that rises with every Walker hit, with every Ifeadi Odenigbo sack, with every Godwin Igwebuike pass breakup and with every <a target="_blank" href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266703/dance-off-in-the-northwestern-locker-room-featuring-jerry-brown">dance move</a> from defensive backs coach Jerry Brown.</p>
<p>The offense appeared to hold promise too. Sure, it only put up 16 points, and gained just 4.18 yards per play, but small drops of potential leaked out of it. Of the Wildcats' 330 total yards, 225 came on the ground — and they came against last year's third-ranked run defense in the nation. The offensive line, which struggled a year ago, endured an injury to starting center Brad North but still paved the way reasonably well for running back Justin Jackson.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266235/clayton-thorson-northwestern-stanford-quarterback-performance" target="_blank">main source of potential though was Clayton Thorson</a>. The Wildcats' signal caller seemed to open up the offense with his legs, and after his second quarter touchdown run, dissuaded Stanford's defense from keying on Jackson. He also showed poise in converting several third-and-longs. At the very least, Northwestern's offense was different than it was a year ago, and that can't be a bad thing.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Thorson really wasn't that good. His 42-yard scamper was a welcome sight, but he was shaky as a passer for much of the afternoon. On some occasions, he threw low; on others, he threw wide; on others, he threw dangerously into coverage. In fact, it's a wonder he came away from the game without a first career interception to mar his day.</p>
<p>Some portion of his moderate success also can be chalked up to Stanford's lack of a gameplan. It's not even that the Cardinal had a poor gameplan; it flat out didn't have one. Stanford coach David Shaw <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-clayton-thorson-northwestern-stanford-greenstein-spt-0906-20150905-column.html" target="_blank">admitted that he had no film on Thorson</a>, and the extent of the scouting report was that they had "heard he was a pretty good athlete in high school." Shaw didn't seem too concerned with the abilities of NU's new QB until he had been beaten by him.</p>
<p>Other teams won't be so unprepared though. The scouting report is out on Thorson now, even if it's based on a small sample size, and defensive coordinators will scheme to take away his strengths and expose his weaknesses. If Northwestern is to be a Big Ten West contender, Thorson will likely have to improve. That's not to say he can't, or shouldn't be expected to. But eventually, his arm will have to be more of a consistent threat.</p>
<p>The other factor that should reel in any sky-high expectations for the Wildcats is their opponent. Stanford might be a good team by season's end. It was not on Saturday though.</p>
<p>Stanford played a mistake-riddled game. The Cardinal committed multiple pre-snap penalties, and quarterback Kevin Hogan played nothing like the NFL prospect that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/25258060/nfl-draft-qb-kevin-hogan-headlines-strong-stanford-squad">some believed him to be</a>. Even when he did, his offensive teammates failed him. Wide receiver Michael Rector dropped a would-be touchdown on a deep ball, and blitz pickup was spotty. Shaw's playcalling was also questionable.</p>
<p>On defense, a front three that had to replace all three starters couldn't crack NU's inexperienced offensive line. It's nearly impossible to tell just how much of that was due to the deficiencies of Stanford's front, and how much can be credited to Northwestern's road-pavers. But in all likelihood, it's some of both.</p>
<p>So where do expectations fall after Saturday's upset? Probably somewhere short of Big Ten West favorite, but definitely beyond the doubt of another bowl-less season. There are more reasons to be reactionary than reticent.</p>
<p>If you were at 5-7 prior to Saturday, you must recalibrate. If you were at 6-6, you probably should as well. If you were at 7-5, it depends on your initial logic.</p>
<p>The offense is still a question mark. If you expected 7-5 because you projected significant offensive improvement, hold your horses. But if you believed the defense would only be good enough to win seven games, and no more, you might just have been mistaken. Against this schedule, Northwestern's defense might just be good enough to win NU eight games, and to put the Wildcats in position to go to Madison in November — still as an underdog; let's not get too carried away — with a Big Ten West title on the line.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/6/9268279/northwestern-stanford-reaction-wildcats-season-expectationsHenry Bushnell2015-09-05T21:11:15-05:002015-09-05T21:11:15-05:00Highlights from Northwestern's win over Stanford
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<figcaption>Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Including Thorson's touchdown run and Kyle Queiro's game-sealing interception.</p> <p><link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
<p>Yesterday, Northwestern upset Stanford, in case you hadn't heard.</p>
<p>It was a statement win for the Wildcats, as they dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.</p>
<p>"We all know Northwestern's lost momentum the last two years," Big Ten Network analyst Gerry DiNardo said, "but this was the kind of game that gets them back on track. This was impressive. All those stats, all those things, but the energy the team played with. It was significant today."</p>
<p>Above, we have highlights of the 16-6 victory, courtesy of BTN.</p>
<p>Below, are the highlights from Northwestern Athletics, including Dave Eanet's radio calls.</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k_oGyvPSFLs" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9267797/northwestern-stanford-highlights-thorson-td-runHenry BushnellJosh Rosenblat2015-09-05T20:46:42-05:002015-09-05T20:46:42-05:00People had Stanford in the CFP; Let's LOL at them
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<figcaption>Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Desmond Howard and Mike Golic are among those who had Stanford in the College Football Playoff. So let's laugh at them.</p> <p>Every year in late August, when a new college football season looms and possibilities are endless, nearly every single college football analyst is put on the spot. Everybody gets four spots, and they must fill those spots with four teams they think will be playing on New Year's Eve in the College Football Playoff.</p>
<p>Some pick the four teams that they think have the best chance at reaching the playoff. Others try to make a splash, and pick teams which they believe have a better chance than most so-called <i>experts</i> think.</p>
<p>Either way, Stanford — the No. 21 team in the AP poll — was a popular pick among that second group of <i>experts</i>. And less than half way through the first Saturday of college football, Northwestern made every single one of them look silly.</p>
<h5><i>Let's recap:</i></h5>
<p>- Noted hot take artist <b>Mike Golic</b> of ESPN Radio <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=13570286" target="_blank">had the Cardinal in his final four</a>. Northwestern alum Mike Greenberg, his co-host, even warned him, "Northwestern could break your heart Week 1," but Golic paid no heed to his cautionary words.</p>
<p>To be fair to Golic, he owned up to it:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congrats to Northwestern, well earned victory over Stanford...looks like one of my final 4 picks is done... That was quick</p>
— Mike Golic (@espngolic) <a href="https://twitter.com/espngolic/status/640238412621041665">September 5, 2015</a>
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- Perhaps most notably, <b>Desmond Howard</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/9/5/9266405/desmond-howard-picks-stanford-to-win-championship-looks-stupid-mere">PICKED STANFORD TO WIN THE NATIONAL CHAPIONSHIP</a>:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My pick for national champs, Stanford, just took pressure off of me for the rest of the season. Thanks Cardinal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WellPlanned?src=hash">#WellPlanned</a></p>
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) <a href="https://twitter.com/DesmondHoward/status/640239190450401280">September 5, 2015</a>
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<p>Let's all laugh at him, just like the rest of the country is doing!</p>
<p>- Elsewhere at ESPN, both <b>Craig Haubert</b> and former Alabama quarterback <b>Greg McElroy</b> <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13560619/most-espn-experts-buckeyes-repeat" target="_blank">had the Cardinal in the playoff</a>.</p>
<p>- Over at Sports Illustrated, <a href="http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/09/02/college-football-preseason-predictions-crystal-ball-2015" target="_blank"><b>Gabriel Baumgaertner</b> liked Stanford to play Ohio State</a> in the first semifinal</p>
<p>- <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Becht/status/639480788581548033" target="_blank">Some dude named <b>Anthony Becht </b>who has a lot of Twitter followers did too</a>.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">My College Football Playoff Prediction: 1#TCU 2#OHIOST 3#LSU 4#STANFORD <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EarlyChoices?src=hash">#EarlyChoices</a></p>
— Anthony Becht (@Anthony_Becht) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Becht/status/639480788581548033">September 3, 2015</a>
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<p>- <b>Dan Rubenstein</b> of SB Nation and the Solid Verbal (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2015/8/31/9234033/college-football-podcast-solid-verbal-2015-preview" target="_blank">which recently announced a partnership with SB Nation</a>) had Ohio State, Baylor, Auburn, and... wait for it... <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/9/1/9237331/college-football-podcast-2015-preview-ohio-state-alabama" target="_blank">STANFORD</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/8/31/9235833/its-hard-to-be-right-about-college-football-its-even-harder-to-be" target="_blank">Rubenstein is notorious for his hilarious inability to pick games though</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">***</p>
<p>To be fair to all these <i>experts</i>, everybody is wrong every once in a while. Heck, we all picked Stanford to beat Northwestern on Saturday.</p>
<p>But that doesn't mean we can't laugh at them for being really, really wrong.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9267617/people-picked-stanford-to-go-to-the-college-football-playoffHenry Bushnell2015-09-05T17:10:51-05:002015-09-05T17:10:51-05:00Northwestern's dominant D could be here to stay
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<figcaption>Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>EVANSTON — We're only one game into the 2015 football season. Eleven games, or more, still remain. But already, the 2015 Northwestern Wildcats have an identity. And it's a defensive one.</p>
<p>Northwestern took down No. 21 Stanford on Saturday, and it did so because it kept the Cardinal out of the end zone altogether. The Wildcat offense mustered one touchdown, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266235/clayton-thorson-northwestern-stanford-quarterback-performance">a Clayton Thorson run in the second quarter</a>... but in the end, that's all it would need.</p>
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<p>"It was probably one of the best [defensive] performances I've seen — top to bottom, against a ranked team — maybe in my time [at Northwestern]," coach Pat Fitzgerald said afterwards.</p>
<p>The Wildcat defense held an experienced Stanford offense — one that was led by a fifth-year senior quarterback and a talented offensive line — to just 240 total yards, and time after time interrupted any rhythm that the Cardinal's offense threatened to find.</p>
<p>Fitzgerald was particularly impressed with the defensive line. "This game needed to be won up front, and that's what I saw," Fitzgerald said. "It was a dominant performance from our defensive line. It looked like we controlled the line of scrimmage on every single play."</p>
<p>The Wildcats used a nine-man rotation up front, experience harmonizing with talent. Senior Dean Lowry led the way, while junior Ifeadi Odenigbo wreaked havoc on passing downs. Sophomore defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster also was a menace, making one crucial stop on an end-around on Stanford's first drive.</p>
<p>From an individual standpoint though, sophomore middle linebacker Anthony Walker was the star. Walker was <i>everywhere</i>. He made plays sideline to sideline, and against both the pass and the run. He led the team with 10 total tackles and a fumble recovery, but even that undersells his impact.</p>
<p>Fitzgerald said after the game that Walker — a freak of an athlete given his 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame — is "really coming into his own." And that's an understatement.</p>
<p>It's with the blend of guys like Lowry and Walker that Northwestern's defense excelled Saturday. Improved recruiting in recent years has given the Wildcats more "competitive depth," as Fitzgerald likes to say, but that hasn't come at the expense of experience.</p>
<p>"With the experience we have on defense, we can put more on everybody's plate," Fitzgerald said. "I don't think we had a lot of mental mistakes today defensively."</p>
<p>Coming into Saturday, the mental aspect of the game was the question with regards to Walker. He flashed a mountain of ability last season after taking over as the starting middle linebacker midway through the campaign, but wasn't consistent enough. Saturday, he was consistently the best player on the field when Stanford had the ball.</p>
<p>With Walker as a rock in the middle, Northwestern's defense is remarkably balanced. There are no clear weaknesses at any of the three levels. And it's that thoroughness that defines this defensive identity.</p>
<p>The same identity surfaced at times last year too. It was clearly present in a win over a ranked Wisconsin team at home, and it travelled with the Wildcats to Happy Valley when they beat Penn State 29-6.</p>
<p>But there were also times when it deserted Northwestern. The 48-7 loss to Iowa was certainly one of those occasions, as was the second half of a 38-17 loss to Nebraska.</p>
<p>Lowry understands that. "It's just a start," he said postgame. "Consistency is key."</p>
<p>But Lowry felt this type of identity-defining performance had been coming. "We unleashed a caged bull today," he said.</p>
<p>So this year, with even more talent, could the identity be here to stay?</p>
<p>Fitzgerald thinks it could be. Why? Well, "because that's what they did today." So there's not much reason to think otherwise.</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266225/anthony-walker-northwestern-stanford-defenseHenry Bushnell2015-09-05T15:43:12-05:002015-09-05T15:43:12-05:00Postgame press conference notes and quotes
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<p>Pat Fitzgerald, Clayton Thorson, Dean Lowry and Anthony Walker spoke to the media after the win over Stanford.</p> <p>Here's what Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and Wildcat players had to say after Northwestern's win over Stanford:</p>
<h4>Pat Fitzgerald</h4>
<p>- Fitzgerald said it was one of the <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266225/anthony-walker-northwestern-stanford-defense" target="_blank"><b>best performances</b> he's seen from his defense</a> in his time at Northwestern.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald said they expected <b>heat and humidity</b>, but athletic trainer Tory Lindley and strength coach Jay Hooten helped the coaching staff come up with a great plan to handle the weather.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald: "This is stop one on the train."</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald said <b>Thorson</b> "outplayed a fifth-year senior," Stanford QB Kevin Hogan.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald said he liked the fact that <b>Thorson was aggressive</b> on a third-down throw to Miles Shuler in the fourth quarter that picked up a key first down for Northwestern.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald lauded the way his <b>defensive line</b> "controlled the line of scrimmage on every single play," and called it a "dominant" performance.</p>
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<p>- Fitzgerald, in reference to <b>Christian Jones and Miles Shuler</b>: "We've got our weapons back now."</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald said he thought the staff brought Thorson into the game with the right kind of plan to allow him to be successful.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald mentioned that this is "a statement game about <a href="http://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/3/9255877/northwestern-stanford-football-recruiting" target="_blank">recruiting</a>."</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald said he expected Stanford to utilize <b>play action passes</b> more than they did.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald on wearing <b>shorts</b>: "That's up to [associate director of equipment operations] Curtis Shaner. Curt-dog makes those decisions. If Curt-dog wants us to wear shorts, we'll wear shorts."</p>
<p>- Apparently some Stanford players, speaking to the media afterwards, were surprised by how calm Thorson was.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald confirmed that the reason for <b>canceling four of the six scheduled games with Stanford</b> was the Big Ten's move to a nine-game conference schedule.</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald: "There's no reason anybody should've talked about us. We had no evidence from the way that we finished last year. But we had a lot of evidence from the way we worked this offseason."</p>
<p>- Fitzgerald: "This didn't happen by accident."</p>
<h4>Clayton Thorson</h4>
<p>- Thorson commended the <b>offensive line</b>, especially for the hole they created on his touchdown run.</p>
<p>- Thorson, laughing, on the offensive linemen: "They really hit your head hard when you score."</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thorson: "Hopefully we've got 14 more to play"</p>
— Inside NU (@insidenu) <a href="https://twitter.com/insidenu/status/640250223273603072">September 5, 2015</a>
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<h4>Dean Lowry</h4>
<p>- Dean Lowry said it felt like the <b>defensive line</b> "unleashed a caged bull" on Saturday. "It's been a long time coming."</p>
<h4>Anthony Walker</h4>
<p>- Anthony Walker: "Football is a fun game, and playing with a lot of <b>swagger</b>... I'm from Miami, so that's what I'm used to."</p>
https://www.insidenu.com/2015/9/5/9266449/northwestern-beats-stanford-postgame-press-conference-notes-pat-fitzgeraldHenry Bushnell