Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/413403
GAME PREVIEW: NORTHWESTERN started horribly. Then they had a great two-game run and now they're back to being [bad] — that Iowa performance [a 48-7 loss Nov. 1] is one of the worst I've ever seen. "If you want to go really big picture, you could look at them not having those bowl practices last year. Spring practice was really marred by the union talk. Fall camp they were play- ing catch-up and had injuries, some practices where Fitz was using only 60-something players." Running back Venric Mark, who rushed for 1,366 yards and 12 touch- downs in 2012 before leg injuries plagued him in 2013, transferred to West Texas A&M in August after the school suspended him for two games for undisclosed reasons. Without Mark and graduated quarterback Kain Col- ter — the former Northwestern athlete who pushed for unionization during much of the spring — the Wildcats ranked better than only 10 Football Bowl Subdivision schools in scoring offense (19.1 points per game) through games of Nov. 1. "One of the problems is they don't have a rushing attack at quarterback, and they have in previous years with guys like Dan Persa and Kain Colter," Greenstein said. "Trevor Siemian is a sitting duck back there with a re- ally erratic offensive line, and their receivers are just not great. They're not getting separation, they're dropping passes and not getting much yards after the catch." At running back, freshman Justin Jackson has carried the load with 726 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games. His production does not yet match Mark's when the latter was healthy, but he has improved through- out the season for Fitzgerald's squad. Part of what makes the Wildcats' seven-game slide last season and their three-game losing streak in 2014 so surprising is how they have typically Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. NORTHWESTERN Game Info Date: Nov. 15, 2014. Site: Notre Dame Stadium (80,795). Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. Television: NBC. Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129). Series Facts: This is the 48th meeting between Notre Dame and Northwestern. The Irish lead the all-time series 37-8-2. Coaches: Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (44-17, fifth season); Northwestern — Pat Fitzgerald (58-52, ninth season). Noting Northwestern: The Wildcats and Irish have not played since Sept. 2, 1995, when North- western pulled off a 17-15 win at Notre Dame Stadium … Northwestern's 24-7 win over West- ern Illinois Sept. 20 improved Fitzgerald's record in non-conference games to 28-7 … Through eight games, the Wildcats' plus-five turnover margin ranked second among the 14 Big Ten teams … Fitzgerald is one of 10 active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches that is his school's all-time leader in wins … The Wildcats lost only three fumbles in the first eight games, one of which came on a lateral attempt after a blocked field goal … Northwestern is 41-16 under Fitzger- ald when outrushing its opponent.